Lost Writers: George Orwell Covers a Baseball Game

George Orwell, a writer famous for dystopian novels, once covered a baseball game. We at The Rookies have recovered it, and published it for the world to see. By the world, we mean our 10 loyal readers. We’re thinking of you!

A lovely day in May, it was the Untop of the 9th inning, so said the Great Screen.

A baseball game between the A’s of Oakland, members of the Outer Party, and the Yankees of New York, a team sponsored by Big Brother himself: Vast Superior Bud Selig.

Horace Johnson, an undecided fan in attendance, was in Section 104. The Ministry of Truth, led by Superior Joe Buck, was broadcasting this game of SquareUnSquare, claiming that the Yankees could do no wrong and supporters of the A’s would be traitors to the Inner Party, and Big Brother himself.

Out of nowhere, a flash erupted. An unruly attender had thrown a flash bomb, yelling “A’s FOREVER!” He was promptly taken by three guards to section 101. The fan was a leader of the A’s, and he went by the name of “Bean.”

Section 101 was a place of darkness and loneliness, run by the Ministry of Love. Unspeakable things happened in Section 101, for fans of the other team, dissenters of Big Brother, people who did not support the Inner Party and their quest for harmony for all. Yes, the Ministry of Truth said the Yankees and A’s were equal, but some teams were more equal than others.

The screams of Section 101 were barely audible, but the man known as “Bean” came out and immediately started handing out contracts that were originally against what he stood for.

Horace turned his attention back to the game, which was easy to do since Big Brother has installed a screen on the back of every seat.  These screens were a way for the Party to make sure that each and every fan was paying attention to nothing but the game. Although the Great Screen was mounted on a wall in the outfield, no one could look at it but the Party. Section 101 awaited if you were caught doing otherwise.  The Proles has damaged some of these screens, however, which the Party didn’t seem to care about, or even bother to fix. They just gave the Proles round after round of an alcoholic beverage that likens to oil. The party called it Victory-brand gin. It was a way for them to not bother wish questioning the “truth” they were being told.  The Proles were also called “fans,” but the Ministry did not want that moniker for them, and was ending it swiftly with unruly violence and people who disobeyed being taken to Section 101.

As the Yankees were down by 2 home base-passes, to the A’s 3 base-passes, Yankee Player #6 came up the home plate. There was a Yankee Player on first base, with two outs. The first pitch was a strike down the middle. Yankee Player #6 was a terrible player, with a tendency to not swing at much. The second pitch was a breaking ball, again, right down the middle. With two strikes, a piercing noise cracked through the air, and two Proles rushed to the mound, beat the pitcher senseless, and dragged him away.

A man, who suspiciously looked like the Yankees’ shortstop, was out on the mound, clad in an A’s uniform. He took a couple warm-up pitches, then play resumed. The new, unknown pitcher threw the ball underhand, floating slowly to home plate. Yankee Player #6 realized this opportunity and seized it, demolishing the ball into right field. With 2 more base-passes, the Yankees were now leading the A’s, 5-3.

After this moment of celebration by the Party, the attenders became restless. Beverages and other assorted objects were being hurled in all directions, including one extraordinarily athletic individual who tossed a hammer, right into the Great Screen, shattering it and sending sparks and glass showering down on the field. Horace ran for his life, and successfully escaped this violent and dangerous chaos.

The SquareUnSquare game was then called by Vast Superior Bud Selig in the Untop of the 9th inning, on account of violence. Nineteen attenders were killed, and 84 had injuries.

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