monkey mountain

It's a baseball league here in the world of Monkey Mountain,
played by the great monkeys, which started when the first ball and bat
and the rules of the game were handed down to them.
In the Monkey League, a number of great players arose
from among the nameless monkeys,
whose faces and appearances all looked the same.
They included the legendary home run king,
who batted an unprecedented, record-breaking
80 home runs in one year, Steroid Monkey;
the one who bested the god of batting, Monkey River's career batting average
by two thousandths, the miracle hitting machine, Upper Monkey;
the greatest catcher of the Bigfoot era, Mister Monkey;
later, as manager, he would go on to break the record for most league wins,
with a legendary ten-season-long streak!
Then came the golden age of the M-League.
A miracle monkey came along
and shattered those previous legends one by one--
the monster, Monkey Blue!
This maverick of the league was the only one with blue hair,
who, despite weathering ugly discrimination and crafty persecution,
triumphed over them with overwhelming talent, ultimately becoming a hero,
and a symbol of hope for the monkeys!
Although a rookie, Blue put the brakes to the king, Steroid Monkey!
Breaking his bat as well as his heart, Blue drove him to retirement.
Then, with his mighty pitching arm,
Blue led the underdog team Monkey and Club to victory,
preventing Bigfoot's championship streak from reaching 11.
The public accepted this new hair color,
and there was no doubt in anybody's mind
that the era of Monkey Blue had begun! But then...
...that great tragedy, when a near-perfect game was foiled,
and a monkey was killed, took place!

The year had been Blue's greatest season.
Every game, Blue had pitched the full nine innings and won.
That's a league-high 32 wins posted,
and the team won its second consecutive title.
Then, in the final game of the season,
Blue was closing in on pitching an absolutely perfect game!
It was 16-0,
with Monkey and Club commanding a huge lead going into the final inning.
Bottom of the 9th, two outs. Blue had struck out 26 batters on 80 pitches,
and had gotten the last batter two strikes down in quick order!
The overflowing stadium was blanketed in electricity,
waiting for the call of that last pitch to ring out!
All of the monkeys there focused their intense gaze on Blue's every move!
None of them had any doubt that this would be an absolutely perfect game!
Yes, there was indeed an uneasy foreboding.
In hindsight, it was clear. One monkey, unaccustomed to that pressure--
the idiosyncratic umpire...

Then, the world went off-kilter
The 81st pitch! Out of respect for Blue's honor,
I will say that it was by no means a careless pitch.
The world itself had slipped!
No, there is no possibility that I'm being partial to Blue!
It actually happened!
The world itself moved just a little bit! It's the truth!
The ball looked like it may have slightly missed the strike zone,
but could be called as either a strike or a ball!
And the umpire making the call was the one monkey in that stadium--
in that whole world--who did not go along with the world slipping!
The crowd rose to their feet en masse!
They wildly started tearing out their hair,
and stamping their feet with all their might!
They broke out in booing!
Tremendous booing!
The umpire firmly refused requests to check the video replay.

Blue was visibly dissatisfied, and charged the umpire!
"That was a strike!"
The umpire quietly shook his head.
"Hey, are you nuts?!
That pitch would have sealed an absolutely perfect game!"
The umpire firmly replied, "I am aware."
"No, you don't get it! Why didn't you call that ball a strike?!"
The outcome of the game is already decided!
On top of that, this game is a throwaway anyhow! The batter is dispirited!
So how come, when it didn't matter if you called that pitch a strike or a ball,
did you not call it a strike?! What was the point of that?!
Moreover, do you not hear the cheers of hope and anticipation from the crowd?!
You know that this isn't the outcome they wanted!"
"I am aware of that, as well."
"The hopes of the crowd have no bearing on this game.
There is a stadium here, and inside it, there are rules.
No matter what the reasons may be, things should remain fair in here."

"You're wrong!
This is a baseball show! Everyone is pinning their hopes and dreams on me!
I'm carrying the weight of the whole Monkey League!
Right now, as far as this place goes, I am the rules!
Now, reverse your decision!"
Blue's huge hands were trembling
"I cannot do that."
The umpire was utterly unflinching.
"Right now, as far as this place is concerned, I am the rules."
Blue knew the truth as well. The replay was shown on the big screen.
The fact was, due to the world slipping,
the ball had missed the strike zone by no more than a micron!
But Blue could not accept that decision.
When the game resumed, Blue threw the ball at the exact same speed,
on the exact same course as that 81st pitch, three more times.
"Ball four!"

Spiking his glove into the mound, Blue walked off the game.
This incited the stirred-up spectators to begin rioting!
As the crowd rushed onto the field, they all charged at the umpire!
As the terrified batter looked on, the umpire had his head beaten in,
and the rioting crowd tore him apart.

His thin, scruffy body had its flesh and blood trodden on,
spat upon, dishonored, and breathed its last.