Bull Durham Page #13

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TEDDY THE RADIO MAN

Two-nothing Bulls in the second--

first time the Bulls have been

ahead in weeks, eh Whitey--

(beat)

Let's see if the real Nuke LaLoosh

will show up--

CUT TO:

NUKE FIRES THREE QUICK PITCHES for another strike out. Curve

ball, fast ball, curve ball. Overpowering.

CUT TO:

ANNIE AND JACKSON in her box seat.

ANNIE:

Oh my...

CUT TO:

SKIP AND LARRY IN THE DUGOUT -- Skip looks at Larry as if to

say "What's happening?" Larry just shrugs.

CUT TO:

BACK TO THE FIELD -- Nuke's next pitch.

THE NEXT BATTER POPS UP -- Crash circles into foul ground to

make the catch, whipping the ball around the infield.

AND CRASH GOES TO THE MOUND for a visit.

NUKE:

Hey, I'm cruisin', man--what're

you doing out here?!

CRASH:

I want you to throw this one at

the bat rack.

NUKE:

Why?! I'm finally throwin' the

damn thing where I want to.

CRASH:

It'll keep the fear of God in the

hitters. Trust me.

NUKE:

You're the boss.

CRASH RETURNS TO THE PLATE -- Flashes a sign.

CUT TO:

THE PRESS BOX Teddy's getting worked up.

TEDDY THE RADIO MAN

--a staggering start by LaLoosh--

he's thrown 5 cuts on 9 pitches,

all of them strikes--he's got pin

point control here tonight, Bull

fans...here's the pitch--

CUT TO:

NUKE'S NEXT DELIVERY -- A wild ass rocket thirty feet off

line. The BULL MASCOT DIVES for cover.

THE BATTER STEPS OUT OF THE BOX nervously, muttering.

BATTER:

This guy's crazy.

CRASH:

Yep. Next one might be at your

head. Hell if I know where the

damn thing's going...

CLOSE ON NUKE -- Smiles. Winds. Delivers. A change up.

THE BATTER SWINGS TERRIBLY OFF STRIDE -- Strike three. Crash

whips the ball around the infield.

CUT TO:

SCOREBOARD:
DURHAM 11, KINGSTON 0--TOP OF THE NINTH

TEDDY THE RADIO MAN

--top of the ninth, two outs, one

out away from a stunning two hit

shutout for LaLoosh...

CUT TO:

NUKE ON THE MOUND -- Bearing down.

NUKE (VOICE OVER)

Bear down, Meat, don't let up.

You own these guys. Dad'll love

a shutout ...

P.O.V. CRASH FLASHES THE SIGN -- Nuke doesn't like it.

NUKE:

No, no--this guy's looking for

heat--lemme give him the deuce--

NUKE SHAKES OFF THE SIGN Cocky, full of himself.

CUT TO:

ANNIE AND JACKSON in her box seat.

ANNIE:

Oh no--he's shaking off the sign,

Jackson. Big mistake...

JACKSON:

He'll learn.

CUT TO:

CLOSE ON CRASH BEHIND THE PLATE

CRASH:

This son of a b*tch is throwing a

two hit shutout and he's shaking

me off?!

(to batter and umpire)

Hey Charlie, here comes the deuce.

NUKE WINDS AND DELIVERS -- A hanging curveball. The batter

takes an ungodly cut, and BLASTS a long home.

THE BATTER STANDS AT THE PLATE watching the blast...until

CRASH SHOVES HIM toward first with a sneer. For a moment it

looks like there'll be a fight--but the hitter backs off and

takes the home run trot as:

NUKE STARES AT THE OUTFIELD WALL as the batter circles the

bases. Crash walks to the mound.

NUKE:

You told him I was throwing a

deuce, right?

CRASH:

Yep. He really crushed that

dinger, didn't he. Musta gone

450 feet...damn...

NUKE HOLDS OUT HIS GLOVE -- Says nothing. Crash puts a new

ball in the glove. Returns to the plate.

NUKE GETS THE SIGN -- Winds. Delivers. Batter hits a weak

one hopper back to the mound. Game's over.

CUT TO:

INT. MAXWELL'S BAR -- LATER -- NIGHT

A raucous celebration of the victory. Booze flows.

And we begin hearing the familiar sounds of Piaf ...

CUT TO:

INT. ANNIE'S HOUSE -- LATER -- NIGHT

ANNIE COMES OUT OF THE BATHROOM -- Dressed in a long, flowing

nightgown, elegant and old fashioned. She looks fabulous,

PRESENTING HERSELF to Nuke.

ANNIE:

I'm yours.

NUKE:

Y'know, Annie, I been thinking if

it works for one game, maybe it'll

work for a whole buncha games.

ANNIE:

Breathing through your pingala

always works, honey--

NUKE:

Not that. I mean the re-channeling

of my sexual energy.

(beat)

Maybe we shouldn't make love for

awhile.

ANNIE:

Now don't go overboard, I look

incredibly hot, right?

She strikes a pose. She does look hot.

NUKE:

You know what it feels like to

throw a three hitter?

(nervously, with

resolve)

We better not f***.

ANNIE:

Nuke?!

NUKE:

Just till I lose.

ANNIE:

Get over here.

NUKE:

No.

ANNIE:

Ebby Calvin "Nuke" LaLoosh--

She starts toward him--and Nuke flees. Out the door, into

the night. Annie slumps in disbelief.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. ANNIE'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT

ANNIE SITS IN BED ALONE -- Lights a cigaret. A puzzled

expression--things have got out of control.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

Nuke was so encouraged that he

took a vow to not have sex until

they lost...

Annie reaches over, opens a drawer in her nightstand, and

pulls out her baseball glove. She cradles it fondly in her

lap, puts it on, pounds it gently...

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

Y'see a ballplayer on a streak

considers himself touched with

magic and he'll do anything to

keep from breaking the spell ...

CUT TO:

INT. DURHAM BULL LOCKER ROOM -- DAY

NUKE NEATLY UNFOLDS THE RED PANTIES in his locker.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

In fact the whole team started

making religious connections and

everybody got hot.

JOSE BLESSES THE BATS with a chicken bone cross.

JIMMY READS THE BIBLE and prays alone in the corner.

CUT TO:

EXT. DURHAM BASEBALL FIELD -- DAY

PLAYERS TAKING GROUND BALLS and batting practice.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

I figured Nuke would win a couple,

then lose, and things would get

back to normal ...

PLAYERS PLAYING "FLIP" PEPPER like kids.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

But it didn't happen like that...

and for one extraordinary June

and July, the Durham Bulls, for

whatever perverse reason, began

playing baseball with joy and

verve and poetry--

NUKE WARMING UP in the bullpen, listening to Crash.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER CONT'D)

The two sides of my own brain

were all jumbled up and cross-

wired... while one side was being

neglected, the other was in

paradise watching our Bulls play

like Big Leaguers...

MICKEY RIPS A TRIPLE UP THE ALLEY -- Slides into third.

DEKE AND TOMMY TURN A SPECTACULAR DOUBLE PLAY

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

We swept a four game series with

Kingston, back to back

doubleheaders with Winston-Salem,

and kicked the holy sh*t out of

Greensboro in a three game

series...

SEVERAL PLAYERS SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS at a local mall. A line

of kids to meet them. A banner--MEET YOUR BULLS!

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

They were in demand all over town--

and Crash, who kept hitting

dingers, was approaching the minor

league record... though I told

nobody.

CRASH BLASTS ANOTHER HOME RUN -- Another win.

JULY 4 PROMOTION -- LARRY, DEKE, TOMMY, AND JOSE dressed as

the "Spirit of 176 Drum and Fife Corps" at home plate,

surrounded by a Boy Scout Troop.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

After sweeping a July 4

doubleheader, the Durham Bulls

were tied for first.

THE WIVES, THE GROUPIES, AND MILLIE WAIT for the players

outside the clubhouse following a game.

ANNIE SITS ALONE IN HER BOX SEAT as the stadium empties.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

But beautiful as the winning streak

was, I was getting damn lonely.

(beat)

Something had to be done. I needed

a man...

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