Bull Durham Page #8

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NUKE'S P.O.V. THE MANAGER AND PITCHING COACH TALKING

NUKE (VOICE OVER)

Christ, Skip and Larry are talking

about me. Don't get anybody warm

in the pen yet. I'm okay. I'm

having fun.

NUKE PITCHES AGAIN -- The batter lines a single to right.

NUKE'S P.O.V. THE BULLPEN -- TWO PITCHERS start warming up.

NUKE (VOICE OVER)

Don't yank me in the first, man.

NUKE'S P.O.V. -- THE MANAGER comes out to the mound to talk.

NUKE (VOICE OVER)

Aw, sh*t.

THE MANAGER AND CRASH MEET NUKE on the mound.

SKIP:

Relax.

NUKE:

Don't pull me, Skip. I'll settle

down. I'm okay!

SKIP:

(fatherly)

Relax, Nuke, Relax...

(to Crash)

What kinda stuff's he got?

CRASH:

I don't know. I haven't caught

anything yet.

SKIP:

What're you thinking about out

here, Nuke?

NUKE:

I'm trying not to think.

SKIP:

Good. But just 'cause you ain't

s'posed to think don't mean you

ain't s'posed to use your head.

SKIP SLAPS NUKE ON THE ASS in a gruff, reassuring way, and

returns to the dugout. Leaving Nuke and Crash.

CRASH:

Have some fun, God damn it.

CRASH SMILES -- And as he returns to the plate...

CUT TO:

ANNIE WATCHES IN THE STANDS with Jackson and the radar gun.

ANNIE:

Here we go again, Jackson, hold

on tight...

Hit Professor Longhair rock and roll...and:

DISSOLVE TO:

NUKE DELIVERS -- A batter grounds out weakly.

DURHAM AT BAT -- DUGOUT -- Crash lets Jose rub his bat with

a chicken bone cross. Then steps to the plate and--

CRASH HITS A LONG HOME RUN -- And circles the bases.

NUKE DELIVERS -- A line drive nearly undresses him. Runners

circle the bases.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LOCKER ROOM -- NIGHT

THE SHOWERS -- Naked bodies in the steamy room. No joking

around. A team on losing streak.

SUDDENLY SKIP STEPS INTO THE SHOWER in his uniform and angrily

throws an armload of bats into the shower.

SKIP:

Anybody not outta the shower in

ten seconds gonna get fined a

hundred bucks. One, two...

THE SHOWER EMPTIES in seconds. Players grab a seat, and:

WHITEY THE SPORTSWRITER ENTERS as he does every night.

SKIP:

No press for five minutes, Whitey.

WHITEY:

I'm doing a column on the Myth of

Sisyphus as manifest in a minor

league losing streak, Joe, and I

thought

SKIP PICKS UP A CHAIR AND FIRES IT AT WHITEY -- The chair

crashes into a locker. Whitey hurries out.

SKIP:

If I ever need a brain transplant

I'll choose a sportswriter 'cause

that way I'd be getting a brain

that's never been used.

A couple snickers from the players. Skip whirls.

SKIP:

What're you laughing at?!

Silence.

The Durham Bulls sit and stand quietly.

SKIP:

You guys lollygag the ball around

the infield, ya lollygag you're-

way to first, ya lollygag in an'

outta the dugout. You know what

that makes ya

(beat)

Lollygaggers. What's our record,

Larry?

LARRY:

We're eight and sixteen.

SKIP:

Eight and sixteen?! How'd we

ever win eight?

(beat)

Jose, what's this sign?

SKIP FLASHES THROUGH A SEQUENCE of signs. Hand to face,

hand to belt, hand brushes letters, etc.

JOSE:

That's the steal.

SKIP:

Wrong. That's the bunt. This is

the steal.

SKIP FLASHES QUICKLY ANOTHER SEQUENCE -- Hand to face, hands

to hands. He speaks rapidly--a private language.

SKIP:

Face is "skin to skin". Skin

starts with "S". "S" stands for

steal if it follows the indicator

which is hand to eye 'cause the

word "indicator" starts with an

"I" so I figure "eye"--

(touches his eye)

--would remind you of "I" for

indicator to indicate that what

follows is the sign. I figure

wrong-- You're a buncha

lollygaggers.

(beat)

This is a simple game.

(beat)

ya throw the ball, ya hit the

ball, ya catch the ball.

CLOSE ON FACES OF THE PLAYERS -- Sitting silently.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE BALLPARK SIMULTANEOUS -- NIGHT

THE SIX PLAYERS' WIVES WAIT in a cluster. Three of them

have SMALL CHILDREN. The children are crying.

The long-suffering women try to calm the kids.

BOBBY'S WIFE

Bobby went hitless again. He's

gonna be in a terrible mood...

terrible. How'd Mickey do?

MICKEY'S WIFE

He got two hits.

BOBBY'S WIFE

Lucky you.

CUT TO:

BACK INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM -- Skip is winding down.

SKIP:

We can't win at home--how we gonna

win on the road? We got a twelve

day road trip starting tomorrow.

(beat)

Bus leaves at six In the morning.

SKIP HEADS BACK INSIDE his little office with Larry.

CUT TO:

INSIDE SKIP'S OFFICE -- He and Larry open a couple beers.

THE DOOR OPENS -- BOBBY ENTERS wearing only a towel.

BOBBY:

You wanted to see me?

SKIP:

Yeah, Bobby, shut the door.

(he does)

This is the toughest job a manager

has...

(beat)

But the organization has decided

to make a change--

BOBBY:

Skip, I know I'm in a slump but I

hit the ball hard tonight, right

at 'em. A couple flares drop in,

and I'm back in the groove!

The nearly naked 25 year old man pleads helplessly--his career

is over.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE STADIUM -- NIGHT

THE PLAYERS EXIT -- The Groupies wait in a cluster. The

wives wait in another group. Bobby's wife sees Bobby.

BOBBY'S WIFE

(to child)

There's Daddy! Wave to Daddy!

--P.O.V. BOBBY COMING OUT OF THE CLUBHOUSE -- Another player

has his arm around Bobby, consoling him. The wife knows.

BOBBY'S WIFE

Oh God...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. STADIUM PARKING LOT -- DAWN

THE DURHAM BULLS TEAM BUS is parked. Luggage is loaded.

Sleepy players arriving, escorted by wives and girlfriends.

ANNIE BIDS NUKE GOODBYE -- Off to the side. She pulls

something from her handbag and hands it to Nuke. A pair of

WOMEN'S RED PANTIES, with lace and frills.

ANNIE:

I want you to wear these on the

road trip when you pitch.

NUKE:

What?

ANNIE:

They'll fit snugly against your

balls in such a wonderful way

that you'll start seeing things

differently--plus they'll remind

you of me which is better than

thinking about those nasty hitters.

NUKE:

Jesus, Annie, I don't know--

ANNIE:

You've been pitching out of the

wrong side of your brain. These'll

help move things to the right

side.

NUKE:

Big League pitchers don't use

these.

ANNIE:

They did when they were in the

Carolina League.

NUKE STUFFS THE PANTIES in his pocket, bewildered. A small

kiss from Annie, and he hurries to the bus.

CUT TO:

INT. LOCKER ROOM -- DAWN

PLAYERS THROW THEIR GEAR into their travel bags.

A PAPER BEER CUP IS TAPED TO THE WALL -- With a sign:

"Married men deposit wedding rings here for road trips".

CLOSE ON THE CUP -- A ring is dropped in, and another, and...

We begin hearing Annie's VOICE OVER:

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

A woman should never ask questions

about road trips.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE PARKING LOT -- DAWN

THE TEAM BUS PULLS OUT -- Wives and girlfriends head back to

their apartments, leaving:

ANNIE WALKING BACK ROME -- Several blocks to her house.

ANNIE (VOICE OVER)

Men don't realize that women always

know when they've been unfaithful.

(beat)

The fact is, upon exact moment of

penetration--the woman knows.

AS ANNIE WALKS BACK through Durham...

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