Fear Strikes Out

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1

Hi, Dad.

Hello, Jim.

You're home early.

Yep.

I'm going to work on that slide again.

Can you watch me?

Later.

Go on.

OK.

I told you that squirt of a

foreman would be trouble.

He talked to the wrong man

when he talked to me like that.

There are other jobs.

Hey, Dad, watch!

I'm the union steward.

The men expect me to speak up.

There will be other jobs.

The farther away you take off,

the sooner you get in there,

and you hook it in.

You try it.

Zip it up in there!

The sooner you take off,

the faster you're there.

All right, now.

As you come in, fall away from the bag.

Let's go. Home!

That was pretty good.

You hooked in there nice.

But you know, a low throw

would've nailed you.

Don't give me that look.

A low throw would've nailed you.

It wasn't bad, though.

Keep it up.

You'll be able to do it.

Just keep at it.

That old trouble again?

Nah. Too much gabbing

today, I guess.

I'll fix a cup of tea.

I don't like the look of it.

I've been after you to get

a checkup, haven't I?

I don't want you going away again.

Jimmy always looks so

serious when he plays.

He's a good boy.

He tries hard.

Too hard sometimes.

Nothing comes easy, and you know it.

If we work hard enough,

he could be a great ballplayer.

Just like his Dad.

You were the best I ever saw.

I was nothing like that.

Playing for a factory team?

Making a few dollars in my spare time?

No.

What I'm thinking about

is the big leagues.

The Boston Red Sox.

That's where Jim's going.

Jim.

That's enough of that, Jim.

Come on.

Let's toss a few.

Right in the old mitt.

Burn it in now.

Come on, Jim.

Like a big leaguer.

Big leaguer now.

Come on.

Let's go now!

Come on, Jim!

Let's go! Let's go!

Hustle in there!

Right here now.

Right to me, Jimmy!

Come on, Jimmy.

Come on.

That's the way to do it.

We'll show them, Jim.

That's the way!

Right to me!

You're out!

That kid can play!

What an arm!

What a game, Nice going.

What a bunch of bums!

How about that?

Great going, Jimmy.

You saved the game for us.

If you're going

to play, Mr. Tracy,

you might as well win, you know?

Bernie, good game, boy.

Hi, Mr. Piersall.

He played like a real

pro today, didn't he?

Well, Dad, we made it?

Yeah, you made it.

With luck, you made it.

It was a good enough

game for high school,

but you weren't on your

toes all the time,

and you know it, don't you?

Jimmy, you got to think ahead.

You got to be ahead of the play.

For instance, when the ball

got away from your shortstop,

why weren't you backing him up?

You got to think ahead!

Come on.

Take your shower.

Don't catch cold.

Jimmy, I'll give you a

ride over to the party.

I got two gas pumps waiting.

This is a celebration.

Skip work for once.

I can't skip work for a party.

Come on.

We won.

That's wonderful.

I thought we'd lose.

I knew you wouldn't.

The third inning, I thought we'd lose it.

Your son made a play

like a big leaguer today.

Don't think they don't know it up there.

Up where?

Boston.

What's that?

I didn't want to tell you

during the season.

I was afraid you'd get nervous.

The Boston Red Sox are interested, Jim.

Tracy's heard from them.

The Red Sox are sending

down scouts next year

to see me?

Hey, Mom.

The Boston Red Sox are sending

scouts next year to see me.

What do you think?

You deserve it, Jimbo.

What do you think, Dad?

We're on our way, Jim.

Big leagues, big money.

Everything we've ever dreamed about.

We're going up fast.

No 10 years in the minors for us,

hanging around Louisville,

Scranton, those small towns.

None of that for us.

We'll give them one year,

then the Boston Red Sox, right, Jim?

Right, Dad.

Of course, we got to be great next season

when the scouts come down.

We've got to stay in shape, keep healthy.

And nothing can stop us.

Right, Jim?

Right.

Jimmy, you going to be late for work?

Yep.

Straight home after work, son.

Doesn't he always?

Can I have the letter?

Jim!

Jim!

Hey, Jim!

Don't lose the letter!

And bring it home!

How about a little service?

Get that heap out of here.

It gives the place a bad name.

How's the big leaguer?

Heard from the Red Sox again?

Yeah.

Great, Jimmy.

It's really wonderful.

They're coming all the

way down from Boston?

That's what Tracy says.

If he says it, it's fact.

How about celebrating?

Come on, Jimmy.

Once?

I should go straight home.

We'll do a little

ice-skating.

I'm not suppose to

ice-skate.

Come on, Jimmy. Relax.

You should relax.

I got to go home.

I'll have you home before you know it.

Come on. Come on.

10 minutes.

OK. 10 minutes.

OK?

Yeah. Come on.

Hurry up those 10 minutes.

Let's go.

Maybe he had to work overtime.

There was no answer at the gas station.

Why don't you call his friends?

I did.

Nobody's home.

Nobody's seen him.

I'm going to call the police.

John, for goodness' sakes.

He's an hour and a half late.

That's like 24 hours with anybody else.

Jim's never been late before.

I know.

The gas station.

It's the gas station.

I should never have

let him take that job.

Will you stop it?

Stop what?

He's probably with Bernie

and forgot the time.

He knows it's important to get his sleep.

If he's not ready

when those scouts

come down from Boston...

Have you seen Jim?

Yes, sir.

Well, where is he?

He's downstairs in the car, sir.

What happened?

We went skating, sir, and...

I'm sorry,

Mrs. Piersall.

Jimmy.

I'm all right, Mom.

Now, Pa, it's OK.

I'm going to play.

John!

Dad!

I'll be back tomorrow,

and we'll have a cardiograph

taken at the office.

Thank you, doctor.

Jimmy... Dad's going to be all right.

The doctor says it wasn't

really a heart attack,

just a warning.

He'll have to take it easy for a while.

It was my fault.

Jimmy, it wasn't your fault.

The doctor says it could

have happened anytime

and for any reason.

Try and get some rest, son.

And don't worry.

Are the scouts out there or not?

Yeah.

No bending.

You know what the doc said.

That was two months ago.

You still got to be careful.

You ought to skip the game.

Are you going to play?

Yes.

Then I can watch it.

Let's get out and play ball.

Jim, no sliding today.

Keep your weight off that ankle

as much as you can.

Come on, Jim.

Come on.

Come on, Jim.

Throw a good one, baby.

You're out of there.

This is our last inning.

Get a hit, kid.

We're in trouble.

They don't like those two strikeouts.

I'm trying, Dad.

I know,

but we've got to show them you can hit.

Now, you got to get your hit.

Get your hit.

Strike!

Keep your eye on the ball, Jim.

Go! Go!

Safe!

Jim!

Jim, are you OK?

I told you, Dad... Worry about nothing?

This is Jim.

Hello, Jim.

Mr. Kulavitch

and silvera, scouts.

You made a nice slide.

Keep your weight off the ankle.

Sit down.

Well, good-bye, Dad.

Now, Scranton is a good beginning,

but it's only the beginning.

Remember, next year it's got to be...

Yeah. Wish me luck.

Luck won't do it.

You'll have to work hard

and think for yourself.

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