For Love of the Game Page #8

I saw you play against the Padres in the

World Series in the '80s when I worked in L.A.

- It was fantastic.

- You like baseball?

Yeah, sure.

May I?

[ Clicks ] So, do you

like the paintings?

No?

[ Chuckles ]

Would you excuse us? We're gonna

have a drink. Sure. Go ahead.

[ Sniffs ]

You don't smoke.

I do sometimes.

Billy,

you surprised me here.

I didn't know-

I w-

I have to go.

Well, let me walk you. Let

me give you a ride. I can't.

Why not? Because I came with someone.

What?

I came with Ian.

Richard, thank you for

coming. My pleasure.

You mean, like a date?

Are ya seein' him?

Yes.

I haven't seen you in fiive

months. You haven't called.

I called. What do you

- Three times in fiive months.

You knew what I was doing.

What about what I've been doing?

You have no idea what I've been

doing for the last fiive months.

You come in here, you insult

my friends, you embarrass me-

I didn't insult anybody. The prick asked

me if I liked the painting. I said I didn't.

And I didn't... [ Lowers Voice

] come in here to embarrass you.

I mean, you could've told me.

You could've said something.

Said what? Goddamn it, you

never just lay it out there.

Lay what out there?

That you hurt me?

Is that what you want?

How on

the plane ride home...

the flight attendant

had to ask me how I was?

How in the cab, I couldn't tell

the cab driver where I lived?

Or how I had to beg Heather

to sleep with me?

Is that what you want? Is that what

you want me to tell you? I'm sorry.

I'll tell you all about it. I'm sorry. I'm

sorry about what I said to you in the condo.

[ Panting ]

It's all right.

It doesn't matter

anymore.

I think maybe

that you and I...

are just not

the same kind of people.

I'm pitchin' tomorrow night at

Yankee Stadium. I want you to come.

No. No.

You and Heather.

Please, it's my fiirst game back.

I want you to be there. [ Sighs ]

I'll be watching you.

You know I'll always

be watching you.

just not from

the friends' box.

[ Thunder Rumbling ]

I don't miss

the good old days

I've learned a lot

since then

I've changed my ways

I'm not bothered

by those things that

Used to get me down

Only when you come around

I wish you'd

come around

Don't you come around

[ Crowd Cheering ] [ Scully ] The

Tigers with a 1 to nothing lead,

but the story would be the inability of

the Yankees to do anything with Chapel.

No runs, no hits, no errors,

but more importantly,

no base runners

of any kind.

Billy Chapel is looking a possible

perfect game right in the eye.

Billy Chapel all alone,

his teammates staying away.

They don't want to intrude

upon the zone.

[ Rock ]

[ Chattering ]

Shh!

You guys, please.

[ Scully ]... and Wheeler

now seeing the fruition...

of the hope and the long work

in the 19 years...

with six outs away.

[ Crowd Chanting ]

Let's go, Yankees!

Let's go, Yankees!

Let's go, Yankees!

How ya doin', ace?

Anybody been on base?

Nobody.

Nobody?

This I ain't seen much of.

Huh.

Me neither.

Chappie, I never have.

What's the matter?

I don't know if

I have anything left.

Chappie, you just throw

whatever you got,

whatever's left.

The boys are all here for ya.

We'll back ya up.

We'll be there.

'Cause, Billy,

we don't stink right now.

We're the best team in baseball right

now, right this minute, 'cause of you.

You're the reason.

We're not gonna screw that up.

We're gonna be awesome

for you right now.

just throw.

[ Mouths Words ]

All right?

Come on! Come on.

[ Scully ] Billy Chapel has

retired 21 consecutive batters,

striking out eight.

And as the fates would have it, one of

his closest friends and a former teammate,

Davis Birch, will try to snatch

the diamond away from him,

leading off in the bottom

of the eighth inning.

I once held her in my arms

She said she would

always stay

[ Scully ] Ball one, and

now the question, of course,

how much petrol has

Billy Chapel got in the tank?

Remember, it was just two innings

ago that he started to hurt,

the arm tightened up.

Somehow or other he got through it,

but now he is in the eighth inning,

facing a most dangerous hitter.

Once I had mountains

[ Scully ]

Ball two.

In the palm of my hands

And rivers that

ran through every day

I must have been mad

jim, get Stafford up.

I never knew what I had

Until I threw it all away

Frank. Hey, I can see the scoreboard.

I know what's goin' on, okay?

just in case.

It makes the world go round

Love and only love

It can't be denied

No matter what

you think about it

You just won't be able

to do without it

Don't question me.

Get him up here.

Take a tip from

one who's tried

[ Man ]

Retire! Retire!

So if you find someone

That gives you all of

her love [ Man ] Billy?

Billy, you can do it.

just calm down. Throw the ball

to the glove. just play catch.

For one thing for certain

You will surely be a-hurtin'

If you throw it all away

So a moment of truth- and he's had

several along the way- for Billy Chapel.

[ Scully ] 3 and 0. If

you throw it all away

[ Cheering Fades ]

[ Cheering Ceases ]

Strike one!

[ Cheering Resumes ]

[ Lyons ] You want to

see a big-time pitch?

When you consider the noise, the situation,

this stadium, that's unbelievable.

[ Chanting ]

Birch! Birch! Birch!

[ Chanting Continues,

Fades ]

[ Cheering Continues ]

[ Scully ] They put the

handcuffs on him, 3 and 0.

But he's such an aggressive hitter, you

know they're gonna green light him 3 and 1.

- There it goes!

- [ Crowd Cheering ]

[ Scully ] There's a high

drive into deep right field!

Back goes Mickey Hart

to the track at the wall...

and leaps up and one hands it!

Yeah! Yeah!

[ Group Shouting ]

- I love you, Mickey Hart!

- [ Booing ]

[ Scully ] He took a home

run away from Davis Birch,

and the perfecto

is still alive!

[ Lyons ] What a play by

Mickey Hart right here.

This is a ball right out over the

middle, and Birch just hammers it.

You got lucky again, Chapel.

That was a great play.

I'll miss you

the most, Scarecrow.

Ma'am? Are you coming?

[ Scully ] That will be the

fourth save so far in seven.

I'm sorry.

You'll have to board now.

[ Scully ] Howell grounded

out, lost a base hit.

Ma'am? Ma'am?

[ Scully ] The crowd on its

feet, exhorting, well, whom?

Give my seat

to somebody else.

Twenty-two consecutive outs

retired by Billy Chapel,

and he goes head-to-head

with Lenny Howell.

Fastball pulled to the right side. A

sliding stop by Marcus Ransom to get him.

- You're out!

- That's the second time today...

that Ransom has taken a base hit

away from Lenny Howell.

And now four outs away.

[ Lyons ] We haven't seen Billy Chapel go

this far into a game for a lot of starts now.

He looks very, very tired.

[ Scully ] The batter will be Ted

Franklin, the local boy from New York.

You know he wants to atone

for two strikeouts.

Gus!

[ Scully ] High twisting foul,

off to the right of the plate.

Sinski comin' back

and makes the play.

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