Sugar Page #4

All right, how's it feel?

I'm okay.

-All right, can he throw a couple?

-Go ahead.

All right, come on.

-All right, kid, let's give it a rest.

-I'm okay. Please.

Well, I know you're okay,

but let's just be sure.

Come on, give me the ball, son.

That's it.

You were pitching so well, Miguel.

It's a real shame.

Don't worry about it.

You're gonna bounce right back.

Where'd you say you were from, Brad?

Berkeley.

Oh, different world out there, huh?

Do you like to surf?

No. You know, I never tried it.

But maybe I will someday.

What about you, Miguel?

What's your family like?

My family?

Yeah, like, who do you live with back home?

I live with my mother, sister, brother, and...

-Grandmother.

-And grandmother.

How about your father, Miguel?

My father, he died.

Miguel, honey, I'm so sorry.

You have other child?

We have a son. Anne's older brother.

He's in lraq.

Do you like it here in lowa?

I like. Very different.

Yeah, I bet.

You've traveled a long way, huh?

God must have something

very special in mind for you.

What happened here?

Oh. When l...

When I boy, l...

I try to...

-I don't know. I'm sorry.

-Tell me in Spanish.

-Spanish?

-Yeah.

Sorry. I just...

Sorry.

I should probably help clean up inside.

We have another meeting Thursday,

if you can come.

What happened?

It's over.

Why?

You know the drill.

I'm not playing well,

so they'll bring up someone who is.

But your knee... You're recovering.

You just need more time.

Sugar...

When do you leave?

They want me to fly back tonight.

Tonight?

But I'm not going back.

I've got a cousin in New York.

You're going to New York?

Where else?

There's no work back home.

And my bonus won't last forever.

Relax, Sugar.

I'll see you there

at Yankee Stadium some day.

When the Knights come to town.

I'll be in the front row,

getting drunk.

Cheering like a maniac.

Not for you, though.

Yankee fans are crazy.

You worry too much, Sugar.

I'll be okay.

It's just a game, right?

How'd you play today?

Good, good.

I bet you have lots of groupies

waiting for you after your games.

I have a few.

-A few?

-Just kidding.

I mean, I would, but...

None of these white girls

speak Spanish.

Marcos plays in Arizona.

Lots of Mexicans.

Everyone speaks Spanish.

He has like fifteen girlfriends.

-Shut up!

-He's probably lying.

I bet he's lying.

Jorge went to New York.

To the Yankees?

No. Our team cut him loose.

He's got a cousin there.

I don't know what he's going to do.

He got injured playing for them.

They owe him something.

Another chance.

He's worked too hard.

I mean...

He's not a horse.

But don't let it get to you.

Just keep playing well

and things will be okay.

If you...

If you not play baseball, what you do?

I like history,

so maybe I'd go to grad school.

Maybe teach someday.

You study university?

I went to Stanford.

I studied history and

baseball.

What about you, man?

Did you go to school back in the DR?

Yes, little.

Secondary?

High school.

Little high school.

But I sign when l... When I have second year.

Hey, Brad, we're up for B.P. Let's go.

We walked around the Superdome

and we started to sing...

"This Little Light of Mine. "

And it was powerful,

because it was a sad time.

You didn't know

what was going to happen.

But you had faith in God.

And we marched around the Dome...

and people were coming from inside.

These are Grandma's from the other night.

We missed you at our meeting Thursday.

Sorry. I forget.

That's okay. Maybe next time.

You want to sit?

I have to go, actually. So...

Okay, go.

-Feeling better, huh?

-Welcome back, dude.

Thank you.

Yeah, there was an injury to the Wichita

second baseman

so they called up Brad this morning.

He left you this.

Yo, Sugar!

Holy sh*t!

How'd you get here?

On an airplane, dummy.

That's great, you guys know each other.

This is Sal. He's our new middle relief man.

He's got a nasty cutter.

Hey, you could learn a thing

or two from him, Santos.

Okay.

What did he say?

Don't worry about it.

Man, it's good to see you.

Good to see you, too.

But I'm a little nervous.

It's the same game

we played back home.

Same rules, different place.

Just have fun, it's only a game.

Time.

Sutton's gonna make the call to

pull Santos here in the fourth inning.

He's gonna bring in new reliever

Salvador Torres for his Bridgetown debut.

We'll take a time out

for the pitching change.

Swing trail, five to two.

Now pitching for your Swing,

number 22, Salvador Torres.

Strike.

Strike.

Strike three.

A stellar debut for Torres,

as he baffles Jake Lee Esford

with a nasty sidearm cutter

in the final out of the inning.

Welcome to America, kid.

Just do me a favor.

Don't give it away

to the first white girl you meet.

You suck, Santos!

You started dropping your arm in the third.

I think that was the problem.

He lost control of his breaking pitches.

And they just zeroed in on his fastball.

Which isn't as fast as it used to be.

But you need to learn self-control.

Can you understand what I'm saying?

You need to know that

your actions have consequences.

So we're gonna take the cost

of that water unit that you busted up

and take it out of your check.

That's not anything that your family back

home's gonna be too proud of, is it?

So you need to think about channeling

that frustration you're feeling onto the field.

Into practice.

Channel it into working harder so that you...

I am work hard. Every day I work hard.

Yes, work harder, God damn it.

You think you're the only one

on this team works hard?

I don't understand.

You speak too fast.

I don't understand you.

Look, I know you think I don't know

what you're going through but I do.

I've been on the mound before,

I've played through pain.

I've been in your exact situation before.

And I've struggled, too. Boy, I've...

These are really gonna empty you out.

So your first time, take a half. Okay?

No more.

You gotta ease into it.

Half.

Anyone finds these,

you didn't get 'em from me, okay?

-What's up, man?

-What's up, Sal?

Did you hear

I made player of the week?

You told me last night.

Strike three.

Through the first inning,

Santos has struck out two out of three.

I don't wanna jinx this,

but this sure looks like the Santos

we saw earlier this season.

Strike.

Swing and a miss, strike three.

Santos has struck out five

through the first two innings.

He is dominating the Loons

using all of his pitches.

And after two, we've got no score.

You okay?

It's the top of the fifth inning

and Santos seems to be

struggling with his control.

Not sure what's happening down there,

he seems to be talking to himself.

Slow it down.

Just throw me strikes.

These guys can't touch you, okay?

Let's go. Throw strikes.

Strike.

You're out of here.

Puerto Rican piece of sh*t.

-F*** you.

-Dude, you don't even belong here.

-Hey.

-Dude, get off of me.

I'm sorry.

It's all right.

Well, you played with your emotions

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