The Rookie Page #4

# Happy birthday to you #

# Happy birthday,

dear Hunter #

# Happy birthday to you #

Make a wish. Oh!

Jessica!

Lorri:

Hey, don't worry, baby.

Your wish still counts.

-- [ Whistle blows ]

-- Charles...

Do you think that

that ice-cream machine

is gonna start

spinning itself?

[ Noisemaker blows ]

Oh, I gotta go get

a knife.

I'll help you, Mom.

I think we need plates,

hon, too.

-- [ Grunts ]

-- [ Pop ]

Seems like

five minutes ago

I was watching you

blow out those candles.

Are you trying to

make me feel old?

Come talk to me

in 20 years.

Hunter says you spent

some time at your father's

today.

Yeah.

You know where

I'm going with that.

Yes, ma'am, I do.

Lorri says he's trying

real hard

to be a good grandfather.

Yeah, well...

Lord, Jimmy, I swear,

the one thing you got from him

is his stubborn side.

-- That's not true.

-- [ Sighs ]

Well, what do you

want me to do,

pretend everything

was perfect?

You've been blaming your father

for too many things

for too many years.

I just call 'em

like I see 'em, Mom.

[ Chuckles ]

Jimmy, you can sell that story

someplace else, 'cause

I ain't buying.

You got your shot

at baseball.

You got hurt.

Simple as that.

It had nothing to do

with your father.

You think

he didn't have dreams?

[ Sighs ]

That why it didn't work out

with you two?

[ Chuckles ]

I'm gonna need a longer street

for that talk.

Jimmy:

Okay, let's get two.

[ Bat cracks ball ]

Come on, Wack!

Come on, coach, how long

we gotta practice here?

Just a couple

of more days.

Joe David:

Getting old out here, coach.

Playing in a gravel yard.

Okay, Wack.

Come on in for

batting practice.

Owls player:
This is

not a ball field.

-- Come on, let's go.

-- Okay, okay.

[ Metal squeaks ]

Okay.

Nice, easy swings.

Turn your hips.

Throw your hands

at the ball.

Come on, coach, l-I mean,

if we're gonna start winning,

we need to see

some better pitching.

-- Rudy:
Yeah.

You gonna help us or not?

Come on, coach,

right here.

Joe David:
Yo, let's see

some action.

[ Sighs ]

Joe David:
Come on, Wack.

[ Elvis Presley's "Run On"

plays ]

# Ooooh #

# Well, you may run on

for a long time #

-- # Run on for a long time #

-- [ Air whooshes ]

# Run on for a long time #

# Let me tell you, God

Almighty's gonna cut you down #

-- # Go tell that

long-tongued liar #

-- [ Whooshing continues ]

# Go tell that midnight rider #

# Tell the gambler,

the rambler, the backbiter #

# Tell them God Almighty's

gonna cut them down #

# You may throw your rock

and hide your hand #

# Working in the dark

against your fellow man #

# As sure as God made

the day and the night #

# What you do in the dark

will be brought to the light #

# You may run and hide,

slip and slide #

# Trying to take the mote

from your neighbor's eye #

# As sure as God made

the rich and poor #

-- # You gonna reap

just what you sow #

-- [ Bat nicks ball ]

Rudy:
Man!

[ Laughs ]

Hey, right on, man.

Got a piece of that one!

Now...get all of it.

-- You're the man, Wack.

-- Come on, Wack.

Joe David:

Catching up, coach.

-- [ Air whooshes ]

-- [ Bat cracks ball ]

[ Crowd cheering ]

Two, Wack! Two!

Go, go, go, go, go!

Stay up!

Stay, stay, stay!

Attaway, Wack!

-- [ Crack ]

-- Hustle!

[ Cheering continues ]

[ Crack ]

[ Crack ]

Run, boy, run!

[ lndistinct cheering ]

Pick it up! Pick it up,

pick it up, pick it up!

Umpire:
Out!

[ Crack ]

-- Take it, Joel!

-- Got it!

Run, run, run,

run, run, run!

-- Yeah!

-- Yeah!

-- Yeah!

-- Yeah!

-- Yeah! Whoo!

-- Whoo!

-- Yeah!

-- Yeah!

[ Cheering continues ]

There you go, Joel!

There you go, baby!

Hit it, Wack!

Eye on the ball, buddy!

[ John Hiatt's "Slow Turning"

plays ]

[ Cheers ]

# When I was a boy #

# I thought it just came

to ya #

# But I never could tell

what's mine #

# So it didn't matter anyway #

Cal:
[ On P.A. ] How 'bout that

for an outstanding double play?

# My only pride and joy #

# Was this racket down here #

# Bangin' on an old guitar... #

Cal:
The Owls win again,

and that is five in a row.

#...It's been a slow turnin' #

Let's go.

# From the inside out #

[ Cracking ]

-- # A slow turnin', baby #

-- All around, all around.

# But you come about #

Strike three!

# A slow learnin' #

-- Whoo! Yeah!

-- # But you learn to sway #

Yeah, baby!

-- # A slow turnin', baby #

-- Come on,

get some defense going!

# Not fade away,

not fade away... #

Joe David:
He's taking second!

-- Strike three!

#... Time is short, and here's

the damn thing about it #

-- He's out!

-- # You're gonna die,

gonna die for sure #

# And you can learn to live

with love or without it #

# But there ain't no cure #

# There's just

a slow turnin'... #

[ Crack ]

Cal:
Going...going...

Gone!

#...A slow turnin' #

Whoooo!

# But you come about #

-- The Owls clear the bases.

-- # A slow turnin', baby #

-- [ Cheers ]

-- # But you learn to sway #

# A slow turnin' #

-- Yeah!

-- # Not fade away,

not fade away #

# Not fade away... #

[ All shouting ]

Hey! Hey!

Hey, hey, hey!

Keep it down now,

or folks are gonna think

that football season's

started already!

-- Yeah!

-- Yeah!

-- Yeah!

Now, a lot of coaches

would say

that they're really proud

of you right now,

and I am.

-- Yeah!

-- Yeah!

-- Yeah!

A lot of coaches --

a lot of coaches would say

that it's amazing

that we won this many

games in a row,

and it is.

-- Yeah!!

-- Yeah!!

-- Yeah!!

But! But!

But, but, but,

but, but...

I am not gonna say

that I do not care about

tomorrow's game,

'cause I do.

So let's finish

this thing up.

[ Owls cheer ]

[ Chanting ] State!

State! State! State!

State! State! State! State!

State! State! State! State!

Quite a group

you got there.

-- Well, thanks.

-- I'm Steve Dearborn.

-- I'm with the Barton School

District in Fort Worth.

-- Oh.

I was hoping we might be

able to talk about that

application you sent us.

Uh...sure.

[ Cheering continues ]

[ No audio ]

They'll understand.

[ Sighs ] I got most of 'em

coming back.

Jimmy, you're always gonna have

kids coming back.

Not these kids.

It's Fort Worth.

High-school coaching jobs

don't get any better.

You get to coach,

you get to teach...

And not that it's the most

important thing in life,

but...it is twice the money,

Jimmy.

We sure could use it.

I know.

Well, I am done telling you

to sleep on it,

because that sure

ain't working.

[ Exhales deeply ]

[ Clears throat ]

Three years ago,

this program ended the season

with only one win.

Two years ago...

one win.

Last year...same story.

This year...

We have won 16 games.

And, gentlemen...

We need 17.

Anybody got any questions?

Hmm?

Wack:
Coach...

Coming back next year?

Wack...

Why don't we worry about

this year first, all right?

All right, gentlemen,

hats off.

Lord, we humbly thank You

for bringing us here

this season without injury

and inspiring us...

[ "Star Spangled Banner"

playing ]

Henry:
[ On P.A. ]

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