The Rookie Page #8

[ Sighs ]

Is that

what they're thinking?

They think

I'm taking somebody's spot?

What do you think, Brooks?

You're too fast for me.

That's all I know.

[ Crack ]

Player:
Go, Brooksie!

That's in the gap!

Go, go, go, go, go!

Player #2:

All the way, Brooks!

Boy:
Come on, Brooks!

Umpire:
Safe!

Time!

You want to warm up?

Player:
Nice job, Brooks!

Yeah.

Vendor:
Peanuts!

Vendor #2:
Get your programs!

Announcer:
[ On P.A. ]

Now batting for the Bulls,

number 38,

Kenny Bryerson.

Vendor:

Get your ice-cold soda!

[ lndistinct conversations ]

Mac, we both know

it's gonna be Brooks.

I've had more than one player

called up before.

Anybody my age?

So, what are you thinking?

I got a...pile of unpaid bills

at home.

I got a good job there.

I only make $600 a month

here.

And I got a family I haven't

seen in three months.

We still got

some season left.

Somebody, uh, once told me

that it's okay to think about

what you want to do

until it's time to start doing

what you were meant to do.

Just so you know,

you were my best relief pitcher

this past month.

Thanks, Mac.

Hunter:
Jessica, give me

that back! It's mine!

-- [ Telephone ringing ]

-- Jessica:
No, Hunter!

I'm gonna tell mommy!

Shh-shh-Shh.

Jamie's asleep.

You're gonna be

in big trouble.

-- Hello?

-- Jimmy:
Hey.

Hey! I didn't think I'd hear

from you till tomorrow.

I'm coming home.

What? Did you get hurt?

No.

I'm fine.

Um...it's just time.

You called Fort Worth,

didn't you?

Uh-huh. Uh, I told them I'd be

there in, uh, two weeks.

So, pitch for two weeks.

Mm, no. T-T-There's, uh,

too much to do.

I'll take care of it.

-- We've been okay

for three months.

-- Lorri?

-- We'll be okay

for two weeks.

-- Lorri?

No, no, I'm --

I'm wasting my time out here.

[ Sighs ] Listen, Jimmy.

Lord knows I am ready

for both sides of the bed

to be warm again.

But if you're gonna do this,

you make sure you're doing it

for the right reasons

because you're the one

that's gonna have to live

with it, okay?

I'll be fine.

You still love it?

Just think about that,

okay?

[ lndistinct conversations ]

[ "Holding Pattern" by Dave Hole

plays on jukebox ]

Charles Gibson:

[ On television ]

Finally tonight,

dreams that don't die.

In 1983,

the Milwaukee Brewers

drafted a pitcher

named Jim Morris.

You've never heard of him --

arm troubles.

He quickly dropped out of

baseball, married, had kids,

taught high school chemistry.

Pitching batting practice

to the high-school kids,

he found he was throwing

the ball 95 miles an hour --

faster than he could throw it

years ago.

He doesn't know

how that happened.

But guess what it did

to his dream?

Here's Aaron Brown.

Aaron Brown:
[ On television ]

Jim Morris is afraid

to tell his mother

he quit his old job

as a high-school teacher

for his new one, a relief

pitcher in the minor leagues.

He is really old --

too old to be in the minors --

but he's also throwing harder

and better

than he did

as a 20-year-Old kid,

and so he's back in that

strange and wonderful land

called minor-league baseball,

where the bull snorts smoke

on every home run,

and future stars

run the bases between innings.

Jimmy:
[ On television ]

I made a challenge to the guys

to, uh, follow their dreams.

Really, it was something to...

to motivate them.

And, uh, they turned it around

on me

and, uh, told me I wasn't

following my own dreams.

#...And washed

the spider out #

Be quiet.

Listen to Mr. Morris.

Jimmy:
Uh, I-I grew up here.

I had a lot

of really good support

from my family and friends

and townspeople around there.

This game, it's been the true

love of my life,

other than my wife Lorri,

uh, since, uh,

I was a little boy.

I had a dream as a little boy

of playing

professional baseball.

I used to pitch

and imagine myself, you know,

Iike every other kid

in this country,

of being in the World Series,

pitching in the seventh game,

ninth inning,

big-league ballpark.

There's drama in it.

There's, uh, suspense.

There's a camaraderie

with the other players,

the fans in the stadium.

You add that to it.

It's -- It's a great game.

[ Cheering and applause ]

[ Applause ]

[ lndistinct conversations,

cheering ]

Man:
Heads up out there!

Heads up!

Man #2:
Energy up, now.

Come on, boys!

[ lndistinct shouting ]

Woman:
Ready to play!

Man:
Come on!

Riv!

[ Hands slap ]

You know what we get to do

today, Brooks?

We get to play baseball.

[ Slap ]

Two!

[ Cheering and whistling ]

Announcer:
0 and 2

the count on Williams.

Morris really on top

of his game.

Coach is really bringing it

tonight.

[ Air whooshes ]

Strike!

Called strike three.

Caught him looking

with a fastball.

That's Morris's third strikeout

of the evening.

[ Cheers and applause ]

[ Air whooshes ]

[ Crack ]

Infield! Infield!

I got it! I got it!

Yeah!

[ Cheers and applause ]

[ lndistinct conversations ]

[ lndistinct conversations ]

Thanks for cleaning up my mess

tonight.

Hey, you pitched

seven good innings.

I wouldn't call that a mess.

Jimmy.

Uh, go ahead

and close the door.

Jimmy, I just got off the phone

with the big club.

They're calling up Brooks.

That's great.

He won't be back.

He respects you and...

I thought you might want to be

the one to tell him.

Sure.

Being as that you're going,

too.

They're calling me up?

Two of you fly out of here

tonight.

You catch up with the team

tomorrow.

[ lnhales sharply ]

Where?

Well, they're on the road

right now...

In Texas.

[ Breathes deeply ]

[ Telephone ringing ]

Hello?

Hey, Lorri.

Hey, you.

Hey.

Uh, um, do you know that blue

sport coat that I never wear?

[ Water bubbling ]

Oh, hang on a sec, hon.

I'm boiling over.

[ Sighs ]

[ Chuckles ]

Now, what about the blue sport

coat you never wear?

Would you mind bringing it

to Arlington tomorrow?

Arlington?

I thought you were in --

You tell me right now,

Jimmy Morris.

Uh, apparently...

There's a dress code

in the major leagues.

Lorri?

[ Voice breaking ]

Yeah, I'm here.

[ Laughs ]

They're flying me out

in an hour.

Can you tell everybody?

Sure. You just have to tell

one person first.

Hunter?

Your daddy's got something

he wants to tell you.

Hunter:
Hey, Dad.

Hey, buddy.

Hey, guess what?

What?

Um, your daddy is gonna be

a major-league pitcher.

Really?

Yeah, really. What do you

think about that, huh?

Cool.

I can't believe it.

Who are you gonna play for?

They're called

the Devil Rays.

What's a devil ray?

Uh, it -- it's a fish.

What color is it?

Black.

Can you eat it?

I don't know, bud.

It's got a stinger.

That's cool.

My daddy's

a big-league pitcher.

[ lndistinct shouting,

horns honking ]

Joel:

Coach Morris made it!

Rudy:
Coach Morris

made it to the bigs!

Wack:

He's a big-leaguer now!

[ "There Is A Light"

by Duane Jarvis plays ]

# There is a light

at the edge of the shadows #

[ lndistinct conversations ]

# Show a little faith

and try and believe #

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