Trouble with the Curve Page #8

that I be here. It's, I...

- No.

- No, it's all right.

- No.

- No, I'll deal with it.

No.

God, I worked my ass off

so you could have more, and you...

You're gonna throw it away

on coming to a garbage can like this?

- That's no life for a...

- For a girl.

That's no life for a kid of mine.

Living out of suitcases and visiting

every sh*t-ball town in the area.

That's not what I wanted for my kid.

Well, I guess what I wanted didn't matter.

- You don't even like baseball.

- I love baseball.

You know I love it.

I never wanted to be a lawyer.

I did that for you so that you

would be happy with me...

and that you would approve of me

and then maybe you'd keep me around.

I did what I felt was right.

I just didn't want you to have life

in the cheap seats.

They weren't the cheap seats.

Spending every waking moment

with my dad watching baseball...

eating food that was no good for me.

Playing pool, staying up too late,

those were the best seats in the house...

until you sent me away.

Well, I was just doing the best I know how.

Only a coward leaves their kid.

You don't know half

of what you think you do.

Okay, then tell me the other half.

Goddamn it, Dad, talk to me.

Dad...

talk to me.

Please.

You remember years ago,

down in Mobile, Alabama...

they had the horse

running around the field.

Yeah.

They used to keep that horse in a trailer

down outside the bullpen gate.

Anyway, I was talking to this kid

I had signed...

telling him there's no place for him

in the big leagues.

And all of a sudden I realized

you were gone and I couldn't find you.

I was panicking.

I saw this shack there.

I went...

I went over and looked in...

and there you were with this guy.

He had his hand

down the back of your shirt.

I don't remember that.

Yeah. How could you?

You were only 6 years old.

I sent you out, and then I started

beating the sh*t out of this guy.

I smashed his head against the wall and I

started hitting him with everything I had.

I strangled his ass.

Finally, he passed out.

Oh, my gosh, Dad.

I kept waiting for the police to come

and arrest me, but they never did.

That's when I sent you to your aunt and

uncle's. I thought they'd take care of you.

I thought I'd failed you.

Your mother had died a year before

and I was a mess.

You have to understand that.

Can't you understand that you

sending me away wasn't protecting me...

it was rejecting me.

I've been working hard to not let anyone

else get close enough to do that again.

And being alone really sucks.

Well...

you might just have to give me

a little slack on that, because...

I just can't change.

You never tried.

I'm just a broken-down old man.

And you ought to get as far away

from me as you can.

Can't you just do that?

Yeah.

I can do that.

Grace?

Do you know where he is?

Oh, he left. Checked out

early this morning.

Thanks.

Is he all right?

He said he wanted to take the bus.

What happened with you two?

Nothing.

It's all good.

Thanks, Pete.

I gotta stop.

Hi. I'm Mickey.

I've been watching,

it's really impressive.

Thank you.

You're welcome. Mind if I try?

I can handle it, I think.

Are you crazy?

Probably.

Can I borrow your glove?

- Throw me that fastball.

- Okay.

Is that your favorite pitch?

Sorry?

Can you throw a curve?

Yes.

- Show me.

- Okay.

Oh, my God.

Do it again.

What's your name?

Rigoberto. They call me Rigo.

Rigo. You play in school, Rigo?

No, ma'am. Never had the grades

to suit my mom.

Kept getting B's in Chemistry.

Well, thank God for Chemistry.

You gonna be around here for a bit?

Yes, ma'am.

Okay. Wait here, all right?

Mickey, I just can't do it.

This isn't an open tryout.

I've seen him.

I swear to you, he's the real thing.

There's no paperwork on the kid.

I just can't parade him out on the field

and let him pitch.

I'm here because of you, Pete, okay,

so I don't care what you have to do.

You gotta make this happen, okay?

You owe me.

Well, you can take an early retirement,

collect disability.

With the pension,

you should be comfortable.

Save it. Being comfortable's overrated.

Thank God we sent Matt down there

or we would have missed on this kid.

That kid can't hit a curve.

Gus, now that we're all aware

of your condition...

I can't help but ask,

how could you tell?

I heard it.

You heard it?

- That's right. And Mickey saw it.

- And Mickey saw it.

- This is getting interesting.

- Damn right she saw it.

Let me just get this straight.

This year's pick was gonna

be based on what you heard...

and what your daughter, a girl, saw?

We need to go down to the field. Mickey's

brought us something we gotta see.

Oh, boy, I can't wait to see

what Mickey brought us.

- Hey, you watch yourself.

- Let's go.

- Hey, here he comes.

- Hey, Bo, how about a shot?

Over here.

Everything okay? Nice.

- Hey, how's it going?

- Show's about to start.

Great. Go for it, kid.

Oh, yeah.

All right, let's show them what you got.

Oh, boy. He's got a nice swing.

You got this.

What the hell's going on?

- I heard it.

- What?

The pure sound, I heard it.

Come on. What is this?

We don't have all day.

Gentlemen, this is Rigoberto Sanchez.

Peanut Boy?

Son of a b*tch.

Is this a joke?

Y'all gonna waste my time on him?

- That's it. I've seen all I need to see.

- Just hold your ass right there.

All right. This is gonna be ugly.

Start with the fastball.

You all right?

Yes, ma'am.

Nervous?

No, ma'am. It's just a game.

You're right, Rigo. It's just a game.

He looks like Sandy Koufax.

Yep, combined with Steve Carlton

and Randy Johnson.

And that's not even his best pitch.

Show him a curve.

Nobody saw this?

Gentry's got potential,

but using our number one pick?

Jesus Christ.

Gentry knows it's coming,

he still can't hit it.

Sh*t!

Jesus Christ, who is this kid?

What do you say now, jackass?

That's known as trouble with the curve.

Well, there's no doubt that Rigo Sanchez

should be offered a contract.

You think?

And he's gonna need an agent.

He's got one.

Mickey.

She's a damn good lawyer and I'm sure

she can whip up some papers...

- make that young man some money.

- Sh*t.

Or she could have your job...

because you sure as hell

don't know anything about the game.

And if I'd have been any help,

she'd be managing her own club now...

because she knows more about baseball

than anyone in this room.

It's okay, Dad.

No. It's in my blood

and it's in your blood too.

I want you to be happy, that's all.

Here's the reports

from last night's game.

What about you, Gus?

Your contract's gonna be up.

Are you interested in an extension?

I'll think about that.

- Anything you want. You name it.

- I said, I'll think about it.

Unbelievable.

Billy Clark went five-for-five again.

He's been hitting close to 400

since his folks came to visit him.

How much did it cost this organization to put

his parents up? That's what I want to know.

Phillip...

you're fired.

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