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Spring Training 2008 Part 2
Scottsdale, AZ
The squad was almost three weeks into spring training and, as Billy had promised, he still had the team working on fundamentals even one day before their first spring training game. Billy had all the infielders and pitchers, along with his coaches, on one field working on bunt coverage and scenarios, while Devon White had the outfielders on another field working on relay throws.
Occasionally Billy would stop his players and let them know exactly what he wanted to see them doing on a particular play, pointing out a position and telling them where they needed to be. The team had been executing fairly well today so, when Billy had to correct them, he at least he wasn’t yelling. “No one should be standing still. If you’re not moving towards the ball, you need to be moving to a base or the proper backup positions. Let’s run the wheel again.”
The team ran a few more drills and was interrupted when a man wearing pants and a brown polo shirt ran onto the field from an open gate on the third base side. He looked like he was in a panic and was about to try and run through the infield, but changed course when he saw the players looking startled in his direction. The man changed direction and started running up the line towards left field.
A second man entered the field wearing a shirt and tie as he gave chase of the first. “Jack! Jack! Running won’t help!”
“Nice job, doc. You were supposed to be keeping Merluzzi on his leash!” Billy yelled from his spot between short and third.
“David, what’s going on? Who is that guy?” Evan asked as he saw David Cone was now smirking and laughing softly.
“Isn’t that our play-by-play guy?” Doug Colangelo followed up as he recognized the first man.
“Yeah, it is. Jack has a bit of a… issue. The second guy is his therapist.” David said as he observed that Jack had now gotten himself cornered in the left field corner as his therapist was trying to calm him down.
“Condition?” Abbey asked sounding concerned as a few more people approached from outside of the fence that Jack couldn’t see.
“He’s harmless.” David said waving his hand. “He’s just been calling games for so long that that’s the only way he can talk now. He can’t have a normal conversation. His therapist is supposed to be helping him with that.”
“Oh my God!” Abbey shrieked as one of the people from the other side of the fence appeared to have shot Jack in the back and he began to stumble.
“Relax, Abbey. It’s just a tranquilizer gun.” David replied with another smile as Jack finally fell to the ground and Sal began to laugh.
“That’s not funny.” Abbey admonished. “Jason, back me up on this one.” She finished as Jason had wondered over from his shortstop position.
“You mean the fact that we have a play-by-play guy with a nervous tick that needs to be sedated? Nah, that’s not funny at all.” Jason said clear being sarcastic.
“You’re right, Jason. It’s not funny. It’s freaking hilarious.” Sal replied as he continued to laugh and Abbey rolled her eyes and refused to engage in the rest of the conversation while medics showed up and placed Jack on a stretcher and began carrying him off the field.
“Hey, doc! Maybe a strait jacket or a padded room would be in order so he doesn’t get out again and disrupt my practice!” Billy yelled as the doctors carried Jack off the field and the therapist apologized for the intrusion.
“I don’t know what Billy’s talking about. I hope he runs out on the field and has to get tranquilized during a regular season game. Now that would be funny.” Sal said with a laugh causing everyone to laugh with him.
“Come on, Abbey. You have to admit that was kind of funny.” Brad said as he approached Abbey, who wasn’t laughing, but was frowning as she looked over be the fence on the first base line. She looked unhappy about something as she observed Dawson and Santeri standing there with a third person. “Hey. You alright?”
“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine.” Abbey said as she briefly looked up but looked back at the trio near the fence.
“Hey, Dave. Who’s that standing there with Dawson and Santeri?” Jason asked since he didn’t recognize the third man.
“George Kaiser.” Abbey answered abruptly before David could as she wore the same frown. “He’s a big shot businessman in New Mexico. He owns a hot air balloon company.”
“Must be looking to advertise on our outfield walls or something.” Evan said.
“Hey, David. I’m ready to go once we get started.” Abbey said as she turned and walked roughly back onto the mound with the same expression.
“What do you make of that?” Evan asked quietly of Sal regarding Abbey’s odd behavior.
Sal shrugged and was about to say he had no idea, but was cut off when Billy yelled for practice to commence.
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The team was now about halfway through spring training, and they were off to an abysmal start. They were last in the Cactus league in runs scored, average and ERA. And, what they did league in only made Billy angrier, as the team led the Cactus League in errors. Billy had been on the players night and day. He had changed the lineup and even had people playing out of position, but nothing seemed to be working.
Hoping to get the team to relax and take their mind off baseball for a bit, they had lost to the Reds that day 7-1, Jason had put together a team outing for the evening and most of the squad had shown up to go. They took the team bus and arrived at a family fun center and got off the bus once it stopped in the parking lot.
“I looked this place up when we first got to Arizona but just didn’t get a chance to come over here.” Kyle said as the team got off the bus.
“It looks like fun.” Dave Kester said as he saw a miniature golf course lit up by high powered lights and he could hear go-cart engines rumbling.
“I guarantee you guys we’re going to have a blast.” Jason said with a big smile and a light in his eye as he walked backwards leading the team down a walkway towards a main building. “They have mini-golf, go-carts, an arcade and a place to even get some food.”
“After the last few weeks we could use the night off. Thanks for putting this together, Jason.” Abbey said with a smile. “You really picked a winner here.”
“Imagine that, a loser picking a winner. Which is exactly what you all are, losers.” Everyone turned and looked behind them to find the source of the gruff voice that just lashed at them. There was an overly obese man approaching them. He was wearing a white tank-top, which had his large stomach sticking out from under it, a pair of shorts and sneakers and a Reds cap sat on his head. He was munching on a foot long sandwich and held an over-sized drink cup in his other hand. He was also sweating profusely, even though it was a cool night.
“What’s your problem, pal.” Sal cut as the man stomped a path to the front of the group.
“Hey! You’re the guy who wouldn’t stop heckling us today.” Cody said as he recognized the man who was yelling at them the whole game that day.
“Three combined errors and one really bad cut of throw between you and Garrett.” The man clicked his tongue in disapproval. “You’re all a disgrace to the game… Except you. How you doing Abbey?” The man finished sweetly as he bobbed his head at Abbey.
Abbey looked disgusted. “Yeah, that’s never going to happen.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Who said I was even interested? Maybe if you were a Red I’d think about it.”
Sal laughed heartily. “Yeah right! Like you’re really in a position to turn down a date.” Sal finished still laughing.
The man laughed as well. “By the way, Garlisi. Did that ball Encarnacion hit off of you today land yet or is it still headed for Colorado?” Sal stopped laughing and looked annoyed. The Red’s fan started walking forward as he continued to laugh, taking a bite of sandwich as he walked away. “Later, losers. I have rides to ride.”
“I wouldn’t count on it. All the rides have a four hundred pound weight limit and no slimeing policy.” Sal yelled ahead to the man and the man replied by giving Sal the finger as he waddled away.
“Come on, guys.” Jason said as he attempted to restore the good feeling the group had just a couple minutes ago. “We aren’t going to let Jabba The Hut ruin our night out now, are we?”
“You’re right, Jason.” Kyle said as he sniffed the air. “I smell food, and I’m hungry.” He finished as the group started moving again.
“You know that’s the first place the Lord of the Blob is going to go, right?” Sal replied with a sideways smile.
The team went on and, for the most part, had a good night. But every now and then the Reds fan would show up and try to get under their skin. Evan was trying to make a round winning putt at the end of the mini-golf game, but missed the putt when the fan jumped out from behind a fake dinosaur and yelled “Losers!”
The team enjoyed their night off as they played games, went on rides, and ate hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream. Around mid-night the team started cheerfully headed back to the bus, but their mood somber again when they saw there were police cars in the parking lot and an officer was talking to their driver.
According to the driver, someone had surprised him, put him in a sleeper hold and stole the bus.
“Damn. Billy’s going to be pissed.” Mike said with a frown.
He was right, after all, Billy was not a happy camper as he made the team run the whole next day.
Coincidentally, the Reds fan showed up at the first Cincinnati home game of the regular season with a brand new tailgate bus, painted red, with Red’s logos on the side and front of the bus. He was never quite clear how he got the bus.
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My MLBPP 2007 Success Mode Player Creation Guide
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