Sliding Into Home

Prologue

“BRODY DAVIS IS AT IT AGAIN, folks.” Big Apple Sports Radio disc jockey Brian Marshall launched into his morning topic without prelude as he sat down at a microphone for the drive time show. “Having little tolerance for punks who disrespect the hallowed game of baseball, the Boston Aces’ catcher body slammed one of the National League’s top players, Chicago Flames’ Javier Velasquez in last night’s action.”

Brian’s color commentator was still buttering his bagel and hadn’t taken the chair beside him yet, but Brian never needed a lot of help beefing up the sports news. With antics like this to talk about, baseball’s stars made his job easy. He settled deeper into his rolling chair behind the blinking red studio light that told the rest of the world he was “on the air.”

And on his game. Brian lived for this stuff.

“Velasquez, who hit his league-leading 32nd homer earlier in the game,” he continued, warming to the subject, “appeared to boast about his titanic blast while digging in for his second at bat. Davis then called for a high heater, which Boston pitcher Dane Kroc delivered under the chin of Velasquez, who dropped his bat and started toward the mound. Only, Davis would have none of it—he ripped off his mask, grabbed Velasquez, and drove him into the turf, an action sure to draw some sort of suspension.”

Ozzie, his color man, was at the ready by now, his bagel dripping butter on the Styrofoam plate as he wheeled his chair closer to his mike.

“The kid definitely needs some grooming from the older players.” Ozzie downplayed the story just as Brian had been getting good and revved up. Why did he always have to be Mr. Smooth and Mellow, especially with good dirt like this? “It’s the third time this season Davis will get some unwanted time off—once the commissioner’s office reviews the tapes—and both he and Velasquez are sure to be fined heavily.”

Last night’s incident was just one of many this year involving some of the game’s most recognized names. And despite the countless replays ESPN was sure to show of Davis’s knuckles digging into Velasquez’s rib cage, this was not a case where any publicity was good publicity.

But this was the stuff listeners tuned in for.

“So what do you think, Oz? Is baseball in more trouble than usual? We’ve seen a lot of tabloid-ready escapades from some of the sport’s premier players.”

Ozzie pressed a button for a track of the seventh inning stretch sound effect to fill some space while he finished chewing, then chimed in.

“At the end of the day, they can drive a ninety-five-mile-per-hour fastball five hundred feet. Or flash some of the finest leather in the league. That’s what brings the fans out and in my opinion, that’s what will drive the big money contracts at the end of the season.”

Geez. Could this guy be any more of a buzz kill?

“We’ll see about that, Oz. But since some of today’s top defensive players are dominating the headlines, I think we need to talk about ‘Gold Gloves’ or ‘Bold Thugs.’ These guys are sure-handed and smooth, rarely dropping the ball on the field, but routinely doing so off it. Listeners, we want to hear what you think.”

Oz cracked a grin and shook his head. “So who’s on the thug list?”

While the switchboard started lighting up in response to the topic, Brian reeled off a few of the guys they were highlighting to keep the comments focused.

“First up is Brody Davis, one of the brawlers in last night’s melee. He was the hope of his franchise last year when the team called him up from the minors. But the moves that dazzled fans in Triple A won’t cut it in the majors if Davis can’t put a lid on his temper. This is one slugger who might find himself without a contract next spring, even if he manages to capture the fielding recognition his stats deserve.”

Oz was juggling calls, but he piped up as he put someone on hold.

“We’ve already got some votes for our tarnished hometown hero, too.” Oz laid in a track of the chant used at the stadium when New York’s big hitter came to the plate. “Lance Montero seems to be making the list, but I have to warn our listeners that I don’t think being popular with the ladies is the same as being a thug.”

Brian tried not to roll his eyes. He was only too glad to put the New York Scrapers’ veteran shortstop on the list of sports stars with too much fame and money at their fingertips.

“Montero is practically an institution in the Big Apple, from the South Street Seaport restaurant that bears his name to the guest spots on late-night TV. But Mr. New York could be alienating his fans as he steps out with one famous face after another.”

“Although he’s hardly the first ballplayer to date a movie star, you know?” Oz chimed in, taking a predictable long view of the situation.

Brian made a mental note to talk to the guy after today’s show. Damn it, they needed to pump up the news with flair and personality, not dull it down to stats and strategy.

“While the public doesn’t begrudge a star his entourage,” Brian continued, pleased to see every line in the studio was already blinking with a call. “Mr. Montero might be pushing the envelope with the long string of women when he’s developing a charitable foundation to benefit kids. For all we know, he’s setting up a trust fund of sorts for offspring he hasn’t publicly acknowledged. Don’t these guys know that perks like the All-Star Game and the Gold Glove are popularity contests as much as talent?”

“And it looks like there are a couple of calls for Javier Velasquez—”

“Don’t get me started!” Brian couldn’t believe the talent this kid was pissing away. “The guy has the slugging stats and third-base prowess to be a superstar if he didn’t spend his free time riding a motorcycle without a helmet and cliff diving around the globe. We all heard there was talk of negotiating a clause into his contract to ensure he stayed healthy, but Velasquez’s agent made that disappear. If this guy doesn’t rein in his habits, he’s another one who’ll end up seeing his contract bought out next spring.”

“So we’ve got the fighter, the player, the thrill seeker…at least you’ve got something besides the steroid scandal to rail about, right, Brian?” Oz chuckled to himself, but Brian was not amused.

They’d nearly come to blows on more than one morning show when he was in the thick of a good tirade about irresponsibility among the players, and Oz trotted out some crap about the major league cashing in on the new wealth of power hitters and—by turning a blind eye to drug use for years—implying a sort of consent to steroids. Who cared about that? Listeners wanted to talk about the players, not front office people. That stuff was one giant snooze fest.

“How about Mr. Bottom Line, the Atlanta Rebels’ Rick Warren?”

“This guy could not play any harder,” Oz pointed out, pressing a button that filled the airwaves with the sound of a bat cracking against a ball. “The most overlooked utility player in baseball is up for free agency at the end of the year and I’ve gotta say I’m rooting for him to land with a team who can make a run at the playoffs.”

Surprise, surprise. If baseball had cheerleaders, Oz would be the first one on board.

“This guy’s moved around the MLB so often his baseball card collection reads like a travelogue. But after years of showing up ready to play no matter who held his contract, Warren’s getting vocal about wanting to be with a club that could give him a shot at the World Series, one of the few destinations he’s missed in a long career. He’s not winning popularity points by bouncing around so much, is he, Oz?”

Oz mouthed a few choice words, but kept his public commentary to a minimum. “Okay, we’re ready for our first caller. Joe, from Queens.”

Oz forwarded the caller straight to the air. As he turned off his mic, he muttered something about baseball being a sport and not a gossip column. But so what? If he had a problem, he’d signed on the wrong show. Brian would be thrilled to see Oz get the boot for his downbeat commentary. For now, however, they settled into their morning routine and continued debating if the boys of summer would hold it together long enough to make the most out of their careers.