yeh.
yeh.
who is this?
is that you, tolbert? this isn't very funny, ya know. i'm hung over. my knees are killin' me. if you were gonna pull this shit, you could've at least said you were from the yankees.
by the way, you were with me last night. who's this girl on top of me?
tolbert? tolbert? screw it.
tolbert.
returning to the dugout at the end of the inning, wondering what the hell he's doin' here.
hello.
oh yeh, charlie, look, i'm sorry about this morning.
sure.
oh hell, yeh, i work out every day.
approaching his manager.
luis, i'm not gonna be playin' anymore. i got a tryout in the states.
but i changed at the motel.
coming out of the stadium, his bats and gloves over his shoulder. he has on his spikes and a pair of boxer shorts.
he gets out of a taxi and goes to the trunk to get his bats and luggage.
what happened to the private rooms?
jake taylor.
so, you just gonna settle for toilet brush, or you got another name?
forget about dorn. he's always a little tough on rookies. you'll get a lot worse from other teams.
jake taylor. rick vaughn.
struggling through a series of pushups. he glances over in disbelief at vaughn and cerrano, who are doing them like pistons in competition with each other. cerrano even starts doing them one-handed.
great. never been better.
no problem.
around the league they're wrong.
yeh. would i bullshit about somethin' like that?
sorry, lou, i wasn't quite expectin' that much octane.
shit, the way i played today, i wouldn't be surprised if they red- tagged me already.
red tag in your locker means the manager wants to see you, 'cause you just died and went to the minors.
don't worry, they don't cut anybody the first day.
what are you doin' there, pedro?
so are mine. is somethin' goin' around?
maybe he's the pagan saint of baseball.
yeh, better get your snake ready, hayes.
if you're gonna use that head first slide, you better get yourself some gloves or you're not gonna have any skin left on your hands.
whatever happens, keep it to yourself until you're outta the locker room. don't celebrate in front of guys who just died.
forget about dorn. you got other things to do.
packing for cleveland.
two down. bottom of the ninth.
what are you gonna have?
french.
forget it. i'll order. let's have a toast.
here's to baseball, here's to the start of two great careers, and for me, here's to at least one more good year in the sun.
that's my wife.
i mean she woulda been if i hadn't screwed it up. who's that guy she's with?
no.
she's a librarian.
just a hunch. i took you there when you got your masters. i figure you're probably wearing the black velvet dress with the red sash.
you look great.
i'm playin' with the indians again. back in the bigs.
wait a minute. what's your number. i tried calling you at home, but you're not listed.
meaning what? that i don't know you anymore?
okay, just gimme your number.
why not? because of the guy you're with? what is he, a banker?
i'm not leavin' without your number. you still wear those great little tortoise-shell glasses? i always loved it when you took them off.
the number, lynn.
thank you. i'm back, lynn, and i'm gonna be around.
furnished apartment building owned by the indians. we get special rates. with what we're makin' we'll need it.
welcome to the big leagues.
you got anybody workin' there named lynn wells?
didn't think so.
take it easy. we got 162 of these to go.
easy does it, ricky. we're only four down. we're still in this thing.
i figure you got a 30% chance to survive this at bat.
couldn't cut it in the mexican league.
only thing you got to be sorry about was hittin' coleman.
if you wanted to send a message, it shoulda been to haywood. he hit the damn homer. coleman was just picking his nose in the on-deck circle.
forget the other stuff. it coulda happened to anybody. besides, haywood didn't hit it that good. that ball wouldn't have been out of a lotta parks.
yellowstone.
i was wonderin' why you'd give an old friend a bum phone number.
i don't wanna talk in your office.
why not?
what are you talkin' about? we were both athletes, world class, hot for each other. what more can you have in common?
so what is it? you're still sore i never read moby dick?
not like what's-his-name at the restaurant?
what do ya see in this guy?
that's 'cause no stewardess would have him. wouldn't you rather be with somebody who's in demand?
c'mon, lynn, for christ sake, i'm just tryin' to loosen things up a little. i'm gettin' frostbite here.
what? that's crazy, lynn. i got plans for us.
i was gonna play another a year or two, then we go to hawaii, and have a couple kids who grow up to be olympic champions.
i'm sorry, lynn, but i wasn't exactly proud of my situation. c'mon, you didn't think about me at all since i been gone?
remember the three nights we spent on the beach in vera cruz? you have nights like that with mr. briefcase?
what was i supposed to do? she bet me fifty bucks she had a better body than you. i had to defend your honor.
she's right. take it from me, she really does. i mean miss dairy queen has quantity, i give her that, but the, ah, quality just isn't there.
how many think lynn oughta give me another shot?
the ayes have it.
i'm afraid i have or i wouldn't be here. c'mon, lynn, i don't wanna do time for things that happened years ago.
lynn, wait.
maybe the other one's jammed up.
what is this, lou?
well, they certainly have spared every expense.
i'm about ready to turn in. i've anesthetized my knees enough.
you're a celebrity now, vaughn.
not if you do it colorfully.
guess we're over with, eh, dorn?
it's one of the masterpieces of american literature, that's all.
long time ago.
no, i got some more reading to do.
i might if i knew where she lives.
you mean sit in a car and wait for her to come out? that's kinda juvenile, don't you think?
pulling up outside the townhouse he saw lynn go into. he goes up the stairs and knocks on the door.
look, lynn, i'm sorry i followed you home but i wanna.
whose place is it?
nah, that's o.k., i got some things to do.
i, ah, just had a couple books i wanted to discuss with lynn. i thought this was her place.
yeh, i heard you guys were engaged. congratulations.
beer'll be fine.
the indians.
yeh, we have uniforms and everything. it's really great.
that depends on how good they are, i guess.
i make the league minimum.
somethin'll come up.
i don't know, i was thinkin' of goin' to hawaii, and having a couple of kids who grow up to be olympic champions.
swimming. maybe the two hundred meter individual medley. i figure it oughta be big by then.
i did, but i wasn't smart enough to hold on to her.
alternate on the '80 olympic team.
well, i gotta be goin'. nice to have met you all.
thanks for the beer.
i'll let you know if i land a good job. i know you're concerned about it.
suck my dick.
drop in the bucket, vaughn.
sacrifice? you mean like something living?
forget the runners, ricky, get this guy at the plate.
okay, let's get nasty here, rick. you know he's lookin' for this pitch. gotta come up with somethin' studly.
this isn't the california penal league, vaughn. we're professionals here. we don't tank a play for personal reasons, so cut the crybaby shit. you've pitched a helluva game. you wanna finish it, don't ya?
can you give me a strike on this pitch?
just make sure it's over the plate. i want him to swing.
don't worry, i'll take care of it.
by the way, i been meaning to ask you. why'd you steal that car?
next time you might think about takin' in a movie or somethin'.
has settled in behind the plate now. he starts talking to the batter, rexman.
helluva situation we got goin' here, huh, rexman? two on, two out, you're down by a run in the ninth. you got a chance to be a hero on national television, so whatever you do, don't blow it. they'll be callin' you a gutless choke artist all over america.
you're a free agent at the end of the year. not much demand for gutless choke artists. what are you hittin' now? .230? .240?
hey, nice average. uh oh, on second thought, that still means you got a seven outta ten chance of goin' in the dumper.
hey, i can understand not wantin' to talk about baseball when your nuts are in a vice like this.
by the way, i saw your wife at the capri lounge last night. hell of a dancer. you must be very proud.
but that guy she was with.  i mean i'm sure he's a close personal friend of yours and all, but tell me.
why was he wearing her panties on his head?
uh oh, rexie, i don't think that one's got the distance. maybe if the wind comes up.
fine, suzanne, can i have a quick word with rodger?
i just wanta tell ya somethin', but i didn't want to do it in front of the whole team.
i don't know what your problem is, but.  . if i ever see you tank another play like you did tonight, i'll cut off your nuts and stuff 'em down your fuckin' throat.
i heard the big lady upstairs ordered it.
ah shit, here comes lou. gimme a break, mel. i gotta get outta here.
right. good idea.
fucker called that a ball.
yeh.
you still got that great kick. just like the first time i ever saw you.
yeh, what did you want to see me about?
you wouldn't have been at the game if you didn't want to see me about something.
how was i?
i'll try that. you wanna have some dinner?
right. i forgot your life is different now.
anytime.
whose place are we at this time?
yeh. when i saw you at the game, i figured you wanted to see me about something.
how was i?
i'll try that.
goin' uptown, huh?
you think i can't lead a regular life?
that was a hoax. the girl was just trying to get some publicity.
i was drownin', lynn. the endorsements were dryin' up, my knees were goin', they were talkin' about sendin' me down. i was just trying to hold on to somethin', prove to myself i was still an all-star. i don't care about that anymore. i know i don't have much time left in baseball. i'm just a guy trying to put his life back together. thinkin' about you was the only thing that kept me goin' in mexico.
i guess this is our last hurrah then.
cover to cover.
when's the wedding?
your mom and dad like this guy?
gonna be a big wedding?
where?
i mean the wedding.
nice church.
nobody. it was queequeg's coffin. am i invited?
to the wedding.
lynn?
the zipper on your skirt is stuck.
sure, go ahead. i think my reading days are over.
these are all hall of famers.
c'mon, rick baby, settle down.
what's the problem, rick? you're throwin' basketballs up there. that guy in the dugout botherin' you?
forget him. worry about the guys carryin' bats. c'mon, ricky, let's get nasty.
i don't know about the rest of you, but i've been playin' baseball since i was five years old. i've had some good years and some years to forget. i've burned out my knees.  i don't think i have three fingers that work right.  i've lost most of the money i made and baseball has messed up my personal life from time to time. but i know one thing.  i can still play this game a little. and i'd like to know who in this room thinks they're the kinda bum mrs. phelps is lookin' for?
well, then, i guess there's only one thing to do.
win the whole fuckin' thing.
taking batting practice late at night. he attacks the ball swing after swing.
late at night, sitting head-down in the outboard motor whirlpool. he's hurting.
we're a major league baseball team, but since we haven't won a pennant in thirty years, nobody recognizes us, not even in our own hometown.
look what it's done for us. people still don't recognize us, but.  . we're in the first division now.
swinging and hitting a home run into the left field seats.
hitting a double into the right centerfield alley with two runners on.
we haven't won anything yet. we still got one more to go.
darla.
i don't know.
no, i had to sell it.
not after your knees go bad.
darla, i don't think i can do this.
i guess i'm just not that guy anymore.
lynn, wait.
running down the stairs and into the lobby. seeing no sign of lynn, he races out the front door to see her pulling out in a taxi. he can only stand and watch her disappear into the night.
hello, suzanne.
vaughn?
you look beautiful.
i can't stay. we gotta get to the park.
yeh, you too. tell me one thing. the night you came up to my hotel -- was there really a library conference?
too bad it didn't work out better. i just wanna say i'm sorry for all the things i've put you through over the years.
can't be sorry for that. nothing happened.
i didn't have to. she knew she was outclassed.
i don't know what dorn's wife is up to, but i think it'd be best if you dressed early and got out to the bullpen before dorn comes in.
tell him not to worry, i'll take care of it.
nope. haven't seen him.
it's comin' in now.
one whole chicken, like you said.
believe me, jo-buu will like this. he's gotta be gettin' tired of raw chicken.
picking a yankee runner off first.
grounding out, obviously having trouble running. we take cuts of worried faces on the bench.
you want vaughn?
c'mon ricky, this guy is the out you been waitin' your whole life for.
oh, shit.
all right, ricky, let's get nasty.
all right, looks like the boy is pumped. sucker was movin', wasn't it? ever hit ya, it'd leave a two foot hole comin' out.
let's see, what should we call now. let's see how he feels about old number one.
nice swing, haywood. good follow- through. keep it up, i'll show you the ball sometime.
well, shit, all these pitches to choose from. maybe we'll try somethin' different this time.
and if i don't see you again, haywood, have a nice winter. okay, buddy?
yeh.
barreling down the line toward first on his sore legs, giving it everything he's got.
pounding down the line. he strains for the bag as the yankee first baseman stretches to his limit for the throw. taylor and the ball arrive at almost the same time. taylor hits the bag and then sprawls in the dirt as his knees give out.