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Jason · 06-22-2006, 05:19 PM

May 22, 2007, 10:57pm; Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
(Detroit is 32-12, 5 games ahead of Cleveland. Stats: .321, 7 HR, 35 RBI)

“What a great win tonight!” Mike Stone said from the small radio in Weatherly’s locker. “Billy Sparks becomes the majors only ten game winner and looks like he’s going to run away with the Cy Young.”

“We tried to get him on the phone but he’s apparently icing himself,” Clarence Black quipped making both men laugh. “We’ll have to settle for Cody Dealba on line four.”

“Hey Cody!” Stone yelled.

“Hi guys!” Dealba said over the phone. “Hell of a win tonight, eh?”

“Sure was,” Stone said. “And you had a good night at the plate with two hits.”

“I remembered hitting against Williams when I was in San Diego,” Dealba said. “The guy can’t resist throwing that curveball with one strike.”

“You’ve been on fire in the last week or so,” Stone said. “Right after you had that accident in the dugout.”

“I’d rather not discuss that,” Dealba said.

“Damn right you don’t,” Weatherly snapped as he opened his first post game beer.

“Hey,” Black said, “It’s not your fault the bat boy left a bat on the top of the stairs and you didn’t see it.”

“No need to keep blaming him,” Dealba said. “He’s a good kid who made a mistake. Everyone makes them.”

“Where’d the PR guys come up with that?” I asked Salinas.

“I don’t know,” Salinas answered, “but the bat boys were so pissed off they quit.”

“Quiet!” Weatherly said. “I’m listening to the moron.”

“But did it knock something in your head that made you see the ball better?” Stone said with a laugh.

“It’s just interleague play,” Dealba said. “I know these guys and know what they can do so I’m probably a little better prepared than some teammates.”

“Cody,” Black said, “with you being tied for the team league in home runs and leading the team in batting average, some people are suggesting that you need to move up in the order from fifth to third.”

“Sounds like some very smart people,” Dealba said with a laugh.

“A******,” I said.

“So you think you should move up to Ellison’s slot in the order?” Black asked.

“I’m certainly hitting for much more power,” Dealba said. “And I’ve hit over .600 in the last week. You would think the hottest hitter on the team should bat in the first inning to try and make things happen.”

“And you don’t think Ellison makes things happen?” Stone asked with obvious sarcasm.

“Be careful,” Salinas said quietly.

“I’m not going to talk about what Ellison can or can’t do,” Dealba said. “All I can do is keep being the best hitter on the club.”

“Cop out,” Weatherly said between big sips of beer.

“What about Sparks?” Black asked. “How does it feel when you know he’s on the hill?”

“Feels great,” Dealba said. “A true professional right down the line. I think the combination of his veteran experience and my pitch calling is a great combination. He’s the best pitcher in baseball right now and I’m honored to be a part of his transformation.”

“Cody, thanks for being on the show,” Stone said.

“Thanks for having me,” Dealba answered.

“Cody Dealba,” Stone said. “He turned in two hits tonight in the Tigers 4-1 win over Cincinnati.”

“He has been a real force at the plate but he’s no Ellison,” Black said.

“Got that right,” I said.

“Let’s see what the callers think,” Stone said. “John in Windsor. Welcome to the show, eh!”

“Good evening, eh!” the caller said exaggerating the stereotypical Canadian accent.

“What do you think about moving Dealba up in the order and moving Ellison down?” Black asked.

“I’m a big fan of Ellison,” the caller said. “And he doesn’t get many pitches to hit.”

“Great point,” Stone said. “If you look, Ellison’s walked 43 times in 42 games. Dealba’s walked 18 times in 36 games.”

“Now THAT is a smart caller,” Weatherly said as he looked at me. “It’s not your fault they nibble the corners and junior gets pitches across the plate.”

“Hey Weatherly,” I said. “Doesn’t Coffman have a radio in his locker?”

“Yeah,” Weatherly said. “Why?”

“Hand me your cell and then go turn it on,” I said. “I have a phone call to make.”

“OK,” Weatherly said with a smile as he handed me the phone.

“Hello?” Tammi’s voice said.

“Hey sweetie,” I said.

“Hi honey!” she replied with a happy tone. “You did great tonight. That stolen base in the seventh made me hot.”

“I need a favor,” I said.

“But you’re in the locker room,” Tammi purred.

“Are you listening to the sports station?” I asked.

“Yeah,” she said. “I just left it on after the game. Dealba’s a real jerk.”

“Can you call in and say that he blew you off at the stadium when your kid asked for an autograph?” I asked.

Tammi began to laugh.

“Yeah!” she said. “I’ll lay it on real thick.”

“I’ll owe you,” I said.

“In more ways than one,” she purred. “Let me call them.”

I snapped the phone shut and smiled at Salinas who was doing all he could not to laugh. Weatherly came back to us and sat down. Coffman’s locker was right next to Dealba’s so there was no way Dealba couldn’t hear the radio show. Coffman was Dealba’s only real friend on the team so once the smack started running I was counting on him running to grab Dealba.

We watched as Coffman came out of the shower and sat at his locker looking through some letters. Stone and Black took a few callers that picked one side or the other and Coffman made no effort to turn off the radio.

“Hey Clarence,” Stone said through the little speaker, “I have a woman on the line who says that Cody Dealba blew off her child when he asked for an autograph before the game.”

“Really?” Black said. Coffman’s head snapped up and looked at his radio. Weatherly started stabbing himself in the leg with a pen to keep from laughing.

“Let’s put her on,” Stone said. “Annabelle in Detroit, welcome to the show.”

“Hey thanks,” Tammi’s voice said. “I appreciate you letting me tell my story.”

“No problem,” Stone said with obvious glee. “So Dealba blew off your five year old son?”

“Yes,” Tammi said as Coffman jumped from his chair and ran out of the room. “We were at the game tonight and my son was trying to get some autographs.”

“As little kids always want to do,” Black said. “That’s part of the special time of going to a game.”

“Absolutely,” Tammi said as Coffman came back in with Dealba right behind. “I’m no baseball fan but he loves coming to the games to much I can’t say no.”

“So what happened?” Stone said.

“Cody Dealba is less than ten feet away from my son,” Tammi said. “Now Billy, my son, broke his arm on the playground…”

“I’m so sorry,” Black said. “Poor kid.”

“..and it was his throwing arm,” Tammi said pretending to cry. Salinas turned his back to Dealba because he couldn’t keep from laughing. “Dealba tells my son if he wants an autograph he has to throw the ball to him. My son tried to tell him that he had a broken arm and Dealba started taunting him.”

“I DID NOT!” Dealba yelled at the radio. “I DID NOT F***ING DO THAT!”

“So my son throws the ball with his left hand and it doesn’t even get halfway to where Dealba was standing,” Tammi says sounding really heartbroken. “Dealba starts laughing at my son and walks away. My son was in tears.”

“I DIDN’T DO THAT!” Dealba yelled at Coffman. The look on his face was one of pure horror.

“That’s horrible,” Stone said. “There’s no excuse for a major league baseball player to treat a child like that.”

“I know,” Tammi said quietly.

“Is your son OK?” Black asked. “We have some tickets to tomorrow night’s game and we’d love to have you go as our guest.”

“He’s OK because a few of the other Tigers came over and were wonderful to him,” Tammi said.

“Well,” Stone said, “Let’s bring the good in with the bad. Who were the guys who did the right thing?”

“Dale Ellison and Will Salinas,” Tammi said. “Those guys came over and not only took the time to sign the ball and Billy’s cast but they stood there and talked to him for about ten minutes. My son felt like Santa Claus had just given him every toy in the world.”

“Damn,” Weatherly said, “she’s good.”

“Tell me about it,” I said.

“BUT I DIDN’T DO…” Dealba said and then fell silent as his body went rigid as he realized what was happening to him. He turned toward where Salinas, Weatherly and I were standing and I just smiled. His face turned into a look of rage and he flipped us the finger as he went storming out of the locker room and into Ryland’s office. Coffman watched Dealba storm off and then slowly walked over to us.

“Um,” Coffman said as he looked toward the carpet, “I’m still on your good side, right?”

“Oh yeah,” Weatherly said. “You’re not the one shooting your mouth off in the press.”

“Good,” Coffman said as he looked up at me. “Next time let me know and I’ll make sure he’s in the room before it all starts.”

“Consider it done,” I said as I shook his hand.

06-22-2006, 05:19 PM	#130
Jason Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 3,855	May 22, 2007, 10:57pm; Comerica Park, Detroit, MI (Detroit is 32-12, 5 games ahead of Cleveland. Stats: .321, 7 HR, 35 RBI) “What a great win tonight!” Mike Stone said from the small radio in Weatherly’s locker. “Billy Sparks becomes the majors only ten game winner and looks like he’s going to run away with the Cy Young.” “We tried to get him on the phone but he’s apparently icing himself,” Clarence Black quipped making both men laugh. “We’ll have to settle for Cody Dealba on line four.” “Hey Cody!” Stone yelled. “Hi guys!” Dealba said over the phone. “Hell of a win tonight, eh?” “Sure was,” Stone said. “And you had a good night at the plate with two hits.” “I remembered hitting against Williams when I was in San Diego,” Dealba said. “The guy can’t resist throwing that curveball with one strike.” “You’ve been on fire in the last week or so,” Stone said. “Right after you had that accident in the dugout.” “I’d rather not discuss that,” Dealba said. “Damn right you don’t,” Weatherly snapped as he opened his first post game beer. “Hey,” Black said, “It’s not your fault the bat boy left a bat on the top of the stairs and you didn’t see it.” “No need to keep blaming him,” Dealba said. “He’s a good kid who made a mistake. Everyone makes them.” “Where’d the PR guys come up with that?” I asked Salinas. “I don’t know,” Salinas answered, “but the bat boys were so pissed off they quit.” “Quiet!” Weatherly said. “I’m listening to the moron.” “But did it knock something in your head that made you see the ball better?” Stone said with a laugh. “It’s just interleague play,” Dealba said. “I know these guys and know what they can do so I’m probably a little better prepared than some teammates.” “Cody,” Black said, “with you being tied for the team league in home runs and leading the team in batting average, some people are suggesting that you need to move up in the order from fifth to third.” “Sounds like some very smart people,” Dealba said with a laugh. “A****,” I said. “So you think you should move up to Ellison’s slot in the order?” Black asked. “I’m certainly hitting for much more power,” Dealba said. “And I’ve hit over .600 in the last week. You would think the hottest hitter on the team should bat in the first inning to try and make things happen.” “And you don’t think Ellison makes things happen?” Stone asked with obvious sarcasm. “Be careful,” Salinas said quietly. “I’m not going to talk about what Ellison can or can’t do,” Dealba said. “All I can do is keep being the best hitter on the club.” “Cop out,” Weatherly said between big sips of beer. “What about Sparks?” Black asked. “How does it feel when you know he’s on the hill?” “Feels great,” Dealba said. “A true professional right down the line. I think the combination of his veteran experience and my pitch calling is a great combination. He’s the best pitcher in baseball right now and I’m honored to be a part of his transformation.” “Cody, thanks for being on the show,” Stone said. “Thanks for having me,” Dealba answered. “Cody Dealba,” Stone said. “He turned in two hits tonight in the Tigers 4-1 win over Cincinnati.” “He has been a real force at the plate but he’s no Ellison,” Black said. “Got that right,” I said. “Let’s see what the callers think,” Stone said. “John in Windsor. Welcome to the show, eh!” “Good evening, eh!” the caller said exaggerating the stereotypical Canadian accent. “What do you think about moving Dealba up in the order and moving Ellison down?” Black asked. “I’m a big fan of Ellison,” the caller said. “And he doesn’t get many pitches to hit.” “Great point,” Stone said. “If you look, Ellison’s walked 43 times in 42 games. Dealba’s walked 18 times in 36 games.” “Now THAT is a smart caller,” Weatherly said as he looked at me. “It’s not your fault they nibble the corners and junior gets pitches across the plate.” “Hey Weatherly,” I said. “Doesn’t Coffman have a radio in his locker?” “Yeah,” Weatherly said. “Why?” “Hand me your cell and then go turn it on,” I said. “I have a phone call to make.” “OK,” Weatherly said with a smile as he handed me the phone. “Hello?” Tammi’s voice said. “Hey sweetie,” I said. “Hi honey!” she replied with a happy tone. “You did great tonight. That stolen base in the seventh made me hot.” “I need a favor,” I said. “But you’re in the locker room,” Tammi purred. “Are you listening to the sports station?” I asked. “Yeah,” she said. “I just left it on after the game. Dealba’s a real jerk.” “Can you call in and say that he blew you off at the stadium when your kid asked for an autograph?” I asked. Tammi began to laugh. “Yeah!” she said. “I’ll lay it on real thick.” “I’ll owe you,” I said. “In more ways than one,” she purred. “Let me call them.” I snapped the phone shut and smiled at Salinas who was doing all he could not to laugh. Weatherly came back to us and sat down. Coffman’s locker was right next to Dealba’s so there was no way Dealba couldn’t hear the radio show. Coffman was Dealba’s only real friend on the team so once the smack started running I was counting on him running to grab Dealba. We watched as Coffman came out of the shower and sat at his locker looking through some letters. Stone and Black took a few callers that picked one side or the other and Coffman made no effort to turn off the radio. “Hey Clarence,” Stone said through the little speaker, “I have a woman on the line who says that Cody Dealba blew off her child when he asked for an autograph before the game.” “Really?” Black said. Coffman’s head snapped up and looked at his radio. Weatherly started stabbing himself in the leg with a pen to keep from laughing. “Let’s put her on,” Stone said. “Annabelle in Detroit, welcome to the show.” “Hey thanks,” Tammi’s voice said. “I appreciate you letting me tell my story.” “No problem,” Stone said with obvious glee. “So Dealba blew off your five year old son?” “Yes,” Tammi said as Coffman jumped from his chair and ran out of the room. “We were at the game tonight and my son was trying to get some autographs.” “As little kids always want to do,” Black said. “That’s part of the special time of going to a game.” “Absolutely,” Tammi said as Coffman came back in with Dealba right behind. “I’m no baseball fan but he loves coming to the games to much I can’t say no.” “So what happened?” Stone said. “Cody Dealba is less than ten feet away from my son,” Tammi said. “Now Billy, my son, broke his arm on the playground…” “I’m so sorry,” Black said. “Poor kid.” “..and it was his throwing arm,” Tammi said pretending to cry. Salinas turned his back to Dealba because he couldn’t keep from laughing. “Dealba tells my son if he wants an autograph he has to throw the ball to him. My son tried to tell him that he had a broken arm and Dealba started taunting him.” “I DID NOT!” Dealba yelled at the radio. “I DID NOT F*ING DO THAT!” “So my son throws the ball with his left hand and it doesn’t even get halfway to where Dealba was standing,” Tammi says sounding really heartbroken. “Dealba starts laughing at my son and walks away. My son was in tears.” “I DIDN’T DO THAT!” Dealba yelled at Coffman. The look on his face was one of pure horror. “That’s horrible,” Stone said. “There’s no excuse for a major league baseball player to treat a child like that.” “I know,” Tammi said quietly. “Is your son OK?” Black asked. “We have some tickets to tomorrow night’s game and we’d love to have you go as our guest.” “He’s OK because a few of the other Tigers came over and were wonderful to him,” Tammi said. “Well,” Stone said, “Let’s bring the good in with the bad. Who were the guys who did the right thing?” “Dale Ellison and Will Salinas,” Tammi said. “Those guys came over and not only took the time to sign the ball and Billy’s cast but they stood there and talked to him for about ten minutes. My son felt like Santa Claus had just given him every toy in the world.” “Damn,” Weatherly said, “she’s good.” “Tell me about it,” I said. “BUT I DIDN’T DO…” Dealba said and then fell silent as his body went rigid as he realized what was happening to him. He turned toward where Salinas, Weatherly and I were standing and I just smiled. His face turned into a look of rage and he flipped us the finger as he went storming out of the locker room and into Ryland’s office. Coffman watched Dealba storm off and then slowly walked over to us. “Um,” Coffman said as he looked toward the carpet, “I’m still on your good side, right?” “Oh yeah,” Weatherly said. “You’re not the one shooting your mouth off in the press.” “Good,” Coffman said as he looked up at me. “Next time let me know and I’ll make sure he’s in the room before it all starts.” “Consider it done,” I said as I shook his hand.