Chapter 7
Game 78
"Whoo! That was quite the game" Blip as they made their way back through the club house.
"I always dreamed of pitching against him." Ginny said. "He is a legend."
"Hey Mike," Sonny called from the back of the pack, "how did it feel to not be the oldest guy in the field today." He said to a chorus of giggles. "or the sexiest."
"Big Sexy is just that fellas. He's an inspiration to all of us senior citizens." Mike said playing along. "I wouldn't even try and compete with that." He said with a wink to Ginny.
They made their way to the centre of the clubhouse and started to pack their bags.
"So, are we going out tonight? The game was a quick one and we don't have to be in until late tomorrow. Who's in?" Salvi asked. The whole team looked shocked that he had piped up. "Jessica and the kids are visiting her parents in Cleveland. I'm on my own for the next three days." He said with the biggest smile. "You know I actually forgot what it was like to shower in peace."
There were murmurings about how many of them didn't feel like going out but would be up for a low key hang out at someone's house.
"I'd say we could come to my place, but the Missus doesn't like it when I spring things on her." Sonny said.
"Evelyn would flip for not telling her, then fuss because the house is a mess and the boys will be in bed."
"You guys can come to my condo." Ginny said. "I don't have much space, but it is close by and the only thing I have in my fridge is beer." She said with a smile.
Within moments the guys that were on board had devised a plan and were asking Ginny for directions.
"Gin would you hate me if I just went home?" Blip asked softly "I promised Evelyn I would look over stuff for the restaurant."
"No that's fine. I know she is freaking out about the opening next month. Tell her I'll call her tomorrow and we can make a lunch date." She said giving him a hug and a peck on the cheek.
"Common Mami, you're the glue that is holding this thin plan together." Livan said from the door of the clubhouse.
"Yeah give me a second to quickly change and get my stuff together. Mike can take a bunch of you over while the rest of us get ready." She called as she ran to her room.
"Lawson has a key to your place?" Dusty asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. She has a habit of either forgetting things or losing things." Mike said nonchalantly as he walked out with a few of the guys.
"Ginny, this place is gorgeous. The way the harbour lights up and the view. It's stunning." Salvi said in the middle of her living room.
"Yeah I really lucked out with this place." She said as she poured herself some wine before taking a spot on the couch.
"Tell them how you actually had to be talked off the edge before putting in an offer." Mike said as he took a spot next to her. She curled her legs up under her body and leaned closer to him.
"Eh coaster Dusty." She snapped as he was about to but his beer down on the table. "Yes, I had a momentary crisis of faith where I wasn't sure what I was doing with my life. I mean buying a house at 24 is crazy and I didn't know if I was going to make the roster again so why would I buy a place in a city where I was going to being living."
"Here we go again" Mike said rolling his eyes as he took a sip of his wine.
"You brought it up" she said lightly jabbing him in the ribs.
"A little help guys." He asked in desperation.
"You could always use it as an Airbnb." Stubbs calls from his spot on the floor.
"And you're not going anywhere for awhile Ginny. The hype from 'Ginnsanity' is still bringing in the bucks so the guys upstairs are happy." JJ said, "Plus, your screw ball still confuses the fuck out of half the guys you face."
"Thank you." Mike said as he raised his hands, before resting his right hand on her knee.
Dusty and Livan exchanged quick glances, while Salvi and JJ had the smallest of smiles on their face.
The small group of Padres had dwindled down to just Salvi, Livan, Dusty and Mike after the others decide the needed to get home. "No guys," Salvi pleaded, "How often do we actually get to just hang out. Like really hang out?" he said as Dusty was getting ready to leave.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you actually miss all the noise at home." Mike said as he wrapped his arm around Ginny who was yawing.
"It's so quiet man. I don't know how you all don't go crazy with your thoughts."
They all laughed, "Well boys, I need to go to bed. But if you want to stay over, that's fine by me. I have a spare room with a queen, the two couches there and a blow-up mattress and sleeping bag in the hall closest." They all instantly perked up at her suggestion of a sleep over. "But despite what you have heard about sleep overs, there will be no pillow fights." She said with a pointed finger at Livan. "decide who gets the bed while I change and get the pillows." She said as she walked to her room.
She heard them playing rock, paper, scissors and laughed. She quickly put on a pair of sleep shorts and top. She turned to grab the pillows and blankets from the hall closet when she saw Mike standing in her door way.
"You're not fighting for the spare room?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"No, they know better than to make me sleep on the air mattress" he said softly. "Is this a good idea Ginny."
She shrugged, "Why wouldn't it be." She replied, trying to ignore all the reason it might not be and just stared into his hazel eyes that she knew so well.
"Because have you seen how grumpy they are when they wake up. Plus having four dudes and only one bathroom is going to cause a serious backlog in the morning." He said trying to cut the tension. "Have you got anything I can sleep in?" he asked after a moment. "I don't think Livan is ready to see me in my underwear." He said with a laugh.
Ginny, let off a short laugh, "Yeah check the third drawer on the left side." She said as she walked back to the living room with the pillow and blankets to find the boys fighting over the long couch, in their boxers and undershirts.
"But I'm the tallest." Salvi said, "so I should get the air mattress. And Dusty can have the couch. Ginny tell them" he said in a whine.
"Oh my god, just go to bed you two. It doesn't matter, it's not like the couch is five feet. It's big enough that both of you could sleep on it and still have room for Livan." She said.
"Hey, leave me out of this." He said from the other side of the room, as he moved to pick up a pillow and blanket "I don't care where I sleep as long as it's soft and dry."
"Now pick a spot and shut up about it, or I'll text Jessica." She said at Salvi.
"Fine, you can have the mattress." He said as he hung his head low.
"Good, now go to sleep." She said as she hugged each of the boys, turned out the light and walked back to her room.
Mike was waiting for her by the dresser when she returned, "these are my sweat pants." he said holding up the grey pair of pants. "why do you have my pants." He asked coyly. "I've been looking for these for like a month."
"Would you believe me if I said I didn't have any clean clothes at you place and I was in a hurry to get to home, so I just pulled on something from the laundry room?" she asked in a low tone as she stepped close to him.
"Sure, lets go with that." He said as he closed the gap. "Goodnight Ginny." He said as he kissed her forehead and started to retreat from her.
"Night Mike. Hey, can you make that thing I like for breakfast." She asked as he was at the door.
"Sure, I can do that." He said as he slipped into the room across the hall and closed the door.
In the living room, Dusty, Livan, and Sal exchanged the silent excitement of three teenage girls at a pop concert at the conversation they had overheard. "Did anybody have the All-Star Break in the pool?" Dusty whispered. "cuz they are so each other's person." Livan and Sal cocked an eye brow, "What, I watch Grey's." he said as he pulled the blanket up over himself.
Game 88
"Are you going home for the break?" Mike asked.
"Is this really the best time to be asking me that Lawson. We are literally in the middle of a game." She said with her glove over her mouth in the bottom of the fifth.
"I'm trying to buy you time, so Skip doesn't come out here after that wild pitch. He's at the top step so cool your jets and get the out." He said handing the ball back to her.
"No, I'm not going back to North Carolina. It's not home any more. San Diego is home." She said as he trotted back to the plate with a smile on his face.
"Mike, are you pissed that you're not going to Miami?" Blip asked, after the game. "One last All-Star game on your way out."
"Nah. I'm too old for that shit. Plus, I don't want to compete against Judge in the derby. I don't even know why they are having the thing. Good luck with that Livan" he said leaning back in his chair to put his shoes on.
"Oh I know. He's going to wipe the floor with us." Livan said in all seriousness. "I'm excited to feel like I'm back in Cuba though."
Mike was actually happy for Livan. He had come a long way in just a short amount of time. He had his attitude in check thanks to Oscar sending him down a few times for "tune ups", which everyone knew was code for "you can leave just as quickly as you came." He was working with pitchers and watch how Mike worked with them.
"You'll feel right at home then." Ginny said. "But don't forget you actually have press and stuff to do while you're there. It's not all fun and games." She said with a chuckle.
"You wanna come over tomorrow night and watch the derby?" Mike asked after they had pulled into the parking lot at Petco.
"You only want to watch to see how badly Aaron crushes Livan." She said with a smile.
"Well that's just an added bonus." He responded with an equally large smile. "I like to watch to one, study their approach so I can better call them out and two, see what I like about their swing and how I can utilize it."
"You are half a season away from retirement Old Man. I don't think anything is going to help your swing." She said as she lightly shoved his shoulder.
"Old habits die hard. It starts at 5." He said as he threw his bag in his SUV and climbed in the diver's seat. "I'll make you food" he called as he pulled out of the lot.
"You better." She called after him.
"Holy fuck that was 500 feet." Mike exclaimed from his feet. "And that was 515. Seriously dude." He said as he reclaimed his seat. "If that doesn't make you thankful we're in the National League, I don't know what will." He said as he took a swig of his beer.
"The guy is 6-7. Livan never stood a chance." She said with a chuckle as she picked up her wine glass. She took a long pause before speaking again. "Do we have a chance without you?" she asked while never breaking eye contact.
Mike exhaled deeply. "I don't know, I asked Tony that same thing when he told me." He said meeting her gaze, "What I do know though, is that you'll be great."
Ginny shifted her gaze and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't know if I can do it with out you." She said softly.
"You can, and you will. It will be hard at first but once Livan realizes you're in charge, it will be fine." He said with a light in his eye.
"I almost quit baseball when my dad died." She said after a moment. "I thought about taking the full scholarship and going to college. I could have had a whole other life. It's funny how that one decision can change everything."
"Why didn't you?"
"I heard his voice in the back of my head saying 'We ain't done nothing yet.' He just knew that I could do it and if didn't at least give it a shot, I would be dishonouring his memory." She said taking a sip of wine. "What would Mike Lawson's life look like without baseball?" she asked.
"I don't know." He said with pause, "You know I didn't have a stable upbringing. I don't know if I would have even been accepted to college. I like to think that my love of cars would have paid off. I would have a few rug rats running around and that we were just happy playing catch in the yard." He said wistfully.
"You can still have that." She said sheepishly. "the kids and the playing catch in the yard bit, I mean." She said behind her glass.
Mike just smiled. "Yeah, maybe. You going to make your kids play baseball?" he asked.
"Not the way my dad pushed it on me. I want them to know that they have some say in the matter. But I don't want to think about kids yet. The media already talks about me too much. Imagine the rumours that would fly if I were to ever get married. They would have a field day." She said with a chuckle.
"I can see the headlines now 'Padre's pitcher to me a Madre." He said with a smile.
Ginny just shoved him playfully, "yeah that's all I need." She stood from the couch and moved towards the back deck. "I'm going to go for a swim before bed. You in?"
"Yeah. You go, I'll catch up after I clean up and do the dishes." He replied as he started to tidy the living room. "Don't forget to put the lights on so you don't fall in again." He said with a grin.
"Hey, I did not fall in," she said pointing a finger it him, "I just failed to execute a cannon ball." She said as she brushed her hand along Mike's back as she made her way towards the deck.
"What ever you say Rookie."
Game 106
Mike looked down the long table and saw Oscar, Al, Jay, and Maxine who was acting as interim president and CEO sitting in a line. He looked down at the statement he had written and rewritten half a dozen times. He stared out into the room full of reporters and cameras.
He cleared his throat and began to speak, "Thank you all for coming. Over the past few weeks, there has been much speculation about the state of my contract and if we'll be in negotiations for an extension. We are here today to discus the future of what the Padre's family will look like. It is not without great thought and consideration that I am here to announce that this will be my last season as a member of the San Diageo Padre's. I have loved the last nearly two decades of my life here. But there comes a time in the career of every play where they have to make this decision. I am fortunate to have spent my whole career with one team and that I am making this decision on my own and not because of injury. Thank you."
In an instant, there was a flash from all the cameras and his name being called by several different reporters.
"Okay, lets try and keep this as orderly as possible." Oscar said taking charge. "Ryan first."
"Mike, you've had a long career."
"Is this your way of saying I'm old." The whole room let out a small chuckle, "go on Ryan."
"What has been one of your stand out moments?"
"It's not really the moments that stand it. It's more who was involved in those moments that I remember. Tony's last game is pretty high up there. As well as Jr.s return in 2014 with the Phillies is also and emotional one. Oh, and I won't be able to forget Baker's first win either."
"Mike, why retire now?"
"It's just time Ben." He said catching sight of Ginny in the back of the room.
"Okay, two more questions. We have a game to prepare for." Oscar said.
Mike just listened as Oscar and Al answered questions about the direction the team was heading and if they thought Livan would be ready to start.
"Glad that's out of the way." He said strolling through the clubhouse. "I don't see I really had to make a huge announcement. A press release would have been just fine." He said
"Because you're Mike Lawson, Captain of the Padre's, and mayor of San Diego." Ginny said with a smile.
"Yeah well soon you'll just be that guy who use to play baseball." Blip said poking him in the ribs.
"Okay boys, we have to get to BP." He said as he walked as he followed Ginny through the halls and to the gym to warm up.
Heard her so called humming before he saw her sitting on the mat. He paused a moment before joining her on the mat, "you know, you really can't hum." He said with a smile as she looked over at him.
"Yeah well, you can't talk. You can't carry a tune to save your life." she said with a grin. She paused for a moment before speaking again, "Well there's no going back now. The whole world knows, you have to retire now." She met his gaze and held it.
"Don't want to go back. It's time for stage two." He said stretching his hips, "I'm just not sure what that is yet."
"You'll figure it out. Come on, lets go" She said as she reached her hand out for him to pull her to her feet.
"You got it Rookie." He as with a slap to her back side as they left the gym for the field.
