Chapter 11: The Game
Jimmy wakes Vinny up.
"Get up. Today's the day we beat Tom and his family." Jimmy told him.
Vinny moans as he gets out of bed. He gets dressed in a New York Yankee t-shirt, shorts and heads downstairs.
"Remember Jimmy, this is only for fun." Sarina told him.
"It is going to fun." Jimmy replied.
Elliot comes down with the bats and the balls. Becky is carrying the gloves down. They all head to the baseball field. When they arrive the Bakers are already there. Vinny takes his Z and picks up Lorraine.
"I hate this." Elliot said to Sarah and Jake.
"We do too." Sarah replied.
"Stop with the nicey nice." Jimmy told Elliot.
Elliot goes over to his family.
"Lets start the game." Tom said.
"Wait for Vinny to arrive." Jimmy told him.
Vinny finally arrives.
"What took you so long?" Jimmy asked him.
"I picked my wife for the game. Calm down." Vinny replied.
The Bakers won the coin toss so they bat first. The batting order is Bud, Jake, Sarah, Charlie, Mike and then Tom. The Muratugh's defensive lineup is Vinny between first and second, Becky between second and third, Calvin, Daniel and Elliot in the outfield and Jimmy at pitcher. Tom and Jimmy are the pitchers for their teams. Bud hits a pop fly to Vinny for an easy out. Jake strikes out and Sarah flies out to Elliot. The Murtaugh's are now up. Their batting order is Becky, Elliot, Vinny, Calvin, Daniel and then Jimmy. The Baker's defensive lineup is Jake between first and second, Bud between second and third and Sarah, Charlie and Mike are playing outfield and of course Tom is the pitcher. Becky hits a ground ball to ground. Jake gets on first before she can get there so, she's out. Elliot hits a flies out to Mike and Vinny flies out to Sarah.
The Bakers are up to bat again. Charlie hits a double. Mike hits the ball into the outfield but, since he can't run he is called out at first. Mike is limping back over to the bench. Vinny sees this and sighs. Charlie tags up to third. Tom flies out to Calvin. Charlie tags up and scores the first run of the game. When Bud comes up he hits a homerun and the Bakers are up 2-0. Jake hits a pop up to Vinny and he's out.
Mike is going to take the field.
"Mike, you okay?" Vinny asked.
"I'm fine." Mike told him.
"You sure?" Vinny then asked.
"Yes, stop worrying about me." Mike told him.
"Mike!" Sarah yelled to him.
"I'm coming!" Mike yelled back as he took the field.
The Murtaugh's now come to the plate. Calvin hits a single. Daniel hits the ball into the outfield, Mike is trying to run it down but, falls because of his ankle. Calvin scores and Daniel is on second. The ball dropped in front of Mike. When Vinny saw Mike fall he thought the worst like Mike broke his ankle or made it worse. Jimmy strikes out. Becky hits a line drive to Jake and Elliot flies out to Charlie. The Murtaugh's are on the board and the score is now 2-1. The game is 2-1 until the fifth inning. The Murtaugh's are up and Vinny is up with two outs. Vinny hits a solo homerun and ties the score. When he rounds second he fells his knee give out on him. When he scores and comes back to the bench Jimmy is near him.
"You okay?" Jimmy asked.
"It's my god damn knee." Vinny told him.
"It doesn't look too bad." Jimmy said as he looked at it.
"I can't continue to play." Vinny told him.
"Vinny, I'm not losing to Tom." Jimmy said.
"He'll understand." Vinny told him.
Jimmy walks over to Tom.
"Vinny, can't continue because of his knee." Jimmy explained.
"Then play with five people." Tom told him.
Vinny limps out to the mound.
"He wants us to play with five people." Jimmy told Vinny.
"Mike's hurt. Sit him." Vinny told Tom.
"He's not hurt." Tom replied.
Vinny looks into the outfield and sees Mike cringing because of the pressure he's putting on his ankle. He waves Mike over.
"Are you okay?" Mike asked as he got to the mound.
"I can't play anymore because of my knee." Vinny explained.
"Are you okay?" Tom asked Mike.
"I'm fine." Mike replied.
"What about your ankle?" Vinny then asked.
"Would you stop worrying about me. I'm fine." Mike said getting annoyed.
"See Vinny, he's fine." Tom said.
"Let's call this a tie and head back?" Vinny suggested.
"No." Tom and Jimmy answered at the sametime.
"How are you going to play a game with five people?" Vinny asked Jimmy.
"We'll move Elliot to play between first and second." Jimmy answered.
"And have two outfielders?" Vinny then asked.
"You can always forefeit." Tom told them.
"No way, I'm forefeiting." Jimmy replied.
"It's either Vinny continues to play or you forefeit." Tom said.
Tom and Jimmy look at Vinny.
"I'm playing." Vinny told them.
The game is still tied 2-2 and it's starting to get late.
"Last inning." Jimmy said to Tom.
"Fine." Tom agreed.
"Then, we'll pick it up where we left off tomorrow." Jimmy then said.
"I wouldn't want it any other way." Tom replied.
Vinny comes up to bat and Tom brsuhes him back.
"That one got away from me." Tom said.
"Sure it did." Vinny replied.
Tom throws a pitch that makes Vinny step away from the plate. When Vinny steps back his knee gives out on him and he falls. Vinny is clinching his knee in pain. Everyone crowds around Vinny.
"You did that on purpose." Jimmy told Tom.
"No, I didn't." Tom replied.
Vinny is helped to his Z by Calvin and Charlie. Calvin drives Vinny back to The Boulders.
"You did that on purpose." Jimmy told Tom again.
"It wasn't on purpose." Tom defended himself.
"All right let's all calm down." Kate told everyone.
"Kate, he accused me of throwing the ball at Vinny on purpose." Tom told her.
"It looked intentional." Jimmy said.
"It wasn't intentional." Tom sighed.
"Come on Tom, we all know that for some reason you don't like Vinny." Jimmy stated.
"What gave you the idea that I don't like Vinny?" Tom asked.
"It's obvious." Jimmy laughed.
"How?" Tom then asked.
"The way you act whenever he's around. It's like you think Vinny marrying Lorraine was a mistake." Jimmy suggested.
"Dad, is that what you think?" Lorraine asked him.
Tom doesn't answer her.
"You do think that. You think that me marrying Vinny was a mistake." Lorraine said.
"You know your father doesn'r feel that way." Kate told Lorraine.
The Murtaugh's head back to The Boulders and the Bakers head back to their cabin.