The Pizza Cats Save The A's
Authored by: AcerJack
Summary: In this sort of epilogue chapter, we finally get to figure out what this surprise Sundance had been planning about is, and we find out how he had been planning it. As it turns out to be, it would be free VIP tickets to an Oakland Athletics game, one that would be quite packed, as fans and the Oakland faithful celebrate the exile of John Fisher and Dave Kaval from the ownership, and that Joe Lacob, a much better owner, who was also a billionaire, had gotten the franchise off their hands, and that he would make the franchise great again. It will be quite a special game. Why would it be so? Read on and find out.
Disclaimer: I do not own Samurai Pizza Cats. All characters and locations are properties of Saban/Tatsunoko Production. Original characters are original ideas by Phoenix710, except for Ryan Braumbaugh and Al Jennings, both of whom are ideas by yours truly.
(P.S) The choice of Joe Lacob, current Golden State Warriors owner, came out of a video clip of a broadcast of fans in a tailgate prior to the "Reverse Boycott" game, where a guy getting interviewed wants Lacob to be the new owner. I may have forgotten to mention this last chapter.
Chapter Four: Take Cats Out To The Ball Game
Meanwhile, back in New York, after all had been settled with the two idiotic former executives, Sundance was on the phone with the new owner, Joe Lacob, planning out this surprise he wanted to give to his friends in Little Tokyo as thanks for making him redeem himself, after a bit of a stir back in Oakland.
"Yeah, luxury box suite tickets, for a game two days from now, and for a party of fourteen," the gold armored cat said. "Oh, it would be all on you? And Speedy gets to throw first pitch? Alright, thanks, man!"
After he hung up the phone, Cosmo and Abigail walked into the room.
Cosmo asked him, "So, what was that call about, buddy?"
Sundance then replied, "It's this surprised I have planned for Speedy and the Samurai Pizza Cats down in Little Tokyo. You see, after that "dramatic" thing, if you know what I mean, I thought about giving a major gift to them back, and maybe all you too, for accepting me back, after all the things I had done…" in which he also slightly began to tear up a bit.
Abigail then replied, "No problem, Sundance. We really did know you had changed after all of that. Even Lucinda thought so."
Back in Little Tokyo, business was slightly slower than it usually was. However, a phone call came in, and it would turn out to not be some usual order.
As she usually did, Francine picked up the phone, "Samurai Pizza Cats, pizza's our middle name! How may I help you today?"
Sundance, on the other end of the line, said, "Could I get in contact with Speedy?"
She then responded, "Alright then. Speedy, this caller apparently wants you in contact."
Speedy walked over, then got on the phone, after putting it on mute. After a while of chatting, he hung up the phone.
She told him, "So, what was that about?"
Speedy replied, "Sundance, that's who. He apparently already has the surprise planned out for us, and it's an Oakland Athletics baseball game. And not just any regular baseball game, I am scheduled to also throw first pitch!"
Aiko then walked up, and said to him, "Dad, am I going too?"
Speedy then replied, "Yes, sweetie, you are going too. In fact, he invited the Pizza Cats to come out and join."
Francine said, "You four, go ahead. I'm gonna inform the Princess first about this, and send the Rescue Team down here to take over your duties of both delivery, and maybe even the cats down in Yokohama for backup, in case Cheese dares to plot to come back here."
Guido then said, "Good idea, Francine. Hey guys, shouldn't we get packing and getting ready for another vacation?"
With that, the trio of cats, alongside their kids, and Good Bird and Carla, began packing up their things, to prepare for a vacation to California in order to be properly rewarded for their efforts.
Princess Vi had heard about what they were planning, and sent a limo down to the parlor to send them to the airport, alongside booking first class tickets for them.
Many hours later, Oakland International Airport…
After a long flight, their plane finally landed in Oakland International Airport. Speedy's phone then rang, and on the other side of the line was Sundance. He said, "Hey Speedy, have you landed in Oakland already?"
He replied, "Yup. By the way, where are you three?"
"Down in a hotel near the Coliseum. Apparently, a car from the team will pick you all up and send you here."
After that, the group then went out to the sights of Oakland, and just all hung out around spots around the surrounding Bay Area, until the day came.
On that day, a bus had driven up to their hotel, picked the group up, and sent them to the Oakland Coliseum for the game, set to be against division rivals Texas Rangers.
Starting for that day for the Athletics was a beige fox who was a bit of a friend of the Cats, the Japanese-American 4-year veteran, Ryan Braumbaugh. He had grown up in Little Tokyo and played for their baseball team for about two years, before signing with the Athletics some few years ago. He had also grew up watching that game where Speedy played Fernando. He had apparently planned to leave the team to return home to Little Tokyo at the end of the season and play there.
His catcher was another friend of the Cats, an American raccoon named Al Jennings. He had nicknamed himself "Big Al", after apparently Al Dente himself, which picked up some attention to the trio. He was also about as tall as Deedee and had an arm as strong as the aforementioned cat with a whip. He also had plans to leave America to pursue a baseball career in Japan. He also wanted to have his playing name as "A.J", in a similar case to former player Doug Jennings, who played as "D.J" in Japan.
As the group made it to the field prior to the game, as Speedy was set to throw first pitch, he saw Braumbaugh and Jennings get ready for the game in the outfield bullpens in the Coliseum.
Speedy said to both of them, "Hey, you two. Hope you both have a great game today!"
The fox said, "Thanks, Speedy! I heard you saved our team from such bad ownership, and gave it to a much better one. Even though it is slightly disappointing I am leaving at the end of the year to return to your hometown, if this doesn't work out, I'm definitely returning to Oakland."
The raccoon joined in, saying, "Same here. It will be great meeting the man I nicknamed myself in Japan, if I visit Little Tokyo."
Polly then said, "Oh, you will definitely want to see Al Dente. Maybe he'd ask for an autograph of you."
Jennings then replied, "I already covered that, Polly. Sent him an autographed picture of me about a week ago."
Guido then said, "That seems great! Al apparently told us of this a week earlier."
A while later, the game was set to begin, with Speedy making his way to the pitcher mound, ready to throw the ceremonial first pitch. Sundance also said he wanted to swing the bat, to give Speedy a perfect strike, which was to be caught by Guido, in an A's jersey, with Polly behind him, pretending to be a home plate umpire calling the strike. The others were behind them, and called, "Play Ball!"
And just like that, they returned to their luxury box suite, and the game began, to the uproar of the Oakland faithful, after John Fisher and Dave Kaval had been sent out the door of ownership.
Speedy said to Sundance, "Wow. This was more than I was bargaining for!"
The sharpshooting cat then replied, "I hope you are really enjoying this experience, buddy. I'm still sorry for what I did to you and your friends before…" he said, before tearing up once more.
Polly then responded, "You don't need to be, Sundance. After you warned us about Cheese planning to kidnap my sister before she became a Samurai, we really knew you changed for the better."
The rest of the group agreed, and Deedee and Lucinda pulled into a hug with him.
"How is everything back there with you all?" he asked to the rest.
Guido said, "I think me and Lucille are quite enjoying the experience here. Right, Lucille?" The ram nodded in agreement.
At the bottom of the 7th inning, Braumbaugh was doing well, fanning down 15, and not allowing a single baserunner or hit at that point, until Adolis Garcia crushed a baseball deep into the center outfield and nearing the wall, silencing the crowd until Esteury Ruiz ran it down, and caught the ball, sending the entire stadium into a frenzy.
Carla, sitting next to Good Bird, said, "Oh, Birdie… that was beautiful!"
He then replied, "Better words had never been spoken, Carla." Their son Kazuma agreed.
Ruiz's home run robbery sent Lucille and Lucinda into quite the emotions, and then Guido and Sundance noticed this, then immediately ran out of the room and the stadium, before running back in, in time to see Braumbaugh throw an immaculate top of the 8th inning.
At the bottom of the 9th, the game was still tied at 0. At that moment, Al Jennings walked up to the plate, with two out, and bases loaded. At a 3-2 full count, he absolutely swung for the fences, and it went out of the park, sending the Oakland Coliseum to an absolute frenzy. Braumbaugh had pitched a perfect game, and Al walked his perfect game off, and once he reached home, Braumbaugh and Jennings pulled into a hug.
Up in the booth of the Samurai Pizza Cats and their friends, everyone was celebrating like crazy. The group, after all was settled, went back down to the field to meet both of them again.
Cosmo, while getting an autograph of Al, said to him, "That has to be the greatest home run I have ever seen!"
Jennings replied with, "Thanks, Cosmo! So, you are the counterpart from New York that I have been told about?" The cat nodded in agreement.
Braumbaugh brought on Speedy to join him in a post-game interview. "How were your thoughts racing through your mind after you nearly lost your perfect game, and now you are forever cemented into Cooperstown?"
The fox replied with, "I think it was the greatest thing to ever happen to me, and it couldn't have happened without Speedy watching me on!" The white armored cat and his wife then got on camera, and Speedy said, "No words can describe this experience. It was insane!" Polly agreed too.
The group then also took a photo with Braumbaugh, Jennings, and another A's perfect game thrower, Dallas Braden.
Today was a perfect day for all of them, and the group returned to their hotel, satisfied with such a day they had, ready for a night's sleep to return to Little Tokyo the following day. Not only did Sundance treat his friends to a perfect game, but Lucinda, his wife, brought him back from getting crushed by the bad memories of him with Cheese and mistreating the Pizza Cats, and renewed his ability to continue his duty as a New York Pizza Cat, and was also forgiven by all his friends. Most importantly, the Oakland Athletics were now a much better team, now that a better owner had bought the team, and were set to make them competitive again, and eventually, World Series winners again, and even more importantly, are going to be in Oakland for a long time.
The End.