(Black Sox General Manager Benedetta Vitale is speaking on her iPhone, seated behind the tidy blond wood writing desk that dominates her mid-century modern office in the administrative suite at Black Sox Park. On the other end of the call is Sox Owner Vinnie Vitale, her brother-in-law.)
Benny Vitale: Good morning, Vincent.
Sox GM Benny Vitale
Benny: I thought this would be an excellent morning for you to apologize to me for your lack of faith and unseemly behavior towards me.
Vinnie (taken aback): Unseemly? What’re you talkin’ about, Benny?
Benny: I’m speaking of the phone calls questioning my judgment – and, especially, questioning the trade of Mr. Tommy Cochran to Calgary. You were rude and questioned whether I knew what I was doing, and also questioned the wisdom of employing the Kocherschmeltz Group to help evaluate talent.
Now that we have won 12 games in a row, Vincent – and, in fact, 18 of our last 21 – I thought you might want to apologize. Some degree of abjectness would be nice.
Vinnie (sputters): I ain’t apologizing to you, Benny. I was doing my job as owner: making sure you had good reasoning behind the trade of one our most popular players. And I didn’t think I was rude. I was just … firm.
Benny: I disagree, Vincent. Rude you were. And you kept mispronouncing Mr. José Figueroa’s name, which even you must admit seems silly now that you have seen how well he plays.
Vinnie (grumbles): Yeah, José’s pretty good, I’ll give ya that. He and that Jones fella have been good additions.
Sox Owner Vinnie "Don't Push My Mood" Vitale
Vinnie: OK, OK. You’re God’s gift to general managing, OK? Even you can’t ruin my mood today, Ben. Team’s doing good. We’re gettin’ close to 38,000 average attendance a night. That Shoeless fella out in Sacramento is giving Mikki Manning holy hell … life is good.
Benny: It would be even better if you’d say those words I’ve been waiting to hear, Vincent.
Vinnie: You mean, ‘We only play Pacific Division teams from here on out?’ I could say ‘em, but they wouldn’t be true.
Benny (sighs): You may be hopeless, Vincent.
Vinnie: You wouldn’t be the first to tell me that, Benny.
Benny: I’m sure not. Well, if that’s how you’re going to be, I need to get back to work.
Vinnie: Yeah, yeah. Me, too. But, hey, Benny …
Benny: Yes, Vincent?
Vinnie: When you're right, you're right. I’m sorry I was rough on you. You’re doin’ a good job.
Benny (surprised): Really, Vincent?
Vinnie: Yeah. But don’t push it. My good mood only goes so far.
Benny: Understood, Vincent.
Vinnie: And who knows? Play your cards right, and there could be a Tower of Pears in your future …
(Call and video end)