Talentless Talon's September arrival 2001-1

[Fat Nige]

Sitting at the bar contemplating my beer in a dimly lit late night joint was nothing new for me; the fact that the joint in question was in the dessert was. Another late night drunk staggered in and slumped on a bar stool near me. As I turned to contemplate the new arrival I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes.

“Hi Boss ! I’d heard you were in town.”

I did a double take and his face jogged a deep distant memory.

“Didn’t I sling you out of Omaha? You’re ……….. Pat Listach! That’s who you are! I knew you were going to be a bum, here; I’ll get you a drink. Bums together eh?”

“Yeah that’s me .. but I’m on my seventh MBBA franchise since you said I was finished, including another spell at Omaha”

I wondered what he was doing here then before it dawned on me.

“You’re not at the Talons are you?”

He nodded. “Well almost! The last GM signed me to a minor league deal and stuck me down in Triple-A at Flagstaff. Done quite good, four homers, swiped 14 and hit .312 in 231 AB’s but season’s finished so I’m just drinking away till the contract runs out. You should see it at Flagstaff, it’s like an old folks home there. You won’t be looking there for any prospects!”

“You can sharpen up for a start.” I told him. “ Report to Chavez Memorial Ballpark in the morning. I gotta do something to improve these sad sacks. Do you know that this will be their seventh losing season on the trot? And the owner still wants me to play .500 ball? I might as well get you senior citizens playing for a contract. Show me you boys can still cut it in the MBBA and I’ll show you some bucks.”

I turned and stared at my drink. Geez! Was that the best I had to shake the Talentless Talons with? I didn’t know whether to hit my drink or bang my head on the bar. Life in Phoenix was going to be shite, I could just tell ……

[recte44]

Nice, and who doesn't love a good Pat Listach story?

[Fat Nige]

Seeing as how he seems to have been through a quarter of the MBBA franchises I thought a few would know him