2041.05 Driving to the Dominican...for a pitching coach

[felipe]

The filthy white cargo van pulls up to the gates of a large plantation, seaweed trailing from its back bumper. Seawater and a starfish tumble out the driver's door as Wichita GM, Genius Hopkins, steps out into the Dominican sunshine.

Assistant GM, Devin 'Fungo' Clark pauses in the front passenger seat and turns and tasers a still unconscious Leon Sandcastle who is still duct taped to the backseat.

"He was out of control last night!" Clark mentions to the Genius.

"Yeah," grimaces the Genius, He asked for water! Twice! The son of a bitch."

"I meant before that..."Clark starts.

"Oh yeah...leading the Congo line on the cruise ship? Beating up those two tourists wearing Yellow Springs T-shirts? Puking into the punch bowl? That was insane."

"Ummm...that was YOU, Genius..."

"Oh yeah...I guess I really don't remember what Leon was up too...it doesn't really matter now anyways," Genius turns and surveys the plantation gates, "Nice place."

"I don't know," replies Clark, as he looks around, " There seems to be a lot of guys with automatic rifles lounging around."

A jeep, with a rear mounted machine gun, roars up to the gates from the inside, choking the air with a heavy dust.

"Genius!" The voice booms from a tall tanned shirtless man, his face partially hidden by the brim of his large straw hat, grasping the large calibre machine gun from the backseat," How good to see you!" His eyes narrow," I see you've brought Fungo with you too." The machine gun swivels slightly towards Clark.

"Anastasio Quintana! My old friend!" grins the Genius.

"I see that you got my message, Genius...but why is this van with you? And THIS man." Quintana spits into the dirt.

Clark smiles broadly," We're getting the gang back together," he says importantly.

"So you will grant me the favor I asked of you Genius?" Quintana continues, ignoring Clark.

"That's why I'm here Anastasio," smiles the Genius," But I fear that I have a favor to ask of you in return."

Quintana's eyes narrow," Yes. It is always that way with you, isn't it Genius? A tit for a tat. Well, don't keep me waiting...what is your blood demand?"

"If you're giving out tits, put me down for four," smiles Fungo.

"You..." Quintana sighs," You...were always a problem...but you ae a guest of mine today...an uninvited guest...but still..."

"What I can't figure out is why you want me to sign this lad to a professional contract for Wichita," smiles the Genius," He shares your name, but he is Nicaraguan...not Dominican."

"If you look at my career, Genius, you will see that there are two years removed form my history." Quintana smiles," Two beautiful years."

Quintana adopts a far away gaze, "I was a young man, fresh out of AFLAC college, where I had a 10.70 ERA over my 9 starts my freshman year...I had given up on my baseball career at this point..."

Quintana stops and looks at the Genius with tears in his eyes," And then three things happened."

"Number one, I went to Nicaragua to get fucked. Completely fucked. What a party! If you want to lose yourself in drugs and sex and disappear from the world...well...that is the place...but I don't need to tell that to you, do I Genius?"

"Number two, I fell in love with a beautiful Nicaraguan girl, my son's mother, we had a wonderful time together, but I was still so young and so foolish...I was going no where, and that is not where she wanted to go..."

"Number three, you, the Genius, arrive in Nicaragua, looking for women of any shape or size or age...and I guess ballplayers when you had the free time...and you stole my beloved, but not for long, as you soon moved on to her aunt, and her mother, and half of the women of the village."

"I saw the power of money, and how baseball was my only chance to have that life for myself. So I renewed my commitment to the game, and reconnected with my love, and was able to spend the next two incredible years with her and my baby boy, only leaving once for three months to play at nearby Coxen Hole. Three years later I was an all-star in Single A ball."

"Coxen Hole," giggles Clark.

"And I owe it all to you, Genius." Quintana smiles," So of course, I ask you to place your magic touch on my son, who was won a Collegiate World Series, but who has been thus far ignored by professional baseball...I think that only you can give him the chance to realise his dreams, like I realised mine."

"I dunno," The Genius scratches his head," I'll try...where's his girlfriend at?"

"The professional contract will be enough," smiles Quintana.

"So you still with this babe? The magical mother of your terrible baseball playing child?" asks Clark.

"Of course not," smiles Quintana gently," I earned over $66 million in the majors...don't be foolish."

Quintana turns to the Genius," So what do you ask of me in return?"

"I'd like you to become the pitching coach in Anchorage, Rookie League ball."

"Of course, I'll fly out in May, I'd be honoured too to help you in anyway Genius."

"Yeah...about that...hey! Do you wanna see your old pal Leon Sandcastle? He's in the van right now." Fungo asks quickly.

Quintana looks at the Genius dubiously," Why would you have a hall of famer in a rusty old cargo van?"

"Well..."says the Genius uncomfortably," We're getting the gang back together."

"And..." Quintana lets the sentence hang.

"He's hungover..." explains Fungo.

Quintana laughs," Same old Leon! " He jumps off of his jeep and pushes through the gates. He gets to the van and pulls open the door enthusiastically.

"Why is Leon duct taped to the back seat?" Quintana asks backing away quickly from the van.

Fungo quickly zaps Quintana with the taser as the Genius bundles him through the open van door. Fungo slams the door shut.

"We probably could have let him fly out in May," says the Genius to Fungo.

"We talked about this Genius," Fungo says," That's NOT how you get the gang back together."

[jleddy]

What a bizarre and utterly beautiful career arc...thanks for bringing to light a once forgotten player, Genius!

[HoosierVic]

Best not to take chances when you're trying to recruit for Anchorage ... duct tape is a great convincer!

Another excellent installment. Well done, sir!

[bschr682]

Go schooners!

[shoeless.db]

Weird. I have eight Nicaraguans in my organization, and they're all certain their father was some American businessman who they never met.