ROGER'S HOBBY

"Where is it?"

"Where is what?"

"You know..."

Ball and two strikes. 

"No, I don't know." Denice glared at him. 

Here's the pitch ... ball, outside. 

"I can't tell you with S-A-L-L-Y in the room. You know. What we’ve been talking about the last few daaaaays..."

How 'bout the crowd tonight, Steve? Isn't this wonderful? 

Roger looked at her. "You mean the uhhhh ... " 

It sure is, Jack. Sunday home games have been well-attended all year. 

"Yes, 'the uhhh.' Did you get it? 

"Of course." 

"Where'd you put it?"

"You don't wanna do it now, do ya?" 

"No, I just wanna know where it is." 

Roger just stared at the TV. 

Here's the 2-2 pitch...ball 3. 

"Roger!"

"What, honey? It's uh ... it's where the other one was."

"Do you mind if I check it? You got the wrong kind before." 

"Well, that was before."

White Sox lead 3 to 2 in the bottom of the 4th. 

Denice got up. 

"Mind if I look?" 

Roger rubbed his eyes. 

Here's the 3-2 pitch...he walked him. 

Denice left.

"Daddy?"

"Sally, quit calling me that." 

Roger kept rubbing his eyes.

"Mr. Whitaker?"

"What?"

"Will you sing me a song?"

Johnny Ray the batter. He grounded to short last time up. 

"Wait'll the game's over." 

Originally a product of the Philadelphia Phillies...here's the pitch. Outside. Ball. 

"Mr. Whitaker?"

"What?"

"Where did Mommy go?" 

"She's not your mother." 

"Mrs. Whitaker." 

Ray acquired in the off-season on waivers. 

"She's just checking on something." 

"Dinner?"

"We gave you dinner."

"Well, what?" 

Burns takin' his time on the mound. 

"Just... it doesn't concern you." 

"Mr. Whitaker?"

"What?"

"Can we go for a walk?" 

Good lookin' kid. 

Burns delivers...ball 2. 

Roger rubbed his eyes again. 

"Can't you wait until the game's over?" 

"Please?" 

"DENICE!" 

"Mr. Whitaker-" 

"Damnit, can't you stay silent for one second?" 

"Yes?" 

"Denice, could you and Sally go for a walk?" 

Denice stared at Roger. 

"Now?" 

Roger looked up at Denice. 

"No, I don't mean THAT now..." 

"Oh. Just walk. Yeah, c'mon Sally. Go to your room and put your bag over your head." 

"Thank you, Mrs. Whitaker." 

Sally left. 

"Roger, we've got to do it soon. the last time, you hear?" 

Here's the pitch. Ball. 

Denice left. 

Well, that's six straight balls in a row that Burns has thrown. 

If he walks Ray, I'd seriously think about gettin' somebody up in the bullpen, Jack. He doesn't look on at all. 

The front door closed. 

No, you're right, Steve. Britt hasn't had his stuff today. Some excellent defense has kept the Sox in the game, and, of course, Baines' home run... if you just joined us, Baines hit a 3-run home run in the first inning for the Sox, and an RBI single by Reynolds in the 3rd and Berra in the 4th has given the Pirates their total scoring. We're at 3 to 2, bottom of the 4th. Here's the pitch by Burns... strike. 

The front door opened and Roger looked around. "So quick?" 

"Roger, I have to talk to you. Sal, go to your room."

"Moooooommm... "

"Now, Sally!"

Sally left. 

"What happened?"

Denice closed the door and sat by Roger.

"We've got to do it now. I can't take it anymore." 

"What?"

"She did it again."

"Ah, no. Who was it?" 

There's some stirring in the bullpen. 

"She asked Mr. Franklin how Duchess is." 

"Oh, geez. What did he say?" 

"He said 'I don't believe it, I don't believe it', and I dragged Sally back in." 

"Damnit. Franklin, huh?" 

Here's the pitch. He walked him. 

"Roger, we have to do it now, and Sally is going to be the last one. I can't take this damn sneaking around. Let's do it, and it's over." 

"Yeah, you're right. You may as well go make it." 

Denice left the room. 

Here comes LaRussa to try and calm Burns down a bit. 

"SALLY!" 

James is the right-hander, and that's Agosto who's the southpaw. 

"SALLY, COULD YOU COME DOWN HERE FOR A MINUTE?" 

Burns has allowed 2 runs on 10 hits in only 3 innings, Steve, he really hasn't had his stuff today. 

As a matter of fact, Tuesday he was taken out in the... third, wasn’t it?

Yeah.  

Well, they're gonna leave him in ... there's Tony walking back to the Sox dugout. 

"What?"

Roger looked around. 

"Sally, why don't you sit down?" 

Sally walked over to Roger and sat by him. 

"Mrs. Whitaker and I have decided to give you something special." 

"What?" 

"Well, remember when we learned to talk?" 

"Yeah..." 

"Well, you were such a quick learner that we're going to give you a treat now, how about that?" 

"Yay!" 

Here's Kurt Bevaqua. He struck out and singled in the 2nd. 

"What are you going to give me, Daddy?" 

"Well, you'll see."

Ball one.

"Daddy?" 

"Yes, Sally." 

"How come you make me wear that bag on my head when no one else does?" 

"Sally, it's because you're different. You're very special. When Mrs. Whitaker and I purchased you, we made you special." 

"How?"

"Well, I'm a doctor, Sally." 

"No! You're a singer!" 

"I was a singer. Now I'm a doctor. And I gave you your head. I cut off your other one and sewed on that one." 

"And that's how I can talk so fast?" 

"That's right, Sally." 

Ball two. 

LaRussa's gotta get him outta there, Jack. 

"So I have a different head?" 

"Yes, you were born with a dog's head. And we cut that off and put on our daughter Sally's head." 

"And you put my head on hers?" 

"That's right."

"Where's she?"

"She didn't make it." 

Here's the pitch. Ball. 

"Why is Mommy mad at me?" 

"Sally, we can't have you talking to the neighbors. time and time again-" 

"Are you angry with me?" 

"Sally, would you like something warm to drink?" 

Sally looked up at Denice. 

"OK. Is this what you were gonna give me?" 

Denice handed Sally the mug. 

Bevaqua knows he's gonna walk. He hasn't even taken the bat off his shoulder. He's got the take sign all the way. 

Sally drank a little. 

"Mmm. What is it?" 

"Just a drink." 

"Will it help me stop talking to the neighbors like you want?" 

"Maybe." 

"OK, I'll drink the whole thing. Don't be angry, Mommy. I love you." 

"She's not your mother, Sally." 

The pitch... ball. Here comes Larussa.

He’s going to take Burns out, Jack. And it’s about time. He really hasn’t had it today. 

Sally made a whining noise and fell. 

“She was a good dog.”

Roger nodded.