“The league is letting each team decide how they want to handle team events. For now, you can be in the facility and workout together.”
“Do we need to stay here or are we heading home?” our third baseman pipes up.
“We’ll keep both Port Charlotte and Tampa facilities open for you. It might be best if you divide up so we aren’t all in thesame location but I’ll leave that up to you. We’ll send out details and post the rules so you’ll know them. Talk to your agents and advisors. The Players Association and the league have a lot to discuss about what comes next.” With a nod of his head, Coach leaves the locker room and goes back to his office.
Miller turns to me from his locker beside mine. “What do you want to do, Pres?”
Leaning forward, I rest my arms on my knees, taking in the news. “Doesn’t sound like there is any point in staying down here.” My voice is muffled by my hands where they cover my face.
“Yeah, I’d rather be home in my bed anyways. Bunking with you in spring training blows.” Miller shoves my shoulder, almost pushing me off the chair.
“Says the guy that begs me to stay with him during spring training,” I throw back with raised eyebrows righting myself.
“That doesn’t sound like me at all.” Standing, I start getting dressed in a pair of team shorts and a t-shirt. Miller and I always find a house together for spring training and split the costs. It’s easier that way. We’ve been friends for so long, it reminds me of our college days. Even back in Tampa, we live in the same neighborhood and are always at each other’s houses.
“Wanna head home then?” I nod to Miller already packing his bag.
“Yeah, let me grab all my gear.”
We pack up our lockers and anything else we may need from the Port Charlotte facility since we don’t know when or if we will be back. The equipment manager or another guy on the team can bring it anything we forget back to Tampa later. A few hours later, all of our stuff is loaded in my truck and we hit the interstate headed for home with country music blasting and the windows rolled down. I love the Florida winters and the constant sunshine. Being raised in North Georgia, we have actual seasons and my parents’ house is still cold this time ofyear. It was nice when I was younger, but I love the Florida heat and the warm temperatures now.
“Do you want to hit the cages tomorrow?” I say, breaking the silence as we get closer to our neighborhood.
“Sure thing, dude, but let me sleep in though.” Miller loves to sleep in when there aren’t any commitments requiring us to be ready early. I like to get up and get the day going. My dad rose with the sun for chores around the farm before anyone else was up. When I was growing up, he instilled that work ethic in me. I would help feed the chickens or horses before school. Then, when I started getting serious about baseball, I was up at dawn to run, lift, or practice before school. After all these years, some habits are hard to break.
“Fine, let’s go at eleven then. An hour in the cages, some lifting and then we can get lunch.”
“Now, you’re talking.” I pull into Miller’s driveway and we unload all his stuff together before I head down the street to my place. I can’t lie, it’s good to be home even though I am already missing the diamond and we haven’t been off it more than a few hours at this point.
Four days later, we’re on a conference call with Coach and some of the front office staff. With the team separated and precautions against large gatherings, this is the quickest and easiest way to communicate. Miller, naturally, is at my house so we join the call side by side at my kitchen island.
“What’s up, Coach?” I say, trying to get this moving.
It’s only been a few days but I am ready to get this season going. We have all the makings to be a contender for the World Series this year. I want a ring more than anything. Coach gives me a curt nod from his square on the video call as thanks for the sudden quiet on the line.
“As you know, the Commissioner announced Opening Dayand the season has been postponed.” He pauses. Coach never pauses mid-speech, and I can’t help but think this is probably not going to be news we want to hear. Hanging in limbo when we are all supposed to be amping up for the season to start sucks.
“Well, the Commissioner has notified us that the league has decided to postpone the season indefinitely.”
The line erupts in shouted questions and curse words. The body language on the line is almost as bad as the overwhelming sound. Our teammates are palming their faces, running their hands over their heads, and some have their heads in their hands.
“Fuck. We were really starting to mesh,” I mutter to Miller. This fucks up our mojo, and if anyone knows anything about baseball, we’re a superstitious bunch. You don’t fuck with the mojo.
Everyone on the call is still talking and shouting questions while Coach sits there until he has everyone’s attention again. At this rate, who knows when that will happen, which means the longer they talk the longer it takes to get answers.
“If you don’t shut the fuck up, we won’t know what Coach was about to say,” I start, and the chatter begins to quiet down. “What does this mean, Coach? Are we playing this season or not?”
“Thanks, Fielder,” Coach says, using my nickname. “Right now, the Commissioner is not canceling the season.”
Sighs of relief and various iterations of “Thank God” are uttered as soon as the words leave Coach’s mouth.
“But—” he says, raising his voice and holding his hand up. “But, all operations are stopped until more information is released. The Players Association and the MLB have to come to an agreement on how to move forward. For now, that means no games. No practice. No gatherings.”
“No practice? Not even what we’ve been doing this week? How are we supposed to be ready when the time comes if wearen’t practicing?” Miller starts a round of twenty questions again, but it’s exactly what I was thinking.
“The league wants to be careful and be sure they’re following the guidelines to get us back as soon as possible. We’re following their lead. Think of it as an extended off-season. Go home, men. I expect you to keep yourselves fit and in game shape. Stay close to the phone. Be ready to report as soon as we get the all-clear. You’re all professionals. You know how to keep your game up. I expect you to do it. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, this team is special. This team has what it takes, and no matter when the season starts, we will be ready to take it all the way.”
When no one says anything, Coach says, “Understood?”
