Off Topic
A Call-up Conversation
September 4, 2057: Marshall Islands – General Manager Ron Collins picks up his communicator, and commands a connection. A moment later, the beep tells him he’s on line.
“Juan,” he says. “How’s it going in Pasco?”
“Doing good,” says Jaun Jose Torres, the manager of the Bikini Krill AAA team. “We’re going to wind up close to .500!”
Given the organization’s performance overall that past few years, that’s a real feat.
“I’m glad,” Collins says, then gets to the point. “I wanted to see what you thought about Jay Hodge coming out to the Atoll.”
“I hear it rains a lot there, but I think he’d like it. Says he loves the ocean, and after the year he’s had, he could use the vacation.”
“I mean to pitch.”
Torres laughs then, long and hard. “No, Boss, I think that’s not going to work out so well.”
“Hum. As bad as it looks, then?”
Hodge’s numbers since being signed to that minor league deal with a major league option have been as ugly as a gothy trick-or-treater caught out in the rain. Five earned runs in four innings. One strikeout. One homer. Eight hits.
“His arm’s a noodle,” Torres said. “The gun says he’s throwing 92, but I think that’s a typo.”
“I see.”
“If you’re lucky he’ll opt out and you won’t have to release him.”
“Yeah. That’s probably right.”
“Constable, though. Maybe he could throw relief?”
Torres is talking about Bill Constable, another big name guy Collins picked up on the cheap a few weeks back. “Yeah, maybe,” Collins replies. Constable’s 7.00 ERA in 18 innings suggests Torres might be doing the edibles again, though. “We’ll leave him there for now.”
“All right, Boss. Thanks for the call. I needed a laugh like that.”
“Yeah,” Collins says with disappointment as he hangs up. “Me, too.”
September 4, 2057: Marshall Islands – General Manager Ron Collins picks up his communicator, and commands a connection. A moment later, the beep tells him he’s on line.
“Juan,” he says. “How’s it going in Pasco?”
“Doing good,” says Jaun Jose Torres, the manager of the Bikini Krill AAA team. “We’re going to wind up close to .500!”
Given the organization’s performance overall that past few years, that’s a real feat.
“I’m glad,” Collins says, then gets to the point. “I wanted to see what you thought about Jay Hodge coming out to the Atoll.”
“I hear it rains a lot there, but I think he’d like it. Says he loves the ocean, and after the year he’s had, he could use the vacation.”
“I mean to pitch.”
Torres laughs then, long and hard. “No, Boss, I think that’s not going to work out so well.”
“Hum. As bad as it looks, then?”
Hodge’s numbers since being signed to that minor league deal with a major league option have been as ugly as a gothy trick-or-treater caught out in the rain. Five earned runs in four innings. One strikeout. One homer. Eight hits.
“His arm’s a noodle,” Torres said. “The gun says he’s throwing 92, but I think that’s a typo.”
“I see.”
“If you’re lucky he’ll opt out and you won’t have to release him.”
“Yeah. That’s probably right.”
“Constable, though. Maybe he could throw relief?”
Torres is talking about Bill Constable, another big name guy Collins picked up on the cheap a few weeks back. “Yeah, maybe,” Collins replies. Constable’s 7.00 ERA in 18 innings suggests Torres might be doing the edibles again, though. “We’ll leave him there for now.”
“All right, Boss. Thanks for the call. I needed a laugh like that.”
“Yeah,” Collins says with disappointment as he hangs up. “Me, too.”
