"[Guitar And Fiddle Play FolksyTune]" "With my personal trainer, from Tampa Bay, Florida," "Tony Little," "[Applause]" "Hey, Tony, welcome," "Thank you for being here," "Let me ask you a question, 95% ofpeople gain their weight back," "Is it ever going to end?" "We 're going to educate them," "Let me showyou something, what I call "fitness past, "" "What's all this?" "[Grrr]" "The ori gi nal!" "Ha!" "I can't believe it." "Ohh...thanks." "This is a sign." "He's always been king ofhis world," "We'll teach him fear," ""We're millionaires, boys." "I'll share it with all ofyou."" "He was a king anda god in the world he knew," "But now he comes to civilization, merely a captive, a show to gratify your curiosity," "" Ladies and gentlemen..."" "look at," "" Kong, the eighth wonder of the world."" "[Fanfare]" "There he is." "If only he could pitch." "Good one now." "Come on!" "Heads up!" "Put it in there." "Strike!" "Hello, fellas." "Well, well, the pride ofthe Yankees." "They flyyou down in their private jet?" "In fact, they offered." "Yeah." "I heard you were in big trouble." "Where'd you hear that?" "The kid you found, McGowan?" "He's zero for 60?" "0 for 61." "You didn't see last night's game." "Who cares about last night's game?" "Let me tell you how it works." "The world's a jungle." "You walk into the jungle, come outwith Kong, you're a hero." "They forget about last night's game." "Who's Kong?" "Catcher, Iowa State." "No, the animal!" "In the movies." "Forget it." "Strike!" "Whew!" "The kid can pitch." "He's gonna finish college, too." "What's he now, junior?" "Freshman." "Freshman?" "3 1 /2 years, can't touch him." "Can't even talk to his parents." "They're devout Catholics." "Well, I learned one thing, no use salivating over a player you're never gonna get, right, Phil?" "Right." "If my bosses call, tell 'em I already showed up." "By the way, I'm leaving now." "You can make fun of me." "Yeah, don't worry." "We will." "Tommy!" "How areyou?" "Good." "I'm Al Percolo... scout with the New YorkYankees." "Wow." "The Yankees?" "I didn't knowyou guys were coming." "Here we are." "Listen, you're really good." "Thanks." "You're gonna finish school though, huh?" "It's not my idea." "I'd kill to play for the Yankees, but that's what my parents want." "I thought you wanted to finish." "No, but what am I gonna do?" "Let me talk toyour parents." "Want to come have dinner?" "Tonight?" "I wasn't really invited." "I'm inviting you." "I accept." "Mmm." "These carrots are so sweet, you could eat them for dessert." "Thankyou." "You know, the Yankees are very geared to religion." "I couldn't help noticing that beautiful painting up there." "That's virtually the same exact picture that hangs in the clubhouse." "Terrific likeness, isn't it?" "You've heard of Mickey Mantle?" "Did you know his sisterwas a nun?" "I hadn't heard that." "Yes, indeed, a very famous one." "What was her name?" "Gee, I believe it was also Micki, but with an "I."" "Sister Micki Elizabeth Mantle." "Some nun." "Tommy, you haven't touched your food." "I'm not hungry." "It's no excuse." "Finish your food." "He reminds me of me." "Couldn't get me to finish my food ifyou paid me." "Now try to keep me away." "May I say something?" "Yeah." "I believe education is most important and that people should finish school." "I know Tommy does, too." "But Tommy has a dilemma, and that is that..." "he's gifted." "And he's really concerned." "What does he do with that gift?" "Does he sign on the dotted line right now, make $500,000, go to the biggest city in the world, and become a member ofthe most prestigious baseball team that everwas, or does he continue his schooling," "possibly trip over a book on the way to math class and be worth nothing?" "But he knows that with the kind of money you make in baseball, even ifyou didn't finish school, your education doesn't have to stop." "Tommy knows that many ofthe ballplayers hire tutors." "Did you know that?" "Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig... they all had tutors with them in the dugout." "Lou Gehrig... had a tutor?" "Oh, yes, ma'am." "Yeah." "Didn't he also have a terrible disease?" "He did, but he didn't get it from the tutor." "I think he got that in college." "Soyou can see Tommy's dilemma." "Do I take God's gift and go play for the greatest baseball team that ever lived, or do I stay in a small school and hope I don't trip?" "Is this what you were thinking, Tommy?" "That's exactly...right." "I can have a tutor, Mom, right in the dugout." "Please, Mom, let me play." "Please?" "Please?" "Please?" "Andin his maajorleague debut, Tommy Lacy," "What a great afternoon for Yankee baseball," "I'm Bobby Mercer, along withJohn Sturly, the radio voice ofthe Yankees," "John has seen Tommy Lacy pitch," "I sure have, a year ago," "We gave up Reynolds for Lacy?" "Sure hope it's the right thing to do." "Wait till you see him pitch." "You'd give up two Reynolds to get him." "By the way, how come he's not with the team?" "I wouldn't worry about it." "[Vomiting]" "[Toilet Flushes]" "You feeling better, Tommy?" "No." "Come on, son." "You got to take the mound." "It's gametime." "No, I can't." "Tell them I can't." "What doyou mean you can't?" "There's 30,000 people sitting out there justwaiting to seeyou pitch." "Tell them I can't." "I can't do it." "I ain't telling them nothing." "You tell them." "Aagg." "What?" "Get him out ofthere." "Well, crawl underneath." "I don't care whatyou do." "Just get him out ofthere." "Al." "Al!" "Your kid's locked himself in the crapper." "What?" "Lacy's locked in the crapper." "He won't come out." "Here we go, The Yankees take the field," "Kid, you're supposed to be on the field!" "Listen, I made a mistake, O.K.?" "O.K. I need the Lord." "What's going on?" "I want the Lord." "He don't want to play, Al." "Let me talk to him." "Tommy, Al Percolo." "How areya?" "Mr. Percolo, I made a mistake." "I got to go home." "You can't go home, Tommy." "People are waiting." "Everyone wants to seeyou pitch." "Come on." "I can't pitch for a crowd this size." "I can't do it." "You've pitched in front offull stadiums at home." "What's the difference?" "It wasn't Yankee Stadium." "It's--I don't want to be here." "I'll give the money back." "I don't want it back, you son ofa bitch." "Sorry, Tommy." "I'm on the line here." "I gave up a draft choice to getyou." "Just composeyourself, get out there, and play a good game." "No, I can't do it." "I want the Lord." "I need the Lord." "Shh, shh, shh." "Let me tell you something." "Listen." "The Lord wants you to play baseball." "Yes, he does." "He wants me to finish school." "No, he doesn't." "God's not interested in people finishing school." "He doesn't care about the graduation ceremonies." "That's why they're in the afternoon." "They'd be at night ifit was important." "So, go out there and play ball." "This is what God wants you to do." "I don't know much, but I know this." "God wants you to pitch." "I think I made a mistake." "God says people can make mistakes." "God never said people make mistakes." "Where did you hear that shit?" "God said nothing like that." "He said honor thy father, thy mother, and thyYankee contract." "I'm coming under." "There's some delay." "Apparently, Tommy Lacy is still in the locker room." "I know what he's doing." "He's looking at himself in the mirror in that Yankee uniform and can't get over it." "It's a stunning sight, first timeyou put that on." "Something seems to happen." "Come on." "No, no!" "Please!" "Now, listen to me." "Useyour change-up sparingly, understand?" "You're going to be fine." "No!" "Aah!" "[Organ Plays Charge]" "[Mexican Hat Dance Plays]" "What's the trouble?" "No trouble." "He's out there, isn't he?" "Lacy's first warmup pitch was verywild, way overJackson's head." "[Woman] Get it over the plate, dummy!" "Another wildpitch," "Lacy cannot find his control." "What is this?" "Is this a joke, these warmups?" "They're warmups." "That's what they're for." "To see how far away he can throw it from the men?" "You're getting closer." "Looking for a pitching coach?" "Lacy has stopped his warmups." "Now he's looking as ifto" "Oh, my goodness!" "Uh-oh." "That's a little embarrassing." "Tommy must've eaten some bad food before coming out because he has regurgitated all over the mound." "And here comes the cleaning crew." "Well, we've just seen a baseball first." "Tommy Lacy taking himself out ofthe game." "Listen, it happens to fighters, it happens to runners." "You eat that bad turkey, this is what happens toyou." "No, no, no." "Don't stop him." "Just let him go." "I don't care." "Just let him go." "Just a case ofbutterflies." "I've seen it a thousand times." "He's gonna be fine." "Right now, he's running down the road with his clothes over his back." "You wanna run after him and tell him he's gonna be fine?" "He's running where?" "I don't know, Al." "Somewhere towards the turnpike." "I want to seeyou in my office in five minutes." "Tommy Lacy's very expensive, verybriefbig league debut," "Vapadelapa, Nochitos, Escondrio..." "Playa Del Muerte." "Huegos..." "I never heard of any of these places." "They're a little off the beaten track, Al." "You're the first scout we've ever sent this deep into Mexico." "But is there baseball there?" "Oh, I'm sure there is." "Maybe not in the form we know it, but I'm gonna expect a daily report from each ofthese towns." "Come on." "You know I'm not gonna find anybody there." "It's a waste oftime." "Is this a grudge trip?" "Yes, it is, Al." "Well, why don'tyou just fire me?" "I thought ofthat." "I like this better." "Ifyou're trying to banish me, at least pick a place where somebody plays baseball." "What about Alaska or Canada?" "Ifl had my choice, it'd be a leper colony." "I think it's illegal." "This will have to do." "Adios." "Hasta la vista," "You be safe, Al." "Beep beep" "Ahh" "Beep beep" "Ahh" "Beep beep" "~ Ahh, beep beep ~" "~ Ahh ~" "~ Beep beep ~" "~ Ahh, beep beep ~" "~ Ahh ~" "~ Beep beep ~" "~ Ahh, beep beep ~" "Vapadelapa." "Vapadelapa." "Right here." "~ Bang bang ~" "~ Money, money ~" "~ Cornbread ~" "~ Margarine ~" "~ Cornbread ~" "~ Gootchie, gootchie, gootchie ~~" "No, no." "No, no, no, no, no." "It's a foot?" "Is that a foot?" "Huh?" "No, no." "Where I come from that's a felony." "No, thankyou." "[Speaking Spanish]" "Where are the umpires?" "Any umpires out there?" "You just want to share that, don'tyou?" "You finish it." "I'll use the napkin." "Senor Ramirez, telefono, Senor Ramirez," "Where's the pitcher going?" "Telephone call." "Telephone call?" "How do you like that?" "No, no, no, no." "No." "Safe!" "It's pouring." "They're not gonna stop?" "Too much rain-o." "You know, the rain's pouring...down." "They should stop." "No stop." "Stop-po rain." "Uh, alto," "Alto 'cause ofthe rain." "No, senor, theywait for the rain." "Better slide." "[Coughing]" "[Horn Honks]" "Whoa!" "[Beep]" "No!" "Whoaa!" "What is this, a kennel?" "How areya?" "My God, this is really a dump." "Here." "[Electronic Translator] Quiero un habitacion con bano?" "I speak enough where we don't have to do that." "You're kidding?" "You know, I didn't mean dump in the traditional sense." "Name?" "Percolo." "I have a reservation." "P-E-R-C-O-L-O." "Si, Percolo." "You got a credit card?" "Oh, yeah." "What brings you here?" "Areyou visiting?" "No, no, no." "I'm here to see a baseball game." "I'm a scout." "Oh, you must be here to see Steve Nebraska." "Who?" "Steve Nebraska." "That's not whyyou're here?" "I don't know who that is." "You don't know who that is?" "That's the greatest ballplayer that ever lived." "That's who he is." "And this is the Four Seasons." "You're in for a treat." "Really?" "Well, I hope so." "You got a porter that could help me with the bags?" "No." "You want the job?" "Ron, I can barely hearyou." "I don't even know ifyou can hear me." "As usual, I have nothing new to report." "Uh, hold on, Al." "I want more details than that." "More details?" "All right." "Yesterday I saw a game played by five men, two women, a child, and a goat at third base." "Really?" "Was the goat any good?" "Very funny, Ron." "I got to go." "I got a game to see." "Enjoy the game." "Uh, my regards to the goat." "[Band Plays]" "[Gong Sounds]" "[Band Plays The Star-Spangled Banner]" "[Band Forgets Music]" "Play ball!" "[Band Plays Charge]" " Nebraska!" " Nebraska!" "Strike!" "Strike!" "Strike 3!" "This is unreal!" "Jesus!" "Strike 3!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Don't tell me he can hit, too." "I found him." "I found him!" "I found him!" "I found Kong!" "I found Kong!" "Oh, my God Almighty!" "[Singing In Spanish]" "Theyjust don't leaveyou alone around here." "They loveyou." "Mmm, I love this salad." "Doyou like it?" "Yeah." "Want one?" "No." "I ate at the game." "Rat dog, huh?" "What?" "[Laughing]" "That's a joke, right?" "I'm just kidding." "They got good stuff there." "I'm sorry." "I can't believe it." "You're from the Yankees?" "That is so cool." "Well, they're certainly a legendary team." "Yeah." "Yeah." "I couldn't imagine playing for the Yankees." "I mean, that's just too much." "The Yankees would be lucky to haveyou." "Areyou kidding?" "I don't know." "I don't think the competition down here's so great." "Maybe I'm just playing good because I'm not playing against anybody." "You don't have any competition." "I have never seen anybody pitch like that in mywhole life." "You ever had it clocked?" "Gotta be over 1 00 miles an hour." "Think so?" "And where did you learn to hit like that?" "I just get the bat off my shoulder and..." "God, I am so lucky no other scouts have ever seen you play." "A while ago, this guy from Chicago came down, but he got sick... and he died." "Really?" "Mm-hmm." "Thankyou, Lord!" "[Speaking Spanish]" "You again." ""Steve Ne-bra-ska."" "Gracias," "De nada," "You're like a god around here." "I guess they like me." "I'd say that." "Want to know a secret?" "Yeah, sure." "I have never paid for a taco here once...ever." "That's a secret?" "It's safe with me." "So how did you wind up in Mexico?" "You got family down here?" "No." "Where are they?" "Who?" "Your family." "Where are they?" "Oh, them." "They're, um... they're, um..." "they're in the..." "I don't really know where they are." "They're just kind of, um..." "Steve." "Hmm?" "Steve." "Steve." "Steve." "Steve." "Steve." "Thpppt!" "[Laughing]" "So you're all alone here?" "Well, you're here now." "Well, yes, I am." "And thank God for that." "So, what do you think, Nebraska?" "Want to be a New YorkYankee?" "Would I make some money?" "Would you make some money?" "You'll be one ofthe richest men in the world." "You're King Kong." "You've got it all." "New York's gonna go crazy foryou." "I've never been to New York." "I don't know anybody there." "Where would I live?" "You live anywhere you choose." "You can staywith me ifyou want to." "No problem, Steve." "O.K. Let's do it." "That's it!" "Uh-huh." "Hey, hey!" "Oh, man!" "This is the greatest!" "All right." "I'll go to the hotel, make a call, get the ball rolling tonight." "A few quick questions, standard stuff." "O.K." "You don't throw up... or run away or anything?" "Como?" "Huh?" "What?" "What doyou mean?" "I mean, you don't get extra nervous..." "Steve, Yankee Stadium is different from whatyou've ever played in." "It's a lot of people." "It's not like here." "Now, that doesn't botheryou?" "No." "People, that's O.K." "I can play in front of a million people." "I don't see the people, just the plate, the glove, the throw." "You are beautiful!" "And that's it." "No problems, right?" "Nothing else bothers you?" "Yeah, one thing bothers me." "All these questions you're asking." "I don't like questions." "I don't like to answer questions." "Steve, no more questions, just statements." "We're going to New York!" "It's gonna be great!" "Ron, I'm on a different phone." "Don'tyell." "It has nothing to do with the phone." "I likeyelling." "I have found the most astounding ballplayer that ever lived." "I've never seen anything like it." "He can hit, pitch." "It's extraordinary." "I stake my reputation on it." "Your reputation?" "Now that's a laugh." "Whatever." "Wait'll you see him." "You'll changeyour mind." "You're not bringing anybody backwith you." "Oh, yes, I am." "You can't stop me." "Oh, yeah?" "Watch this." "You're fired." "You're firing me?" "Yeah." "So I am no longer affiliated with the Yankees?" "You got that one right." "Then he's a free agent." "I can do whatever I want with him." "Marry him ifyou want to." "This is an important moment of my life." "We need someone to document it." "A Mexican attorneyjust happened to come in." "Would you come here, sir?" "I'm talking to the Yankee general manager." "He has just fired me, which means he has no rights to Steve Nebraska." "Steve Nebraska can go to the highest bidder." "Doyou understand?" "Si," "There." "Documented by an attorney, you fat bastard!" "Sir, your party has hung up." "Huh?" "Where'd he go?" "I don't know, sir." "Did he hear the fat bastard part?" "[Singing Take Me Out To The Ball Game In Spanish]" "Adios," "Bye." "Bye!" "Ha ha!" "Goodbye." "Goodbye!" "~ Do you know the way to San Jose?" "~" "~ I've been away so long ~" "~ I may go wrong and lose my way ~" "~ Do you know the way... ~~" "You're singing a little too loud." "I'm singing too loudly?" "And talking too loudly." "And talking too loudly?" "Could you turn that thing down?" "[Shouting] Knowwhythat happens?" "It's becauseyou got the earphones in your ears, and then you can't hearyourselfspeak." "~ In a week or 2 they makeyou a star ~~" "[Humming]" "Whatwas that?" "I think it's her phone number." "You didn't even look." "How doyou know?" "I'm pretty sure it's her phone number." "Just out of curiosity," "let's look at it." "I'm curious." "[Humming]" "~ Away from home ~~" "That must happen toyou a lot, huh?" "I have a whole box ofthem." "Celina." "Gloria." "~ Ba-ba-ba-ba ~~" "That's terrific news, Cliff." "And who's Peter O'Malley sending?" "Al?" "Al?" "Al!" "I got to go." "I'll call you tonight." "Steve!" "Al!" "Steve." "Have I got great news foryou." "Don't do that again." "I thoughtyou'd left." "Leaveyou?" "I wouldn't count on it." "Listen, things are heating up." "Representatives from every major league team are coming here tomorrow to watch us play." "But I thought I was going to be a Yankee." "You still could be a Yankee." "You could be a Yankee, a Brave, whoever likes us the best." "You're still going to get to pitch at Yankee Stadium." "I got the place for two hours." "I don't have a lot of strings, but I pulled them all." "~ I love New York~" "~The buildings areverytall ~" "~ I love NewYork~" "~The people probably look real small from up there ~" "~ I love NewYork~" "~ I love NewYork~" "~ Lookat all the lights and all the people ~" "~ And there's a man wearing a dress in NewYork~" "~We love NewYork~" "~ It's my new home ~" "~ I love NewYork~~" "Right here." "Here." "Here." "Takewhatever...." "Hey, good luck." "Thanks." "Listen, I got a beautiful sister." "Here's her number." "Give her a call." "Thanks." "Come on, Al." "Lookwho's back." "Ah, Mr. Percolo, welcome back." "Hi, Danny." "Howyou doing?" "Danny, Steve Nebraska, maybe the greatest ballplayer that ever lived." "Steve's staying with me for a while, so be nice." "That's wonderful." "You're a ballplayer, huh?" "Who doyou play for?" "We don't knowyet, but whoever it is," "Al says we're gonna be rich." "Ha ha." "Come on." "Rich!" "Come on." "It's not a good idea to sayyou're gonna be rich." "It always works out badly." "Well..." "let's go back down there and tell him that we're not gonna be rich." "It's too late now." "People always believe the first thing they hear." "[Saxophonist Practices Scales]" "Home sweet home." "Wow." "Would you look at this place?" "It's huge." "It's got a view and everything." "It's of another building, but I guess it's a view." "Nobody broke in." "I feel rich already." "Take the bedroom." "I'll sleep out here." "I'm all right here." "I don't wantyou screwing upyour back." "Take the bedroom." "O.K." "Look at the size ofthis bed!" "Don't jump on that!" "That's not gonna hold!" "I'm sorry." "Where's that box of phone numbers" "I had on the airplane?" "I can't believe that people are gonna be getting laid in this apartment, and I'm not one ofthem." "[Snoring]" "Go away." "[Mumbling]" "Put it down." "I hateyou!" "I can't stop!" "Aah!" "Good morning." "I want to thankyou all for coming here on such short notice." "But, boy, have we got a beautiful day for this." "Jesus Christ, he's going to make speeches now." "Now in my opinion, you're about to see the best ballplayer" "I've ever seen, butyou be the judge." "No more talk." "Time to see him." "Ladies and gentlemen..." "Steve Nebraska, right here." "Come out now!" "Where is he?" "Where is he, Al?" "There we go, Steve Nebraska!" "Come on out." "Check the turnpike, Al." " Ha ha ha!" " Ha ha ha!" "I'm sure." "Where is he?" "Steve!" "There he is." "Just getting his shoes on." "Steve Nebraska!" "Take a few warmups, and let me know when you're ready." "I don't need to warm up." "Areyou sure?" "He's all warmed up." "I guess that's what he was doing." "O.K., now, a pitcher ofSteve's quality has got to have somebody to pitch to." "Can you believe who's going to help us out here?" "One ofthe greats" "Keith Hernandez!" "Keith!" "Thanks a lot for coming." "Right up there." "O.K., here we go!" "Where's my money?" "I don't have it on me." "I don't do this unless I'm paid up-front." "I'll giveyou the money, O.K.?" "O.K." "Steve, fire when ready." "Excuse me..." "I, um, I don't know what those signals mean." "Then why areyou shaking your head no?" "Uh, I don't know." "You're supposed to shake no, right?" "Hey,just throw whatyou want to throw." "O.K., all right." "Ooh!" "Holy mackerel!" "I've never seen anything like this." "How much doyou want to go on this kid?" "Whatever it takes." "You got it." "Man, did you see that?" "Strike 3." "He's out." "Keith, step out a minute, will you, please?" "Larry, did you clock him?" "It's broken." "It says 6 then 7 then 9." "It had to be faster than that." "That's 1 09." "Oh, no, it can't be." "This thing doesn't go over 1 00." "See the asterisk?" "That means you've reached 1 00, then you've got your number--1 09." "God damn." "Ifall Steve did was pitch, that would be pretty good, but he likes to hit, too." "I wanted to give him the best competition, so to help us out..." "Bret Saberhagen." "Bret, thanks a lot." "I appreciate it." "I haven't been paid yet." "What is it with you guys?" "It's in the mail." "Keith said I'm supposed to get paid first." "He's just a mistrustful fellow." "That was the agreement." "$9 million, he needs my money." "Whoa!" "O.K. Ifl switch?" "Do whatever you want." "Well, thereyou have it." "Where'd this guy come from?" "The bidding's going to go differently than you're used to." "All sealed bids will be delivered to me within one hour." "How comeyou're accepting the bids?" "Who authorized you?" "Steve did." "Rememberwhen you let me go?" "He hired me." "Yeah, that's fair." "Yankee letterhead." "Look at Steinbrenner." "Pokerfaced." "Ladies and gentlemen... thankyou forwaiting." "We're ready to announce now the winning bid." "We want to thank you all very much." "Uh..." "I've never done this before." "I'm a scout, not a speaker." "I'm a little nervous at this." "I want to thank all ofthe clubs." "All ofthe bids were very, very respectable, but like a baseball game, somebody has to win, and somebody did." "With a bid of $55 million overthe next fouryears," "Steve Nebraska is very proud to be a New YorkYankee!" "Thankyou for coming, and we'll seeyou on the field." "$55 million after one tryout?" "How can you justify that?" "I have to go with my gut instinct." "Afterwhat I saw today, he's worth every penny ofit." "So he's pitching right away?" "He's pitching as soon as we get him in uniform." "That's not the way the deal was structured." "It isn't?" "Uh, Mr. Wilson may not be informed, but the teams were in agreement that no matterwho got Steve, because we're far into this season," "Steve doesn't want to take any blame or credit, so he would get a fresh start next year as a Yankee." "Well, just a minute." "What areyou saying?" "We can't play him this year?" "Stop taking my picture." "You got 32 already." "Mr. Wilson is asking what would happen ifthe NewYorkYankees would get into theWorld Series?" " Ha ha ha!" " Ha ha ha!" "Why are they laughing, Al?" "I'm going to make a deal right now." "IftheYankees get in theWorld Series," "Steve Nebraska pitches the first game." "All right?" "Does that mean I pitch the first game?" "It can never happen." "Don't worry." "How manyyears did you play in Mexico?" "Steve, where doyou live?" "Um, I don't know." "Al, Al, Al, Al!" "Al, Al, Al, Al!" "All right, all right." "Folks, it's been a very long morning." "He's tired." "Just give him a break." "No more pictures." "Put him down!" "Put him down!" "Now, gentlemen" "All right." "I just want to reiterate on behalf ofGeorge Steinbrenner..." "O.K., it's official." "[Applause]" "Congratulations, Steve." "Al, I want to talk toyou for a minute." "Be right back, kiddo." "Al, we're going to need a little something from you." "Your lawyer didn't tell you about the letter?" "What areyou talking about?" "What letter?" "Before we pay him, we'll need a letter from a psychiatrist saying that he's all right." "You already paid him the money." "He just signed the contract." "That was ceremonial." "Your lawyer knows this." "This is the most amount of money anybody has every been paid." "Mr. Steinbrenner wants assurances that Steve won't flake out likeyour other picks." "I find this insulting." "This is ridiculous." "Did you see him pick up that photographer?" "So what?" "I told him to." "Then I told him to put him down, which he did." "I find this very insulting." "I'll have the letter tomorrow." "We can setyou up with a doctor ifyou like." "My sisterwas in the field." "As long as they're qualified." "Well, of course they'll be qualified." "I'm not an idiot." "" Physicians... physicians... plastic surgery... anesthetic... dietary... psychiatry... affiliated..." "Dr. H. Aaron!"" "Oh, boy!" "Hammering Hank, yes, indeed." "Hey, Steve." "Save a little ofthat appetite for lunch." "Hello?" "Dr. H. Aaron, please." "This is she." "You're kidding." "I'd like to come seeyou right now." "Is that a possibility?" "Who am I speaking to?" "I'm Al Percolo, and I'm with the NewYorkYankees." "Would you like an appointment?" "I'd like one now." "Ifyou're still at that address in theYellow Pages," "I could scoot over now." "Is this an emergency?" "Well... yes, yes." "Yes, it is." "I'll seeyou in 45 minutes." "O.K., we'll waste a little..." "Well, we'll see you in 45 minutes." "Fantastic." "I did it." "1 0 minutes with this broad, we got the letter." "You know, last night you were really having quite a little nightmare." "No, I wasn't." "You weren't?" "Maybe it was me." "Yep." "Cranham Center." "This is it." "What's she going to do, Al?" "It's like a physical, only mental." "[Sniffling]" "Was that the doctor?" "Gee, I hope not." "Good morning." "I'm Dr. Aaron." "Mr. Percolo?" "I'm Mr. Percolo." "Uh, could I talk toyou for a minute?" "Of course." "I'll be right back." "[Sniffs]" "I appreciateyou seeing us on such short notice." "Before we start, may I askyou a question?" "Sure." "You licensed?" "Am I licensed?" "Yes, I am licensed." "Would it be rude to... to see a diploma?" "Anything you can show me?" "No one's asked to see my diploma since I began the practice." "No." "Yes." "It's on the wall." "Those?" "Mm-hmm." "I'll take a quick look." "Harvard?" "Whoa, whoa!" "Great." "That's the real one?" "Yes, that's the real one." "Well, this is very impressive." "Anything with a picture on it?" "Is this a joke?" "Is this a joke?" "I just want to make sure it's you." "It's got to beyou." "You can't put up a diploma ifit's notyours." "That's a felony, isn't it?" "Why don'tyou tell me what's going on?" "The kid sitting out there, Steve Nebraska, is probably the best baseball player that ever lived." "He has just signed a deal with the New YorkYankees that's gonna make him almost $60 million." "When you pay that kind of money, you want to be assured that everything's gonna be O.K." "Theyjust need a couple ofsentences on a letterhead that they believe that says he's not gonna shoot anybody or run away or throw up on the mound." "Tell me again what this letter should say?" "Address it to George Steinbrenner." "You just want to say... whoyou are in a sentence or two." "Say thatyou went to Harvard... is the right thing to say." "And then say Steve's not nuts, not gonna run away." "Good deal there." "Congratulations." "Then you'll sign your name." "Ifyou want to include a xerox ofthe diploma, that would be helpful." "And you could put, " P.S. Sorry about Billy Martin."" "Billy Martin?" "Just a guy he kept firing till he finally died." "Why don't I talk to Steve, and then we can talk after that?" "You don't want to do the letter first?" "I don't think so." "These smell so good." "Yes, it's nice." "What areyou doing?" "What areyou doing?" "It's a physical." "What physical?" "Al said that" "I told him itwas like a physical." "Putyour pants on." "We're done." "Maybe itwould be better, Mr. Percolo, ifl spoke to Steve alone." "All right." "Um..." "I'll be right out here." "I would prefer ifAl stayed here in the room with me." "Well, I'd really rather talk toyou alone." "I know, but I would feel much more comfortable." "It's his first time, and he's just a little nervous, so I'll sit here." "You won't even know I'm in the room." "I'll disappear." "All right." "All right." "Please sit down, Steve." "Ahem." "So, Steve, where areyou from?" "I found him in Mexico." "I was asking Steve." "I answered?" "Yeah." "Soyou're from Mexico?" "Uh, no, I'm not from Mexico." "I was just down there for a couple ofyears." "And why Mexico?" "Because it's, um... where I went." "Mm-hmm." "You don't rememberwhat broughtyou down there?" "Uh-uh." "Well... uh, not, not..." "Baseball broughtyou down there, didn't it?" "Baseball brought me down there." "You really like baseball, hmm?" "Yes, ma'am, it's myfavorite thing in thewholeworld." "When did you start playing?" "Steve, is there something wrong?" "I just, uh..." "I don't like all these questions." "Doyou sometimes feel that there are things thatyou try to remember and can't?" "Yeah." "No." "I guess so." "I don't know." "You know what I'd like to try?" "I'd like to showyou some pictures." "I wantyou to give me your immediate response." "Just look at the picture, and without even thinking, just tell me what it means toyou." "It's kind oflike a word-association game." "Just look at the picture and tell mewhatever comes toyour mind." "O.K." "Who's that?" "These aren't actual people." "Now what does this look like toyou?" "That guy's faking it." "You can tell 'cause the doctors don't look concerned at all." "He's just pretending to be in a coma." "He knows ifhe opens his eyes, he's going to see his bill." "He stays in a coma so he doesn't have to pay his bill." "What a great idea." "Mr. Percolo, ifyou keep speaking," "I'm going to have to askyou to step outside." "Sorry." "You know, the medical costs being what they are" "The next picture, Steve." "These guys are in trouble." "They look like they're in trouble?" "Not yet, but when that driver gets angry, and he's going to, they're all going to start screaming and crying." "It's just" "It's going to be a mess." "This one?" "She sneezed." "Anything else?" "Um... she sneezed by the door." "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm." "That's Batman." "Batman?" "Batman." "Sometimes he goes without his cape." "O.K." "And this is the last one." "[Coughs] Fishing." "Fishing-- two guys fishing." "Very good." "Anything else?" "[Sighs]" "O.K., let's see." "They're...two guys fishing for trout." "Very good." "Yeah?" "Yeah?" "Very good." "You did verywell." "I did?" "Yes, absolutely." "Hey." "Ha ha ha." "Ifyou could step outside while I talk to Mr. Percolo, then we'll be through." "O.K. All right, I'll..." "[Door Opens And Closes]" "He's got some imagination, doesn't he?" "Boy, that coma story." "I neverwould have thought that was Batman." "He's something." "I'm not going to talk in complicated medical terms because it wouldn't do much good anyway." "Appreciate that." "He's disconnected in some way." "It's very interesting, but his response to this picture, the father and the son, he didn't recognize as father and son." "Almost 98% ofthe people shown that picture immediately make that association." "Hmm." "Let me see it for a second, may I?" "I don't think that's father and son necessarily." "Doesn't that guy look like a fishing teacher toyou?" "Whatever." "Um, in any case, his responses to the other pictures, theywere pretty much showing confused emotions." "It's obvious Steve's not in touch with a part ofhimself." "That's one reason why he's such a good ballplayer." "He's thinking of nothing but hitting the ball." "And pitching the ball." "You should see." "Strike after strike, like a machine." "It's just-- It's great." "Well, O.K., interesting stuff." "Now, do I wait for the letter or doyou want to fax this over?" "Well, Mr. Percolo, I feel I can't give him a letter that says he should play, because I don't think he should." "You got to give him the letter." "We--We need the letter." "Let me try and explain something toyou." "Um, ahem, let's just suppose that Steve has blocked something, and then let's imagine he suddenly remembers it." "Ifhe should do that, he could becomeveryviolent, to himself and to other people." "He should be in therapy." "He shouldn't be playing athletics." "He's not playing athletics." "In grammar school, you play athletics." "He's playing professional baseball." "Besides, violence is a plus." "You ever see those fellas?" "They're huge." "The best ballplayers never had any memory." "RememberWhitey Ford, great pitcher?" "Know why they called him Whitey?" "He couldn't remember his real name." "No memory." "I could go on" "I really can't do it." "I'm sorry." "Ma'am, listen, I'm not saying you're wrong, O.K.?" "Maybe he's got some problems." "But what areyou doing?" "He's one ofthe greatest ballplayers I've ever seen, and I've seen them all." "I'll workwith you." "I'll bring him seven days a week." "I'll bring him twice a day ifyou need it." "But don't deny him something that he loves." "Without baseball, then--then he's got nothing." "And then he'll be, well, he'll be the guy you say he is." "He'll just be poor, too." "You would bring him every day?" "Every single day." "That'll be an important part ofhis life, his working with you." "The letter's just insurance." "I don't think he'll play this year anyway." "Theywon't get in the series." "Really, he's yours till April." "He'll have lots oftherapy before getting on a field." "We just want him on the roster." "That's whywe need the letter." "You got to do it." "Please." "Ifyou promiseyou'll bring him every day," "I'll write a letter saying he can play." "You give me a letter, I'll give one back." "You say he can play, I'll say he'll be here." "I don't need a letter." "This worked out great." "When I sawyour name in the Yellow Pages," "I said, "This woman's special."" "I'll call in the morning, we'll set up the schedule." "I'll come by early forthe letter." "That's fantastic." "Oh, wait a second." "Wait a second." "I think you should know it's likely Steve will look toyou as a father figure." "You know what?" "It's already started to happen." "I'm trying to fill those shoes." "I'll do my best." "I understand, but this a father" "Steve might want to put a bullet through." "How's he feel about his uncles?" " You know that by looking at those pictures?" " No." "All right, thanks for the warning." "Uncle Al's got good news foryou." "Ha." "You did great." "You think so?" "She loves you, wants to seeyou every day." "I don't know ifl want to see her every day." "It's a good place to let outyour problems." "I don't know her." "She's a doctor." "Once you pay her, you know her." "~You gotta have ~" "~ Heart ~" "~ All you really need is heart ~" "~ Ifyou don't have heart ~" "~Then you don't get dinner ~" "~You gotta have heart ~" "~ Ba da da dee ~~" "That's a great movie." "It's about baseball." "Damn Yankees," "Damn Yankees," "Al!" "Talk to us!" "Stop ducking us!" "Hey, would you go away, please?" "We're trying to eat dinner." "Where's Steve?" "He's with me." "Now, good night." "People want to know things." "How about a press conference?" "We're not doing a press conference like Romeo andJuliet," "We'll do it at another time." "What are you doing?" "Throwing plates." "You can't do that." "M-M-M-Move!" "Aah!" "M-M-M-Move!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "You can't do that!" "Are you nuts?" "I didn't mean that." "Don't throw plates." "Please!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "I've got a crazy landlady." "She's here throwing things." "She'll kill ya!" "More plates!" "Oh, no, we're going to get sued." "They're gone." "You got a knife anywhere?" "A what?" " I need a sharp knife." " Why?" "To cut things with." "Oh." "Cut what up?" "I like to cut my food with a knife." "We're having spaghetti." "You don't need a knife." "I don't have one in the house." "I'm all out-- I got some there." "That's the woman's upstairs." "It's not right for us to use them." "She's got emphysema." "So it's a bad idea." "Al, give me a knife." "What happened there?" "I don't have a knife." "I can't find one." "Oh, you know what?" "Use that." "That'll do foryou." "This is a butter knife." "Yeah." "A nice one, too." "An ivory handle." "Well, I'm not having butter." "You can changeyour mind." "You want butter, you got the right knife." "Go back and sing." "Great." "Good." "I got to tellyou, I don't understandit," "I can't see a damn thing." "Don't use the binoculars in the house." "You'll hurtyour eyes." "For the amount ofpeople who've seen Steve Nebraska play, they're talking about you." "$55 million dollars," "What about the rumor he's under a doctor's care?" "Turn that down." "How'd they find that out?" ",IfSteve Nebraska turned out to beJimmy Piersall?" "Who's J immy Piersall?" "Don't worry, you're not him." "What did theysay?" "Hands down, the fastest pitcher they've ever seen, and the best hitter," "Mmm, what are you doing?" "They're talking about me." "We're going to have to do a press conference." "Al, why?" "Come on, you said I wouldn't have to pitch." "Well, you're going to pitch eventually, aren'tyou?" "Ifwe don't talk to the press, they'll keep coming." "They'll make everything up, like the doctor." "But all that's true." "That's true." "But it'll just get worse and worse." "Next thing you'll know, you'll be a defector." "They'll haveyou killing somebody." "That would be cool." "What does that mean?" "What does what mean?" "Well, that it's not cool to, uh..." "No, you don't mean that." "With the money they're paying you, you can't throw a ball and go home to sleep." "You got to talk to the press." "Maybe it's not worth it." "Not worth it?" "It works out to a million dollars a question." "There's going to be a million questions, and I don't know all the answers." "I don't want to look foolish." "I'll never let that happen." "We'll go over stuff, just like the president." "He wakes up a fool." "They help him." "We'll go over stuff." "We'll fill in the blanks." "We'll giveyou a life you can be proud of." " Shh!" " Shh!" "Uh, ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorryforthe delay." "You all set?" "Hmm?" "Yeah." "Uh, in yourversion, did I go to college?" "Yes." "We decided that." "Avery good one." "Listen to me." "Ifthey bring up the therapy at all, tell them that, uh, tell them it's notyou, it's me." "Ifthey bring up the therapy, tell them thatyou're taking me to the doctor." "What's wrong with you?" "Nothing." "What doyou mean?" "I was just giving you an answer." "Ifthey bring up the therapy, it's notyou." "I'm going." "I'll need another note card." "Just forget it." "Forget it." "...this press conference will lay that to rest." "Now, uh--Oh, O.K.," "I want to giveyou all a crack at the new pride of the Yankees--Steve Nebraska." "Are you in therapy?" "Whyyou in therapy, Steve?" "Ohh!" "Time out!" "Let's all ask questions one at a time." "Then we'll move this along, and I can answer your questions." "Areyou currently in therapy?" "Uh, nope." "You've been seen coming in and out ofa doctor's office." "That's because I'm taking my friend to that office." "Who, Steve?" "Al Percolo." "Your manager?" "Yeah, that's right." "What's wrong with him?" "Uh...nothing." "I'm not a doctor." "Ha ha ha ha." "Where wereyou born?" "I was born in the Mideast." "In the Mideast?" "Midwest." "West--Midwest!" "Ha." "I spent time in the Mideast." "How much time?" "I spent... sixyears in the Mideast," "Wait, hang on minute." "Areyourparents American?" "So far as I know," "How'dyou get to the Mideast?" "On an airplane," "I 'll call you back." "That's Steve Nebraska foryou," "Very odd past, Spent time in the Middle East, hiked around Switzerland foryears, father went to Harvard," "It goes on and on," "I got to tel I you somethi ng." "You did great." "You know how hard it is to make guys laugh at a press conference?" "What if they find out some of that stuff I said isn't true?" "How will they find out?" "They're reporters." "The Yankees keep going like they're going, we'll see this kidsoon," "The Yankees could be in the World Series," "Oh, please." "All New Yorkers are crossing their fingers," "We hope Steve Nebraska's the Yankees'gain and Cairo's loss," "And I 'm hungry, too." "How could you be hungry?" "You ate 3 0 minutes ago." "Well, let's eat again." "No, let's not eat again." "I got two words of advice foryou" "Fernando Valenzuela." "He started out a pitcher, wound up a truck." "Hello?" "Mr. Percolo, it's, uh, Dr. Aaron." "I just saw Steve on television." "Fantastic, wasn't he?" "I need to seeyou in my office right away." "Meet me there in half an hour." "No, that'll be tough." "We're going out." "Steinbrenner's gal got us tickets forTony Bennett." "Could this wait?" "It's important." "No, it can't wait." "One halfhour, please." "All right, we'll be there." "I just need to seeyou." "Why's that?" "Hello?" "Dr. Aaron!" "Hi." "Mr. Percolo, I can't be connected with this anymore." "That's all." "What brought this on?" "Middle East?" "America's Cup?" "A Rhodes Scholar?" "Where's all that from?" "He was worried he'd forget stuff." "We went over a few things." "This man is trying to reconnect his life." "Don't make up stuff." "I was just trying to help." "I thinkyou two should find another doctor." "I'm sorry, I cannot helpyou." "You're the only doctor" "Oh, please." "Don't take the letter back." "All right!" "I don't want you around him anymore." "Let him come to therapy by himself." "Oh, new rules." "You were the one who said, "Staywith him 24 hours a day, he might be dangerous."" "I changed my mind." "You might be dangerous." "I'll accept that." "Butyou won't take the letter back, right?" "Oh, you know..." "I don't want to hear anything more about the letter." "Goodbye." "Good night." "And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Tony Bennett!" "~ I mean I want to be around ~" "~To see how he does it ~" "~When he breaks your heart ~" "~To bits ~" "~ Let's see ifthat puzzle fits ~" "~ So fine ~" "Wow." "~That's when I'll discover ~" "~That revenge is sweet ~" "~ As I sit there applauding' ~" "~ From a front row seat ~" "~When somebody breaks your heart ~" "~Just likeyou broke mine ~" "~ Oh ~" "~Yeah ~~" "Whoo!" "Whoo!" "Whoo whoo!" " Good seats, huh?" " Huh?" "You're beautiful." "Thankyou so much." "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special guest here tonight" "I'd love to introduce." "I'm a huge fan of the NewYorkYankees." "Yeah, I am, too." "How much has he had?" "A little." "They might even get into the World Series." "What doyou think?" "Al..." "Tony knows?" "And right over here, we have someone who may turn out to be greater than Babe Ruth." "One ofthe great ballplayers of all time" "Mr. Steve Nebraska!" "You." "Al!" "Stand up." "Come on!" "They loveyou." "Come on, Steve, stand up and take a bow." "Steve Nebraska!" "[Woman] Stand up!" "Stand up!" "Yeah, man!" "Hi." "Thankyou, Tony." "Hi." "Hi." "They loveyou." "That's Tony Bennett!" "Yes." "Sit down." "[Tony] Steve Nebraska." "Now..." "hit it, Ralph." "~ I left ~" "~ My heart ~" "Oh, God, no." "[Off Key] ~ In San Francisco ~" "Steve, that's his!" "Shh!" "That's his closer!" "~ High on a hill ~" "Oh, no." "It was your idea." "Steve!" "Come on, everybody!" " No, don't do it." " ~To be ~" "~Where little cable cars ~" "~ Climb halfway to the stars ~" "Come on!" "~Though morning fog ~" "~ May fill the air ~" "~ I don't care ~" "~ My love waits there ~" "[Giggling]" "~ In San Francisco... ~~" "Doyou speak English?" "Thank God." "You were great." "I'm not kidding." "You could sing professionally." "You think so?" "I wouldn't askTony Bennett for any help." "Hewasn't angry, Al." "Nah." "He loved having his entire act taken." "Good night,Jennifer." "Thank George forthe tickets." "Al." "Yeah?" "I'm going to stay with Jennifer for a littlewhile." "It's midnight, kid." "Thinkthat's a good idea?" "We're going out for something to eat." "Something to eat?" "You just had dinner." "Doyou want to gain a hundred pounds?" "We talked about this." "I'll put in my mouth what I want to." "Fine...butwe're getting up early in the morning to practice." "I thinkyou should get a good night's sleep." "It's O.K., Steve." "We can do something another time." "Just-- Just a minute." "I'll be right back." "Listen, you got to stop telling me what to do, O.K.?" "I'm gonna eat and sleep when I want to, and I'm gonna practice when I want to!" "'Cause I'm the Yankee!" "Notyou!" "You got that?" "Hi." "Sorry, the laundry room is in use now." "Here." "What is that?" "That's a chocolate baseball bat." "I got it foryou." "Did you drop it?" "I--I got a little hungry." "Well, I appreciate it." "I'll treasure it always." "I'm sorry I yelled atyou." "I've been going through a lot ofstuffwith the doctor, and it's bringing up a lot ofstuff, and I'm thinking about... um, the..." "I'm, uh, uh, ahem!" "I gotta work it out." "O.K." "I appreciate the gift." "Thankyou." "So did you have a good time?" "Yeah." "Did you go eat again?" "Just the bat." "Don't leave that in the sun." "O.K." "So, uh..." "what'd you guys do?" "Went back to her place." "Oh." "Did you, um..." "Well, sorry, that's none of my business." "Did I nail her?" "Well, now thatyou brought it up..." "did you?" "No, I didn't." "Ifyou're gonna do that..." "with anybody... you know to use protection, don'tyou?" "Oh, no." "Now am I going to get a lecture on this?" "I'm not lecturing." "I'm telling you." "It's a dangerous world out there." "This is New York, not Mexico." "I didn't do anything." "I'm just saying "if," that's all." "O.K. "If."" "[Bell Rings]" "Al." "Hmm?" "You should separate those." "You can't mix the white one and dark ones." "The dye from the dark ones gets in thewhite ones." "You're an expert on laundry?" "Well, actually, I know a lot about laundry." "I like doing laundry." "I find it very relaxing." "Go figure." "Go get some sleep." "We're going to practice at 8:30 a.m. Sharp." "Um..." "Al, did you lie to me?" "What areyou talking about?" "Well...you said that I wouldn't have to pitch this year." "I didn't saythat." "I said you wouldn't have to pitch iftheYankees didn't win the pennant." "It's a shoe-in." "Doorman said so." "The doorman?" "The doorman is a man with an animal's brain." "Just get some sleep, O.K.?" "I'm still not ready to pitch, Al." "Why doyou think we need to practice?" "Who's gonna catch me?" "Al Percolo." "You're gonna catch me?" "I'm too fast foryou." "I'll hurtyou." "Just restyour little head and let me worry about this." "I've taken your speed into consideration." "Come on, pitcher, pitcher, pitcher!" "Fire it in, pitcher, pitcher, pitcher!" "Al, I don't want to pitch right now." "O.K.?" "Come on." "I'm fine." "I don't need to practice." "It's me." "Let's go get some eggs." "No eggs!" "We're here to pitch." "Now, come on." "You felt like it earlier." "Well, I don't feel like it now!" "You know, I do have moods!" "It's too smoggy in here." "He's smellin' the fumes." "Charlie, shh!" "I broughtyou to watch." "O.K.Just tellin' you, it's fumy." "I don't want to do this right now." "Later." "I'm getting a headache." "It's the fumes." "Charlie, quiet, or I'll askyou to wait in the car." "Now, look." "I don't care whetheryou feel like it or not." "What ifyou're on the mound, and you don't feel like it?" "You going to run and get eggs?" "Now pitch." "Right now." "Please." "All right!" "I'll pitch." "Shit!" "All right, come on." "Look, will you put your glove up?" "Want me to knock your arm offat the elbow?" "No, no, no, no." "O.K., fire it in!" "Yeah, right." "[Car Alarm Goes Off]" "Boy, is he wild." "I don't want to do this anymore." "It isn't fun." "Ifyou want me, I'll be at Dr. Aaron's." "It's all coming down to this--one pitch," "Playoffgames do not get anymore exciting," "Tigers with the bases loaded," "Davis on third, Fielder on second," "Fryman at first, Mickey Tettleton at bat," "Yankees one pitch away from a World Series," "Abbott into the windup, the pitch, he struck him out!" "The Yankees win the pennant!" "The Yankees win the pennant!" "And Steve Nebraska will pitch in the World Series," "The crowd is going crazy," "Just listen!" "Look what I made." "So the doorman was nuts, huh?" "I t was a one-in-a-million chance." "I never thought it would have happened." "Yeah, you're right." "Hey, whose favorite late-night snack?" "I'm not hungry right now, Al." "Steve, I" "What would you like me to do?" "Undo whatyou did." "Get him back into that Kong baseball mode." "Put the psychological stuff on hold." "We got the greatest ballplayer in the world here, and he's pissed off when you bring it up." "Could you see him in his uniform?" "Ifhe thinks you like it, he'll like it." "He reallytrusts you now." "He picks up the fact you're not a big baseball fan." "I'm very interested in his work." "He ain't picking that up." "O.K." "Um..." "Steve is making significant improvement." "He is?" "Significant improvement." "Ifl were in your shoes," "I wouldn't worry about it." "Don't worry." "Don't worry about it." "Hmm." "I never thought ofthat." "Just try not to worry then." "Great." "Thanks for the medical advice." "You know, I probably should write that down because I know I'm going to forget it." "I have a patient coming." "O.K." "Take care now." "Sorry to rush you." "I do have someone else coming in." "Seeyou next time." "I appreciateyou talking to me." "One last question, ifyou don't mind." "Hmm?" "Doyou know now what is wrong with him exactly?" "Can you tell?" "Steve has had an abusive father, and he's blocked a lot of painful memories, and we're trying to reconnect his life." "Oh." "Bye-bye, now." "How much longer does that kind ofthing take to fix?" "Just ballpark." "Week?" "More?" "Welcome, diamond devotees, to the first game ofthe World Series," "Yes, it's the 9 1st fall classic," "The American League champion New York Yankees, the pinstripers, versus the kings ofthe senior circuit, the red birds ofSt, Louis, the Cardinals," "I'm Bob Costas," "My first World Series, at least in the capacity ofplay-by-play man," "Foryou, Tim, your eighth," "Relax, It's a piece of cake," "Only 800 million viewers tuning in," "[T urns TV Off]" "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Yankee Stadium," "[Crowd Cheeri ng]" "Steve!" "Over here!" "We made it." "Hey, kid, you better hurry." "Warmups are about over." "He doesn't need to warm up." "He doesn't need to warm up?" "Nah, he doesn't need it." "You O.K.?" "I don't feel so good." "You had that big lunch." "It's not that, Al." "You're nervous." "You'd be crazy not to be." "I'm not crazy, O.K.?" "I'm not." "I didn't mean it." "Just a figure of speech." "I'm going to leaveyou alone." "Just relax, get dressed, and remember, when you go out on the mound, you're King Kong." "O.K.?" "Let's get him dressed right away, O.K.?" "Ifyou need me," "I'll be with Mr. Steinbrenner." "We've gone through a 1 62-game marathon regularseason," "A little foryou?" "No." "He's O.K.?" "Getting dressed as we speak." "Hey, Al." "Come here." "Yes, sir." "Here." "Have a glass." "That's 6 bucks." "With what I'm paying this kid," "I got to get it back anyway I can." "6 bucks." "That's a joke, right?" "You're the only one laughing." "Let's go, Nebraska." "Hi." "Can I please speak with Dr. Harriet Aaron?" "Can you get her?" "O.K., um, I'd like to leave a message." "Steve Nebraska." "Yeah, it's me." "Um, can you tell her please ifshe calls in that I'm at Yankee Stadium?" "And, um" "Come on." "We're being introduced." "Get dressed." "O.K. She can get me over the loudspeaker system." "I got to go pitch the first game ofthe World Series now." "So I'm going to go." "IfNebraska pitches the perfect game many are predicting, we won't go much more than two hours," "Ifyou figured that out and paid the scalper's price, it would come out to 750 bucks per ticket per hour," "Listen, I wouldn't eat those right before the game." "His $52 million deal has been broken down to about $ 1 0,000 an hour," "O. K. I 'll take care of these." "Why don't you take the field?" "Andpitching for the New York Yankees," "Steve Nebraska," "And now to sing our national anthem," "Mr, Tony Bennett," "You going to sing this one for me, too?" "Now here's T ony Bennett stopping and saying something to Steve Nebraska." "Everybodywants to talk to Steve Nebraska." "All right, finally." "Here we go." "We're set." "Our national anthem." "~ Oh, say, can you see ~" "~ By the dawn's ~" "Where areyou going?" "Where areyou doing?" "I'm just going to go over there." "~What so proudly we hailed ~" "~ At the twilight's last gleaming?" "~" "Where are you going, kid?" "~Whose broad stripes and bright stars ~" "~Through the perilous fight ~" "Hey, I'm surprised to seeyou down here." "Game time, huh?" "Ain'tyou supposed to be on the field now?" "They're singing the anthem." "Thought I'd get some fresh air." "You got to play now, man." "You got some fresh air out there." "I thought maybe I'd get some other kind ofair." "Um, I'll be back in a littlewhile." "[Knocks Over Bats]" "I'm going to go for a walk." "~ Oh, say, does that star-spangled ~" "~ Banneryet wave ~" "~ O'er the land ofthe free ~" "~ And the home ofthe brave ~~" "Boy, what a rendition, huh?" "Does that everset the stage for drama," "We're back with the first pitch ofthe World Series right after this," "Why did Nebraska leave?" "I have no idea." "I didn't even see him leave." "Al, telephone." "I didn't give out the number." "Hello." "Hello, Mr. Percolo." "This is Ben." "Uh, who?" "Yeah, Ben." "You know." "I work in the clubhouse." "Hi, Ben." "How areyou?" "What?" "Your friend Steve, he left." "No, he didn't." "No, he's here." "He can't." "That's not happening." "Nah." "No, no." "I'm on a phone here that's not really something I should be using." "Call me at home tonight." "I'll work it out." "I'll get a pen." "I don't have that number." "Absolutely, and say hello to the missus then." "Bye." "I'll be back." "Problems?" "None." "Excuse me." "There's some kind ofstall here," "We're actually about four minutes behind the scheduled time for the first pitch," "I s Steve here?" "Why would he be here?" "He's got to be here." "Sorry." "Said he went out for air." "I don't even know what that means." "Let me borrow the binoculars." "Quickly." "Oh, my God." "I took this Kong thing too far." "What?" "All right, guys, Holdit down," "Just one at a time," "He's up on the roof?" "What is he doing?" "Who's idea was it to put Steve Nebraska up on the roof?" "The roof?" "Was it your idea?" "I don't think the stadium crowd'syet aware ofthis dramatic" "Where are you going?" "To see Steve Nebraska." "He's on the roof." "What's going on?" "It's like a fancy entrance." "He's coming to the mound from the roof." "What will they do, send a helicopter?" "Yes." "That's exactly what they're doing." "Get the chopper ready, will you?" "I don't know anything about a chopper." "Call Steinbrenner." "He'll take care ofit." "Sure." "Send it up." "It's a brilliant idea." "It's the way it ought to be." "They're going to bring Steve down to the mound in my helicopter from the roof." "You can't do that." "It's show biz." "God, I love it." "Steve." "Hey, Al." "What are you doing, Steve?" "Uh, I just, um..." "I was, uh..." "I needed a little fresh air." "I was feeling claustrophobic." "You were feeling claustrophobic out on the field?" "This is what George Steinbrenner brings to the Yankees, a real sense ofexcitement," "Canyou believe this?" "What an entrance," "You got to hand it to the guy," "Most teams bring their pitchers in those silly golf carts, but not George Steinbrenner," "There 's his chopper swinging in over right field right now, Bob," "How about that?" "They're givi ng me credit for it." "Yeah." "I wonder whose idea it really was." "Well, it's mine now, stupid." "I don't feel like playing tonight, Al." "Maybe some other time." "Some other time?" "I see." "When would that time be?" "Easter?" "Would that be better foryou?" "How about Christmas Eve?" "Seems Al Percolo, the scout who discovered Steve Nebraska, is up there with him giving him some last-minute words ofwisdom," "Yeah, andAl Percolo has reportedly been under a psychiatrist's care," "Unfortunate, but we hope and pray he 's O, K.," "What do you thi nk they're tal ki ng about?" "I t's hard to tell, Robert." "Probably strategy, game plan." "I don't care what you feel like!" "What have I been telling you?" "You're a professional!" "You playwhether you feel like it or not!" "You're not some high school kid!" "You're a Yankee!" "Now get down there and stop being a baby!" "Don'tyou call me a baby!" "You have no idea what's going on inside my head!" "I don't care what" "I don't care what's going on insideyour head!" "I don't care about that!" "Ifyou don't stop yelling at me," "I'm going to throwyou offthis fucking roof!" "." "Throw me off the roof!" "." "I mean it!" "I wantyou to!" "Ifl go down the stairs, they put me in jail!" "Ifyou throw me off," "I'd get a ride in an ambulance!" "I broke my ass foryou." "I discovered you!" "I gotyou the deal!" "I found you the doctor!" "I feed you!" "You staywith me!" "This is howyou're going to repay me?" "Forget it." "What?" "Forget it." "I never thought I'd say this." "Screw the World Series." "Ifyou don't want to pitch, don't pitch." "You won't get mad at me?" "No, I won't be mad atyou." "Don't worry about me now." "I'm sorry I yelled." "This is your life." "You do wantyou want to do." "I'm nothing in this." "I'm just a stupid scout thatwas lucky enough to seeyou play." "You're the one that counts." "Not me." "No." "Al, you're like a dad to me." "But I'm not your dad." "I'm just a guy taking 1 5%" "I thought it was 1 0." "No." "1 0 the first 6 months, then we bumped" "Well, what difference does it make?" "You're not going to play anyway." "Come on." "Let's get out ofhere." "Still be my friend?" "Yeah, I'll beyour friend." "I'm sure we'll be closer since nobodywill want to talk to either of us." "I really appreciate this, Al." "I do." "Who's going to pitch ifl don't?" "Oh, let's notworry about the lineup now." "The only lineupwe should be concerned about is the police lineup." "Ifl pitched, what's theworst that could happen?" "You'd lose." "I'd lose." "I'd lose." "Well, that's not so bad 'cause halfthe guys down there lose every night." "Yeah." "I wouldn't aim for it, but that's all thatwould happen." "Well, maybe I should try." "Yeah." "I want to do it." "Let's pitch." "You sure?" "Yeah." "What areyou doing later on?" "I don't have any plans, no." "Maybe we could do some laundry." "You love that laundry, don'tyou?" "I do." "I got a deal foryou." "You go pitch, I'll buy the bleach." "You don't get it, doyou?" "You don't need bleach." "People spend money on stuff they really don't need." "You get a lemon, cut it in half, get a little salt" "Go play ball." "We can talk bleach for hours later." "What areyou doing?" "King Kong wouldn't take the stairs." "Your chariot awaits you." "Go get 'em." "The Yankee copter's pilot has dropped a rope ladder down," "Too dangerous to land on the stadium roof with all that electrical equipment," "But, look, it's working," "They're lifting off and taking Steve along for the ride," "1, 000 feet over the playing field," "He 's made it to the cabin," "The pilot's checking for a safe landing on the field," "Steve Nebraska headi ng down toward the mound." "This is it." "Game time." "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "Nebraska!" "All right, baseball fans," "Your long wait isjust about over," "All the anticipation, all the speculation, and now, finally, the moment has arrived," "Play bal l!" "Can Steve Nebraska deliver on all that promise?" "The kid stands astride the mound, ready to deliver his first pitch in the big leagues," "He's got the sign he wants," "The wind, and the pitch," "Whoa!" "Didyou see that?" "Couldyou see that?" "1 05 miles an hour, and right down the heart ofthe plate," "Oh, man, is this kid humming?" "This kid is absolutely for real," "Wasting no time," "Rocks into his motion, and brings the next one home," "Strike 2, This one is clocked at 1 06," "Ifthis keeps up, they'll have to reinvent the radar gun when it comes to young Steve Nebraska," "Folks, we are in for some kind ofball game," "You're out!" "Stri ke 3!" "You're out!" "One comes up, one goes down in this game," "Steve Nebraska is simply unbelievable," "Here he comes, Steve Nebraska's first time at bat," "Tewksbury a much different kind ofpitcher than Nebraska-- control artist, breaking ball guy," "Iikes to mix it up," "He looks in, gets the sign he wants, and here 's the pitch to Nebraska," "Swung on, and a long, high drive," "Oh, man, did he powder this one," "Has to be 425 feet ifit's an inch," "And, yes, Steve Nebraska can swing the bat as well as toss the horsehide," "And thanks to Nebraska, the Yankees pull ahead 1 to nothing," "Steve Nebraska is one man away from becoming the first pitcher in history to accomplish a mind-boggling feat" "27 up, 27 down, 8 1 pitches, all ofthem strikes," "And look who's advancing to the plate" "Ozzie Smith himself, 0 for 2 tonight, but five homers in the playoffs in an unexpected outburst ofpower," "What a season he 's had," "Ifanybody can break this Nebraska streak," "Ozzie Smith could be the guy to do it," "Nebraska peers in at the Wizard of Oz, rocks into his motion and delivers--Oh, man!" "Looks like the kid's prepared to deliver on his promise," "Steve Nebraska trying to put the finishing touches on a masterpiece," "And his pitch, stri ke 2!" "I cannot believe this," "This is beyond excitement," "I mean, this is over the rainbow," "His 8 1 st pitch ofthe night coming up," "Oh, my gosh!" "Where did that come from?" "What the hel l was that?" "I thi nk it was a strike." "Strike 3!" "You're out!" "1 1 2 miles an hour!" "It's a record in every respect, 81 pitches, 27 up, 27 down," "It's a record," "And the Yankees win 2-0," "Hey!" "Al!" "[I mitating King Kong]"