"[¶ George Canyon:" "Sunshine]" "¶ I believe in life, love" "¶ And true pursuit of happiness ¶" "¶ No one's gonna tell me that a smile's ever meaningless ¶" "¶ I find a drop of hope when the rain falls down ¶" "¶ Even when the clouds are insisting on sticking around ¶" "¶ I believe in holding on tight to your innocence ¶" "¶ Taking leaps of faith when it doesn't even make sense ¶" "¶ Don't want to be a tear on a circus clown ¶" "¶ I wanna laugh like a kid on a playground ¶" "¶ Baby, come on, let's go for a ride ¶" "¶ I know a road that'll change your mind ¶" "¶ Look what it's done to this heart of mine ¶" "¶ I'm an absolute, dedicated follower of sunshine ¶" "¶ I used to be a slave to the ways of the shades of gray ¶" "¶ Addicted to the weight of a ball and chain ¶" "¶ Everybody telling' me to cut it loose ¶" "¶ Then I looked up to the sky" "¶ And I saw something I could use ¶" "¶ A little bit of prayer, a little bit of inspiration ¶" "¶ A little something different like a new vibration ¶" "¶ Shook me up like a leaf in a hurricane ¶" "¶ Woke me up like a fall from an airplane ¶" "¶ Baby, come on, let's go for a ride ¶" "¶ I know a road that'll change your mind-- ¶" "WOMAN:" "All right, let's go!" "MAN:" "Knock her out!" "[Crowd booing]" "ANNOUNCER:" "That's two strikes on Pee Wee McGinty... with the Rats trailing by three." "Twoouts, bottom ofthe ninth." "MAN:" "Positive visualization." "You're outta here!" "[Crowd groaning]" "ANNOUNCER:" "And the Rats lose again, dropping both games... of this double-header to the Tulsa Coyotes." "0-13 for the season, this team has nowhere to go but up." "Be sure to come by and cheer them on" "Next time, Pee Wee." "Next time." "ANNOUNCER:" "Everyone who wears a rat tail will receive... a buy-one-get-one-free ticket... good for a rat dog at the Rathole concession stand." "MAN:" "Keep your heads up, boys." "Good game." "RADIO:" "And the River Rats lose again by four" "I just want to listen to a little smooth jazz." "Calms me down." "Is that too much to ask, Murph?" "MURPH:" "I'm afraid I can't help you there, Warren." "Then how can you help me out?" "Because something isn't working out there." "There's only so much I can do from the dugout." "I can't get out there and play the game for 'em." "We're off to our worst start in 15 years." "We're three weeks into the season, Warren." "The guys are still figuring things out." "Figuring it out?" "We're not building a rocket, this is baseball!" "What's to figure?" "You throw, you catch, you hit, you run." "Sometimes you have all the players do it in the same game." "I got a tip for a hot pitching prospect." "I want you to check him out on the off day." "Come on, Warren, I was hoping" "Outside of Auburn." "Indiana?" "That's 200 miles!" "Gas money." "Each way!" "And here's the address." "We could use another arm in the rotation." "And one that won't break the bank." "If this guy works out, it might help your chances." "My chances?" "Just business." "Nothing personal." "Personal?" "No." "That just wouldn't be like you, Warren, now would it?" "I'll pretend I didn't hear that." "[Radio tuning]" "I hope you find what you're looking for." "Jazz, Warren." "[Crackling, tuning]" "[¶ Country music on radio]" "Where am I?" "Oh!" "[Engine revving]" "Here we go!" "[Engine roaring]" "[Engine off] Mm-hm." "[Grunts]" "[Sighs]" "[Crow cawing]" "[Sighs]" "Ohh!" "Perfect." "[Pig squealing]" "[Laughs]" "Hey, little fella." "MAN:" "Oscar!" "Oscar!" "Oscar, come back!" "Oscar, don't run away like that." "[Squealing]" "Hey, I could use a little help here." "Oscar, don't run away like that again." "Your mama is going to be upset, and your papa's gonna be upset, and my papa is going to be upset and" "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Hey, uh" "I ran my car into the ditch here and I've got no cell-phone service at all." "I just need to use a phone" "Papa told me never to talk to strangers." "Normally I would say that's great advice, but I'm just a friend in need who needs a phone." "If you're a friend you could use our phone." "Yeah, I'm absolutely a friend." "Arthur Murphy." "My friends just call me Murph." "Uh, what's your name, friend?" "Uh, Michael James Tussler, sir." "Folks call me Mickey." "Well, it's nice to meet you, Mickey." "That's your...pet there?" "Yeah." "His name's Oscar." "He likes apples." "And his mama likes apples, and his papa" "Papa likes apples." "Yeah, I think pretty much everybody likes apples." "I like to smash them, though." "So, uh, that phone, could you show me where I could make that phone call?" "Y--Yeah." "Thank you." "So what kind of farm is this?" "We used to have cows, and we used to grow corn, but now it's just home." "[Chickens clucking]" "What's going on?" "Oh, uh, it's okay, sir." "My car ran into a ditch, and Mickey said that I might be able to use your phone." "What'd I tell you about talking to strangers?" "I'm Arthur Murphy from Ohio." "Gotta teach 'em to follow the rules, but that one's a tough learner." "Chores, son." "You got pigs to feed." "MURPH:" "Seems like a good kid." "I'm assuming your phone call is long distance." "I'll call collect." "Of course." "Molly!" "We got company." "Hello." "Hello." "This is Arthur Murphy." "He had a bit of car trouble." "Show him where the phone is." "Of course." "Right this way." "Thank you." "It's right through here." "Thank you." "I apologize for the state of things but we weren't expecting visitors." "I'm just grateful for the favor, thank you." "Phone's right on the wall." "Okay." "I'll leave you to your business." "Thanks." "[Line ringing]" "[Bang]" "[Munching, grunting]" "Uh, hello, Triple A?" "Yeah, um, I managed to drive my car into a ditch." "Uh, Rural Route 310." "Yeah, just outside of" "What is the name of this town again?" "Bargersville." "Bargersville, Indiana." "Three and a quarter miles south of 44." "Tussler Farm." "Tell him not to bother coming up the driveway." "You'll be waiting by your car." "Did you get that?" "Okay, great." "Amazing." "[Apple bangs]" "No, I--I'm sorry." "Um" "Yeah." "I'll see you within the hour." "Yes, thank you very much." "Lemonade, Mr. Murphy?" "Oh, uh, thank you." "Uh--Please, call me Murph." "Would you like some ice, Mr. Murphy?" "No, no, thank you." "This is great." "Your son, Mickey, he's a very special boy." "Mickey has Asperger's syndrome." "A form of autism." "I--I'm sorry." "I didn't mean" "He's really remarkable." "Do you mind if I speak with him for a minute?" "You a doctor?" "No, sir, I'm a baseball coach." "You got quite an arm there, Mickey." "Have you ever played baseball?" "You know, baseball." "Three strikes." "Home run." "All that good stuff." "No." "Papa doesn't let me leave the farm much." "Plus, I don't think I'd be very good at baseball anyway." "Are you kidding me?" "You got some heat!" "What?" "Talent." "You have a lot of talent, kid." "Talent." "Can you do a favor for me?" "That depends what it is, because I won't chop wood." "Papa won't let me use the ax." "He said I could hurt myself." "I won't have you chop wood, I promise you." "This here is a real live baseball." "May I take a look at that apple, please?" "Thank you." "They're about the same size." "Only you can't eat this one." "All right." "Would you mind taking this baseball and throwing it into that tub just like you did with the apple?" "Oh, wow!" "That--That is amazing!" "That is really something!" "Whatever's going on here has ended." "Mr. Murphy, you've made your phone call." "I think it's best you go back out to the road, wait by your car." "Uh, yeah." "Can I talk to you about something, Mr. Tussler?" "Did I tell you what I do for a living?" "You mentioned you were a baseball coach." "Is that a living?" "Well, yeah." "What I meant was that I am the manager of the Clayton River Rats, we're a semi-professional baseball team in Clayton, Ohio." "Right near Toledo." "Have you heard of us?" "'Fraid not." "Not much use for games here on the farm." "All right, sir, then I'll get right to the point." "That son of yours is a very gifted boy." "That's what all the doctors and social workers keep telling us." "Always wanting to cure him." "Snake oil, as far as I'm concerned." "They don't know who Mickey is at all." "I'm not talking about his condition, sir." "I'm talking about his arm." "That boy has a golden arm." "A what?" "I've been around a lot of pitchers in my day, but nobody throws the ball as hard as Mickey just did right now." "If it's because of these apples, I'm going to have an entire truckload shipped into our next practice." "Mechanics could use some work, but it's remarkable really." "What do mechanics have to do with Mickey throwing apples?" "Mechanics-- uh, form, the technique for pitching a baseball." "If you're not standin' by your car when "B" Bob's Towing comes by, they'll tow it away and leave you behind." "I know 'em when I see 'em." "I will pay you $200 if you'll let Mickey come and try out for my baseball team." "We'll take great care of him, anything he needs." "That's crazy." "What's the rube?" "Molly!" "Come on over here." "Mr. Murphy wants Mickey to try out for some baseball team in Ohio." "Can you believe that?" "That sounds nice." "Well, what does that mean?" "That means that Mickey would be pitching for a professional baseball team, ma'am." "Well, Mickey hasn't been away from home very much, Mr. Murphy." "All I'm asking is that you let him try out." "Well, I don't see any harm" "We need the boy around here." "Work on the farm." "This is what he knows." "This is his world." "Mickey could be a very successful pitcher." "Make some money, maybe even some very good money." "That certainly would be helping out around the farm, so to speak." "Uh, maybe we could talk it over and get back to you." "Well, thank you very much for your hospitality." "Um, here's my card." "Uh, I'm just gonna say good-bye to Mickey and then I'll be on my way." "I'll say good-bye to Mickey from right here." "Uh, Mickey, very nice to meet you, son!" "Um, enjoy that baseball." "And I hope to see you soon." "Uh..." "Thank you very much." "Goodbye, Mr. Murphy." "Bye-bye." "[Cell phone ringing]" "MURPH:" "Hello?" "WARREN:" "Hello." "Murph, glad I caught you." "You in Indiana yet?" "'Cause we lost that prospect." "Radler snapped him up." "I told you he was good." "MURPH:" "Well, like they say, when one door closes, God opens another." "And I may have found that door, Warren." "WARREN:" "Ah, those guys don't grow on trees, you know." "MURPH:" "Yeah, but apples do." "Apples?" "What kind of gibberish are you talking in?" "[Laughs] I'm losing you, Warren." "Uh, bad cell phones out here." "Murph?" "MAN: [On TV] And here comes the 0 and 2 from Dawson and it's a single to shallow right field which is gonna bring in a run and tie our score at two here in the bottom of the seventh inning." "Coming up next we've got Cross followed by Vere." "MURPH:" "All right, guys." "Hey, guys, guys, listen up." "Listen up." "I want you guys to meet Mickey." "Mickey Tussler." "He's a pitcher and a good one and he's here for a tryout." "Well, there goes your job, Lefty." "Say hello to the guys, Mickey." "Go ahead, it's just the guys." "Just say hi." "We passed under 36 bridges." "[Man chuckles] 2nd MAN:" "What was that?" "Mickey's what you'd call autistic." "Okay?" "He's got a condition called Asperger's syndrome." "Whoa, Skip's using big words again." "Some of you college guys might have actually heard of it." "What it means is it makes him a little bit sensitive, he doesn't like surprises." "So be nice to him and if he needs a hand, help him out." "Okay?" "MAN:" "All right, man." "Right here, this is going to be your locker, right here, it's got your gear and everything you're going to need." "It's right next to Pee Wee's." "What up, Mick?" "Welcome aboard." "MAN:" "Just leave it there." "He's a little bit, uh, shy at first, but once you get to know him he's downright friendly." "All right?" "And, Pee Wee," "I'm counting on you to make him feel welcome." "Before you know it, me and Mick'll be best friends." "Good thing, 'cause he's going to be staying with you, too." "What?" "What about your place?" "You got the spare bedroom." "He's going to stay with you, Pee Wee." "108 stitches on a baseball." "108 stitches" "It's good to know, Mick." "All right." "So, what do you think?" "Think you can stay with my good friend Pee Wee here?" "Okay." "We can be friends." "All right." "I'll leave you guys to it." "Oh, Pee Wee, if you plan on eating this apple," "I'd put it somewhere else 'cause my man Mick here, he's got a thing for apples." "Oscar is the one who eats them, I just smash 'em." "Okay, I'm going to take that as a good thing." "For now, let's just get out there and show them how it's done." "We're gonna have a good time." "Let's have fun, all right?" "[Men shouting instructions]" "Let's have a catch." "MURPH:" "All right, Mick, let's see what you got, buddy." "Whoa!" "A little help." "It's okay, Mick, it's okay." "Look, buddy, you gotta learn to walk before you can run." "I know how to walk." "And run." "I know that, Mick." "It's just an expression." "Okay?" "Let's try it again." "Throw strikes!" "Whoo!" "That's it." "Oh, Mick." "Clearly, you've got the power, Mickey, no question about it." "Okay?" "We're just going to work on your mechanics so you can really harness it." "Okay, Mr. Murphy." "I want you to watch the next few games from the dugout with me." "I'll teach you how to score and pretty much what everybody on the field is doing." "Would you like that?" "Yes, sir." "All right." "Great." "Now, I'm going to show you how to throw the fastball, the curve." "Okay?" "Now, the next pitch I want to show you is a knuckle ball." "'Cause you have so much power, every now and again you have to take a little something off and you can really fool the batter." "Take something off?" "Yeah." "Take something off." "Not exactly, but..." "I liked it." "Okay." "The knuckle ball, okay, it's kind of a misnomer because you're not really using your knuckles, you're using your fingertips to dig into the laces right like this." "And unlike a fastball, or a curve you're not going to break your wrist." "I want you to keep your wrist straight." "Okay?" "And when you throw it, keep your wrist straight like that" "If you do it right, it'll float, float, float, and at the last second, drop off the table." "Okay?" "Okay." "Let's give it a shot." "Here we go, Mick, let's go, buddy." "Let's go, Mick!" "Whoa." "Okay, okay." "Hey, Mickey, the knuckle ball is the hardest pitch to hit because not even the pitcher knows where it's going." "I don't like surprises." "Sometimes you can use surprise to your advantage." "Now look, just trust your ability and let the ball do the rest." "All right, Mick, look at me." "Got it?" "Okay." "Try it again." "Let's go now, Mick." "Trust it, buddy, trust it." "Okay." "Hey, hey!" "Mick, you okay?" "Stupid knuckle ball." "I don't even know where it's going." "That's the whole point, Mick." "MICKEY:" "Who cares?" "I got it, Murph." "What'd I say?" "PEE WEE:" "Murph really believes in you, man." "Don't see him taking chances on someone who don't got it." "Mr. Murphy said I got it." "Then you got it!" "That's an old one." "Used it as a recruitment pamphlet last year." "The real rat pack." "Everybody's in it." "Everybody?" "Then who took the picture?" "You know who that is?" "That's Murph." "Played left field." "If he only had a few more years." "I don't understand." "An accident." "Chip McNally." "This guy standing next to Murph." "He's the manager of the Bullets." "They collided hard in the outfield." "Pretty much ended both their playing careers." "So, what do broken players do?" "Nine times out of ten they turn to coaching." "Hey, Mick." "Mickey." "I got something for you." "It's my old hat." "From when I used to play for the River Rats." "Wow." "What is this, like 100 years old?" "Ha!" "No, it's not quite that old." "Just don't throw that one away." "Got it?" "Knuckle ball." "Don't throw it away." "[Laughs]" "I got it." "I got it." "[¶ George Canyon:" "Sunshine]" "¶ I believe in life, love" "¶ And true pursuit of happiness ¶" "¶ No one's gonna tell me that a smile's ever meaningless ¶" "¶ I find a drop of hope when the rain falls down ¶" "¶ Even when the clouds are insisting on sticking around ¶" "[Chatting quietly]" "¶ I believe in holding on tight to your innocence ¶" "¶ Taking leaps of faith when it doesn't even make sense ¶" "¶ Don't want to be a tear on a circus clown ¶" "¶ I wanna laugh like a kid on a playground ¶" "¶ Baby, come on, let's go for a ride ¶" "¶ I know a road that'll change your mind ¶" "¶ Look what it's done to this heart of mine ¶" "¶ I'm an absolute, dedicated follower of sunshine ¶" "Go, Coach!" "Go, Coach!" "Come on, Mickey." "Come on, run with your team, buddy!" "Go run with your team!" "¶ Addicted to the weight of a ball and chain ¶" "¶ Everybody telling' me to cut it loose ¶" "[All shouting]" "[Crowd cheering] ¶ Then I looked up to the sky" "¶ And I saw something I could use ¶" "¶ A little bit of prayer, a little bit of inspiration ¶" "¶ A little something different like a new vibration ¶" "Hey, look alive today, boys, look alive." "[People in crowd shouting]" "Off to a slow start this year, Murph." "Yeah, we'll be just fine, McNally." "Yeah?" "Fine?" "Fine like when I called you off that flyball, fine?" "Are you still on that, seriously?" "Yeah." "Seriously I am." "And I'm still waiting for that apology." "Well, then you're going to wait a long time, because it ain't coming, Chip!" "Huh." "All right, all right, let's go." "We've got a game to play." "Come on." "This ain't over, Murph!" "MAN:" "Let's get this game started!" "Let's go now!" "[Cheering]" "Come on!" "Bring the heat, Lefty!" "[¶ Organ playing] [Girl cheering]" "Come on, you guys, that's my boyfriend!" "Let's go, Lefty, throw some strikes!" "[People in crowd shouting]" "ANNOUNCER:" "Ball 4, and Murray takes a base." "Top of the eighth, one out" "Here we go again." "What's going on?" "MURPH:" "Oh, it's just Lefty being Lefty." "Wait, why's he called Lefty if he throws with his right hand?" "Well, it's complicated, Mick." "Let's just say, don't ever play with firecrackers." "MURPH:" "Get there, get there, get there!" "[Crowd cheering] Good job, good job!" "Hightower is thrown out at first for the out." "Hey, how would you like to pitch?" "Today." "In the game." "Here." "But the--But the scorecard." "I'll take care of it." "[¶ Organ playing]" "Uh--Okay, well... the Rats are in red, the Bullets are blue." "They--They have to stay separate, okay?" "Okay." "No problem at all, Mick." "Look..." "I'm going to go grab George, all right?" "Then I'm gonna signal you." "When I signal you, grab your glove... come on out." "Okay." "ANNOUNCER:" "And remember, you ain't eaten a dog till you had a rat dog." "Time!" "UMPIRE:" "Time!" "ANNOUNCER:" "Time-out has been called on the field." "MURPH:" "Throw the ball." "[¶ Organ playing]" "How do you feel?" "Good." "I'm going to go to the bullpen." "You kidding me, Murph?" "Come on, these guys couldn't make a play to save their lives." "Besides, I'm throwing a shutout here." "Yeah, you've also thrown 105 pitches." "They're tracking you." "I'm gonna go with the kid." "Mickey." "That's right." "You kidding me, right?" "No." "All right, go with Mickey." "Let's go, Mick!" "MAN:" "Boo!" "Come on, let him finish!" "[Crowd shouting] Bring Lefty back!" "Hustle up, Mick, let's go, bud!" "ANNOUNCER:" "And it looks like coach Murphy has gone to the bullpen." "MAN:" "Let's see what you got, kid!" "WOMAN:" "You can do it!" "Here we go, Mickey, just like we practiced, okay?" "Just throw strikes, it's going to be a piece of cake!" "Okay." "We're gonna have to switch hats." "I'll keep it warm for you." "Okay." "You'll be great." "That's right, kid, there's nothing to it." "Okay?" "Just aim for the target and you'll be okay." "All right?" "All right." "You got this." "Okay." "Aim for the target!" "[Crowd shouting and cheering]" "[Sighs]" "ANNOUNCER:" "Now pitching for the River Rats, in his first minor league appearance, please welcome Mickey Tussler." "[Voice echoes] [¶ Organ playing]" "Mickey, into the glove, okay?" "Just throw the ball!" "Strike!" "[Cheering and applause]" "[¶ Organ playing] PEE WEE:" "Mick!" "You got 'im." "MAN:" "Ooh, yeah!" "Strike!" "[Cheering and applause]" "MAN:" "Let's go!" "GIRL:" "Go, Mickey Tussler!" "CLARENCE:" "Mickey, Mickey, where are you?" "!" "Come on, son, you worked hard." "Now let's go show that pig!" "[Crowd cheering]" "MAN:" "Right down the middle!" "Come on, son, you got this." "2nd MAN:" "Come on, Mickey, you got this!" "CROWD:" "Ohhh!" "MAN:" "And it's..." "outta here!" "ANNOUNCER:" "That's a three-run homer over the left-field fence for Rocco Hightower." "Rocco leads the league in home runs with six, and this season is just getting started." "Come on, Rats, you'll get it back!" "[Crowd exclaiming] MAN:" "Get under it!" "[Cheering]" "ANNOUNCER: ...bottom of the eighth  with the Rats one run ahead." "ANNOUNCER:" "It's top of the ninth, and, folks, looks like we got ourselves a ball game." "Okay." "You think you can finish the game for us today?" "'Cause the team needs you." "Yeah, Mr. Murphy." "Block out all the noise, okay?" "Think about being back on the farm with Oscar." "You know..." "Boxcar, give me your glove." "Give me your glove." "I've got something to help you out." "After another Rats time-out it looks like this game is finally back under way." "Mickey, just throw it into the glove!" "MAN:" "Finish strong!" "[Crowd cheering and shouting]" "WOMAN:" "It's all you, kid!" "It's all you!" "Strike three!" "Strike three!" "Strike three, and game." "[Cheering]" "ANNOUNCER:" "Rookie Mickey Tussler retires the side and chalks up the first win of his career." "And the Rats take home their first victory of the season." "Looks like the Rats have a new shining star on the mound." "Let's hear it for Mickey Tussler!" "[Cheering]" "Good hitting'." "Mick, great job!" "Okay." "Whatever you did out there, Skip, that was good managing." "Well, I've still got a few tricks up the old sleeve." "Hey, Mick, we got a couple of days off this week." "I was thinking maybe you want to go home, see your mom, your dad, Oscar." "Does that sound good?" "Yes, sir." "Okay, I'll make the call." "Your mom's going to be happy to see you." "Murph, you coming by?" "We're grilling up some steaks tonight in honor of Mick's first victory." "You guys celebrate without me." "Steaks are good." "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" "We need to update your style, man." "You have no chance with the ladies dressed like that." "Stick with me and I'll teach you how dress like a playa." "You'll thank me later." "I'm already a player." "Just 'cause you play ball don't make you a playa." "PEE WEE:" "Playa." "You know?" "Playa?" "Playa." "Playa." "Yeah, yeah." "You'll get it." "First things first though, you gotta get rid of that shirt." "[Farm animals calling]" "Mickey, would you like to say grace?" "Yeah." "Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts..." "Speak up, boy." "...which we are about to receive through Thy bounty through Christ our Lord." "ALL:" "Amen." "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Tussler, this smells fantastic." "Thank you, Mr. Murphy." "We grow the potatoes and the corn here on the farm." "Mickey, remember your manners." "Sit up straight." "Mickey--Mickey is doing a great job with the team." "He won his first game the other day." "And, well, we'd like to offer Mickey a contract for the rest of the season." "He's still got a lot of work to do, but... we think he can be a great pitcher." "No." "It's a very fair contract, sir, generous even." "And if I'm not mistaken, Mickey's 18 years old-- isn't that decision his?" "Are you telling me how to raise my son?" "Of course not." "What he needs is stability and routine." "I don't see how any good is gonna come from Mickey being around a bunch of guys who play games and call it work." "Now, Clarence." "It might be good for Mickey." "A new experience." "A new experience?" "Like when we sent him to public school?" "Or that camp for special kids?" "Those didn't work out so well, Molly." "Well, maybe he has a chance for a life beyond the farm." "Yes." "What's that, boy?" "I'll play for the River Rats." "Strike 'em out." "Right, Mr. Murphy?" "That's right, Mick." "And how do you plan on taking care of yourself away from home?" "Away from your mama's shoulder to cry on." "I'm part of a team, Dad." "We take care of each other." "Everything will be different, Mickey." "I know, Dad." "All right." "If Mickey wants to play ball, we'll let him play." "Thank you, Mr. Tussler." "Don't make me regret my decision." "Five-eighths." "Five-eighths." "One larger than three-eighths, one smaller than seven-eighths." "Sorry about my husband." "He gets a little overprotective of Mickey." "Actually, I should be the one apologizing." "I crossed the line." "So how is Mickey around all those baseball players?" "He's doing really well." "He's even got a nickname." "Sauce." "Sauce?" "When he first got there, they started calling him Big Mick, which became Big Mac." "Naturally." "Okay." "You know, like... two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, and it would sound silly to call him sesame seed bun, so they called him Special Sauce which got shortened to Sauce, so now he's Sauce." "It makes perfect sense, really." "[Laughs] So he's having fun." "Yeah." "He's doing very well, and they really accepted him on the team." "And he hasn't had any of his episodes?" "You know, when things get a little too much for him to handle?" "There's been a couple of moments, but, no, for the most part he's been great." "In fact, on the mound the other day he had an issue, but he's really learning how to focus and block that stuff out." "He's doing very well." "And of course he's a whiz with math." "Isn't it amazing?" "He could do those magic square puzzles when he was, like, five years old." "I still can't do those puzzles." "Me neither. [Laughs]" "Did you ever seek professional help for Mickey?" "Um, there were social workers and counselors." "The local school couldn't handle special-needs students so we got the state to pay for a tutor." "Math came easy of course, but he could never quite grasp the social sciences." "He's working towards his G.E.D., you know." "Well, you've raised a wonderful young man, Mrs. Tussler." "Thank you." "It's been challenging, but I try to teach Mickey to trust God and be a good Christian." "We read the Bible together." "Well, he really takes that to heart." "How about you, Mr. Murphy, do you have any children?" "We had a wonderful son, who would be about Mickey's age now." "What happened?" "He died from a very rare blood disorder when he was 10 years old." "Oh, I'm so sorry, that's so sad." "You never really recover from a loss like that." "No, I'm sure you don't." "I kinda had a little falling-out with the man upstairs." "So to speak." "We're done." "Tomato soup is my favorite." "How about you, Mr. Murphy?" "I'm not a real big soup guy, Mick." "Yeah, I mean, I don't like it when there's anything floating on top, like a cracker or a piece of tomato." "Do you think a tomato is rounder than an orange?" "I never gave it a whole lot of thought." "You know what, Mickey, it's been a really long day." "How about we just try to ride quiet for a little bit?" "Okay." "Potatoes aren't round." "[Chuckles]" "Hello." "Anyone here?" "Hey, Skip!" "[Chuckles]" "[Lively chatter]" "Mick, what's going on?" "Cleats." "I can't move 'em." "Something's wrong." "Which one of y'all did this?" "Huh?" "You know the rules." "Nothing permanent to the equipment." "Don't sweat it, Mick." "I'll get a claw hammer, okay?" "Someone here's got a hammer, right?" "!" "Real smooth, guys." "I hope the jerk that did this is having a nice laugh." "Shoes." "They're broke." "Big--Big trouble." "It's a mistake." "It's my fault." "No, no, no, it's okay, Mick." "It's a mistake." "It's my fault." "Whoever did this just has too much time on their idle hands!" "What's going on in here?" "Hey?" "Sorry, Coach, some jerk just nailed Mick's cleats to the bench." "Hey, Mick, you okay, bud?" "The guys, they're just playing." "That's all." "Right, Mr. Murphy?" "That's right, they're just playing." "But they're not going to do that ever again." "Understood?" "!" "It's okay, Mick." "Mick, it's okay, bud." "We'll get you some new cleats, okay?" "[Quiet chatter]" "MAN:" "Let's get outta here." "Got a game to play." "MAN:" "Let's play ball, boys." "2nd MAN:" "Stretch it out." "Come on, fellas, let's go." "[Knocks]" "You wanted to see me, Warren?" "Yeah." "Come in, Murph." "Close the door, please." "Have a seat." "Your kid did it again." "Yeah." "He's just a work in progress, too." "He's going to get better." "Yeah." "I must say I had my doubts." "But this whole business with Mickey has put this team on the map." "Wire service picked up a piece about the... autistic pitcher from Ohio." "A real human-interest story." "Yeah." "It's nice to see the stands full, too." "You got that right." "Let me ask you, Murph." "Who are you starting Saturday against the Bullets?" "Lefty or the kid?" "I haven't decided." "We got a VIP coming." "Is that right?" "Governor Harrigan." "That's great news." "Mmm." "Might be real smart for everybody if you start the kid." "He's not up in the rotation, Warren." "I got to think about his arm, I don't want him hurt." "Well, it wouldn't hurt if the governor got a good look at the boy." "Warren, I'm gonna do what's best for the team." "Okay?" "Just 'cause the governor is going to be here doesn't mean I start the kid." "I love it, Murph, you're a purist." "Maybe that's why I've kept you around, given you so many chances." "What?" "The spotlight will be on the Rats this weekend." "Don't blow it." "If you'll excuse me, Warren, I have some managing to do." "Mr. Murphy." "Come on in, Mick, take a seat." "How are you doing?" "How are things at the house with the fellas?" "All good, Mr. Murphy." ""All good"?" "Did Pee Wee tell you to say that?" "Yes." "[Chuckles] Up high." "Down low." "Too slow!" "Oh!" "[Laughs]" "All right, you're learning a lot of new things." "All right." "That's great." "So the guys are helping you out, giving you everything you need?" "Yeah, the guys, they're real nice." "Great." "So what do you guys do in your free time, for fun?" "We, uh, make dinner, watch TV." "Play video games." "Video games?" "You know, Pee Wee can't hit in the video games neither." "[Laughs] That's great." "Look, Mick, how would you like to start today's game for us?" "Uh, Lefty still has pitches left." "What do you mean?" "Lefty threw 76 pitches last game." "Usually throws 130, sometimes 136." "Lefty still has 54 pitches left." "Maybe more." "Did you count his pitches?" "I'm good at math." "You're great at math, Mick, you're fantastic at math." "How do you feel?" "Your arm feeling good?" "You think you could start the game for us today?" "It's a big game." "But Lefty's pitches..." "I tell you what, you could borrow Lefty's pitches, you could pay him back later." "We--We do it all the time." "Okay, yeah, I could do that, Mr. Murphy." "All right, Mick, then you're our guy." "Hey, down low." "Oh, too slow." "[Both laugh]" "[Sighs]" "ANNOUNCER:" "Ladies and gentlemen, let's extend a warm Clayton Field welcome to our special guest for today's game," "Governor Walter Harrigan!" "[Cheering]" "GOVERNOR:" "Go, Rats!" "WOMAN:" "Go, Rats!" "ANNOUNCER:" "Today's starting pitcher for your River Rats," "Mickey Tussler." "[Crowd cheering] [¶ Organ playing]" "Come on, now, look alive!" "WOMAN:" "Go, Mickey!" "Mickey!" "Strike one!" "[Cheering and applause]" "[¶ Organ playing]" "Time!" "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" "ANNOUNCER:" "Time-out has been called on the field." "Let's take a look at that glove." "Sherlock Holmes over here says he wants to look at my glove." "Says there's something wrong with" "Gimme that." "What is that, paint?" "Painting a target on your glove?" "That's got to be illegal, ump." "What?" "!" "There's nothing in the rule book says you can't have a little bit of paint inside a glove!" "He's just trying to get into my pitcher's head." "A little bit?" "!" "Does that look like a little bit?" "I don't think so." "That's a little bit of paint and it's not illegal." "Murph, I'm sorry, I'm at a loss here." "You might be right." "But be that as it may," "I gotta take the glove out of the game." "Wow, unbelievable!" "Give the guy a break, Murph." "He's just trying to do his job." "So, what, I'm just supposed to let him take my glove?" "!" "It's lucky, it's my charm." "I'm not gonna let him take it!" "All right, fine." "We'll use the extra mitt for now." "After the game we'll clean yours up." "Okay?" "It'll be good as new." "This is bush." "I don't make the rules." "UMPIRE:" "Let's go, let's go." "[¶ Organ playing]" "They're making Boxcar change his glove." "Something about the paint." "Will it have an apple?" "You put it there." "Okay?" "Use your imagination." "[Crowd cheering and shouting]" "You know, it's--it's so loud." "That's because they're cheering for you, Mick." "They're all cheering for you." "Just block it all out, okay?" "Pretend you're back on the farm with Oscar." "With Oscar?" "Okay." "You can do this, Mick." "Let's go." "MICKEY:" "Will it have an apple?" "MURPH:" "You put it there." "Okay?" "MURPH:" "Use your imagination." "CLARENCE:" "Mickey, forget about all the people." "This is about you." "Now let's go win a ribbon, son." "Play ball!" "[Crowd shouting]" "MURPH:" "Use your imagination." "[Grunting]" "MURPH:" "You put it there." "[Crowd exclaiming and cheering]" "You're outta here!" "[Loud cheering]" "Wow!" "[Cheering continues] MAN:" "Way to go, Mickey!" "It must be a bad bat." "Right, Murph?" "Yeah, or a really hard ball." "I--I've never seen heat like that before." "Yeah, but at what price?" "Lefty, Lefty!" "Man, it should've been me out there." "I know, it's totally unfair." "If they're not going to let you play, shouldn't we be able to at least sit together in the dugout?" "Are you bonkers?" "Do you have any idea what I'm talking about right now?" "No. [Laughs]" "Is that from some girl?" "No." "Just go home, okay?" "I'll call you later." "Promise?" "Yeah." "Okay, guys, good win, good win!" "Way to finish it out today!" "Well done!" "Good job, guys!" "Hey, Mick, you okay?" "A little tired, Mr. Murphy." "Well, that's understandable after a performance like that." "It was magnificent." "I've never seen a ball cut through a bat like that in my life." "I'm sorry." "It won't happen again." "No." "No, no, no, that's a good thing, Mick." "What you did today was great." "Really, really good." "Thanks, Mr. Murphy." "Murph." "Just call me Murph." "Okay, Mr. Murph." "[Laughs]" "Great job, Mickey." "[¶ Organ playing]" "[Lively chatter]" "Oh, hey, guys!" "Listen up for a sec." "Party at Fletcher Field tonight." "You guys are all invited." "[Men whoop and cheer]" "How about you, Sauce?" "Wanna come out tonight, hang with the guys?" "PEE WEE:" "I don't know, Lefty." "I don't think Skip would appreciate me dragging Mick out to a party." "So many people and all." "Come on, we're all friends, right?" "Okay, Lefty." "I'll come to your party." "All right." "See?" "Yeah, I like this guy." "Man, he gives you trouble, you just leave him at home, all right?" "See you guys tonight." "[¶ Music playing loudly] [Lively chatter]" "PEE WEE:" "All right, Sauce, we're not going to stay too long." "We'll just say "what's up" to the fellas, then we'll go home, okay?" "Okay." "Hey, guys, what's up?" "Thanks for coming." "Sauce, you're looking fine." "I can see Pee Wee here is your fashion consultant." "Nice bling." "Extremely nice bling." "Nice sideburns, man." "You're about an inch short of an Elvis lawsuit." "Thank you." "What's going on, man?" "This isn't like you to throw a party." "What do you mean?" "I'm throwing a party." "Hey, come on, loosen up, all right?" "Look, I got some friends I want you guys to meet." "Come on, come here." "Ladies, this is Pee Wee right here." "Pee Wee, the ladies." "WOMAN:" "Nice." "Uh, Mick, I'll--I'll be back." "He'll be back." "Hey, Mick, listen, there's somebody, uh, really special that I want you to meet, okay?" "Laney, this is Mickey." "Mickey, Laney." "I--I know all about you, Mickey." "I'm a big fan." "Ahem." "Of the-- Of the River Rats." "I'm a huge fan of the River Rats, is what I meant...to say." "LEFTY:" "You guys have fun, okay?" "MICKEY:" "Um" "Uh, so, Mickey, you were amazing out there." "What's it like to pitch for the Rats?" "Uh, it's pretty good." "Well, it must be hard coming up against all those hitters." "I just try to forget about the noise and all the people." "What do you think about?" "Throwing apples on the farm." "My pet pig, Oscar." "Uh, I wouldn't have thought of that." "Here, um-- Come and sit by me, Mickey." "Uh, anybody ever tell you that you're cute?" "Well, yeah, my mama says I'm cute back home." "Ever have a girlfriend?" "I have a friend who's a girl." "That's not what I meant." "Um..." "Let's go for a walk." "There's a path in the woods." "But the fellas." "We're celebrating." "Well, we can throw our own party." "Come on." "What?" "Well, look at Mr. "Ain't like you to throw a party."" "You're singing a different tune now, huh, Pee Wee?" "Where's Mickey, man?" "He's good." "He's out making new friends and he's having fun." "It's all good." "I don't know, man." "I don't feel good about this, dude." "Look, it's okay, all right?" "I'll make sure that he gets home all right." "Are you sure?" "I'm sure." "Have you talked to Murph?" "LEFTY:" "I'll talk to him." "You relax, have a good time, all right?" "Do you ever sit at night, Mickey, and stare at the stars?" "Yeah." "My mama says that God's promises are kinda like the stars-- the darker the night, the brighter they shine." "I like that." "When I was a little girl, my dad and me, we used to sit and stare at the stars for hours." "I can name them all." "Andromeda, Orion, the Big Dipper." "Huh." "I like you, Mickey." "I don't know what Lefty's up to." "He's never told me to be nice to someone before." "Just wait here." "I'll go get him." "I won't move a muscle." "[Insects chirruping]" "[Rustling]" "No more heat from you, farm boy!" "Say good-bye to your arm!" "MURPH:" "What do you mean, he's missing?" "!" "How does that happen, Pee Wee?" "I feel terrible, Coach, I know I let you down." "You let me down?" "What about Mickey?" "Did you even look for him?" "All night." "I haven't slept." "All right, everybody, bring it in!" "Bring it in, guys!" "If anybody knows anything about what happened to Mickey last night, now's the time to step up." "The Sheriff has been notified, and I promise you he will not ask as nicely as I am right now." "Do you guys understand how serious this is?" "Pee Wee, how did this happen?" "I was partying, Mickey was having a good time." "Lefty promised he'd take care of him." "Sauce was having a good time, all right?" "Yeah, he met a girl." "I thought, "Hey, why squash?"" "So, what, you let him leave with that girl?" "Look, Skip, I was looking for him, I couldn't find him." "Are you sure you don't have anything to do with this?" "The party, the Mr. Nice Guy routine?" "What are you saying?" "Everyone here knows you're threatened by Mickey." "How does it feel to be second fiddle?" "All right, guys, enough!" "Okay?" "We're a team!" "Don't forget that, let's start acting like it." "No practice today!" "You guys find Mickey!" "You sold out Mickey and you sold out this team!" "MAN:" "Come on, let's go." "It's not my job to baby-sit!" "You gotta be kidding me!" "What do you mean he's missing?" "He went out with the guys last night." "Things got a little out of hand." "He disappeared from the party." "And nobody was watching out for him." "Where were you?" "The team wanted to celebrate." "They don't want me hanging around with them." "And Mickey's part of the team." "I don't know what I was thinking." "You find that boy, Arthur, or you'll find yourself back in A-ball eating your dinner from a paper plate!" "Okay, Ralph, thank you." "Let me know if you hear anything." "Okay." "Mr. Murphy." "I'm Sheriff Billings." "Do you have news about Mickey?" "I've got more than news." "Mickey!" "What happened to you?" "My head hurts." "Here, come on, sit down." "Found him wandering on a road on the west side of town." "Took a pretty good beating last night." "That's a heck of a bump." "Here, here, have some water." "Who did this to you, Mickey?" "Home." "Li--Lights out." "He hasn't been making a whole lot of sense." "MURPH:" "Drink up." "Mickey has Asperger's syndrome." "It's a form of autism." "Autism shmautism." "Sure wouldn't know anything's up when he's on that mound." "I've seen him pitch a few games." "He's got a gift, this one." "Doesn't look like he'll play ball for a while though." "I'll try to get some more information out of him when he starts feeling a little better." "You guys are going to follow up on this, right?" "Assault ain't taken lightly around here." "I'll need to talk to some of your players." "Yeah." "They'll cooperate 100 percent." "I guarantee that." "You let me know if he comes up with anything." "Thank you, Sheriff." "All right." "You okay, Mickey?" "I'm sorry." "Let's get you, uh-- Let's get you cleaned up, okay?" "I'll never let anything like this happen to you ever again." "Home." "Lights out." "Okay." "Welcome home, Mickey." "This isn't my home." "Well, I know, it's my home, but... you're going to be staying with me for a little while, okay?" "Okay." "Yeah." "This is it." "It's not much, but, well, it's" "You'll be safe here." "Thanks for letting me stay with you, Mr. Murphy." "I should have done it from the beginning." "I'm really sorry I wasn't there for you, Mick." "Uh, it's okay." "You'll be staying in this room." "This was my son's room." "He played baseball." "Yeah." "He would've been pretty good, too." "Uh, you should be comfortable here." "If you need to use the restroom, it's right through this door." "We have this book." "My mama reads it to me." "I haven't picked that up in a little while." "You can just put it on the shelf there, if you want." "I'll keep it close, if that's okay." "Whatever feels right, Mick." "And right now that should be rest." "Okay, I'll see you in the morning." "Good night, Mr. Murphy." "Good night, son." "MURPH:" "The doctor said you have a mild concussion." "How do you feel?" "Still sore, but the medicine helps." "We're going to have to keep you out of action for a few weeks." "I talked to your mom." "What about my dad?" "Well, your mom said that she'd take care of that, as long as you're doing okay." "She really supports you, Mick." "So does your father." "Is she feeding Oscar?" "I'm sure the little guy is well taken care of." "What I want to know, Mick, is, do you want to go home for a little while?" "Forget about all this baseball stuff?" "'Cause if you do" "But who's gonna keep the scorecards?" "We could find somebody else to do that." "I mean, of course, we'd miss you." "I just want to make sure you're comfortable." "But I like being on the team." "Okay." "You'll be our resident statistician and scorekeeper." "At least until you come back and you're ready to pitch again." "Sure you're okay with that?" "I'm sure." "I'm sure." "Okay." "Do you remember anything from that night, anything at all?" "'Cause you tell me and I'll tell the sheriff." "Home." "Lights out." "Home." "Lights out." "Okay." "[Crowd cheering and chattering]" "Strike!" "Whoo!" "[Women giggling and chatting]" "Laney?" "I haven't seen you in such a long time." "Well, well, I'd like to think this is a good sign, you calling on me here." "I feel terrible about something I did." "Would you like a glass of water?" "No, thank you." "Tell me what happened." "I helped some people hurt an innocent man." "But I didn't know anything bad was going to happen until it was too late." "As long as jealousy and self-ambition exist, people will act without regard for God." "How do I make this right?" "The Bible tells us, "God is faithful," ""and He will not tempt you beyond your ability." ""but He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."" "What does that mean exactly?" "Uh..." "If you have information, you must do the right thing." "Do you think you can do that, Laney?" "Yes." "Yes." "I can, Pastor." "[Breathes deeply]" "[Line ringing]" "[Quiet chatter]" "Hey, did you see this?" "You guys see this?" "What's going on?" "What's up?" "I mean, we shut them down yesterday." "MURPH:" "George, can I see you for a minute?" "You should read that." "What's up, Skipper?" "Someone wants to talk to you." "Have a seat, Mr. Rogers." "Or should I call you Lefty?" "Doesn't matter." "What's this all about?" "I want to get your version of what happened the night of Mickey's assault." "I don't know anything more than what you've already been told." "Your teammates say you were the last one to see Mickey." "Is that right?" "Could be." "And he left the party with a young lady?" "LEFTY:" "Mm-hm." "What time was that?" "Um, kinda hard to say." "Maybe... around 11:00, maybe?" "Any sign of trouble?" "A quarrel perhaps, maybe some kind of misunderstanding?" "No." "Not that I'm aware of." "The girl." "You ever see her before?" "Yeah, I seen her around the ballpark a few times." "Saw a game the other day." "Pretty impressive." "Thanks." "Must be pretty hard for you guys lately, what with Mickey being on the shelf and all." "It's a shame, you know." "It hurts the whole team, but we're doing okay." "Well, I'm willing to bet, with a pitching performance like that, and all those people yelling your name and everyone taking your picture, that goes a long way to curing the hurt." "What exactly do you want from me, Sheriff?" "Just asking a few questions." "Well, you asked a few questions," "I answered a few questions, and I got a game to prepare for, so... you know, if we're done here I'm gonna suit up." "Not so fast, Rogers." "I got a warrant for your arrest as the primary suspect in the Tussler assault case." "But I told you I didn't do anything." "I got a witness says you're guilty." "A witness." "Who?" "You have a right to remain silent." "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." "Skip?" "It's out of my hands, George." "Let's go." "MAN:" "Oh, man." "[Players muttering]" "MAN:" "The guy's getting busted?" "It's going to be all right, Mickey." "MURPH:" "Okay, get ready, guys, we got a game, let's go." "Now, this whole thing can go down easy, or hard." "You tell me the truth, I'll do what I can on the easy side." "It's the last chance to help you, son." "They told me they were friends of Mickey, all right?" "So I thought they knew him." "And who's "they"?" "I don't know, a couple of guys." "Came up to me at the party." "Never saw them before." "Said they wanted to surprise Mickey." "Pretty thin stuff here." "Gonna be hard to go easy on you." "Unless you got something I can use." "Look, I'm telling you." "I didn't know what they had planned." "If I knew they were going to hurt Mickey" "I never would have done it." "We got a young lady on record saying you asked her to get Mickey alone, away from the party so you could set him up." "Who?" "Nice girl named Laney Juris." "Ring any bells?" "That ain't true!" "So--So, what?" "I don't call her back a couple of times and she lies about me to the police?" "You two have a history?" "Yeah, we went out a few times." "What it looks like to me, Mr. Rogers, is that this country boy blew into town and became a thorn in your side." "He stole your thunder, then you used this poor girl to get rid of him so you could be the star again." "And it almost worked, too." "Except your girlfriend couldn't keep her mouth shut." "Probably a jury's going to feel sorry for her, she'll walk." "If you keep playing it the hard way, you could be looking at jail time." "Look, I'm innocent, Sheriff." "It wasn't me." "Of course it wasn't." "Never is." "I can't believe Lefty would do that to Mickey." "Terrible." "Whatever happened to sportsmanship, team spirit?" "Three games left and I've lost my two top pitchers." "There's this kid out at Toledo" "No." "No more recruiting trips." "It worked well enough last time." "That was a miracle." "Well, make it happen again, Murph." "Get your boy back, or get someone else." "I'm trying." "I'm working with the kid, but he's got no control." "It's like he forgot how to pitch." "It's a little late in the season to be starting from scratch." "That's it!" "That is it." "Thank you!" "Murph." "Murph!" "Where did all these apples come from?" "I got them for you, Mick." "You know, I think there's too many." "I can't do it." "I've seen you throw twice as many on the farm." "No, to eat." "There's too many to eat." "You have been hanging around Pee Wee too long." "No, Mick, I just want you to take these apples and toss them into the crate." "Just like you used to back on the farm." "Is Oscar here?" "Oscar's not here, but... maybe this will ring a bell." "Oscar!" "Do you think I could keep this?" "Yeah, that's for you." "Absolutely, keep that." "Thank you." "All right, now just imagine we're on the farm," "Oscar's hanging out, and you're going to feed the animals." "Throw a few apples right into the barrel." "Just go ahead, give it a shot." "All right!" "Hey, Mick!" "I don't think I can do it." "No." "You can do it, just relax." "It's a beautiful day on the farm and the animals are hungry, that's it." "Okay." "All right, you're getting there, Mick." "You're getting there!" "Okay?" "There you go." "Try it again." "You're doing better." "Just nice and relaxed." "Relax, bud!" "Oh, ho!" "[Laughs]" "I think I just gave up a homer!" "All right!" "Now... you just feed the animals." "I'm going to step up to bat." "Don't worry about me at all." "Go ahead, put 'em in there!" "Wow!" "Ohh!" "Come on, then, what you got?" "That is beautiful!" "Mick, that is fantastic!" "How do you feel?" "!" "I feel pretty good, Mr. Murphy." "You feel good enough maybe to start Saturday's game, the championship game against the Bullets?" "I think you can." "I mean--Yeah, I mean, I think I could." "I know you can, Mick." "Well, then, I know I can, too." "All right." "You want to throw a couple more?" "!" "Yeah, let's throw a few more!" "All right!" "[Laughing] So, Oscar can only kill Artemis." "Artemis..." "Oh, that's right, that's his name." "The demon pig." "[Both laugh]" "[Crowd chattering and clapping]" "MOLLY:" "I tried to stop him, but his mind's already made up." "MURPH:" "But why?" "CLARENCE:" "He already got hurt once." "I don't think so, Mr. Murphy." "MURPH:" "He's right over here." "Mickey, some visitors are here to see you." "Mom, Dad." "You're here to watch me pitch today?" "Get your stuff, Mickey." "We're leaving." "I missed you so much." "How are you feeling?" "All better." "I already told you, boy." "We're going home." "So, let's go." "He has worked so hard for this!" "He can handle this." "Right, Mick?" "Mick?" "You see what I mean?" "Not in front of all those people." "Not my boy." "Why don't you try supporting your son, instead of doubting him all the time?" "What is that supposed to mean?" "Any father would be thrilled to watch their son pitch in the big game." "He is mentally disabled, sir." "Out of touch with reality." "And he don't belong here." "He belongs at home where he'll be safe and away from trouble." "I respectfully disagree." "I think Mickey needs this team and I know we need Mickey." "I know exactly what Mickey needs." "I'll be outside." "And this place smells worse than my barn." "MAN:" "Is he going to play?" "MAN:" "Is he going to play?" "2nd MAN:" "I don't know, man." "This is so unfair to Mickey, it's so wrong." "He's pretty stubborn when he gets an idea in his head." "And he definitely doesn't like to be spoken to like that." "Can't you see how important this is to your son?" "Look!" "I had no idea." "Clarence, there's something I want you to see." "What is it now, Molly?" "That's my picture." "That's right, Mickey." "And we're so proud of you." "Please, Clarence." "Let him play." "I'm afraid for him, Molly." "You've never given him a chance." "From what Mr. Murphy says, Mickey is talented." "And if he loses, so what?" "At least we gave him the opportunity." "Failure is never an opportunity." "MOLLY:" "This is Mickey's life." "We have to let him find his own path." "Just because he didn't turn out the way you expected, he's still our son." "Your son, Clarence Tussler, has a chance to make something of himself." "Mickey, is this what you want?" "Yes." "Well, your--your mom's never wrong." "Well, then, I--I guess you got a game to pitch." "[Molly laughs]" "Thank you, Dad." "Okay, son." "You go get 'em." "All right, fellas, bring it in." "This whole season comes down to one game." "One game... and we'll be in the playoffs." "I'm sure you've all heard by now that..." "Lefty's going to be pitching for the Bullets today." "It's inexcusable, he shouldn't be out there, but it's our chance to show them that we are the better team, both on and off the field." "Yeah!" "A rat never treats another rat like a rat!" "Unless it's Lefty who's even a bigger rat... than he was when he was a rat." "[Laughter]" "Yeah." "All right, well, the good news is this" "Mickey, our boy wonder, is back and he's full of fire." "Isn't that right, Mick?" "Fast ball at 92.75 miles per hour." "67.75 miles per hour faster than a school zone." "27.75 miles per hour faster than freeway speed." "That's right, exactly." "[Men chuckling]" "All right, look, guys, nobody gave us a chance to be here this year, but through great teamwork here we are." "Now, get past any baggage that you may have about Lefty." "Every single pitch that he throws today is going to have a grudge on it." "Don't fall for it." "Stay in our game." "A team is only as strong as its weakest link." "And the Good Lord has found a way to put our weakest link on the other team." "Now if that is not a sign, I don't know what is." "PLAYERS:" "Yeah!" "So let's not let Him down." "Everybody take a knee." "Dear Lord..." "God bless our team, give us the strength to perform to the best of our abilities." "Keep our team and our opponents free from injury." "May our fair actions and sportsmanlike conduct bless us with a well-deserved victory." "Amen." "PLAYERS:" "Amen." "Amen." "MAN:" "All right, Mick, good job." "All right, everybody, hands in." "Rats on three." "One, two, three..." "ALL:" "Rats!" "[Crowd cheering]" "Looks pretty comfortable up on that mound, sir." "Mr. Tussler, I'd like to apologize for before." "I shouldn't have questioned you in front of your son." "At least we agree on something." "Yes, sir." "Thank you for reconsidering." "Are you gonna stand there yapping, or play some baseball?" "[Laughs] Yes, sir." "[¶ Organ playing]" "Really outdone yourself this time, Chip." "Well, buy an arm like that for bail money, that's chump change well spent." "Don't forget that arm is attached to damaged goods-- comes with consequences." "Yeah, always does with you." "Baseball is our game, Chip." "We don't purposely hurt our own." "Especially a kid like Mickey." "I don't know what you're talking about." "I'll pray for you, Chip." "Save your breath, Murph, you'll live longer." "Both save your breath, you'll live longer." "One more thing, Chip." "Yeah, what's that?" "I forgive you." "[Crowd shouting]" "WOMAN:" "Go, Rats!" "Come on, Mickey!" "You enjoying your seats?" "Very much." "One more thing." "Stay away from the nachos." "Please." "The cheese sauce?" "World's greatest mystery." "All right?" "Thank you, Pee Wee." "MAN:" "That kid's got a great arm." "What's a nachos?" "[¶ Organ playing The Star-Spangled Banner]" "[Crowd cheering]" "ANNOUNCER:" "Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to your Clayton River Rats!" "[Cheering and shouting]" "The winner of today's game will be the division champions and advance to the playoffs." "Fargo's starting pitcher is Lefty Rogers, and for our Clayton River Rats, Mickey Tussler." "[Cheering and applause]" "[People in crowd calling out]" "CROWD:" "Ohhh!" "[Cheering]" "[¶ Rock music]" "[Crowd groaning]" "[Cheering]" "Whew." "Mick, she's all yours." "Finish the job, son." "Okay, but, one more thing." "Yeah, I know, you're not my son." "No, I'm not, 'cause your son's right up there looking down on us." "All right, Mick, let's go!" "Let's go, Rats!" "ANNOUNCER: 3-2." "Rats ahead by one run here in the top of the ninth." "And what a game it's been." "Don't forget, ninth-inning two-for-one special on rat dogs." "Leading out for the Fargo Bullets, Lefty Rogers." "Strike!" "[Crowd cheering]" "Strike!" "[Crowd cheering]" "Foul ball, down the third base line." "The count is 0 and 2 on Lefty Rogers." "Strike!" "[Crowd cheering]" "I love you, Mickey!" "Lefty!" "I love you, Lefty!" "MAN:" "That's what I'm talkin' about!" "Batting for Fargo, number 7, Splints LaRue." "[Crowd exclaiming]" "[Cheering] Pee Wee McGinty makes the catch for the second out." "And the Rats are one out away from winning the division championship." "Now pinch-hitting for Fargo, number 9, Rocco Hightower." "Hightower holds this season's RBI record and is leading the league with 53 home runs." "[Crowd booing]" "MAN:" "You got this, you got this!" "Time, time." "UMPIRE:" "Time!" "And the Rats have called time-out." "MURPH:" "What's going on?" "BOXCAR:" "Hey, rules is rules, right?" "Yeah, so, I couldn't help but notice that Rocco here has something painted on his gloves." "And believe me, I know what that means." "They're batting gloves." "Hey, gloves are gloves." "Yeah, and rules are rules, right, Blue?" "Afraid Murph's right, Chip." "That's a decision" "This is a pile of-- Lose the gloves, Rocco!" "Let's win this thing and show everybody who the losers really are." "Get rid of the gloves." "ROCCO:" "Ridiculous!" "And it looks like this game is finally under way here in the top of the ninth." "Time!" "Time!" "Hold on." "The Rats have called another time-out on the field." "Mick." "Hey, hey, whoa." "You okay?" "That--That's him." "That's the one who hurt me!" "What are you talking about?" "Home run." "Lights out." "Home run, lights out?" "Rocco Hightower?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "'Cause--Oh." "Are you absolutely positive, Mickey?" "Yes, yes." "This is bigger than baseball." "I'm going to call this right here, this ends right now." "This game's over!" "No!" "No." "I need to finish this." "For--For you, for the team... for--for everybody." "And for me." "Are you sure about this, Mick?" "Yes." "Yes." "Yes." "All right, buddy, okay." "And once again the game is under way." "[Cheering]" "MAN:" "Strike this bum out, let's go!" "UMPIRE:" "Play ball!" "Strike!" "[Cheering]" "Your boy's gonna give one up." "When he does, I'm gonna be all over it." "Strike!" "I know when they took my glove away," "I had a real bad day." "I'm just saying." "I love you, Mickey!" "ROCCO: [Echoing] No more heat from you, farm boy!" "Say good-bye to your arm!" "MURPH: [Echoing] The knuckle ball is the hardest pitch to hit because not even the pitcher knows where it's going." "Trust your ability and let the ball do the rest." "Strike!" "[Cheering]" "ANNOUNCER:" "Looks like our Rats are on their way to the playoffs." "Yeah!" "Go, Rats!" "Wow!" "Yes!" "Amazing!" "[Players cheering and shouting]" "[Grunting]" "We've got those two." "CLARENCE:" "Great game, son." "I'm sorry, Mickey, I-- I haven't been fair to you." "You know, seeing you out here, on this field in that uniform, part of the team, well... it made me realize how wrong I was." "I was never any good at anything, Mickey, so I never believed that you could succeed either." "You are my son, and you are a remarkable young man." "Please forgive me." "I know I can be a good father." "You already are." "I love you, Mickey." "Love you, too." "Now you get out there with your team." "[Players whooping]" "[Crowd cheering]" "Strike!" "So, how am I doing?" "Not bad, Dad." "Just be ready for that knuckle ball." "You got no idea where it's going 'cause it's got no idea where it's going." "But if you believe and just hold out your hand, it'll surprise you every time." "[¶ George Canyon:" "Sunshine]" "¶ I believe in life, love" "¶ And true pursuit of happiness ¶" "¶ No one's gonna tell me that a smile's ever meaningless ¶" "¶ I find a drop of hope when the rain falls down ¶" "¶ Even when the clouds are insisting on sticking around ¶" "¶ I believe in holding on tight to your innocence ¶" "¶ Taking leaps of faith when it doesn't even make sense ¶" "¶ Don't want to be a tear on a circus clown ¶" "¶ I wanna laugh like a kid on a playground ¶" "¶ Baby, come on, let's go for a ride ¶" "¶ I know a road that'll change your mind ¶" "¶ Look what it's done to this heart of mine ¶" "¶ I'm an absolute, dedicated follower of sunshine ¶" "¶ I used to be a slave to the ways of-- ¶"