"I applied for assistant coach here but you sort've wouldn't even give me an interview." "You're the girls' volleyball coach." "Yeah, but I just had a good meeting with Coach Van Scoyoc at Norway High." " Norway?" " Yes, sir." "And since this is my last year here, I'm taking a job in St. Louis..." "So, you want to go coach baseball at another high school for the two months that you have left?" "Assistant coach." "Don't you think that's a pretty unusual request, Mr. Stock?" "Yeah." "But it's Norway." "All right." "Go ahead." "Hey, Kent." "Coach, I thought this was just supposed to be a practice." "It is." "Wow." " Did you bring that stopwatch, like I asked?" " Yeah." "What's that for?" "Well, I just thought I'd take some notes." " Here you go, Coach." " Thanks, Big-O." "We're gonna take infield now, just like before a real game." "I want you to watch carefully and I want you to time it." "Time the infield, check." "All right, let's go, infield!" "Now." "Bring it on." "Come on, now, Brent." "Go wide!" "One on the end." "Bring it in, boys!" " Under nine minutes, wasn't it?" " 8:24." "Always keep it under nine." "Always take it first if you can." "What else did you notice?" "Well..." " Here you go, Coach." " Thanks." "It was perfect." "You took something off those ground balls, but..." "Why?" "Because the other team is watching." "We make it look nice and easy, and we're already in their heads." " You got it?" " Yeah." "Outfielders, let's go!" "The Norway Tigers have spent the last three days wondering if the rains would ever let up." "They finally did today, allowing the Tigers a rock solid start toward a second straight state title." "They pounced quickly, did the Tigers, as Jim Van Scoyoc, their manager, watches." "Kevin Stewart slapped a double down the line." "Here comes Steve Meyers, he'll score easily." "West Bend couldn't get out of the third inning as Norway's..." "Vries allowed two hits in the first and collared the Bulldogs the rest of the way." "Norway hasn't given up a run in the playoffs and the senior hurler tossed a shutout on just 43 pitches." "The Tigers move to the 1A Finals, winning it in five." "Well, today's victory puts the Tigers in the championship game for the ninth time in the last 10 years." "We ain't the biggest, or the fastest or even sometimes the best, but no one's got the fundamentals down better than our boys." "Every little league coach within 50 miles of here is an ex-Norway player." "It's like having our own minor league feeder system." "Norway baseball tradition is as rich as Iowa soil." "We grow ball players here like corn." "Hell, 80% of this game is defense." "The most important thing to understand is these boys take a great deal of pride in knowing how to beat you." "It's how they get remembered." "And that's how we're gonna win State." "Coming to you live from Colonel Stadium, this is KZIA-Z 102.9, the voice of Iowa baseball." "North Tama with the rally going." "Looking to upset the Norway Tigers and deny them their 19th state title." "Long drive to right center!" "Time, blue!" "And out comes legendary coach Jim Van Scoyoc to talk to his senior pitcher, Brent Fitz, who definitely looks to be tiring." "How you feeling, Brent?" "I'm good." "That was a lucky hit." "I'll keep it down." "Well, the thing is Kimmel's on deck." "He already owns you, so we need to get this next batter out." "Don't you bullshit me, now." "I'll get him, Coach." "All right, this kid's a dead-pull hitter." "Off-speed, low and away, he's gonna pull a grounder to short." "Now, you tighten your belt and let's get him." " Come on, buddy, get him now!" " Let's get it going!" "One more!" "One more!" "Here we go, Brent!" "You're all right, kid!" "Come on now!" "There's a drive!" "Deep left field!" "Fitz going back!" "It is a foul ball!" "Oh, my." "Six inches to the right and Tama's got the lead!" "Fitz is clearly on the ropes, all of his pitches are up in the wheelhouse." "Come on, Fitz!" "Let's go, baby, let's go now!" "Let's get this guy!" "Just like we talked about!" "You know how!" "Ground ball to short." "Out!" "And the Norway Tigers are the State 1A Baseball Champions for the 19th time!" " That last pitch, how'd you know?" " I scouted the hitter." " When?" " In my spare time." " Coach, you don't have any spare time." " I made some." "They deserve it." "So the Norway Tigers win their 19th State Championship and their 12th under Jim Van Scoyoc." "From a town with a population of just 586, a high school with only 101 students, these players grew up watching their older brothers, relatives and friends win state titles." "Finally, it's their turn in the sun." "We are honored and proud to present this trophy to Norway High School and to all the people of Norway that have supported us through thick and thin." " Yeah!" " Yeah!" "Mostly thick!" "Let's do it again next year and make it an even 20!" " Yeah!" " Yeah!" "Matthew, we did it again, didn't we?" "Do you ever get used to this?" "Oh, we don't take anything for granted around here." "We're so grateful for baseball, and so proud of the boys." "Of course, they don't have to live with Coach Grumpy all through the season." "He speaks very highly of you, by the way." "He does?" " Oh, bye." " There you go." "Is it true Hal Trosky once hit a ball that went all the way out to the railroad track?" "That's what the old timers say." "I mean, that's what, 500 feet?" "Hell, son, that was the longest home run in history." "That ball traveled 200 miles." "See, he hit it out of the park right over there." "It took one bounce on the highway, landed on a freight train that was going by and ended up in Chicago." "Yeah." "Oh, we had a good run, didn't we?" "Thank you for letting me be a part of it." "I learned a lot." "You're a good coach." "Boys like you." "There's a bunch of them coming back next season." "What about this rumor that Norway's gonna close and merge with Madison Community?" "Lt'll never go through." "I can't imagine why anyone would want to destroy something that means so much to these kids." "Yeah." "Kent, Norway is baseball." "Anyway, if I don't get home soon," "Chic's gonna feed my dinner to the dog again." "How about you?" "You eat yet?" "There's always plenty." "No, I'm good." "I'd just like to stay out here for a little while longer." " Couldn't have done it without you, Kent." " Sure, you could." "Well, I wouldn't have wanted to." "I'll see you next season." "We'll go for an even 20." " Coach, I'm not coming back next season." " Oh, that's right." "Yep." "I got a job in St. Louis, whole deal." "See what big city life's about." "That's too bad." "The game could use more people like you." "No, no, everything's right on schedule, sir." "Yeah, the inspection's on Friday." "You're already pre-approved for the loan, so all we need is for the bank to accept the appraisal." "And then it's just a formality." "Right, right." "Well, I'll call you as soon as I hear anything." "Okay?" "Have a great night." "Mitch!" "Mitch!" "Mitch, what are you doing?" "Hey, how many times have I told you not to do that?" "Seven." "Eight, if you include right now." "What do I win?" "You think it's funny?" "After what those things did to your mother's health?" "Dad, I can't stay in there and listen to your real estate B.S. 24-7, okay?" "I'm getting some air." "Well, my real estate B.S. Is what pays all the bills around here." "One of these days you're gonna have to make a living yourself." "Okay, when I work, I'm gonna work to live, not live to work." "Okay?" "You think I like working all the time?" "Mom sure thought so." "Hey, like mother like son, right?" "You know what?" "Why don't you go pack a bag?" " What for?" " You'll find out when we get there." "Okay." "Why don't you pack two?" ""What do I win?"" "The way I see it, it's a win-win proposition." "Madison's all for it." " What about the baseball team?" " Oh, I cannot wait to hear this!" "Bigger opportunity because of a larger school system." "Now that's the part that don't figure, Mr. Makepeace." "If you close Norway High and merge it into Madison, what happens to our baseball players?" "What happens to Coach?" "It's a free market system." "They have to compete like everybody else." "Cream rises to the top." "Didn't you pull your son out of Norway because Coach Van Scoyoc wouldn't let him play baseball and football at the same time?" "Well, now, that's got nothing to do with this." "The school board's responsibility is educational." "Sports programs come secondary." "How do we win here, Harvey?" "Lower taxes." "Plus, kids like your boy, Kevin, get a better opportunity for education." "Norway's got a 16-to-1 studentlteacher ratio and Madison's got 22-to-1." "How's that better?" "We sent two sons and a daughter to this school and they're all on the dean's list in college." "You take away our school, those kids won't be shopping in our store." "We'll lose our business." "And we're not the only ones." "What about our local economy?" "Well, I can't address any issues except the educational ones." "Why the hell not, Harv?" "Millie and Lou's store's been a part of this town for five generations." "There's more at stake here than closing a school." "Nobody said anything about closing the school." "No, not yet you haven't." "You'll get around to it, won't you?" "Well, I mean, even if it does happen, you're all gonna make out like bandits." "The agreement offers all kinds of financial incentives." "Let Miss Hudson here explain this to you." "Yes, the state gives $3,000 to each local school district per student." "Now, Norway would retain a percentage of that allowance without incurring any of the educational expense." "Would someone please translate that into English?" "She said the state is willing to bribe you to the tune of $3,000 a kid for closing down the school." "You really think you can place a value on something like that?" "Well, changes in state budget regulations are favoring the larger districts." "If you don't like the law, I would suggest that you take it up with the legislature." "Well, you know there's no time for that." "Perhaps you're out of your league." "I guess I missed the announcement that Des Moines has made the majors." "Let's just be fair here." "The state has its job to do but you still all have a right to be heard." "Matthew?" "Harvey's right." "Anyone who opposes this merger can file a petition for a feasibility study." "But it'll take 20% of the eligible voters' signatures." "How about your signature, Matthew?" "You gonna sign it so your boys can keep playing for Norway?" "I didn't think so." "I'm done talking to these people." "I'm not." "I want to hear more about that petition." "I'll walk home." "Good night." "You don't really believe all that numbers crap, do you?" "Yes, I do." "The State's helped over 100 school districts with similar agreements." "And how many of them have 19 state baseball championships under their belt?" "Is that what this is all about?" "This team beats the biggest schools in the state year after year." "At baseball." "But what about at life?" "They'll have better opportunities in the real world if they have more resources at school." "You don't get it, do you?" "Kids in small towns like Norway, they have something special." "If they want to play baseball, join the band, run for student council, they just do it." "Nobody gets left out." "Everyone participates." "And you cannot tell me it's like that in all the big schools." "Don't tell me how to do my job." "I'm not." "Maybe you could get a different job." "How long do I gotta stay for?" "You're enrolled in the high school tomorrow." "Mom, Dad, listen, got no cell service or I would've called." " Great." " But listen, I'll explain everything." " Let me look at it." "Wait." "Wait for it." " Come on." "First team All-State." "How are we gonna keep you down on the farm now?" " Come on, man." " Look at this guy." "Oh, you guys are gonna kill them again next season." " Yeah." " Thanks." " But playing for who, Madison?" " Does it matter?" "I'm not playing for Madison." "No way." "I can't imagine playing for anyone..." " Hey, guys, guys, guys, guys." " Hey, look at this kid." " Camels." " ID?" "I left it in my Jag." "You better go get it." "Are you kidding?" "Denied." "Did you see that Johnny Rambo jacket?" "What are you looking at?" " Camels." " ID?" "I left it in my tractor." "Steve, your perspective is off on this." "Get your trigger on there, get a good finish, it'll be all right." "Look who it is." "You're late." "I'm talking to you, son." "I'm new, so cut me some slack." "I just did." "I know your dad." "Sunglasses back, please." " We don't do late around here." " Whatever." "You're late again, I'll flunk you." "Why don't you take a seat over there?" "Right in the back of the class." "Don't cry." "What's wrong with that kid?" "Dennis, Dennis, can you hear me?" "Dennis, stay..." "Can you hear me now?" " Hold on..." " Dear Father..." "No, it's not my phone." "I'm in Bum-fart, Iowa." "...thank you for the food..." " Dennis, I need you to take care of this." "...and for your wonderful bounty." " Hold on, hold on, hold on." "Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, I'll get it." "Stay." " It has to happen by tomorrow." " Amen!" " Dennis, can you hear me?" " Amen." "Amen." "What's wrong with the phone on the wall?" "It's a rotary." "Dad, this is technology." "It makes my life a lot easier." "What did you think of Coach Van Scoyoc, Mitch?" "Van Nazi's more like it." "I don't see what the big freaking whoop about him is." "He's a farmer." "That "farmer" was my coach, too." "Not to mention the national coach of the year." "You might try listening to him." "You might actually learn something." " Something important." " Supposed to learn that stuff from you." "Sorry, Mom." "You didn't find anything funny in that, did you, Mitch?" "No." "Maybe you wanna throw a little "ma'am" in after that." "No, ma'am." "Don't you have something to do?" " She made you come out here, didn't she?" " Shut up." " I don't know what I'm doing wrong, Dad." " You were a bit rowdy in your day, too." "That was a long time ago." " When I got you out of jail?" " One time." "You were naked." " It was called streaking, Dad." " In an old age home?" "It's pretty innocent compared to what Mitch is getting into." "I just thought that bringing him here would be good for both of us." "Then why are you leaving?" "Because, Dad, I'm not a small town guy." "You know that." "I'm more big city." "How's that working out for you?" "Well, I can't run my business from here, so I don't know what else to do." " Sorry I have to dump him on you like this." " Well, nothing we can do about that now." "Jared!" "We'll look after him." "Jim, you and I basically want the same thing." "How do you figure that, Harvey?" "Well, you want what's best for the town, so do I." "Sometimes you just have to ride the horse in the direction in which it's going." "Harvey, I get the uncomfortable feeling you're trying to put something where I don't want it put." "Okay, here's the deal." "I let you finish out that contract of yours, which takes you to the end of June." "Then I transition you to Madison to the industrial arts position, which, mind you, currently doesn't exist." "And my team?" "Oh, your boys get to play one last season of Norway baseball, but without you, without the "save our school" petition your wife is circulating, and without your big mouth." "I think that just might go a long way toward making the transition to Madison easier for this town to understand." "If anybody asks me something, I tell them exactly what I think." "You know, you tell the truth, Harvey, you don't have to remember what you said." " Are we done here?" " Looks like." "You have no idea what you're trying to kill." " Thanks very much." " Thank you." " Hey, Kent." " Coach." "I didn't realize your truck could make it this far." "Hey, don't badmouth my truck." " What's up?" " Oh, nothing." "I..." "Just thought I'd stop by and see if you still had that little notebook of yours." "You drove 250 miles just to ask me that?" "Well, I thought you might be interested in what's been going on up in Norway." "See, they're not gonna let me coach anymore." "They're killing baseball." "There's a big town meeting next month." "You might want to be there." "Now, we ain't the biggest or the fastest..." "Norway baseball tradition..." "We grow ball players here..." "80% of this game is defense..." "Anyway, think about it, will you?" "You know, those old timers say that baseball's the only game on earth where the object is to get home, Kent." "Mitch, company!" "Mitch, Patrick and Richie here want to play catch with you." " Catch?" " Yeah, okay." " Richie?" " Patrick." "Patrick." "Richie." " Richie." " I don't play baseball." "Try this on for size, Mr. "I Don't Play Baseball."" "He was an all-star, straight up through Colt League." "He used to send me pictures." "Go on, get out of here." "Play some ball." " You should come out for the team." " Not with that dictator." "Man, Van Scoyoc's a great coach." "Yeah, I heard like a billion times." " You wanna see me pitch?" " Knock yourself out, kid." " You got a live one there, don't you?" " Is that as hard as you can throw?" "No." " How old are you?" " Fourteen." "Fourteen?" "You should try out for the softball team." "You'd give them hell." "Who do I..." "Who do I see about getting weed around here?" " Go get the ball, Richie." " There's some ditch weed right by the barn." " Get the ball, Richie." " It grows wild around here." "Get the damn ball, Richie!" "Okay." "I don't want you talking about that stuff in front of my kid brother, okay?" " What's the big deal?" " 'Cause we don't do that crap around here and I don't want Richie getting any ideas, all right?" "You got it?" "Listen, you stupid hick, nobody asked you to come around here and play ball with me." "Yeah, they did." "Come on, Richie." " Richie, come on!" " See you, Mitch." "I know some of you are concerned about Norway losing its identity, especially when it comes to our sports teams." "So it's been decided that, for one year, our scores will be reported "MadisonlNorway."" " What?" " What?" " B.S." " Yeah." "A Norway student's never gonna be able to participate in Madison." "Not with farm chores before and after school and a 20-mile drive to and from." " Yeah." " That's right." "The Madison baseball coach is never gonna start a Norway player." "Not even a good one." "Do you realize how much shit he'd catch for that?" "Yeah." "And how about the average player?" "He's got no chance." "So you tell me again about all this opportunity you keep pitching us?" "So what exactly you telling us, Harvey?" "You saying this is a done deal?" "Yes, I am." "What?" "Wait." "We have almost 400 signatures." "That's 90% of the electorate!" "90%!" "Right here." "Right here." "Four hundred." "Four hundred, Harvey." "Well, thank you for that, Chic." "That represents a lot of hard work on your part." "We've got the signatures." "The merger is postponed." "Yes!" "Yes!" "Yes!" "Sam?" "You had 30 days to file this with the State Board." "We're the School Board, Chic." "I'm sorry." " What?" " What the hell?" "You didn't tell us that last time." "Did you just forget?" "Or did you conveniently leave that part out?" "Do something, Pop." "I'm afraid Sam is technically right." "The petition is invalid." "Let's go, boys." "Just so everyone understands, you all are going to go into a closed session with the Madison School Board and vote against the wishes of this entire community based on a minor legal technicality?" "It is the duty of this board to represent the best interests of this community as we understand it." "Does that seem fair to you, Miss Hudson?" "It's the state's position that small schools are a financial burden and aims to consolidate as many of them as possible." "Wow." "Excuse me." "Mr. Stock?" "Can I talk to you?" "You did your talking in there." " Listen, I'm not the enemy here." " Then who are you?" "I'm someone doing my job." "Now listen, I know that this is a lot of change all at once but you need to look at the bigger picture." "This is what is best for this town and what's best for this school." "This school is all the town has." "Have you even been to the other small towns that have had their schools ripped out from under them?" "No." "Then how can you say it'll be better for us when you haven't gone back and checked for yourself?" " I guess that's not part of your job, is it?" " No, it isn't." "I'm afraid you don't know what you're talking about." "I challenge you." "Go back to those towns and have a look for yourself." " It's not her fault, you know?" " I know." "Some of it is." " Can I take out the truck?" " "May I"..." " Where do you want to go?" " I don't know." "I'm just bored." "Well, when you have someplace to go, let me know, I'll drive you." "What's he so upset about?" "Can't seem to get past the fact that life isn't always fair." "He took the truck." "Life's gonna get more unfair." "I'll pay you later!" "How you doing?" " Loving life." " Really?" "Because I heard you were bored." "Get out of the truck." "Keys?" "Let's go see what your grandpa has to say about this." "When you're done with that, grind the feed, feed the pork chops." "Cycle of life." "In one end and out the other." " I don't think I'm bored anymore." " Sure you still are." "Trust me." "He's got a big mouth." "I warned him." "You know what?" "We don't bring him back for the rest of the season." "So you're going to cancel the season?" "What, and let them go out as martyrs?" "Without Van Scoyoc coaching them, they go out as losers." "The sooner this Norway baseball tradition ends, the sooner we get the merger behind us." "What do you know about this Stock guy, the assistant?" "He's from Belle Plaine." "He filled in half of last year when Van Scoyoc's guy moved on." "He coach ball at Belle Plaine?" "Volleyball." "Excellent." "He's got a big mouth, but he'll do." "Grandpa's got me working hard, pretty hard." "Well, you could maybe take some of the heat off if you found yourself something to do besides stealing trucks and smoking cigarettes." "Get yourself a hobby." "Or something." "You know, anything." "Where is Grandpa?" "He's down there." "Smoking a cigar." "Still thinks I don't know." "Don't tell your grandma, you know, she thinks I gave them up." "I hate it here." "I want to go back home." "You know, I had this sergeant at Fort Bragg and he said something to me once, stuck with me." ""Even the easy things are tough if you do them half-heartedly."" "He actually said "half-assed," I'm just cleaning it up a little." ""I hate this, I hate that, I'm so bored," you know." "Stop whining." "You're just making things tough, you know." "Put your heart in something." "Hey!" "I know it's been tough on you guys since your mom passed." "It's all right." "It's okay." "You're supposed to feel this way, you know." "Your grandma thinks that you need a hobby." "Something you can put your heart in, you know." "Not this here." " What kind of hobby?" " Well, son, she said that you'd figure it out." "You know, she's a smart woman." "Why I snatched her up." " She told you to come out here, didn't she?" " No." "Shut up." "Come on." "Okay, she did." "Coming!" "Hang on a sec." " Hi." " Hi." "I'm going to go check on some of those other small towns." "You are?" "No one will care that Norway's been closed." "Those kids will be better off." "You don't really understand all that much about small town America, do you?" " I'm from Des Moines." " Yeah." "You had supper yet?" "I told you they were good." "I could eat like three of these things in high school." " So, where did you go to school?" " University of Iowa Law." " Where'd you go to school?" " Luther College." "It's in Decorah." "Division Three school." " So, you didn't grow up here." " No." "What is the big deal with the high school baseball team?" "I don't get it." "Well, here's the thing you have to understand about Norway." "It's like being with the New York Yankees." "I mean, they have a tradition here that's about more than just winning." "It's about playing the game right." "I guess I just want some of that to rub off on me." "Does that make any sense?" "This isn't going to work, you know." " What's not going to work?" " You trying to soften me up." "Well, we'll see." "Here we go, here we go, boy." "Here we go, Billy." "Atta boy, Billy." "Strike him out, strike him out." "Hey, batter, batter, swing!" "Hey, batter, batter, batter, batter!" "Hey, batter, swing!" " That's weak." " Norway game?" "Yeah, a little game called fast rubber." " Yeah?" "Who's next?" " You can go." " Yeah?" " You want to play?" " You don't mind?" " No." "Sure, sure." "Go right in?" "You want it?" "I got the ball." "I'm pitching." "Look out, here he goes." "A little rust." " Get him, Patrick." " All right." "Give me the ball, give me the ball." "All right, here we go." "Too fast for you, too fast?" " You get two more." " Here we go, here we go, boy." "One more." "Let's go." "He held on to it." "Hey, whip some more..." "I got to feel it." " You swing like a girl." " One more." " Come here." " Yeah?" "Not as easy as it looks." "There you go." " Good luck." " Go ahead, fight dirty." "Come on." "Throw it right here." "Come on, Patrick." "That's chickenshit!" "Come on, city boy!" " Ball slipped." "What?" "What's the problem?" " You're the problem!" "Don't even bother coming out for the team!" " Oh, yeah?" " Yeah!" " Why not?" " That big-city crap" " doesn't cut it around here!" " No?" "You'd get cut first day!" "Get off of me!" "Yeah, go back to Chicago!" "Hey, man, why don't you just go get in your Jag and leave?" "Come on, have a cigarette and loosen up." "Come on, let's go." "Let's play." "Who's up?" "Kevin's up." " Sir, it'd be the opportunity of a lifetime." " You got that right." " Yeah." " We'll let you know." "Okay, thanks." " Volleyball, huh?" " Girls' volleyball, actually." "Perfect." " See you." "Hi." " Hi." " Hi." " Hi." "You're..." "Cindy." " Cindy." "Hi." " Hi." "So, I heard you and my brother had some run-ins." " Who's your brother?" " Patrick." "Patrick's your brother?" "Four more years, you'll have one of these of your own, all right?" "Yeah." "He's on the baseball team, right?" "If you're a Norway baseball player, you're a hometown hero." " All right, see you." " Yeah, I'm Mitch." "Yeah, I know." " Give me a high five." " Hey, guys." " Hey." " How's it going?" "We going to DQ?" "I don't know." "You bringing him?" "Whatever happens, you guys are staying in school." "I could get a part-time job." "It's just not right that they're letting you go." "Hey, Coach." "I'm Mitch." "I'm in your industrial arts class at school." "Yeah, I remember." "I was just wondering if, maybe, if we could talk in private." "Sure." "This is my wife Sheryl." "Hi." "I'm Mitch Akers." " These are my kids, Chad." " Hey." " How do you do?" " I'm Mitch, how are you?" " Jean Marie." " Hi." " Hi." " Nice to meet you." "Come on inside." "Come on inside." "What's on your mind?" "I want to apologize for my..." "My grandma says I need a hobby." "I had this kid once," "I asked him to lay down a bunt." "A runner on second, nobody out." "We're down one to Cedar Rapids, big 4A school, top of the seventh." "We get our runner to third, clean-up hitter's on deck, chances are we tie the game." "Dude should totally bunt." "He didn't." "He swung away." " And you lost." " Nope." ""Dude" hit a two-run homer and we won." "And I benched him the next game." "Well, he pissed and moaned for a while, but he got the message." "Damn good player, your father." "Good attitude, too, eventually." "I want to go out for your baseball team." "I'm a pretty good catcher." "I'm not coaching at Norway anymore." "You'll have to talk to whoever the new coach is." "Well, nice meeting you, ma'am." " I'll see you." "Thanks, Coach." " Yeah." "It's okay to miss it." "Be a whole lot easier if that field was a thousand miles away." "Well, Mr. Makepeace, that just about wraps up my work here in Norway." "Well, you did a heck of a job for us, Miss Hudson." " Thank you very much." " Thank you." "And don't worry, we're taking steps to deal with the nay-sayers." "Sir, that's really none of my business." "We're going to hire a coach who's going to take the team down with him." "Fall flat on his ass." "Mr. Makepeace, there's a Ken Stock here to see you for an appointment regarding the baseball head coach position." " Well, I'll be going." " No, no, no, hang around." "This is going to be fun." "Send him in." " Am I interrupting something?" " Not at all, Ken." "It's actually Kent, like Clark." "Well, Kent, congratulations, we're giving you the coaching job." "Great." "I better get going." "Thank you." "We've decided our boys from Norway deserve one final season." "You know, to go out in style." " You're just the man to lead them." " I hope so." " Sit down, sit down." " Yeah." "It's pretty old." "It's twice your age, son." "Coach Bernie Hutchinson gave it to me when he moved on." "Read the name scratched on the end there." "Trosky." "This is the bat that hit the ball that hopped the train all the way to Chicago?" "Hal gave it to Bernie, Bernie gave it to me and now I'm giving it to you." "Coach, I can't accept that." "No." "You got to." "Part of the tradition handed down by the gods of baseball." "You wouldn't want to piss them off, would you?" "No, sir." "No, I wouldn't." "Well, you take those kids all the way, Coach." "Yeah." "There it is." "That's him." "He played all right." "He made the last out in the championship game." " Great." " Never won the big one." "We're screwed." " What you got that thing set on?" " Vida Blue." " Where'd you learn to hit like that?" " My dad." "What school you say you go to?" " Norway." " Excellent." "I'm Kent Stock." "Hi." "Mitch Akers." "Hi." " Hey, Chip." " Hey, Coach." "I was going to tell you about that." "Look, we're missing a bunch of guys." "I was going to tell you about that, too." "Well, we'll play with what we have." "We're few but we're not bad." " Right." " How the hell would you know?" "Somebody say something?" "Go on, speak up." "Some of the guys think you don't know what you're doing, Coach." " You included, Patrick?" " Coach Van Scoyoc would've gone pro if the army hadn't drafted him." "Okay." "I get it." "Kevin, you're our number-one pitcher, right?" "I get three pitches." "I hit one out, you shut up about me and start focusing on yourselves." "There's no way you hit one out." "Do we have a deal?" " Yeah, deal but..." " Let's do it." "Owen, give me a bat." " All right, Kevin." " Shut him down." "All right, he's meat, Kevin." "Bring it!" " Here we go, Kevin." " Give him something hard." "Give me the heat, let's go." "I'm not kidding." "All right, Kevin, no puss." "Bring it." "I mean it." "You only get two more." "Come on, Kevin." "Come on." "No." "Okay, Kevin, bring it in." "Come on, guys." "Lose the volleyballs." " Told you it was a bad idea." " Whatever." "Chip!" "Outfield!" "The rest of you guys will take some infield." " Sammy, shag for me." " Infield, boys." "Infield!" "Coach." " Owen, Fungoe, come on, buddy!" " You want me to catch?" " No, Steve's got it." " Don't I get a shot?" "What we need is outfielders now, all right?" "Go ahead and take center." " Way to go, Coach." " Thank you." "Mitch, remember I need your bat in the lineup, so don't hang your head." "Let's go." "Sammy, shagging balls, atta boy." "Yes, sir, Coach." "Let's go, let's get one." "All I'm saying is a T-ball player has a better chance of hitting a Nolan Ryan fastball than our boys have of going to state." "Jim says that Stock kid's bright as a Musco." "I say what we need is a coach, not a big light." "Never going to be the way it used to be around here." " Hey, Patrick!" " Hey." " Have a seat." " All right, then." " It won't take long." " Okay." "Just want you to know that nobody expects you guys to win anything this year." "Not with Tyler and Jim gone, and half the boys not coming out." " So don't sweat it." " Okay." "Great." "Thanks, Scotty." "Patrick..." "Well, am I wrong?" "Things change." "Well, I'm surprised at a lot of people in this town." "We have so little faith in these boys who have meant so much to us." "Well, you think it'd help if we all said a prayer for them at church?" "A good prayer is fine, but there's got to be a little action with it." "You know, it wouldn't hurt if you started coming back to practices." "Let's go, Eddie, bring it home!" "Get there, come on!" "Keep it down!" "Get those throws down, come on, fellows!" "Come on, Spitz!" "Know where you're going with it!" "Sammy, back him up!" "Come on!" "That's you, that's you!" "Get there!" "Let's go, bring it in!" "What is going on?" "I mean, what's with you guys?" "Stands used to be filled when we practiced." "Yeah, now all we got is that stalker guy." "It's okay, I'm married!" "He's a reporter for the Des Moines paper." "And he's bald, that's why he wears his little hat." "All right." "Thinks we're going to fall flat on our asses." "Butts." "Sorry, Coach." " Even Coach Van Scoyoc thinks that." " No, he doesn't." "Yeah, shut up, Sam." "Coach Van Scoyoc took one for the team so we could all play one final season." "All right, listen up." "We decide what happens out here, all right?" "Not the papers, not the people in town." "I don't want to hear one more word about Madison and the merger." "We're going to play Norway baseball." "Van Scoyoc baseball, Bernie Hutchinson baseball." "We do that, no matter what happens, we go out winners." "You got it?" " You got it?" " Yeah." "Well, good!" "Get out there and let's run it again." "Come on!" "All right." " Ciao, Coach." " Thanks." " See you, Coach." " See you." " Hey, sorry, Coach." " For what?" " The volleyball thing." " Get out of here." " See you tomorrow." " Pretty funny." "It's not that funny, but it's pretty funny." " Here, take that." " Thanks, Coach." " Looks like they're warming up to you." " Yeah." "First game's Friday." "If they play like they practiced, we're dead." "I guess we're going to have to call it." "We can't play in this." "Thanks, guys." "Well, we're back out here tomorrow against Cedar Rapids Kennedy, so get home and get some sleep." "I'm going to get a beer." "Want to come over and watch the game?" " No, I'll see you tomorrow." " All right." "Good for the corn." "Roger Dempsey, Des Moines Register." "Yeah, I've read some of your complimentary articles." "Take it easy, Coach." "This is what I do." "Well, what I do is get my players over some of the bad-mouthing they've been getting from guys like you." "You know, so they can play a little baseball for their high school before going out into the real world and getting crummy jobs like yours." "We're being honest, huh?" "Well, let me tell you something," "I have the best job in America." "I can't play baseball, so I write about it." "And you may not like it, but it's always honest." "Okay." "We'll pick it up again tomorrow." "Because I love this." "This is terrific." "But I got to get back to the office now." "My crummy job." "I've even got the lead for tomorrow, what do you think?" ""Cub Coach Kent Stock Irritates The Voice of Norway."" " Not bad." "Keep working on it." " You, too." "Hey there." " Hi." " Come on in." "Just for a minute." "From the bridge." "Free." "Well, that's sweet." "I came out here to tell you that you were right." "Those smaller schools that were absorbed by larger districts?" "Their economies were absorbed, too." "They're turning into ghost towns." "Well, did you talk to the Norway school board about it?" " Yes." " And?" "Mr. Makepeace is not interested in statistics that don't support his position." " And he pretty much controls the board." " Yeah." " I'm sorry." " No..." " Listen, you want to come in and sit down?" " I should go." "But good luck tomorrow." " With what?" " The game." "Cedar Rapids Kennedy." "You know about that?" "How'd you know about that?" "Baseball's not just for boys." "Hey, wait!" "Can I get your number?" "I wrote it on the bag." " Hello?" " Coach Hinkleman?" "It's Kent Stock here." " Hi, Kent." " It's really pouring." "We got clear skies here." "Our field's ready to go." "Well, it was supposed to be a home game but..." "You don't want to call your first two games right out of the chute, do you, kid?" "No." "I didn't think so." "Why don't you load up and come on over?" "Hey, Larry Johnson, Madison Star Press." "I got permission to ride with the team." " Okay with you?" " Hey, L.J.!" "No, not him, please." " Sure." " Come on in." "Thank you." "Hi, Roger." "Wet enough for you?" "Good to see you." "Been a while." "How's..." " Lucy." " Yeah." "Fine." "How's..." " Eileen." " Yeah." "Fine." "Okay, let's go." "Team seems pretty loose for their first game." "Most of these kids have already put in a full day's work at their farm." "Still milking that underdog angle, eh?" " Nice to meet you, Kent." " You, too, Coach." "You got some beautiful weather here." "Not a drop of rain in sight." "Right." "We'll take some infield then." "Coach?" "Do you mind if my kids take infield first?" "They're a little sleepy from the drive over." "I'd love to wake them up so we can give you some good competition." "Pretty standard, home team takes infield first." "Yeah, would have been our home game, except for the rain and all." " Okay, I guess." " Thanks, Coach." "Won't take long." " Let's go." " Infield!" "Nice and crisp, boys!" "Nice and crisp!" " Dude." " Huh?" "Thought they lost all their good players." "It looks like they found some more." "Last one." "Atta boy." "All yours, Coach." "Eight minutes, 50 seconds." "That ought to get in their heads and rattle around a little bit." "Get out there!" "Come on, yeah!" " Strike three!" " Yeah!" "Come on, get there!" "Come on!" "Keep your head in the play!" "Sit down and shut up!" "That is the absolute worst I've ever seen this team play!" "The Sixth Commandment of baseball, don't alibi on the bad hops!" "Anyone can make the easy play!" "How do we give four unearned runs in one inning?" "I said give me some heads up base running!" "You gave me head-up-your-ass base running!" "We got picked off three times!" "You guys are going to blow your final season!" "Is that what you want?" "Do you know who's sitting up in the stands writing about you right now?" "What do you want him to say?" "Use your heads!" "Show up and play ball, or don't show up at all!" "All right, guys." "Just don't rush your balance point here." "Just stay long, it's going to work you." " That's it." " Hey, Coach." "You seen this crap?" "They're ragging on your boys." "When I was a kid, Jim Van Scoyoc was my hero." "I mean, I wanted to play ball for him." "I wanted to learn from him." "I never thought in a million years that I would replace him." "And now that I have, I can't motivate the team the way he did." "He's a legend." "You know, I mean, he..." "Twelve state championships." "Coach of the year." "National coach of the year." "I was his assistant coach for a half season." "And I can never fill his shoes." "So quit." " No, it's not about quitting." "It's about..." " Kidding, joke." "Listen to me." "You don't have it in you to let those kids down." "You don't." "Just concentrate on filling your own shoes." ""You will never become a.300-hitter unless you take the bat off your shoulder."" "Casey Stengel." "Chief Bender." "Played for the Philadelphia Athletics about a hundred years ago." "I knew that." "Come on, Sammy." "Throw a strike." "That's what I'm talking about!" "Yeah!" " Yeah!" " I got it." "Time, blue!" " What was that garbage?" " Like we're going to win anyway." "Who cares?" "We won the first game." " He's a little off today, Coach." " No, he's not." "You do that one more time, you're out of here." "You understand?" "You fight for it." "I don't care what the score is." "Let's go." "All right, look alive, Norway!" "Two down!" " All right, let's go, two down, Norway!" " Here we go, Sammy!" "Pick it up!" "Let's get this guy!" " Time, blue!" " I got it, Coach." "Come on, Big-O." "You all right?" "This hand?" " Right there..." " All right, all right, let's get some ice on it." "You're done, sit down." "Cold, keep the swelling down." " We're going to get an x-ray." "All right." " Nice pitch, idiot!" "Mitch, get on the gear." "Okay, two down." "Get this guy." " Bad pitch." " The worst." "Driscoll, get third base." " All right, I got to get this off you." " How's it look?" "Not good, Coach." "It's swelling up bad." "All right, here we go, Norway, here we go!" "Two down!" "Two down!" "Three strikes, buy you a pack of cigarettes." " I don't smoke." " Six-pack." " Done." " Atta boy." "Let's go, Kevin." "Strike!" "Strike!" " Three!" " Yes!" "Hey, slugger, don't worry about it." "I heard he hunts rabbits with those things." "Bus is moving." "What are you doing, guys?" "Sit down." "Hold him!" "Hold him down!" "Hold him down!" "Sammy!" "You don't want to be on this team?" "Then quit!" "But don't you ever quit in a game!" "You got it?" "Face it, Patrick, it doesn't matter!" "Hey!" "Be part of the team or get off of it!" "Sit down and shut up!" "Pop!" " My chest is burning!" " All right, I need my two fastest runners!" " Go!" "Go!" " Mitch, go, go, go, go!" "Run, run, run, run!" "This don't look good." "So what's the good word there, darling?" "No more driving the bus." "No more beer." "No more cigars." "And I'm sorry, boys." "No more baseball." "Jim, come here, do me a favor." "You just name it, buddy." "Reach over there and pull that plug for me, would you?" "For real?" "What do you want?" "I came to see Cindy." " Is she around?" " I'm still on the fence about you, Akers." " Hi." " Hi." "I came to see you." " I can see that." " Yeah, well..." "I'm going to visit my grandma." "Come along if you want." " All right." " Just hop on." " Hop on?" " Yeah." "All right, hold on." "Oh, are you okay?" "I meant to do that." "Really?" "Are you okay?" "I'll walk." "Come on, Duke." "Hey, come here." "My mom died a year ago." "I'm sorry." "She's buried in Chicago." "And ever since then, me and my dad have had trouble." "It's mostly me, I guess." "Let me ask you something, Sammy." "Few big games coming up next week." "A little thin in the pitching department, aren't you?" "You're a little thin in the hair department, aren't you?" "Well..." "Hey, Akers, you're from the big city." "Help me out a little here." "In your own words, what would you say the difference is between" "Norway baseball and Chicago baseball?" "You got a cigarette?" "That's great, very funny." "You're good." " You're bald." " All right!" "That's it!" "I'm bald, okay?" "Anyone not know I'm bald?" "Why don't we all just say, "Roger Dempsey's bald," ""and we're not." Yet!" "Yeah, right." "Yeah, yeah." "Kids, huh?" "What are you so glum about?" "You're 17 and 12." "That's pretty good, considering." "Thought you always called 'em like you saw 'em?" "As I saw them." "But never mind that now." "Look, I was a little hard on you in the beginning." "But I'll be honest with you, I think you have a shot at the state tournament." " Off the record?" " Sure." "We have tired pitching and sloppy defense." "Coach, they always hit a patch like this every year." "But you know what?" "Coach Van Scoyoc would ease up on them a little." " You've been talking to him?" " No." "But Coach Van Scoyoc always stopped riding them so hard." " You've been talking to him?" " No." "The team he's coaching is coming in on a 35-year-old consecutive scoreless innings record." "So, that's all." " So you've been talking to him?" " Yes." "For that story." " You talk to him about me?" " No." "But he's very proud of you and thinks you're doing a great job." " You didn't talk to him about me?" " Of course I have." "You'd make a pretty good reporter yourself." "You know what?" "He says you'll know exactly what you have to do." "What's that, Roger?" "You gotta coach to win that last game, the big one." "Took the words right out of my mouth." "Gotta get there first, Chip." "You will." "Thanks, Roger." " Excuse me, Mr. Dempsey?" " Yeah, son?" "It's okay, my grandpa was bald, too." "Thanks." "But you're fatter." "Oh, boy." "Tonight's the night Norway fans kiss high school baseball goodbye." "Everybody plays it here and you just can't turn it down." "It's been a tradition here in Norway for as long as I can remember." "And that's pretty near 70 years." "Alex's wife, Dolly, understands as well as anyone what the Tigers mean to the town." "Baseball is Norway." "Or Norway is baseball." "It's sad for the town." "Okay." "Next week we go to sectionals." "If we can knock off Jefferson today, the number-one ranked 4A team from a school ten times our size, we send a message to all the other schools, Norway isn't dead." "Now, I know you guys realize this but I'm gonna say it anyway." "This is the last regular season game in this school's history." "Let's make it count." "Bring it in." ""Tigers" on three." "One, two, three!" " Tigers!" " Let's go!" "You know what?" "I've got one of those baseball feelings, though." "I think Norway's coming back." "Would this be like a whiskey feeling or more of a vodka feeling?" "You know what?" "You're biased, Larry." "You're from Madison, come to think of it." "You want Norway to lose." "If they don't lose, you have a problem next season." "I know who you are." "And you're not biased?" "I'm from the big city, buddy." "Des Moines, all right?" "I don't have a horse in this..." "I don't care who wins this game." "All right, big city." "20 gets your 40 Norway loses." " Oh, I'm so gonna bet." " All right." " You want a piece of this, Father?" " Stop it." " Come on, guys, it's not too late!" " It's rally time!" "Pitcher's got nothin'!" "Don't ever do this." "Mitch, be a hero." "Go!" "Go, go, go, go!" "Come on, Mitch!" "You gotta be down!" "You gotta be down!" "You gotta be down!" "You gotta be down!" "Safe!" " Welcome to Norway, son." " Thanks, Coach." "Let's go, take a look!" "Okay." "You got one more." "Here you go." "Go!" "Yeah!" "Hey, hey!" "Doesn't mean I want to be related to you." "Good job, good job, Mitch." "Who calls a suicide squeeze in that situation?" "A Norway coach with big stones." "I feel awful about this." "Awful." "You wanna give me a hit off that flask?" "If you get a cup." "Oh, it's beautiful." " Yeah." " Thank you." " It's a little small, though." " I know." "It's 'cause it's for me." "Come on." "All right." "Norway High School plays its final baseball season." "And today begins play in its final state tournament." "Then the Tigers broke it open in the third." "Patrick Iverson doubles to left center, scoring Stewart, and the Redhats lead 2-0." "The Tigers scored three in the third two more in the fifth, to win it 7-0." "They're headed back to the state title game set for noon on Saturday." "The last game ever for the Norway Tigers." "Hey, Mom." "You know, I heard a rumor there's a big game tomorrow." " Son." " Dad." "Thought I'd stop by." " Dad." " Son." "You need help with your bag?" "Yeah." "I packed two." "I figured, you know, a hick town like this could use a big city guy around." "Yeah." "Plus, I probably still got some fans down at the old folks' home." "Yeah." "And your friends in jail." " You called him, didn't you?" " Shut up." "Oh, Dad, you know those cigars you wanted me to send you?" "Brought 'em with me." "Shut up." "What the hell is with these guys?" "6-0 in the state tournament and we're washed up?" "How the hell do they figure that?" " Dad..." " Do something with him." "Gillett Grove South Clay is 31-8, Dad." "I mean, they're all seniors." "Of course they're gonna be the favorites." " They don't lose a whole lot." " That don't mean they can't." "I know." "I mean, look, just listen to us on the radio, cheer us on, all right?" "We'll be fine." "All right, all right, all right." "Okay." "And do not sit there and get yourself all worked up." "Of course not." "All right, just go to the game, I'll be fine." "Don't worry about a thing." "I've got Doc Michaels' pager number, if we need it, which we won't." "Just go enjoy the ball game." "Would you get my purse, please?" " Be good!" " I'll see to it." "Come in." "Jim, thank God you're here." "What the hell took you so long?" "Damn flight was late." "Sure you're up to this?" "Last game, Coach." "End of an era." "Got to be there for that one." "Aren't you afraid the doc's gonna see you?" "Ain't the doc I'm worried about." "No, sit down." "Okay." "It's one and done." "Forever." "South Clay is 31-8." "The eight games they lost were when Reed Ellis wasn't in the rotation." "He's pitching today." "We all know he's being scouted by pro teams." "But one player doesn't win a baseball game." "Sammy?" "He can if he throws 92 miles an hour, Coach." "We win by playing Norway baseball." "Eighty percent of this game is defense." "We don't let anything get out of the infield and we wait." "Sooner or later, they'll make a mistake." "Every player whose ever worn a Norway uniform is out there with you today." "And think about this." "No other Iowa High School baseball dynasty has ever won a state championship in their final season." "We're playing for everyone who knows that Norway is a great place to come home to." "And no matter what happens today, this time next year, the jerseys you're wearing will be polishing chrome at Madison High School." "So ask yourself one question." "How do you want to be remembered?" "All right, let's go." "Bring it in." "Give us the count, Big-O." " One, two, three..." " Tigers!" "Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the singing of our national anthem." "Oh, say, can you see" "By the dawn's early light" "What so proudly we hailed" "At the twilight's last gleaming?" "Whose broad stripes and bright stars" "Through the perilous fight" "O'er the ramparts we watched" "Were so gallantly streaming" "And the rocket's red glare" "The bombs bursting in air" "Gave proof through the night" "That our flag was still there" "O say, does that star-spangled" "Banner yet wave" "O'er the land of the free" "And the home of the" "Brave" "Thank you very much." "Play ball." "I did it!" "Tigers!" "Come on, Norway!" "Now, you be calm." "Me?" "You stay calm." "Don't worry about me." "And the Norway Tigers take the field looking to secure their 20th title in this, their final season, against the heavily favored, senior dominated" "Gillet Grove South Clay Spartans." "With senior pitcher Kevin Stewart out of the rotation there's a lot of pressure on the Tiger's junior pitcher, number 29, Sammy Wilson." "Let's go, Sammy, huh?" "Shoot strikes, kid!" "Shoot strikes!" "All right, now, Redhats!" "Two down!" "Out!" "Well, so far so good." "Three up, three down on solid defensive playing by the Tigers." "Nice work!" "And that will bring to the mound Gillet Grove South Clay's superstar pitcher, Reed Ellis, a statewide MVP four consecutive years." "Ellis will be attending the University of Arizona in the fall and, according to scouting reports, is a number-one pro draft contender." "Kid can pitch." "That boy pitches very fast, huh, Daddy?" "Sure does, sweetie." " Come on, let's go." " Yeah." "Come on now, Eddie!" "Batter's up." "All right, Eddie, let's go, start us off now!" "Strike!" "Strike!" "Strike three!" "This guy's not gonna make the pros, he is a pro." "Don't worry, you'll get it next trip." "It's hard to hit an aspirin tablet, Big-O." "Ellis throwing bullets." "Chasing the Norway batter out of the box with a 95-mile-an-hour fast ball." "Strike!" "Come on, Sammy, swing the bat!" "Strike three!" "And there's strike three." "I know it's scary in there, but you'll never get on base if you jump out of the box like that." "There's no other way to put it." "That is pure fear." " Come on, Mitch!" " Come on, Mitch!" "All right, let's go!" "All right, Mitch, now!" "Strike!" "Two!" "Strike three!" "That's three up, three down." "A ninth straight strike from Ellis." "A masterful display." "It's gonna be a long day." "All right, let's go, Norway!" "Defense, come on now!" "There it is!" "Come on now, turn it!" "Turn it!" "Tough defensive play by Norway keeping the Tigers alive!" "Come on, Kev, let's hit this guy!" "Come on now!" "That sucker's throwing bullets." "Here we go now!" "Take a look!" "Come on now." "Strike!" "Strike three!" "You're out!" "Ellis on his game today." "Un-hittable so far, frustrating Norway." "And now up to bat, Reed Ellis." "Ellis, with a long drive to deep left field!" "That'll clear the bases." "Oh, my!" "Ellis is an army of one today!" " Hold him, hold him!" " Let's go!" "Don't give in, Sammy, come on now!" "And South Clay opens it up with two runs in the top of the third." "Underdog Norway just looks stunned at the moment." " Time, blue!" " Time!" "Coach Kent Stock, up and out of the dugout and on his way to the mound." " How's your arm?" " I'm fine." "We're supposed to be out here waiting for them to make mistakes, not the other way around, right?" "Mow these guys down and let's get off the mound, all right?" " Out." " Atta way, boys!" "Let's go!" "Come on, now, Sam." "Keep it down." " Out!" " Yes!" "Nice job!" "Pretty sharp." "That's his game, defense." "Apparently, Coach Stock's words of encouragement to his pitcher worked." "And the Tigers strand Ellis on base." "Do I have to do this by myself again?" "Let's get it out of the infield next time!" "And that didn't sit well with Ellis." "Complaining loudly at his teammates." "An outburst like that could get him ejected if he's not careful." "He's gonna hang one for you right now." " How do you know, Coach?" " Just trust me." "Ellis into the stretch." "And the pitch." "Iverson connects!" "It's way back!" "Deep to right field!" "Going!" "Going!" "It is gone!" "Yeah!" " Son of a..." " Holy Toledo!" "That's a round tripper for Patrick Iverson!" "Now we're in it!" "Now we're in it!" "That could be the first dent in Ellis's armor, with Norway finally on the board, or it could be too little, too late." "Dude, what are you doing here?" "Go catch." "Hey, Coach." "How'd you know he was gonna hang one?" "I scouted him." "Folks, this could be it for the Norway Tigers." "Bottom of the seventh, trailing Gillet Grove South Clay 4 to 3." "A dynasty of 19 state championships in the past 24 years could be about to end." "Sammy?" "What are you gonna do?" "I'm gonna get on base." "Two outs, nobody on, and the Norway pitcher up at bat." "He's 0 for 2 today." "Two down, it's all you!" "Norway desperately needs a man on base." "But Ellis continues to go hard to the inside corners!" "And number 29 has been on his heels, backing out of the box all day." "Brushed back by a 94-mile-an-hour fastball for strike one." "The Norway batter, crowding." "Challenging Ellis." "It's gonna hurt, stupid." "Oh, that was close!" "Just catching the inside edge for strike two!" "Folks, he is very close to the plate here." "Crowding dangerously close now." "Ellis into the stretch." "And the pitch." "That has got to hurt." "A 93-mile-an-hour fastball puts the batter on his knees." "Coach Stock over immediately to check on his player." "Ellis now clearly frustrated." " Where'd he get ya?" " In the back." "Give me the bat." "Couple of deep breaths." "Come on." " You wanna play?" " Yeah." "Okay." "Sam, don't ever do that again." "And he's all right." "The crowd up and applauding the effort." "As third baseman Kevin Stewart comes to bat, trying to keep Norway alive." "Stewart's a.320 hitter, but his bat's been quiet today." "Come on, Kevin, start a rally!" " You stay calm now." " Me?" "Strike!" "Strike two!" "Norway is down to their last strike." "Come on, boy!" "You can hit this guy!" "Just stay focused!" "And Stewart's out of the box." "Some sort of distraction in the stands." "What?" "He made me come." "It's ex-Norway coach, Jim Van Scoyoc." "And Stewart's back in the box." "Ellis checks the runner at first." "He's into the stretch." "And the Norway runner goes!" "Stewart gets a hold of it!" "Line deep to right center!" "Come on, you gotta go!" "You gotta go!" "Get down, down!" "Go, go, go!" "Go!" "You gotta be down!" "Safe!" "Unbelievable!" "The Norway Tigers have come back!" "This game is tied!" "We're going to extra innings!" "Bring it in!" "Sammy, you did a heck of a job." "Tommy, grab third base." "Now, listen, we got our opportunity, we took advantage of it, let's not blow it." "Solid defense, nothing gets out of the infield." "Kevin, it's on you." "Let's go!" "Win it!" "All right, let's go, boys, let's go!" "Hey!" "You did right." "Yo!" "Get us out of this, I'll get you a six-pack." " You already owe me a six-pack." " He'll get you another one." "Hey, Sammy." "Come on, Kevin!" "Yeah!" "One down, one down, Norway!" "Yeah, let's go!" "One down!" "Two more, guys, come on!" "Two more outs!" "Norway defense, right here!" "Ball, ball, ball!" "Out!" "Go!" "Tigers!" "You gotta be kidding me with that." "Oh, my God." "Oh!" "That's a heck of a catch." "That's a baseball catch." "With a man on first, senior Steve Meyers off the injured list, up to bat for Norway." "Trying to come through in the clutch for the Tigers." "Gotta go!" "Gotta go!" "Gotta go!" " Gotta get down!" "Down, down, down!" " Safe!" "That a boy!" "There you go!" "Oh, my!" "That's it!" "Here we go!" "Winning run on third for Norway!" "Two outs!" "Catcher, Mitch Akers, a transfer from Chicago, coming up." "His dad played ball at Norway 20 years ago under legendary coach Jim Van Scoyoc." "Folks, this is it." "Can you imagine the weight on that young man's shoulders?" "Come on, Akers, be a hero!" "Akers squares to bunt." "The Spartan infield charges to cover." "Strike one." "You don't think Stock would call a squeeze here, do you?" " Wouldn't surprise me one bit." " With two outs?" "Two outs, five outs." "With this guy, who knows?" "I do not believe that this is happening." "I love you too, Dad." "Come on, now." "Come on, let's go!" "Akers hits away!" "And towards the gap!" "Yeah!" "Took the bunt sign off and had him hit away." "Unbelievable." "Fooled me." "Fooled South Clay." "Can you believe this?" "Rookie coach Kent Stock has led the Norway Tigers to an unprecedented 20th Iowa state high school baseball championship!" "Some traditions just refuse to die!" "Hello?" "Harvey, it's Sam." "It was classic." "He coaches just like Van Scoyoc." "I hate to have to tell you this, but..." "They won!" "Really?" "Yeah, well, that doesn't change anything." "It sure does change the way you'll get remembered." "See ya, Harvey." "Yes!" "It's been a great one, and I've just enjoyed it 100 percent." "I'd like to thank Jim Van Scoyoc for having me as his assistant last year and giving me this opportunity." "This has been a special year for me."