The Automobiles are in the dugout. SANTIAGO is batting. JAXON, LANDON, and COOPER are standing together at the fence. The other team’s pitcher had just thrown a ball in the dirt.
JAXON [yelling]Hey pitcher, you’re supposed to throw it over the plate!
LANDON [yelling]
Throw the damn ball! Or do you not know how to?
COOPER [yelling]
Give him something he can hit next time!
GARRY
That’s enough guys. The umpire is gonna scold you.
COOPER
Why should I care? My brother’s the umpire and trust me, he could care less about this. He just wants to take his ten bucks and leave.
GARRY
Okay, well it’s still not nice. And it could also be distracting to Santiago.
LANDON
Santiago told us to do it.
GARRY
Just don’t do it, okay?
GARRY turns around.
GARRY
Brayden, why are you standing on the bench?
BRAYDEN
To get a better view.
GARRY
You can see the field just fine sitting down.
BRAYDEN
I’m not trying to see the field, I’m looking at something else.
GARRY
Oh?
GARRY walks away from BRAYDEN.
GARRY
Wesley, please tell me that’s not Go Fish you’re playing on your phone.
WESLEY
No, I already played that.
GARRY
It’s like I’m back in the Indianapolis Primitives’ bullpen!
WESLEY
I said I stopped.
GARRY
Watch the game. Cheer on your teammate. And since when did I allow phones in the dugout?
WESLEY
Colton’s using his.
GARRY
Colton, put your phone away.
COLTON
Yes, Coach Garry.
GARRY
Alright, everyone calm down, this is no big deal.
JAXON [turning to GARRY]
You’re the only one here who isn’t calm.
JAXON turns to the pitcher.
JAXON [yelling to the pitcher]
You suck!
GARRY
Don’t say that.
JAXON
It’s true. Santiago just hit a home run.
HUDSON walks up to the plate. He stares at the first strike, and swings at a pitch in the dirt for the second strike. He stays in the batter’s box as he sees his mom approaching.
HUDSON
Mom, what are you doing, I’m in the middle of a game here!
HUDSON’S MOM
It’s time to get going.
HUDSON
But I’m batting! How do you not see that?!
HUDSON’S MOM
Lose the attitude. You have to do your homework.
HUDSON
I can do my homework after the game.
HUDSON’S MOM
That’s what you said last time, and you didn’t. Come on, get off the field now.
HUDSON’S MOM starts tugging on HUDSON’S arm, trying to drag him away. Eventually, she succeeds. GARRY runs onto the field.
GARRY
Hi ma’am, I know you’re concerned about Hudson but he’s right, the game is going on right now and you’re embarrassing him.
HUDSON’S MOM
He doesn’t care. There are some things more important than this little nonsense.
HUDSON
I do care.
HUDSON’S MOM
LOSE THE ATTITUDE!
GARRY walks back to the dugout, knowing when to pick his battles. HUDSON not finishing his at bat makes the Automobiles’ third out. The team walks onto the field. With HUDSON gone, the team needs to find a catcher. GARRY yells to LANDON.
GARRY
LANDON, YOU’RE CATCHING NOW!
LANDON quickly runs back to the dugout and gets in proper gear. He then goes to the catcher’s box, getting ready to catch the first pitch. It bounces off his chest. He continues to fail to catch the ball throughout the inning. When the inning is over, the Automobiles have lost the game.
GARRY
Landon, did you learn a lesson here? Maybe don’t heckle people?
LANDON
What does that have to do with anything?
GARRY
You were heckling the pitcher when you can’t deny you were a pretty terrible catcher out there.
LANDON
I don’t see the connection.
LANDON walks by GARRY and sits on the bench.
GAVIN
Hey Coach Garry?
GARRY
Yeah?
GAVIN
Shouldn’t I have been catcher that inning? I play catcher more than everyone except Hudson.
GARRY
To be honest, Calvin...I forgot about you.
GAVIN
Gavin.
GARRY
There’s no Gavin.
GAVIN
I’m Gavin.
GARRY
Oh, right. Still learning.
BRAYDEN
Not making much of an effort.
GARRY
What’s that now?
BRAYDEN
You should know his name by now.
GARRY
I do.
JAXON
You didn’t know it a few seconds ago.
GARRY
Look, if I knew everyone’s names at all times, my head would hurt. Other than losing the game and a player, I was an amazing coach today.
LANDON
All you had to fucking do was that.
GARRY
Swearing doesn’t make you funny.
LANDON
Jaxon laughed.
GARRY
Also, if any of you text Hudson, try to find out if he’s still on the team or not. His mom seems a little up tight about him playing. I’m leaving now.
GARRY leaves as the rest of the team follows.