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Bull Durham In baseball, you don't know nothing. --Yogi Berra
Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball. --Jacques Barzun
You could look it up. --Casey Stengel
Titles over-- FADE IN: A series of still photos. Black and white. Ancient. BABE RUTH SWINGS -- An icon of American history. His giant upper body balanced delicately on tiny ankles and feet. The huge bat in an elegant followthrough... DISSOLVE TO: TY COBB ROUNDS THIRD -- The most vicious ballplayer of them all, a balletic whirling dervish. DISSOLVE TO: JACKIE ROBINSON STEALS ROME -- Yogi Berra applies the tag. Too late. DISSOLVE TO: JOE DIMAGGIO WITH HIS SON in the Yankee clubhouse. Walking down the runway, Joe in uniform. Number five. PULLBACK REVEALS: A WALL COVERED WITH BASEBALL PICTURES behind a small table covered with objects and lit candles. A baseball, an old baseball card, a broken bat, a rosin bag, a jar of pine tar-- also a peacock feather, a silk shawl, a picture of Isadora Duncan. Clearly, the arrangement is-- A SHRINE -- And it glows with the candles like some religious altar. We hear a woman's voice in a North Carolina accent. ANNIE (V.O.) I believe in the Church of Baseball. (beat) I've tried all the major religions and most of the minor ones--I've worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan... PAN AWAY FROM THE SHRINE across the room. Late afternoon light spills into the room, across fine old furniture, to a small dressing table. A WOMAN applies make up. ANNIE SAVOY, mid 30's, touches up her face. Very pretty, knowing, outwardly confident. Words flow from her Southern lips with ease, but her view of the world crosses Southern, National and International borders. She's cosmic. ANNIE (V.O. CONT'D) I know things. For instance-- (beat) There are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary. And-- (beat) There are 108 stitches in a baseball. (beat) When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance. (beat) But it just didn't work out between us The Lord laid too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology. (beat) You see, there's no guilt in baseball...and it's never boring. ANNIE OPENS A CLOSET DOOR -- Dozens of shoes hang from the door. She chooses a pair of RED HIGH HEELS, with thin straps. She sits on a bench and ANNIE Which makes It like sex. (beat) There's never been a ballplayer slept with me who didn't have the best year of his career. (beat) Making love is like hitting a baseball--you just got to relax and concentrate. ANNIE SLIPS ON THE RED HIGH HEELS -- Smoothing her hands up her calves as she does. ANNIE Besides, I'd never sleep with a player hitting under .250 unless he had a lot of R.B.I.'s or was a great glove man up the middle. (beat) A woman's got to have standards. SHE HOLDS OUR HER LEGS DISPLAYING THE HEELS, side by side. Like a little girl showing off her new shoes. ANNIE The young players start off full of enthusiasm and energy but they don't realize that come July and August when the weather is hot it's hard to perform at your peak level. (beat) The veterans pace themselves better. They finish stronger. They're great in September. (beat) While I don't believe a woman needs a man to be fulfilled, I do confess an interest in finding the ultimate guy--he'd have that youthful exuberance but the veteran's sense of timing... ANNIE STARTS PACKING A HUGE HANDBAG -- With fruit, an official scorebook, binoculars, a radar gun, and lipstick. ANNIE Y'see there's a certain amount of "life-wisdom" I give these boys. (beat) I can expand their minds. Sometimes when I've got a ballplayer alone I'll just read Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman to him. The guys are so sweet-- they always stay and listen. (beat) Of course a guy will listen to anything if he thinks it's foreplay. ANNIE TOUCHES PERFUME BEHIND HER EARS and, ever so slightly, in her cleavage. ANNIE I make then feel confident. They make me feel safe. And pretty. ANNIE POSES IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR -- She smoothes her dress along her hips. And puts on a flashy pair of sunglasses. Stylish and slightly mad. ANNIE what I give them lasts a life- time. What they give me lasts 142 games. Sometimes it seems like a bad trade (quickly rebounding) but bad trades are part of baseball-- who can forget Frank Robinson or Milt Pappas, for Godsakes! (beat) It's a long season and you got to trust it. ANNIE STARTS FOR THE DOOR and grabs her baseball glove CUT TO: EXT. ANNIE'S HOUSE -- DUSK A frame house with porch and lots of trees--a Thomas Wolfe house...with a 1959 faded red Volvo in the driveway. ANNIE LEAVES ON FOOT, turning onto the sidewalk of a bucolic, old Durham, North Carolina neighborhood. In the b.g. other people are heading the same direction ANNIE PULLS A DURHAM BULLS BASEBALL CAP from her handbag and pulls it on her head. ANNIE I've tried them all--I really have-- (beat) and the only church that truly feeds the soul--day in, day out-- is the Church of Baseball. CUT TO: EXT. THE CHURCH -- DURHAM BASEBALL PARK -- DUSK Now visible In the late afternoon sun, a rickety old stadium carved into the center of an old Tobacco town. People are arriving on foot from all around... "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley fills the air. CLOSE ON A BASEBALL CLOWN -- MAX PATKIN, 60, at home plate doing his famous Bill Haley routine.- A comic pitcher's windup full of twists and goofy choreography. RECORDING OVER P.A. One o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, rock...Four o'clock, five o'clock, six o'clock rock... ANNIE SITS DOWN IN HER PRIVATE BOX SEAT -- Her chair is wiped off by a young black boy, JACKSON, 11, who then sits next to her. He is her employed errand runner, note sender, and friend. A GROUP OF GROUPIES ENTERS THE PARK -- 20 year old girl/women, dressed in tight pants, tight everything. Friendly, eager, innocent--THEY WAVE TO ANNIE. FIVE PLAYERS' WIVES AND THREE SMALL CHILDREN sit in a special box seat behind a small sign "Players' Wives". RECORDING OVER P.A. Seven o'clock, eight o'clock, nine o'clock rock...we're gonna rock around the clock tonight CUT TO: EXT/INT. THE DURHAM BULL DUGOUT -- NIGHT AS MAX PATKIN CONTINUES HIS ROUTINE, PLAYERS WARM UP, AND- THE MANAGER, JOE RIGGINS, 45, known merely as SKIP, short for "Skipper", a chaw of tobacco in his cheek, stands with his pitching coach, LARRY HOCKETT late 30's, an ex-big leaguer whose body has seen too many cocktail lounges. LARRY ROLLS SOME RED MAN CHEWING TOBACCO into a slab of pink bubble gum, carefully folding the corners, tucking it neatly together. Larry examines it as they talk-And shoves the giant chaw into his mouth. SKIP Where's Ebby? LARRY Ain't he warning up? SKIP (cynically) No. The guy's professional debut and he forgets about it. LARRY Better find our bonus baby, eh? A PLAYER, DEKE, 25, stuffs a hot dog into his mouth. SKIP Seen Ebby? DEKE (mouthful of food) Nope. SKIP WHIRLS AND HEADS UP THE TUNNEL into the: CUT TO: INT. THE DURHAM CLUBHOUSE -- NIGHT SKIP enters, shouting-- SKIP Ebby?! CLOSE ON A BARE ASS -- Baseball uniform around the ankles, short t-shirt on top, and on top of that the head of EBBY CALVIN LALOOSH, baseball cap on backwards. EBBY is a great looking energetic man-child with the endless confidence, naivete and horniness of youth. Life is a party. A YOUNG WOMAN, MILLIE, 20, half nude, is dressing quickly. EBBY WHIRLS as Skip enters. SKIP Jesus. Game starts in four minutes! (beat) Why ain't you warm?! EBBY I am warm. SKIP I'm fining you a hundred dollars. Jesus, Ebby, this is your professional debut tonight--you know how many guys out there'd give blood to be in your shoes an' you're leavin' your fastball in the locker room for some piece of ass! MILLIE LOOKS OUT FROM BEHIND A BAT RACK -- Outraged. MILLIE Skip, It's me! I'm not some quote piece of ass unquote. SKIP Oh, Millie, jeez, sorry--I didn't recognize ya. Don't take it personal but if I catch you in here again you're banned from the ballpark. MILLIE You can't ban me from the ballpark 'cause Daddy donated the scoreboard and if you banned me he might take the scoreboard away. SKIP Whatta we need a scoreboard for? We haven't scored any runs all year (tough, to Ebby) Get your ass out there. As Skip starts to leave. EBBY) Hey Boss, I got a question. SKIP (stops, exasperated) What?! EBBY You think I need a nickname? I think I need a nickname. The great ones have nicknames-- somethin' like Oil Can or Catfish Skip stares at him. He can't believe this guy. SKIP Ya got three minutes. SKIP WHIRLS AND HEADS BACK OUT TO THE FIELD -- And Ebby unperturbed, turns his attention back to Millie. EBBY Got time for another quickie? MILLIE Jesus, you got a game to pitch! EBBY But we got three minutes. EXT. THE BALLPARK -- MOMENTS LATER -- NIGHT CUT TO: MAX PATKIN STILL FLAILING AWAY to "Rock Around the Clock". RECORDING When the clock strikes two, three, and four and the band slows down we'll yell for more, gonna rock around the clock tonight. ANNIE LOOKS THROUGH HER BINOCULARS -- Studying the players warming up casually on the sidelines as Patkin winds up his act. P.O.V. A LATIN PLAYER playing pepper. ANNIE Number twenty-two's thighs are just great. Who's he? JACKSON (reading the program) Jose Galindo. He hit .314 at Lynchburg last year. ANNIE Three-fourteen? Hmmm... Look't those thighs, Jackson BACK TO MAX PATKIN -- He finishes his routine. RECORDING OVER P.A. Gonna rock, gonna rock around the clock tonight. INT. PRESS BOX -- NIGHT CUT TO: A WOMAN ANNOUNCER, MARYLOU, 30, speaks into the P.A. mike. ANNOUNCER Let's hear it for Max Patkin-- Applause as Patkin takes his bows, leaves the field, shakes hands with a the BULL MASCOT LEADING THE APPLAUSE. ANNOUNCER "The Greatest Show on Dirt"--your own Durham Bulls! CUT TO: INT. THE DUGOUT CLOSE ON ANOTHER PLAYER -- MICKEY MCFEE, 23, black. Smoking a cigaret--always smoking a cigaret. He snuffs out his cigaret and RUNS onto the field with the rest of the team, as-- EBBY ENTERS THE DUGOUT from the runway. Larry and Skip encourage their players running onto the field. Ebby is trying to get the zipper on his fly unstuck. He smiles broadly at Skip and Larry, and grabs his glove. EBBY I'm there, Skip, I'm ready. CUT TO: INT. THE PRESS BOX THE RADIO ANNOUNCER, TEDDY CULLINANE, 50, leans into the radio mike of a very small local station. Next to him is the local SPORTSWRITER, WHITEY SHERRARD, 40. Between them they've seen a million minor league players come and go. WHITEY Is this guy LaLoosh worth a hundred grand? I hear he's a quart low? TEDDY THE RADIO MAN (covering the mike) He's left handed. Whattya expect? (on the air) The Bulls are off to a slow start having dropped their first three games, but hope to turn it around tonight with the professional debut of the heralded young left hander, Ebby Calvin LaLoosh. (beat) Stepping In for the Peninsula White Sox is leadoff hitter Willie Foster CUT TO: EXT. THE BALLFIELD -- NIGHT ANGLE TO ANNIE'S BOX SEAT -- Millie has joined Annie and Jackson. Clearly, the younger women look up to Annie for wisdom and insight. ANNIE --Millie, you've got to stay out of the clubhouse. It'll just get everybody in trouble. MILLIE I got lured. ANNIE You didn't get "lured". Women never get lured. They're too strong and powerful for that. Now say it--"I didn't get lured and I will take responsibility for my actions". MILLIE "I didn't get lured and I will take responsibility for my actions". ANNIE That's better. (to Jackson) Got the radar ready? JACKSON Ready. JACKSON AIMS A RADAR GUN at the plate. THE PENINSULA WHITE SOX LEADOFF HITTER steps in. TEDDY THE RADIO MAN (V.O.) The word on LaLoosh is that the good looking young lefty has a major league fastball but sometimes has problems with his control EBBY CALVIN LALOOSH WINDS UP and fires. The pitch sails over the batter's head, over the catcher's head, over the backstop, and CRASHES INTO THE PRESS BOX. CUT TO: INT. THE PRESS BOX THE ANNOUNCER AND SPORTSWRITER CRASH to the floor as the ball smashes into their booth. CUT TO: INT. THE DUGOUT SKIP SPITS TOBACCO, mumbles flatly to Larry. SKIP Little high. LARRY (shouts to EBBY) C'mon big 'un, you're okay... ANNIE'S BOX SEAT -- She turns to Jackson. JACKSON Ninety-five miles an hour. ANNIE He looks great, just great! CUT TO: EXT. THE PITCHER'S MOUND THE CATCHER TALKS TO EBBY, trying to calm him down. CATCHER What the hell was that?! Lighten up a little. Awright? EBBY, (to catcher) Hey--what's your name again--I'm bad with names-- CATCHER Ed. You want me to write it on my chest? Jesus ... EBBY Sorry. Hey, Ed, I got a question. CATCHER What? EBBY Who's the beef sitting behind the third base dugout? CATCHER (slowly) That's Annie Savoy. Nice eh? But that's more woman than you ever dreamed of, Rook. She could kick your ass and have you for breakfast THE CATCHER RETURNS to the plate. INT. THE PRESS BOX CUT TO: WHITEY AND TEDDY WARILY CLIMB back to their seats. TEDDY One ball and no strikes to Willie Foster... CUT TO: EBBY'S NEXT PITCH HITS FOSTER in the ribs. He crumples. CUT TO: ANNIE'S BOX SEAT -- She's writing a note. She hands it to Jackson. ANNIE Take this to Ebby in the dugout between innings. JACKSON What's it say? ANNIE It says he's not bending his back on his follow-through. JACKSON RUNS OFF with the note. Annie turns to Millie. ANNIE Well let's get down to it, honey-- how was he? MILLIE Well, he fucks like he pitches. Sorta all over the place P.O.V. EBBY LALOOSH FIRES ANOTHER ONE into the stands. And-- Hit "Rock Around the Clock"-- DISSOLVE INTO: QUICK MONTAGE OF EBBY'S FIRST GAME -- Strikeouts and wild pitches. A young, gifted, uncontrollable thrower. BILL HALEY AND HIS COMETS When the chimes ring five, six and seven--We'll be right in Seventh Heaven, Gonna rock around the clock tonight... EBBY UNLEASHES A WILD ONE -- And decks the Bull Mascot. EBBY IN THE DUGOUT READS THE NOTE from Annie. EBBY STRIKES OUT a Peninsula batter. EBBY UNLEASHES ANOTHER WILD ONE and a batter hits the dirt. End "Rock Around the Clock" and-- CUT TO: INT. THE BULL LOCKER ROOM -- NIGHT SKIP WALKS THROUGH THE PLAYERS ROOM -- Players are up, joking irreverently. JOSE Hey Lefty, hold 'em to 12 runs every night, you'll win 20-- EBBY (he might be serious) Had 'em all the way. A DURHAM PLAYER SITTING HALF DRESSED in front of his locker. A PICTURE OF JESUS hangs amidst his gear. The player, JIMMY, 25, has a Bible and prays softly to himself. JIMMY Dear Lord, thank you for being with us tonight, thank you for protecting us from injury and-- DEKE WALKS BY, shaking Jimmy irreverently as he prays. DEKE Wake up, wake up-- MICKEY (A BLACK) COMPLAINS TO TONY as they undress. MICKEY This league is racist, man. TONY Every time you go 0 for 4 you think the league is racist-face it, Mick, you're an equal opportunity "out". CUT TO: THE MANAGER'S OFFICE -- A tiny cubicle, a desk, phone Larry joins him with the pitching charts. Skip studies the charts. SKIP He walked eighteen?! LARRY It's a league record. SKIP Struck out eighteen... LARRY League record. (beat) And he hit the Radio Announcer, a Sportswriter, and the Bull Mascot twice--also league records-- (beat) Joe, the guy's got some serious shit. THE DOOR OPENS -- A PLAYER ENTERS, in street clothes, carrying his suitcases. CRASH DAVIS, 30, older than the other players. And different. More than just opinions, he actually has a point of view. A career minor leaguer, hanging on wherever he can get a job. Unlike Ebby--Crash knows a lot about the world without baseball. Also unlike Ebby--he loves baseball desperately. LARRY Who're you? Crash speaks slowly, with a trace of cynicism and pride, like an old warrior who knows he's just a hired gun. CRASH I am the player to be named later. Beat. Skip looks out, half dressed, from his cubicle. SKIP Crash Davis? CRASH The Crash Davis. (beat, then nonstop)) And you, Larry Hockett, should recognize me 'cause five years ago in the Texas League when you were pitching for El Paso and I was hitting cleanup for Shreveport, you hung a curve on an 0-2 pitch of a 3-2 game in bottom of the 8th and I tattooed it over the Goodyear Tire sign, beat you 4-3-- and I got a free wheel alignment from Goodyear. LARRY (remembering) Ohyeah. I shoulda throwed a slider. Damn, Crash, how're ya? SKIP I'm Joe Riggins. Sit down CRASH I'm too old for this shit. Why the hell am I back in "A" ball? SKIP 'Cause of Ebby Calvin LaLoosh. (beat) The Big Club's got a hundred grand in him- LARRY He's got a million dollar arm and a five cent head. SKIP --we had the gun on him tonight-- the last five pitches he threw were faster than the first five. 96 miles an hour, 98, 97, 97. 97. (beat) He's got the best young arm I've seen in 30 years. LARRY But he ain't quite sure which plane he's on, y'know what I mean... SKIP You been around, you're smart, you're professional, you know what it takes-- (beat) We want you to mature the kid. CRASH "Mature" ain't a fuckin' verb. LARRY You go to college or what? SKIP We want you to room with him on the road and stay on his case all year. (beat) He can go all the way. CRASH And where can I go? SKIP You can keep going to the ballpark and keep gettin' paid to do it. (beat) Beats hell outta working at Sears. LARRY Sears sucks, Crash, I tried it once. Sold Lady Kenmores--it's nasty, nasty work. SKIP Even if it's the Carolina League-- this is a chance to play everyday. CRASH (angrily) You don't want a player, you want a stable pony. My Triple A contract gets bought out so I can hold the Flavor o' the Month's dick in the bus leagues?! (angrily) Fuck this fucking game... I fuckin' quit. CRASH RISES TO LEAVE -- Picks up his luggage, and turns to Skip and Larry before exiting. A deep breath CRASH Who we play tomorrow? Beat. They know, they share the inability to quit the game. They're all clinging to the Church of Baseball. SKIP Winston-Salem. Batting practice at 4:30. CRASH LEAVES and as he does -- Ed (the catcher) enters. ED You wanted to see me? SKIP Yeah, Ed, shut the door... He does. Remains standing. He can see it coming. SKIP This is the toughest job a manager has, Ed... (deep breath) But the organization has decided to make a change--we're releasing you from your contract... CLOSE ON ED -- Silent. Motionless. Empty. CUT TO: INT. THE LOCKER ROOM -- CRASH PUTS HIS BAG IN A LOCKER as other players return from the shower. Crash watches as EBBY SOAKS HIS ELBOW IN A TUB OF ICE WATER as the sports writer, Whitey, interviews him. WHITEY How's it feel to get your first professional win? EBBY It feels "out there". A major rush. I mean it doesn't just feel "out there" but it feels out there. CRASH Hopeless. Utterly fucking hopeless. CUT TO: INT. MAXWELL'S BAR -- LATER THAT NIGHT Loud country music in the players' hangout and pickup spot. It's full of players and lots of young women. MILLIE SITS DOWN NEXT TO YET ANOTHER PLAYER, TONY, 25-- He's slick, urban, smooth. MILLIE Hi, I'm Millie. TONY I'm Tony. I play left field. MILLIE I know. ANNIE SITS IN THE CORNER at her own table. Max Patkin, looking spiffy in a turtle neck sweater and double breasted blazer, sits down next to her. Old friends. MAX Love the game, Annie, love it (dead serious) When I die I'm gonna have my ashes sprinkled around a pitcher's mound in some ballpark somewhere-- (beat) --and I'll have a few ashes saved for the rosin bag so I'll still be in the game after I'm gone. ANNIE What a sweet idea- A COCKTAIL WAITRESS DELIVERS another round to them. ANNIE We didn't order this, honey... WAITRESS (she points) He did. P.O.V. CRASH DAVIS SITTING ALONE IN THE OTHER CORNER. HE waves, and smiles easily. ANNIE (to Max) Who's that? MAX Hey--that's Crash Davis. He's played in more towns than I have. Helluva guy--real different... I actually saw him read a book without pictures once ANNIE Really? Kinda cute... ANNIE NODS AT CRASH -- He comes over to her table, greets Max as an old friend, and introduces himself. CRASH I'm Crash Davis. ANNIE Annie Savoy. Wanta dance? CRASH I don't dance. ANNIE I don't trust a man who don't dance. It ain't natural. SUDDENLY -- HARD CORE ROCK AND ROLL on the juke box. Several couples dance, and out of the pack-- EBBY DANCES WITH A GROUPIE -- Spinning and whirling, uninhibited and infectious. He's suddenly dancing with a different WOMAN, then another, and another... ANNIE, CRASH AND MAX WATCH the mad performance. MAX Who's he dancing with? ANNIE All of 'em, I think... EBBY PUTS ON A ONE MAN SHOW ON THE DANCE FLOOR -- The whole bar stops to watch him, applauding as he spins to a finish. A quirkier "Saturday Night Fever" show. More naive, fun. He climbs off the floor and joins Annie's table. EBBY Thanks for the note--you're right, I wasn't bending my back. ANNIE You got a live arm there. He extends his hand to introduce himself. EBBY Ebby Calvin LaLoosh. ANNIE You need a nickname. EBBY That's what I been telling everybody! Wanta dance? CRASH She's dancing with me. ANNIE Crash, I didn't think you-- CRASH I'll learn. C'mon-- EBBY Just a minute, pal The two men square off quickly. Annie mocks them. ANNIE You boys gonna fight over little me? CRASH RISES, pulling Annie with him. But-- EBBY STANDS to challenge Crash. EBBY Step outside, pal. CRASH Love to-- ANNIE Oh don't be such guys-- But Crash and Ebby head outside. She turns to Max-- ANNIE Hell, Max, wanta dance? CUT TO: EXT. THE PARKING LOT -- NIGHT A circle is formed. Everybody gathers. Millie clings to Tony, her guy of the moment. Crash and Ebby face off. CRASH I don't believe in fighting. EBBY Pussy. CRASH Take the first shot at me. EBBY I ain't hitting a man first. CRASH Hit me in the chest with this... CRASH PULLS A BASEBALL from his jacket pocket, tosses it to Ebby. EBBY I'd kill ya. CRASH From what I hear you couldn't hit a bull in the ass with a slingshot EBBY Don't try me. CRASH Throw it. C'mon, right in the chest. EBBY No way. CRASH C'mon, Meat. You can't hit me 'cause you're starting to think about it already, you're starting to think how embarrassing it'll be to miss, how all these people would laugh. (teasing mercilessly) C'mon, Rook--show me that million dollar arm 'cause I'm getting a good idea about the five cent head-- EBBY REARS BACK AND FIRES THE BALL -- From ten feet away, right at Crash's chest. But, alas-- THE BALL GOES THROUGH A SECOND STORY WINDOW in the distance. Crash never blinks. CRASH Ba11 four. EBBY IS ENRAGED -- HE CHARGES CRASH, lunging at him. EBBY Who the fuck are you?! CRASH LASHES OUT A SHORT LEFT -- With lightning speed, effortless. And brutal. BANG! Ebby goes down. And stays there stunned. He looks up. CRASH I'm Crash Davis. Your new catcher. And you just got Lesson Number One--"Don't think--it can only hurt the ballclub". (beat) Buy ya a drink? CUT TO: INT. THE CLUB -- NIGHT ANNIE AND MAX DANCE to Billy Eckstein on the juke box. Millie and Tony are also on the dance floor. ECKSTEIN (ON JUKE BOX) April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom, Holiday tables under the tree... EBBY AND CRASH WATCH FROM THE CORNER TABLE -- Ebby's right eye is blackened. He holds a drink on it. EBBY We fight, she gets the clown-- how's that happen? CRASH Shut up--I like this song... (sings along) April in Paris, this is a feeling, No one can ever reprieve... EBBY She's playing with my mind. CRASH It's a damn easy thing to play with. ANNIE SUDDENLY APPEARS at the table. ANNIE Well--you boys stopped fighting yet? Are you pals now? Good. I love a little macho male bonding-- I think it's sweet even if it's probably latent homosexuality being "re-channeled" but I believe in "re-channeling" so who cares, right? (beat) Shall we go to my place? EBBY Which one of us? ANNIE Oh both of you, of course... CLOSE ON EBBY -- His eyes full of fear and wonder. CLOSE ON CRASH -- He smiles. THE THREE OF THEM LEAVE the bar together. CUT TO: INT. ANNIE'S LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT THE SHRINE OF BASEBALL GLOWS -- Annie lights the candles. EBBY AND CRASH SIT ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF HER COUCH -- Both men look around the room with wonder. Ebby is clearly more nervous than Crash, who's been in some strange rooms in his minor league career. ANNIE These are the ground rules. (beat) I hook up with one guy a season-- I mean it takes me a couple of weeks to pick the guy--kinda my own spring training... (beat) And, well, you two are the most promising prospects of the season so far. (beat) So... I thought we should get to know each other. CRASH Why do you get to choose? Why don't I get to choose? ANNIE Actually none of us on this planet ever really choose each other. It's all Quantum Physics and molecular attraction. There are laws we don't understand that bring us together and break us apart. EBBY Is somebody gonna go to bed with somebody or what? ANNIE You're a regular nuclear meltdown, honey--slow down. Crash rises to leave, and heads for the door. CRASH After 12 years in the minor leagues, I don't tryout. Besides-- I don't believe in, Quantum Physics when it comes to matters of the heart...or loins. ANNIE (challenging him) What do you believe in? Crash at the door. Annie's question is slightly taunting. He stops, and speaks with both aloofness and passion: CRASH I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, long foreplay, show tunes, and that the novels of Thomas Pynchon are self-indulgent, overrated crap. (beat) I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, I believe that there oughtta be a constitutional amendment outlawing astro-turf and the designated hitter, I believe in the "sweet spot", voting every election, soft core pornography, chocolate chip cookies, opening your presents on Christmas morning rather than Christmas eve, and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last for 7 days. ANNIE (breathless) Oh my... (softly) Don't leave... CRASH G'night. Crash heads out into the night. Annie hurries to the-door while Ebby sits on the couch, bewildered. EBBY Hey--what's all this molecule stuff? ANNIE STANDS IN THE DOORWAY -- Crash is on the porch. ANNIE Wait, Crash--don't go--all I want is a date. I'm not gonna fall in love with you or nothin'. CRASH I'm not interested in a woman who's interested in that boy. ANNIE I'm not interested yet. Ebby appears in the door. EBBY Who you calling a "boy"? CRASH See ya at the yard, Meat. Crash walks out into the Durham night. Ebby and Annie stand in the doorway. She speaks softly to Ebby. ANNIE No ballplayer ever said "no" to a date with me. EBBY Well shit, then, let's fuck. CUT TO: INT. ANNIE'S BEDROOM -- MOMENTS LATER ANNIE PUTS ON A RECORD -- Edith Piaf sings "Le Trois Cloches". EBBY STARTS UNDRESSING across the room. ANNIE Wait, honey, slow down--I want to watch. She sits in a chair. Piaf sings. Ebby practically rips his shirt off, exposing a great upper body. ANNIE No, no, no. Put it back on and take it off slowly. EBBY Jesus, what kinda broad are you? ANNIE When you know how to make love, you'll know how to pitch. (turning to the stereo) Shh. I love this part. Piaf sings. Annie listens. Ebby re-buttons, then unbuttons his shirt. It drops, revealing his back. ANNIE Oh my--what a nice back. Ebby drops his pants. ANNIE No, no, honey... first the shoes and socks. EBBY The socks? It's cold in here. ANNIE (sweetly, unthreatening) You think Dwight Gooden leaves his socks on? Ebby considers this. Pulls his pants back up. Takes his socks off. Then his pants. ANNIE Ebby honey have you ever been handcuffed in bed? CUT TO: EXT. DOWNTOWN DURHAM -- NIGHT Deserted streets of the old tobacco town. Crash walks alone. He picks up an old newspaper out of a trash can. He stops in front of a store window. He rolls the newspaper like a short bat. He takes a batting stance, and-- CRASH TAKES HIS BATTING STANCE in front of the window, studying his reflection. He taken a "swing". And another. A GROUP OF OLD BLACK MEN stand in a doorway, watching. CUT TO: INT. ANNIE'S BEDROOM -'CONTINUOUS NIGHT CLICK -- A handcuff is locked onto Ebby's wrist. Both his arms are outstretched--he's getting very excited. EBBY Awright! I read about stuff like this. Bring it on! Annie calmly drags a chair over and sits down. ANNIE Sweetie, have you ever heard of Walt Whitman? EBBY Who's he play for? ANNIE Well, he sort of pitches for the Cosmic All-Stars. EBBY Never heard of 'em. Annie opens a book and begins reading as Piaf sings softly. ANNIE Good--then listen. (reading) "I sing the body electric. The armies of those I love engirth me and I engirth them--" EBBY We gonna fuck or what? ANNIE Shh, shh... (reading) "They will not let me off till I go with them, respond to them, and discorrupt them and charge them" DISSOLVE TO: SAME SCENE -- LATER ANNIE "Limitless limpid jets of love hot and enormous -- quivering jelly of love, white blow and delirious juice-- CLOSE ON EBBY'S FACE -- Intrigued, aroused, frightened. CUT TO: EXT. DOWNTOWN DURHAM -- NIGHT THE OLD BLACK MAN is tossing wadded up balls of paper at Crash who takes beautiful, fluid swings with the rolled up newspaper. Batting practice. CLOSE ON CRASH'S EYES -- Studying the "pitches" with intense concentration, endlessly working on his game. CUT TO: EXT. THE DURHAM FIELD -- NEXT DAY LARRY, DEKE, MICKEY AND BOBBY ARE SINGING at home plate as a pre-game show. Larry is Diana Ross, the other three are the Supremes, and the routine is brilliantly tacky. LARRY (AND THE SUPREMES) Baby love, oh oh, baby love, I need ya oh how I need ya, All ya do is treat me bad, Take my heart and leave me sad... CUT TO: INT. DURHAM BULLS LOCKER ROOM -- DAY JIMMY STANDS ON A BENCH trying to get the players' attention. JIMMY Listen up, guys, could I have your attention a minute? (a few heads turn) I'm going to be leading a daily chapel service at three In the afternoons here in the locker room and you're all invited to drop by and worship before batting practice. BOBBY Jimmy, God damn it--loosen up and get laid. BOBBY, 25, smooths the creases of his uniform, preening. JIMMY I don't care If you think I'm square but I believe what I believe. All heads turn as: EBBY ENTERS THE LOCKER ROOM -- He looks trashed. BOBBY Jesus, Ebby, what truck ran over you? EBBY (glassy eyed) Call me "Nuke". Annie said it's my new nickname. Lots of teasing from around the clubhouse. DEKE Annie nailed you? That's great, means you're gonna have a helluva year. Does she fuck as good as they say? EBBY We didn't do it, man--she read poetry to me all night, I swear. It's more tiring than fucking. EBBY GOES TO HIS LOCKER and starts undressing. Crash sits next to him, looking straight ahead. Bobby nearby. EBBY --of love"...hey, Crash, does that mean what I think it means? What's the deal here? Crash studies Ebby. CRASH Your shower shoes have fungus on 'em. You'll never get to the Bigs with fungus on your shower shoes. (beat) Think classy and you'll be classy. If you win 20 in the Show you can let the fungus grow back on your shower shoes and the press'll think you're colorful. (beat) Until you win twenty in the Show, however, it means you're a slob. CRASH RISES AND HEADS OUT to the field. Ebby sits silently, holding his shower shoes, taking it all in. CUT TO: EXT. DURHAM BALLPARK -- GAME IN PROGRESS -- DAY IN THE DUGOUT -- THE GAME FROM A DUGOUT P.O.V. The players sit, stand, stir restlessly. A combination of relaxation and intensity not visible from the stands. CRASH IS HANDED HIS BAT and helmet by the bat boy. DEKE This guy's bringing some serious smoke out there. DUGOUT P.O.V. THE WINSTON-SALEM PITCHER throwing hard. CRASH He ain't got shit. FOLLOW CRASH INTO THE ON-DECK CIRCLE -- The ritual. The bat boy hands him the pine tar rag and he rubs pine tar on the bat with great care. CRASH RISES -- Heads to the plate. Talking to himself. CRASH You ain't getting that cheese by me, meat. CRASH TAKES HIS STANCE -- Upright. Calm. Head still. CRASH (VOICE OVER) Look for the fastball up. He's gotta come with the cheese. Relax. Relax. Quick bat. Pop the clubhead. Open the hips. Relax. You're thinking too much. Get | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||






