The Pilgrims and the Loggers were headed in opposite directions.

It was “getaway day” at quaint Fitzgerald Field. The Pilgrims had won the third of four games the night before, after two rain delays, and were poised for a sweep. They were three games ahead of the Suns, thanks to six wins in a row. The Waves were thirteen and a half back in the Central, losers of nine straight. The Pilgrims were headed west to San Jose, the Waves south to New Orleans.

Win, lose. Up, down. West, south.

It was noon. Nary a soul on either team arrived at the yard with more than four hours’ sleep. They wanted to win, sure, but mainly they wanted a break.

Carson Bodie, the Pilgrims’ veteran outfielder, decided to take a break from shagging flies to chat with a former teammate, Stirling Guevara, second baseman of the Waves.

“Damned if I ain’t getting too old for this,” Bodie said, smiling as he bumped fists with his old Puerto Rican friend.

“No shit, compadre,” Guevara replied.

The friends chatted about how they both wanted to get out of town, even though Bodie lived about ten blocks away in a high-rise.

At length, Bodie said, “You know, Stirling, if you and me was as smart as each one of us thinks the other is, we’d make a little deal.”

“Don’t be thinking too hard, amigo.”

“No, no. All I’m saying is we could all hustle to move things along.”

“Yeah?”

“Say, I talk with my guys, and you talk with your guys, and we, uh, agree that whoever scores first wins,” Bodie said. “I gotta go. See what you can do.”

They nodded.

The Waves put two men on in the top of the first. Guevara singled. The five hitter, Jersey Jensen, grounded into a double play.

On the first pitch of the bottom of the first, the Pilgrim shortstop, Alvedes DeLeon, hit a high fly that hit the foul pole. Pilgrims 1, Waves 0.

In the dugout, Bodie said, “Easy money, boys.” Bodie came to the plate with two out and struck out on three pitches. It was a signal the deal was on.

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