Chapter 15

On the way back to the house, Amy and I stopped at the supermarket for supplies -- both to keep our story straight with Shiggie and because, well, hell, we needed some stuff.

"You're still not so certain this is a good idea, are you?" I asked, as we toured the aisles of the Super Giant.

"It's dangerous -- just like that Nazi, Mitchell, said," Amy answered. "And it's all kind of sneaky and underhanded -- even if it works."

"True," I said. "But consider the alternatives. The Orioles continue issuing denials; the press continues haunting our house and the club's locker room; and, eventually, it comes out that Shiggie is gay."

"And would that really be the end of the world?" Amy said.

"No. But it really would be a big story -- right in the middle of a time when we need stories about harmony in the clubhouse and success on the field -- and nothing else."

"Hard to believe it's that big a deal."

"I kind of think Shiggie could weather it -- if the story were to break this winter, and people were given a few months to calm down," I said. "It might even be good for baseball -- over the long haul, for somebody to come out of the closet, and really demonstrate that it isn't that big a deal. --But the Orioles have a point, worrying about it happening right now, a third of the way through the season, with us hanging onto first place!"

"You think this young woman will go along?"

"That's going to be the toughest part. We're asking a lot of her, and she's liable to be put under some pressure, before it's over with."

"I think the two trips to the house have already convinced her that Shiggie's not interested in her, as a woman," Amy observed.

"You're probably right. She might even have developed her own independent suspicions that he's gay. I mean, she's cute as a button, and she's been awfully friendly. Nine out of ten ballplayers -- Japanese imports or otherwise -- would have bitten on that hook, real quick!"

"So. What's in it for her if she cooperates?" Amy asked.

"I think she should get a raise -- say an extra $1000 a month through October. And we should invite her to move into the house with us. She can have the extra bedroom reserved for call-ups from Ottawa."

"You think she's ready for the big leagues!" Amy said, smiling.

"Maybe she's going to be our new Most Valuable Player!" I said.

The next morning, Mitchell called to tell me that the Brass had said we should go for it. I outlined the specifics about extra money, the free room, and some of my ideas for talking to Samantha. None of the details discouraged Mitchell at all. "Just do it," he said.

Where had I heard that before?

I invited Amy to come with me to visit Samantha at the Warehouse. "Wait a minute," she said. "What about Shiggie?"

Oh, yeah. Stupid of me to have forgotten. It wasn't going to work to pull this without Shiggie's knowledge and cooperation. First things first.

"It's up to you, Kid," I told Amy. "Talk to him about it, and ask him whether he wants us to do this. Tell him about what the Orioles have said about his coming out, during the off season -- if that's what he wants to do by that time."

"Do I try to persuade him to go along with this, if he's reluctant?"

"No. Just give him the whole picture. Explain the prevailing attitudes at the Warehouse, if necessary, but make clear that it's his choice. If he doesn't want to do this thing, we'll just call Mitchell back and tell him all bets are off."

Amy and Shiggie were holed up together in the dining room for a very long time that morning -- so long that I was getting concerned about having enough time left, before going to the ball park for that night's game, for us to talk to Samantha and get this thing launched.

Tomorrow night's game would be the last of the home stand. There really was almost an inadequate amount of time left to give the Japanese press guys a chance to see romance in bloom between Samantha and Shiggie.

Finally, Amy found me upstairs and smiled. "He's in!" she said. "He wants to go with us to talk to Samantha."

"Let's get it done," I said.

"When we get there," Amy said, "let me talk to her alone first. I'm getting into the spirit of this thing now. I think some of the same things I just said to Shiggie, I can say to her. It might be better, just going woman-to-woman for awhile, first. Then we'll all four get together to seal the deal."

"What about lunch?" I said.

"Lunch would be nice. But this is sensitive stuff. Where could we go where we could have a private conversation?"

"OK. We'll meet in the conference room at the Warehouse. And while the two of you are getting started, Shiggie and I will try to line up some take-out. Hey -- maybe Boog's Barbecue stand will be open early. Shiggie loves them ribs from Boog's!"

The conversation with Samantha covered a lot of ground. We tried not to sell her a bill of goods. Amy reminded her that her name would likely appear in the papers -- including the local papers -- as Shiggie's girlfriend.

She would likely be hounded by the press. She'd be alone in the Big House when the three of us were on road trips, and although most, or maybe all, of the press guys would faithfully follow Shiggie on the road, it was always possible that somebody would be around, watching her as well.