Chapter 60

Brock arrived back in Los Angeles the following morning with one of the team's assistant trainers. The woman handed him off to the team's assistant traveling secretary and then immediately turned around and hopped a flight back to Pittsburgh.

Meredith waited at the terminal of the team's charter company for Brock to arrive. She gave him a gentle hug despite the fact he was still a little sweaty from the game. He had taken a sponge bath but the soft cast on his foot and the stitches in his face kept him from showering.

"Well, it's official," Meredith said, looking up at him with a smile. "I'm definitely the prettiest one in this relationship."

Despite his ill temper, Brock smiled back.

"You always were," he agreed. His swollen face made his words sound like he had a cold. "Can we stop and pick up some food on the way home?"

"I called Randi as soon as you landed," Meredith replied. "She's fixing something light for you. I wasn't sure about what medication you're on or if it would make you queasy. So we're just planned for something simple. If you're still hungry, we'll get you something more."

Brock hobbled out to the SUV – through a mass of cameramen and reporters who had caught wind of the flight (again, probably from someone in the Dodgers organization).

"We'll have no comment at this time," Meredith said. "The team will issue a statement later in the day, I'm sure."

"Vultures," she muttered as she headed back to their Beverly Glen home.

"A publicist is supposed to love the limelight," Brock joked. He had been given a painkiller so he was stuck riding with Meredith's dubious driving skills.

"I don't really mind it," she told him. "It's just the way this story has been told that pisses me off. Did you see the TV while you were waiting at the hospital?"

Brock shook his head.

"You looked terrible," Meredith said. "You had blood all over your face and uniform. You reminded me of one of those kids who survived the subway bombing in Paris last year."

"Gee, thanks," Brock murmured, his voiced sounding like he had a pile of crap in his mouth.

"They kept showing that picture on television," Meredith replied. "Even after everyone knew the most serious thing was an ankle injury, they kept showing a close-up of your face as they carried you off. That, of course, meant they had to keep flashing back to October. I didn't like that."

"I'm not going to act that way this time," Brock put forth.

"No," Meredith said firmly. "You're not. I'm not going to act that way either. You stubbed your toe this time. No one tried to kill you. So we're not going to get all maternal on you."

"I stubbed my toe?" Brock asked. "My ankle is broken. I'm probably done for the year."

"You're not done for the year," Meredith said dismissively. "You'll have the cast off in six weeks, eight at the latest."

"I'm glad to see you've got your medical license now," Brock retorted.

Meredith glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I've already contacted a therapist to see what we can do to make sure you don't lose muscle tone in your legs," she explained. "He's going to bring over some exercises that you can do with your doctor's approval. After the cast is off, I figure it will take about two weeks to get flexibility and strength back. You'll do a week or two in rehab at Las Vegas and be back for the stretch run in September. I didn't just Google this, Brock. I've spoken to orthopedists and I even had Tara get me the number of that guy from the Cubs. He had the same thing happen two years ago. Ten weeks after he broke his ankle, he was back on the field. He's a pitcher, too. They put more strain on their joints than you will."

"OK," Brock said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I feel like I've let everyone down. I was already feeling the strain because of this losing streak we're on."

"Which is why you tried for a highlight-reel catch in the first place," Meredith finished. "I know, Brock. I watch every game. I can see you starting to push. I just didn't know what to say. I didn't know if it would put more pressure on you if I said something. I figured this was one of those things you needed to figure out for yourself."

"It probably was," Brock admitted.

"Yeah, well, if I'd have known you'd come home in a cast, I might have done things differently," Meredith joked. "But I've been trying to be extra-supportive at home. I've tried to take care of some of the things that bother you – getting the lawn mowed; making sure the pool is cleaned."

"I know and I should have told you how much I appreciate it," Brock mentioned.

"I know you appreciate it," Meredith said, taking one hand off the wheel to put on his. He quickly returned it to its former position, not because he didn't want to hold Meredith's hand but because she was a terrible driver.

It earned him a giggle.

"We're a team, Brock," Meredith told him firmly. "We pick up the slack for the other. We share responsibilities. My job is to take care of you."

"You do it well," Brock told her. He put his hand on her shoulder.

"Says the guy with a cast on his foot and two black eyes," Meredith rejoined. "We'll get your medical visits scheduled. Things will work out, I promise."

Brock watched the next six games with a sense of trepidation. There was nothing he could do to help the team.

It turned out the team didn't need his help. They won two of three in Pittsburgh and repeated the feat against the hapless Cubs. They headed to Kansas City a game closer to first place than they were when Brock was hurt.

Driesbach stayed in left field for the Kansas City series, too. He was playing well out there and he was providing needed protection for the bottom of the lineup. Al came off the disabled list to act as designated hitter for the first two games of a three-game series in an American League park. He moved to his customary spot in center for the final game and appeared none the worse for wear.

Milton would return when the team got back to Los Angeles. His rehab stint in Jacksonville had concluded but LaCross had decided to let him have a couple of more days before coming back. The team had to make a roster move to get him on the active roster. After much discussion, Brock was moved from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. It allowed the team to activate Milton without removing a player from its 40-man roster. That decision could wait until Miller came back.

Steve Morris was working the phone lines trying to pick up a decent pitcher but wasn't having much luck. The bargaining chips he had were pretty minimal. The best prospect left in the minors was the Class AA pitcher who had come over with Brock in the deal for J.C. Michaels the year before. The kid had No. 1 starter written all over him and Morris wasn't about to trade him.

Morris was also reluctant to deprive LaCross of one of his key ingredients. He knew that in a month or two, he'd have a surplus of riches. In some ways, he already did. Teams had contacted the Dodgers about Cruz's availability but they weren't offering anything decent in return.

Now teams were calling about Driesbach. Again, because he was in the last year of his contract, teams weren't really offering what Morris considered fair value. Besides, Matt Driesbach had come a long way in a few months and now had to be viewed as one of the integral parts of the team.

The name most mentioned when it came time to talk turkey about a front-line starter was Brock Miller.

He had a favorable contract so he didn't scare away small-market teams. Even though his salary was higher than any other second-year player in the league, most teams considered him underpaid for the value he brought. The Pirates, Royals and Brewers all made serious pitches to acquire him – offering their No. 1 starter in return. Each of the teams could see their half-vacant ballparks filling up because of the excitement he would bring to the franchise.

The larger-market teams were also interested. The Yankees made a major push, offering two "can't miss" prospects for him. When Morris declined their initial offering, they worked out a three-way trade with Oakland that would net the Yankees the shortstop they coveted and the A's two top prospects to build upon next year. Oakland would send its top pitcher to Los Angeles to complete the deal.

When the deal was proposed, Miller couldn't be spared. The day after Al Perez returned to the lineup, the Yankees GM called again. He would add another prospect to the deal, this one joining Oakland's pitcher in L.A.

"The city would riot," LaCross said flatly when Morris told him what was being offered. "The players would revolt."

"He's not going to be back until August or September," Morris pointed out. "And we're doing fine without him in the lineup."

"You need to spend some time down here," LaCross rejoined. "A deal like that would cut the heart right out of this team. Hart and Watson didn't step into the leadership role when Al went down. Miller did. You know why Driesbach stopped acting like a dick? Miller pulled him aside and explained life in the clubhouse to him. Driesbach came and asked to move to left field because he had watched and learned from a second-year kid."

"But we're talking a guy who has two Cy Young Awards," Morris persisted.

"Steve, I can't stop you from pulling the trigger on this deal," LaCross said with a shrug. "But it would be a bad deal for us if you were able to get the real Cy Young in his prime. Don't make any deal until we're back in Los Angeles. Then come down to the clubhouse and watch what happens when that kid comes in to see his teammates. After that, if you think it's a worthwhile deal, I won't try to talk you out of it. I still won't agree with you but I won't try to convince you otherwise."

The rumors of the deal reached Stan Balsam's ears pretty quickly. At first, he shrugged them off as wishful thinking on the Yankees part. Their Hall of Fame shortstop would retire at the season's end and they had no viable replacement. He was certain the Yankees would love to have a guy like Brock Miller take over the position.

But the rumors persisted even after his player was hurt. He thought that he should make sure Brock wasn't caught by surprise so he gave him a call.

"I don't want you to be alarmed," Stan said after an exchange of pleasantries, "but there are rumors that you're going to be traded."

"Crap," Brock said bitterly. "Where?"

"The Yankees," Stan told him.

"No fucking way," Brock spat.

"Brock, we can't stop this if they want to do it," Stan advised. "I wish I had been more forceful in getting you a new deal. We could have blocked this nonsense."

"It wasn't your fault," Brock told him. "The only deal I would have signed at this point would have been one with a no-trade. They couldn't offer that. But, Stan, I won't play in New York. They might trade my rights but I'll never wear pinstripes. I'll find something else to do first."

"New York isn't a bad place," Stan replied. "I mean, I live here. It's just like anywhere else. It has its bad spots and its nice spots."

"It's not the city, necessarily," Brock answered. "It's the whole Yankees thing. I've hated them since I was little. They epitomize the little town I grew up in: Money makes power. Honestly, I view the Yankees as everything that is wrong in baseball. I just can't see myself ever playing for them. Is there a subtle way you can get that across to them?"

"I'm not sure," Stan admitted. "I'll let you know."

Brock thanked him and sat and stewed until Meredith finally asked him what was bothering him.

"The team is considering trading me to the Yankees," Brock answered.

Meredith's face fell.

"No," she said. "They can't."

"They can," Brock replied. "But that doesn't mean I'll go. I'll refuse to report and the Yankees will probably void the deal. If they don't, it means I'm done with baseball."

"I don't want to live in New York," Meredith said. "That city has nothing but bad memories for me."

"I know," Brock said. "We'll figure it out. It hasn't happened yet. If it does, I have options. We have options."

"But you love playing baseball," Meredith said.

"I do," Brock said. "But it's what I do. It's not who I am."

The team arrived back in Los Angeles having won seven of nine games on the last leg of a 12-game road trip. They were sitting only three games out of first place, despite having a dearth of starting pitching. The lineup was about to round back into shape. Al was back at the cleanup spot, meaning Wade could shift back to No. 3. Josh went back to batting sixth. Surprisingly, Driesbach moved down in the lineup and not up.

LaCross gave Fred Hartman a shot at batting second. He had displayed surprising aptitude with the bat, given his minor league statistics. He was batting .277 from the No. 7 and No. 8 holes. He had more speed than Driesbach in the base paths so LaCross decided to see what he could do in the games against the Royals.

Fred responded by going 7-for-19 with two stolen bases and his first Major League home run. Fred's ascendance allowed Sanchez to move to the No. 8 spot. The catcher was struggling with the bat. He had started the season slowly while adjusting to pitchers he'd never seen before. But he had never broken out of his funk. His batting average heading back to Los Angeles was barely above .200 and LaCross was routinely pinch-hitting for him late in games.

If he wasn't such a fantastic defensive catcher, he probably would have been on the bench. Actually, if the Dodgers had a viable option to replace him, that might have been the case. His backup, Will Courson was a purely defensive catcher. His batting average was even lower than Sanchez's. There were already rumblings in the local media about the need to move Josh back behind the plate but LaCross had stated firmly that was not going to be considered.

"Danys is a fine catcher and he'll come around," he had been saying since early May. Now that it was mid-June, Brock wondered if maybe LaCross wasn't being hopefully optimistic. He hoped the return of Al Perez would help the young backstop find his way with the bat.

The team followed its season-longest road trip with nine games at home. They opened the home stand with four games against Colorado before St. Louis was in for two games. The last games on the schedule were another interleague set, this time against Cleveland.

The All-Star Break would follow a short road trip to San Francisco. The All-Star game was in Houston, Texas, this season – the home of the Houston Astros. It was part of the trade-off to convince the Astros new owners to move the franchise to the American League.

Zack was hoping he might make the roster and appear in his home state, although he doubted it. Despite missing the first two months of the season, Al Perez was in the top five vote-getters as an outfielder and Wade Watson and Josh Hart were both in the top 10 at first and third base.

But when the first vote totals were announced in early June, Brock Miller was the team's leader in the fan voting. Despite playing only six games at second base, he was leading balloting at the position. The Dodgers hadn't solicited anyone's opinion before requesting the league list Miller at second base ahead of Fred Hartman. Otherwise, Brock probably would have appeared on the ballot as an outfielder. As it was, his vote total was high enough he would have been third in the balloting there, too.

Carter Repling was almost 300,000 votes behind – in fact, he was in third place behind the Phillies starting second baseman – and the Diamondbacks pushed their fans to vote early and often.

When the second totals came out a week later, Repling was even farther behind. Brock took small solace in hearing the news. But all in all, he would rather have seen Fred Hartman get his name on the ballot. Brock hoped the Cardinals manager would consider appointing Fred in his place – since he was injured and wouldn't be able to play – if he did manage to hold on to win the starting spot. But he doubted it.

It might, however, open the door for Zack Duffy to get his wish. Every team had to have a representative but the better teams got more than one. Zack was 19-for-20 in save opportunities and had a sparkling 1.90 earned-run average.

Like so much in his life, Brock would just have to wait to see how things played out.

Brock went straight from his doctor's appointment to the stadium. Although he had texted or spoke with a lot of the team in the past few days, he hadn't seen them since he left New York with the assistant trainer.

The players were already in the locker room when he arrived. Fred was the first one to spot Brock hobbling through the doorway on his crutches. Brock's eyes were still black from the broken nose and he had only got the stitches out of his lip that afternoon.

"Holy moley," Fred said. "Did Meredith finally get wise to you?"

He gave Brock a smile to show he was joking and a firm pat on the back.

"It's good to see you," he added.

The rest of the players turned from what they were doing and watched Brock enter.

"I knew you wanted to be just like me!" Al shouted.

"Overpaid and overrated?" Brock asked with a laugh. "I'm already that."

"You wound me," Al countered, smiling and holding a hand over his heart.

"Your ego is in your head not in your chest," Josh yelled from the opposite of the room, tossing a pair of socks at the captain.

Brock made it over to the chair in front of his vacant locker and sat down.

"Any news we don't already know?" Matt asked. Brock shook his head. The team had released his medical report while the team was still in Chicago.

"Broken but no tendon or ligament damage," Brock explained. "They took another look at it this afternoon and said things appear to be on track."

"I'm glad to hear that," Matt said. Brock couldn't miss the sincerity in the guy's voice.

"You played well in left field," Brock told him.

"Jesus, that was miserable," Matt said softly. "I was scared to death out there. I had a nightmare about a ball bouncing off my head and over the fence for a home run that cost us a game."

"Mine always revolved around overthrowing third base and braining LaCross in the dugout," Brock confided.

"Thank God we were the visitors while I was out there," Driesbach joked. "I didn't have to worry about that."

One by one, the players on the team made their way over to say hi and just to visit. Even a couple of members from the coaching staff came across.

"You hear about Ryan?" Josh asked, taking his seat to Brock's right.

"No," Brock admitted. He had followed the young player's career for a few weeks at the start of the season but found himself too busy to do it much anymore. "Nothing bad, I hope."

"He got called up to High A," Josh told him. "Their shortstop is done for the year. Looks like he's going to be in Santa Barbara for the rest of the year."

"That's great," Brock said. "When did this happen?"

"I just heard about it five minutes ago," Josh admitted. "Morris was lurking in the hallway talking on his cell phone. I heard him say that Radabaugh had played well in Vero Beach so there was no reason not to promote him."

Brock sent a one-word text to his red-headed friend: "Congrats."

"I'll have to make it over there to see him play," Brock said. He stopped when his cell phone got a reply from Ryan: "?????"

"Looks like he doesn't know yet," Brock said with a laugh. "I guess I should wait for the official announcement."

He texted back that he would give him a call later and turned to Josh again just as Al and Zack meandered over.

"You hear Morris saying anything else?" Brock asked the third baseman.

"Nah, I wasn't trying to eavesdrop," Josh said. "I was just coming back from snagging a Dodger Dog and he was there. Why?"

"Stan says I'm being offered to the Yankees," Brock told them.

"Bullshit," Al said, shaking his head.

"Nah, I don't see it," Josh added.

Brock shrugged.

"It's what he's heard," Brock said. "A three-way deal with the A's to get Blake over here. I was just wondering if there is any truth to it."

"There better not be," Al said. "Seeing your ugly mug come through that door lifted the spirits of everyone in this room."

"You have to admit I'm expendable," Brock pointed out.

"Bullshit," Al said again.

"The tear we went on in Pittsburgh and Chicago was because these guys are playing for you," Matt said over Josh's shoulder. "We had a meeting as soon as we got to Pittsburgh. You should have seen the flight over. It was like we were coming back from Afghanistan or something. No one spoke. They all just sat and stared straight ahead. When we got there, we told them that they owed it to you to suck it up and make sure we're still in the race when you come back. I like Steve Morris and I respect him. But that would be the worst thing he could do right now. Udo is going to be back right after the break. He's pitching really well. Jimenez has even turned in a good outing or two. I hope they don't really consider this. That's my opinion, at least."

Al had missed most of Driesbach's transformation. He had been with the team while they were at home but he hadn't traveled with them. He had missed the fact that the shortstop had taken young Edgar Ruiz under his wing. Matt had made sure the young outfielder had clothes to wear on the road, buying him a couple of suits when he found out he really didn't.