Chapter 62

Brock and Meredith arrived in Houston with Tara, Esmi and the girls in tow. Al was meeting them once the team finished in San Francisco. Zack hadn't been named to the team originally but was selected as an alternate when one of the pitchers had a Sunday start. Brock was peeved that the league had selected Carter Repling to replace him on the roster. Brock had pushed for Fred Hartman but nothing came of it.

Repling was a big name and he was also a whiner. He had complained from the outset that the league had granted Brock an exemption at second base – and had complained louder when it was obvious that Brock would be voted to the starting lineup, going so far as to threaten a grievance with the union because it would knock money off his salary if he wasn't on the All-Star team. Brock figured the league threw the little bitch a bone and picked him just so he'd shut up.

But if they expected Brock to pose for pictures with the little bastard, the league execs were going to be sorely disappointed. Brock had told them he would appear in uniform for the introductions but then he would find someplace else to watch the game.

Zack told him he should just hobble down to the bullpen but Brock was hoping for something a little more comfortable. If nothing else, he would go back to the hotel and watch the game on television until the seventh inning when he was to visit the TV booth. The Dodgers owner insisted he and Meredith join her in the luxury box provided for team executives as a representative of the Dodgers organization. So that's what he planned to do.

The new interleague schedule had compressed the usual four-day break into three days. The fan festivities would be on Monday, along with the Home Run Derby. The game would be played Tuesday night and everyone would have Wednesday to get to wherever their next game was. Games would resume on Thursday night with every team in action for the next four days.

One of the highlights of Monday was getting a chance to visit with J.C. Michaels again. J.C. had been in Los Angeles for the teams' interleague games but had decided to stay at the hotel rather than crash at the home of an opponent. That hadn't stopped him from going out to lunch with Brock while the team was in town. The Indians had only one series with the Angels and that had been played the first week of the season.

The All-Star Fan Fest was designed to set aside grudges and put forth a good face for those that paid to attend and for the host of media outlets who would give it coverage. Brock, Al, Zack and J.C. managed to spend most of the afternoon goofing around together with the fans. Meredith, Tara, Esmi and the girls spent their time making the rounds of the exhibits and enjoying the scene.

They all took a few minutes for lunch where they shared stories of what they'd done during the morning before heading back over for the afternoon session. Brock spent most of the afternoon signing autographs for kids and adults alike and getting his picture taken with a host of fans. The kids usually brought a baseball card or a cap for him to affix his signature. The adult men brought baseballs or photos. The women brought "Brock's Beauties" T-shirts. Major League Baseball had contacted him about allowing them to print a line of them for sale in Los Angeles and online. Brock agreed so long as a portion of the proceeds went to his charitable foundation. From the number of times Brock signed the back or the hem of one of the shirts that afternoon, he figured the check his accountant passed along to numerous Los Angeles-area organizations in October would be pretty hefty.

He refused to sign the shirt anywhere but on the back shoulder area or on the front hem. A couple of the autograph seekers had asked for him to sign over their breast or right above their butt but he always refused, telling them his girlfriend would skin him alive if he did that. Most accepted his explanation but a couple told him that he should probably consider trading in his girlfriend if she was that over-protective. Brock noticed they still got his signature before they left, though.

It was almost four o'clock when Meredith made her way over to his table and sat down beside him. She had an all-access security pass – because he listed her as his publicist on the form – so she was permitted through the security cordon.

"Have fun?" Brock asked.

"It was great," Meredith said. "I'll have you know that my fastball is 46 miles per hour."

"Faster than that guy Colorado signed last year," Brock joked. "I'm sure you had better movement, too."

Meredith looked confused so Brock leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"I meant your boobs," he joked. "I'm sure they jiggled very nicely when you pitched. That would be all you needed to strike out most of the guys in the league."

Meredith laughed when he pulled back and slapped his arm. The festival closed at 4:30 p.m. and the duo started to make their way out of the arena through the back exit. They were almost to the door when a crew from ASN caught up to Brock.

"Hi, I'm Lauren Edwards from ASN," the bubbly brunette announced. "I have two minutes to fill and I hoped you might do a live segment for us."

Brock was in a quandary. ASN was broadcasting the Home Run Derby live and was a big sponsor of the fan fest. The league would expect him to do this and would probably fine him heavily if ASN told them he refused. But he was still rankled by the way he was treated on the set of "Tonight In Baseball."

"Sure," he said. "This is my girlfriend, Meredith Van Landingham. I'll do it if she doesn't have to leave. I'm afraid she'll run off and I wouldn't be able to catch her again."

"No problem," Lauren said. "We're just going to talk about Fan Fest and the Home Run Derby. I'll ask you about your foot, of course. It's just fluff for a lead-in to our Derby coverage. Is that cool?"

"It's great," Brock said. "Meredith might be a better interview. She went around trying out all the games and booths with Tara Wyatt, Esmi Perez and Esmi and Al's daughters."

"Oh, yeah, you're Tara's sister," Lauren said as a light bulb went off in her head. "That would be great. Do you mind if I ask you about some of the things on display."

"I guess that would be OK," Meredith answered. "I mean, all of them were pretty cool but I can tell you what the girls like best."

"Awesome," the woman replied. "Thanks. I really appreciate this. I made arrangements with another player earlier but he had to leave early. Personally, I think he was pissed that you had a hundred people around you all day and he was left to pick off the stragglers."

Meredith grinned at the girl.

"I know who you're talking about," she confided. "He tried to corner Tara for a picture but she said she was just there as a fan and as Zack's girlfriend. He had no idea who I am, so he asked me if I wanted a picture with him. He was unhappy when I told him I didn't know who he was, but I wondered if he could maybe introduce me to Brock. I mean, Jesus, I was there with Tara Wyatt and Esmi Perez. Who did he think I was here to see?"

"Who are you talking about?" Brock asked.

Meredith gave him a sad look and rolled her eyes at Lauren Edwards.

"Brock's a really nice guy and he's not nearly as dumb as he appears," she said softly to the woman before turning to Brock. "I'm talking about Carter Repling."

"Oh," Brock said. "Yeah, I should have gotten that."

Lauren laughed along with Meredith for a moment before touching her ear.

"OK, we're on in two minutes," she said. "I need to get in place."

A short time later, the segment producer started to count down on his fingers. After flashing five fingers twice, he pointed to Lauren.

"I'm Lauren Edwards, live from the Major League Baseball Fan Fest in Houston," she announced. "I've got Meredith Van Landingham with me and Meredith has managed to drag along her boyfriend, Los Angeles Dodgers infielder-outfielder Brock Miller. Meredith, you spent most of the day enjoy the games and exhibits. What did you find the most entertaining?"

"They were all really interesting," Meredith said with a smile. "Of course, I'm already a big baseball fan so I enjoyed most of it. The best part was the kids. I saw fathers and mothers explaining intricacies of the game to their children. Some of the younger kids took their turn on the pitching mound. I need to contact the Dodgers scouting organization because I saw an eight-year-old girl who was already throwing 40 miles an hour. I wish I had gotten close enough to get her autograph because she might be the first female to break into Major League Baseball."

"The league really outdid itself this year to make this event special to the fans. The players I saw were all smiling and joking. I'm not sure I saw one person today who wasn't having a good time. ASN should be very proud of itself for sponsoring this event. If no one else says thank you to your executives, I hope they'll accept my sincere gratitude."

Brock stood with a smile as Meredith owned the segment. He could tell that even Lauren Edwards was impressed with the answer.

"Well, I'm sure my bosses will accept thanks from wherever they can get it," Lauren said with a chuckle. "Now, Brock, first off, how's the ankle?"

"Better," Brock answered. "The doctors say the cast should be off in three-to-four weeks. I'll start doing some conditioning and rehab after that."

"So you plan to return this season?" Lauren asked.

"Absolutely," Brock replied. "Barring any setbacks, I plan to be back as soon as the doctors give me the OK."

"As a player, what did you think of today's events?" Lauren asked.

"My sentiments echo Meredith's," Brock replied. "This is my first All-Star Game. I mean, not just the first one I've played in but the first one I've ever attended. Today was amazing on many levels. I had the chance to interact with the fans in a different manner than at the park or in public. I got to spend a few minutes chatting with some of them. A guy down from Dallas told me that the All-Star Game is going to be the first time he's taken his little boy to see a live game. The little guy is four and he was having a blast. That's the great thing about baseball. It's the great thing about sports. Not only is it entertaining but it allows parents and children to bond like few other things do.