Chapter 65

Brock spent Friday sitting in the section that bore his name. He sat beside Meredith in Randi's normal seat. Randi was wrapping up the last night of filming on her series – much to Ryan's disappointment.

The fans were extremely gracious, asking politely for autographs or to have their pictures taken with Brock. Brock acceded to every request so long as it conformed to his normal procedure: he would not sign any article of clothing in a sensitive region. He limited his signature to the shoulder or the front hem, which caused Meredith to chuckle more than once.

Saturday, something drastic did happen to the team.

No one was injured or had a terrible game. In fact, the Dodgers defeated the Rockies handily on Friday night. What happened was the Dodgers activated Brock from the DL early in the day. Sean Blanton was designated for assignment.

But Brock wasn't in uniform Saturday night. He arrived at the stadium expecting to play. He entered the locker room and walked directly into a screaming match between Jim LaCross and Steve Morris in LaCross' office. When he got to his locker, it was empty except for a letter.

Brock had been activated and returned to the 40-man roster but he was ordered not to report. In fact, he had been optioned to Class AAA Las Vegas immediately afterward. By league rules, he couldn't be recalled to play in a Major League game for 10 days unless another player was placed on the disabled list, despite the fact that Las Vegas' season was over.

The news hadn't reached the wire services because he was certain Tara would have informed him if it had. He replaced the envelope in his locker and left before the other players arrived. He doubted that Steve Morris or Jim LaCross even knew he was there.

The security guard was surprised to see Brock exit only a minute after he entered.

"Forget something?" the man asked genially.

"What?" Brock asked. His mind was miles away.

"Did you forget something in your car?" the man asked again.

"Uh, no," Brock said. "I guess I'm not supposed to play tonight after all."

He didn't want the news to reach the players before they walked into the locker room. He wanted Steve Morris to see their genuine reaction to the news.

"I saw on TV you were activated today," the security guard said.

"Uh, yeah, but I guess something happened to the paperwork," Brock answered. "I've got to make some calls. I'll see you."

He wandered back to the player's only lot and sat in his SUV for a moment. He considered calling Stan but he knew that would do no good. The club had the option of sending him wherever those chose and there was no recourse for him. He didn't have enough Major League service time to block a demotion. He even wondered if he was to be designated for assignment next.

The first call he made was to Meredith. The whole crew made plans to come to the game once they learned that Brock was off the DL. That seemed like a worthless trip for them now. Since he was no longer on the Major League roster, he wouldn't even be permitted in the stadium unless he bought a ticket.

"Don't bother driving out here," Brock said when Meredith answered.

"You're not starting?" she asked.

"I'm not on the team any longer," Brock replied.

"You're what?" Meredith asked. "I'm not sure I heard you."

"You heard me," Brock said bitterly. "I was activated off the DL and optioned to the minor leagues. I don't know what Morris hoped to accomplish but I'm pretty sure it will backfire on him."

"Hold on, I have another call," Brock said. He put Meredith on hold and answered the new tone. He figured it was Stan calling him with the news. Instead it was Jim LaCross.

"Brock, I want to warn you before you get here," Jim said.

"I was already there," Brock said. "I saw the fucking letter in my empty locker."

"Oh," Jim said. "Then you heard me screaming at Steve Morris, too, I'll bet."

"Yeah," Brock admitted. "I heard that, too."

"This was his final 'fuck you' to me," LaCross said. "He had a similar letter letting me know my contract wasn't going to be renewed. I made a call to the club president and we got that straightened out. But there is nothing I can do about you. I'm sorry. We will have you back the moment you're eligible."

"Fat lot of good that does for 10 days," Brock groused.

"We're going to contact the commissioner's office on Monday," Jim said. "I'm not sure it will do any good. The paperwork was filed before Steve Morris was fired."

"He was fired?" Brock asked.

"Security came to my office to escort him out," Jim told him. "Once I found out what he'd done, I called Turturro at home and he fired him on the spot. This is just so much stupid, petty bullshit. He said it was because he didn't want to disrupt the chemistry the team has developed over the past few months. I told him he better have enjoyed his final move because there is no way he'll have another baseball job.

"Brock, I'm really sorry," continued the manager with a little less anger in his voice. "I had no idea he would do something like this. I want you to travel with the team on our road trip. If the league gives the OK, I'll have you in the lineup the next moment. If someone so much as stubs his toe, I'll have him put on the DL to get you back on the roster. Will you travel with us? I can't make you but I'd like for you to be there."

"I'll talk to my agent and see what he thinks," Brock said. "This is too much for me to think about right now. I was so excited to get back on the field and now this."

"I know," Jim said sorrowfully. "I'm as disappointed as you are."

Brock returned to Meredith's side of the line and found her talking animatedly to someone else.

He tried to get her attention through the phone and failed. He didn't want to be in the parking lot when the other players arrived so he activated Blue Tooth and let Meredith's railings blare through the speakers. He hated to talk this way but he wasn't willing to risk freeway traffic with a phone to his ear. And he wasn't about to hang up on Meredith. Either would be perilous to his health.

Finally, Meredith concluded her extraneous conversation, which was far enough away that Brock couldn't make out the words spoken.

"Are you back?" she asked.

"I'm back," Brock said. "That was Jim LaCross trying to warn me."

"What in the hell is going on there?" Meredith inquired. "I just called Tara from Randi's phone. She hadn't heard a word of your demotion until just now."

"Merie, she's getting ready for a college football telecast," Brock said. "You shouldn't have bothered her."

"She got a call from ASN while I was talking to her," Meredith said. "They want her to do a call-in for their 'This Night in Baseball' show. She would have been calling you in a little while anyway. It's better that she heard it from me."

"You're right," Brock said. "Did you call the others?"

"I have Randi doing it now but it might be too late," Meredith said. "There is a scrawl across the bottom of the local ASN feed. Did you know Morris has been fired?"

"I heard it from Jim just now," Brock said.

"Oh, wait, they're doing a cut in to the football game," she said. "Let me turn this up."

Meredith's voice disappeared and soon Brock heard the voices of the "This Night in Baseball" hosts – Seth Adams and Curtis Duey – take its place.

"Big news out of Los Angeles this evening," Curtis said. "Reigning N.L. Rookie of the Year Brock Miller has been optioned to the minors. Miller was just activated off the 60-day DL this morning so this is a surprise. A bigger surprise came a few moments later when the team announced it had fired General Manager Steve Morris. Seth, what do you make of this?"

"I don't know," the former player commented. "It's a strange move given that the rosters were expanded Thursday night. Optioning a player to the minors isn't necessary. I suspect it might be a disciplinary matter. Miller is known to be a lightning rod for trouble."

"Well, I'm sure the fans in L.A. would dispute that claim," Curtis said. "What do you make of Morris' firing?"

"That I don't understand in the least," Adams put in. "He's retooled the roster half a dozen times this year and kept the team winning. It's unheard of for a first-place team to fire its GM this late in the season."

"So you don't think it has anything to do with his decision to option Miller to the minors – and depriving the team of his services for at least 10 days?" Curtis prompted.

"I can't see that it would," Seth said. "Despite what some people would like you to believe, the Dodgers are just fine without Brock Miller. I think Steve Morris – who built this team from the ground up – would be the first to tell you that."

"We have 'This Night in Baseball' contributor Tara Wyatt in our Los Angeles studio," Curtis said in lieu of a response. "Tara, what's your take on this situation?"

"I'm literally at a loss to understand it," Tara said. "It makes absolutely no sense to option a player to the minors once rosters have expanded. I could see it if it would delay arbitration but it won't. Miller will hit arbitration after this season as a Super Two. Unlike Seth, I think Morris' dismissal is a direct result of his decision. There have been grumblings from the team about Morris' decision to delay Miller's rehab assignment. My sources tell me Miller was ready for rehab a full five days before he was assigned. The nature of his assignment, to the team's minor league facility in Arizona rather than to its Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas caused more discontent.

"Miller was getting his work in mostly with guys from Single-A, which is far less of a challenge than facing Triple-A pitching. I know firsthand that Miller completed a rigorous exercise program while he was on the mend. He reported to his rehab probably in better shape than when he was injured. My sources within the team have said Miller was ready to return to Los Angeles a full week ago but, again, Morris delayed activating him. That led to a showdown between Dodgers manager Jim LaCross and Morris a few days ago."

"A showdown?" Curtis queried, mostly to break up the segment a bit.

"That's how it was phrased to me," Tara confirmed. "Morris' main issue, according to those I've spoken to, was who to release from the roster to make room for Miller."

"That would seem to be reasonable," Seth cut it. "The roster was full and there was no obvious choice."

"The choice would seem obvious to me," Curtis put in. "Blanton hasn't seen the field in five weeks and he hasn't appeared in a meaningful game since walking six in just over an inning in early July."

"It was obvious to everyone out here, too," Tara replied. "At least it was obvious to anyone who knows baseball. Apparently, Steve Morris was worried he would leave the pitching staff short if he moved one of the 21 he has off the 40-man roster. Blanton has been trouble all season. He was upset that he wasn't anointed the closer when Stimson was sent to Minnesota. He didn't win any fans in the clubhouse or the stands when he complained publicly. Then he balked at extending himself and making a run at the rotation when Betancourt and Teeter were hurt and Jergens was out for a month. Lastly, he refused a demotion to the minor leagues to work on his control problems after the July appearance you alluded to. The question in Los Angeles isn't why Blanton was released. It's why wasn't he released sooner."

"So what does this mean for the Dodgers and Brock Miller?" Curtis asked. "Could it be a disciplinary matter, as Seth suggested."

"Absolutely not," Tara said firmly. "I spoke to Brock last night when he returned to Los Angeles from Arizona. He gave no indication that anything was amiss and I spoke to his publicist a few minutes ago. This came as a complete surprise to him. His publicist didn't mention Morris' firing, so I suspect Miller doesn't know of it yet. Still, it can't be a shock to those in Los Angeles."

"It also can't be a surprise that Miller was sent down," Seth said. "He's missed half the season. Is it possible that Morris wanted to maintain the chemistry the team has developed in his absence?"

"This situation is so unusual, I won't dismiss any rationale," Tara asserted. "But if that's the case I think Morris' bosses have let him know in the firmest possible way that they disapprove of whatever he was thinking."

"The timing could be a coincidence," Seth put forth.

"Seth, really, you should clear your comments before you utter them," Tara spat back. "It is not a coincidence. Morris sends a release announcing Miller's demotion and 37 minutes later the team issues a release stating he's been fired. That is not a coincidence. It is cause and effect. Morris has been on the hot seat with ownership since Club President Victor Turturro stepped in to block the trade with Oakland."

"My sources tell me it was Miller who nixed that deal," Seth came back.

"You need new sources," Tara informed him. "Or at least one who actually knows what's going on. I spoke to Mr. Turturro and he personally assured me that he blocked the move as soon as he learned of it. The deal would have sent Brock Miller to the Yankees. When Turturro and majority owner Millicent Swanson heard that was what it would cost to get Blake in a Dodgers uniform they called Morris on the carpet and told him the deal was off. Those are the facts. Anything else you've heard is fantasy. You really need to use that oversized melon of yours once in a while."

"I know you're dating one of the Dodgers but that's unfair," Seth said.

"What's unfair is that this network finds it appropriate to employ an analyst whose only knowledge of baseball is that he couldn't hit one even when he was juicing," Tara fired back. "Now if neither of you have any other reasonable questions, I want to make some calls before I go back to the college football telecast."

"Thanks for your time, Tara," Curtis said. "As always, you've cut the wheat from the chaff for us here. We'll try to get back to you before you go on 'College Football Saturday' for an update."

"Damn," Meredith said into the phone when the segment ended. "She tore that guy a new one."

"She'll probably be suspended by the network or even sued for that," Brock said. He heard a beep through the speakers and figured it was Tara. "I'll call you back in a few minutes."

He switched to the new call but it wasn't from Tara Wyatt. It was one of the team's assistant general managers.

"Uh, Mr. Miller, this is Julie Archer," she introduced herself. "I'm with the team's front office."

"I know who you are," Brock said. He tried to keep his voice even but he wasn't sure he succeeded.

"I'm sure you're unhappy about what has transpired," Julie continued. "No one left here is pleased by it either. Jim LaCross told me he mentioned Steve Morris' firing to you. I want to confirm that for you. Steve Morris was out as soon as the club learned of what he'd done."

"Well, I'm sure Jim told you my response to the news," Brock said. "Fat lot of good it does."

"That is also true," Julie confirmed. "I've been named interim G.M. and I'm flying to Milwaukee immediately to plead our case to the commissioner. I want to encourage you to accompany the team to Tampa. I think I'll have you back on the active roster by Monday at the latest."

"Look, I would rather you just be honest with me," Brock replied. "I'm not one of those guys who need you to sugar-coat things."

"I understand that," Julie told him. "And I'm being truthful. Brock, Steve screwed up. Not just in sending you down but where he sent you. He couldn't send you to Las Vegas because they're part of the Blue Jays organization now. He could no sooner send you to Las Vegas than he could Pawtucket."