The Good Guys embarked on their next road trip, going four and five. They won two out of three in Pittsburgh, then dropped two out of three in both Chicago, and St Louis. They returned home, on a Sunday night, to begin a nine game homestand, against the California teams.
While Mitch was away, Naomi said not a word to him. There were no e-mails, no imstant messages, and no phone calls. Clearly, she had him on ice. When Mitch arrived home, on Sunday night, he slept in the guest room, as he had been doing. On Monday he awoke early, and went to the casino, and the mall.
As Mitch strolled through the two crowded venues, well wishers waved at him, shook his hand, and took pictures. He was Mr Paradise, the man of the island. He was the only Good Guy who had been there from the team's inception, twenty four years earlier. He had come to the team as an 18 year old rookie, and was inserted as the starting right fielder at age 20, cultivating his baseball career, while by day earning a degree in history, at Paradise Island University. Mitch could have gone to law school, or been in government, but chose to play baseball instead. When he met Naomi, he was 20, and she was 21. They had fallen in love, married, and had three beautiful children, all of whom were now adults. Memories of it all flashed in Mitch's mind. The wins on the field, the love and fights off the field. The Twenty World Series appearances, a major league record. The Ten World Championships. Mitch, from the standpoint of his body, felt like he had a couple of more good years left in him, maybe three. John Smoltz was still going strong at 40. Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux got batters out at age 41, and Phil Niekro had pitched until he was almost 49. Yet, if Naomi and Mitch split, that would be it for Mitch, emotionally. Mitch had what he hoped were Hall of Fame numbers. On the field, except for hopefully winning one more revenge World Championship that year against the Yankees, he had little left to accomplish.
That night, with Mitch in a relfective, somber mood, the Good Guys opened their homestand against the Giants. Kate Hudson was on the mound. She allowed two runs in her seven innings of work. The game was tied, 2-2 in the eighth, when the Good Guys scored a run. Hilary Duff got the outs in the ninth, and Paradise had a 3-2 win. Gil Bellows pitched on Tuesday night. He allowed only one run, but the Good Guys could get none, losing 1-0. Charlize Theron took the ball on Wednesday night. She fired one run ball over eight innings, striking out nine, as the Good Guys got a pair of two run homers, which were all they needed, for a 4-1 victory.
Thursday was an off day. Naomi and Mitch still weren't talking, having said virtually nothing to each other the whole week. That morning, when Mitch got up, Naomi said simply: "I cancelled the counesling appointment, no point to going" "Okay, Naomi, so what's it gonna be?" Mitch asked, trying to prod. "I dont know yet, Mitchell, I'm still thinking. You're still here. It might just make sense, if we are going to seperate, to wait until after the season. You can live here, sleep in the guest room, and we'll sort it all out then" Naomi said. "So that's it? We're done then?" Mitch asked. "Did I say that, Mitchell? No. I said I am still thinking. I said IF we seperate" Naomi shot back. "Okay, Naomi, fine, keep me on ice. Whatever. You just think. I have little choice. I'm not going to look for an apartment, or another woman, now anyway, so, just keep thinking, and whenever you're ready, you let me know" Mitch said, with a hint of sarcasm to his voice.
San Diego came to town on Friday night. Neve Campbell was the starter. She had great stuff that night, shutting out the Padres for eight innings, with ten strikeouts, in a 3-0 win. Rachel Leigh Cook took a 6-1 bashing on Saturday night. Kate Hudson opposed Padre ace Jake Peavy, on a sunny, humid, 90 degree day, in front of a sellout. Both pitchers were at their best firing nine shutout innings, with Kate fanning twelve Padres, and Peavy punching out seventeen Good Guys. The game remained scoreless until the fourteenth, when Center Fielder Ed Burns cracked a solo homer, to give Paradise a 1-0, fourteen inning, win.
The Dodgers entered Paradise on Monday, for the homestand's final series. Gil Bellows had the start on Monday. He pitched well, allowing but one run in seven innings. The Good Guys were tied, 1-1 in the seventh, when they got a run. The bullpen made it stand up, for a 2-1 victory. Charlize Theron pitched on Tuesday night. She got hit hard, allowing six runs in three innings. Paradise could not recover, and lost, 6-2. Neve Campbell took the mound, on a sunny, hot, 89 degree day, on Wednesday, in front of a sellout. Neve allowed four runs in six innings that day, as the ball was jumping. The Good Guys trailed 4-2, before coming up with five seventh inning runs. The bullpen was shaky in the ninth, giving up a run, but got the outs it needed, for the
7-5 Good Guy win, that completed the six and three homestand. On field, the team was moving along. Off field, Mitch and Naomi seemed to be headed for disaster, but yet....
In the meantime, the team held it's Saturday tickle party. Mitch, whose emotions were wound as tightly as a watch, knew he needed some relief. He paid $100 each to several doms, to go into a private room, and be tickled by doms. He was tied in his boxer shorts, hands and feet to the bed, in the private room. One dom began the tickle on Mitch's neck with fingers, as his head shifted, and the laughter began:HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHA! Working down, a second dom joined in, tickling Mitch on his underarms, sides, ribs, and belly with fingers, as he howled:HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! Moving down, a third dom joined the party, tickling Mitch on his hips, inner thighs, and knees, causing his legs to jerk. Finally, the doms surrounded his feet, all attacking them at the same time with long fingernails, feathers, electric toothbrushes, and ice. Mitch went beserk , shaking his feet, and howling:AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHAHHHAHAHAH! NO MORE! I GIVE UP! NOOOOO! HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! Finally, the tickle ended, and Mitch was untied. He secretly wished it had been Naomi who was tickling him, instead of the doms.
On Thursday afternoon, Mitch was packed to head for San Fransisco. "I won't push you. I just hope to know where our lives are going, and I hope that my life is with you. I say again, and I will say no more but this. I dont want to lose you" Mitch picked up his suitcase, and headed out the door, to the airport, and the flight to California.
So, it had been a homestand where nothing was resolved. Now came a ten day West Coast trip. Would the situation be resolved the next time the Good Guys came home? That answer to come in the continuing story of the Tickle Team From Paradise Island.
The End
While Mitch was away, Naomi said not a word to him. There were no e-mails, no imstant messages, and no phone calls. Clearly, she had him on ice. When Mitch arrived home, on Sunday night, he slept in the guest room, as he had been doing. On Monday he awoke early, and went to the casino, and the mall.
As Mitch strolled through the two crowded venues, well wishers waved at him, shook his hand, and took pictures. He was Mr Paradise, the man of the island. He was the only Good Guy who had been there from the team's inception, twenty four years earlier. He had come to the team as an 18 year old rookie, and was inserted as the starting right fielder at age 20, cultivating his baseball career, while by day earning a degree in history, at Paradise Island University. Mitch could have gone to law school, or been in government, but chose to play baseball instead. When he met Naomi, he was 20, and she was 21. They had fallen in love, married, and had three beautiful children, all of whom were now adults. Memories of it all flashed in Mitch's mind. The wins on the field, the love and fights off the field. The Twenty World Series appearances, a major league record. The Ten World Championships. Mitch, from the standpoint of his body, felt like he had a couple of more good years left in him, maybe three. John Smoltz was still going strong at 40. Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux got batters out at age 41, and Phil Niekro had pitched until he was almost 49. Yet, if Naomi and Mitch split, that would be it for Mitch, emotionally. Mitch had what he hoped were Hall of Fame numbers. On the field, except for hopefully winning one more revenge World Championship that year against the Yankees, he had little left to accomplish.
That night, with Mitch in a relfective, somber mood, the Good Guys opened their homestand against the Giants. Kate Hudson was on the mound. She allowed two runs in her seven innings of work. The game was tied, 2-2 in the eighth, when the Good Guys scored a run. Hilary Duff got the outs in the ninth, and Paradise had a 3-2 win. Gil Bellows pitched on Tuesday night. He allowed only one run, but the Good Guys could get none, losing 1-0. Charlize Theron took the ball on Wednesday night. She fired one run ball over eight innings, striking out nine, as the Good Guys got a pair of two run homers, which were all they needed, for a 4-1 victory.
Thursday was an off day. Naomi and Mitch still weren't talking, having said virtually nothing to each other the whole week. That morning, when Mitch got up, Naomi said simply: "I cancelled the counesling appointment, no point to going" "Okay, Naomi, so what's it gonna be?" Mitch asked, trying to prod. "I dont know yet, Mitchell, I'm still thinking. You're still here. It might just make sense, if we are going to seperate, to wait until after the season. You can live here, sleep in the guest room, and we'll sort it all out then" Naomi said. "So that's it? We're done then?" Mitch asked. "Did I say that, Mitchell? No. I said I am still thinking. I said IF we seperate" Naomi shot back. "Okay, Naomi, fine, keep me on ice. Whatever. You just think. I have little choice. I'm not going to look for an apartment, or another woman, now anyway, so, just keep thinking, and whenever you're ready, you let me know" Mitch said, with a hint of sarcasm to his voice.
San Diego came to town on Friday night. Neve Campbell was the starter. She had great stuff that night, shutting out the Padres for eight innings, with ten strikeouts, in a 3-0 win. Rachel Leigh Cook took a 6-1 bashing on Saturday night. Kate Hudson opposed Padre ace Jake Peavy, on a sunny, humid, 90 degree day, in front of a sellout. Both pitchers were at their best firing nine shutout innings, with Kate fanning twelve Padres, and Peavy punching out seventeen Good Guys. The game remained scoreless until the fourteenth, when Center Fielder Ed Burns cracked a solo homer, to give Paradise a 1-0, fourteen inning, win.
The Dodgers entered Paradise on Monday, for the homestand's final series. Gil Bellows had the start on Monday. He pitched well, allowing but one run in seven innings. The Good Guys were tied, 1-1 in the seventh, when they got a run. The bullpen made it stand up, for a 2-1 victory. Charlize Theron pitched on Tuesday night. She got hit hard, allowing six runs in three innings. Paradise could not recover, and lost, 6-2. Neve Campbell took the mound, on a sunny, hot, 89 degree day, on Wednesday, in front of a sellout. Neve allowed four runs in six innings that day, as the ball was jumping. The Good Guys trailed 4-2, before coming up with five seventh inning runs. The bullpen was shaky in the ninth, giving up a run, but got the outs it needed, for the
7-5 Good Guy win, that completed the six and three homestand. On field, the team was moving along. Off field, Mitch and Naomi seemed to be headed for disaster, but yet....
In the meantime, the team held it's Saturday tickle party. Mitch, whose emotions were wound as tightly as a watch, knew he needed some relief. He paid $100 each to several doms, to go into a private room, and be tickled by doms. He was tied in his boxer shorts, hands and feet to the bed, in the private room. One dom began the tickle on Mitch's neck with fingers, as his head shifted, and the laughter began:HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHA! Working down, a second dom joined in, tickling Mitch on his underarms, sides, ribs, and belly with fingers, as he howled:HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA! Moving down, a third dom joined the party, tickling Mitch on his hips, inner thighs, and knees, causing his legs to jerk. Finally, the doms surrounded his feet, all attacking them at the same time with long fingernails, feathers, electric toothbrushes, and ice. Mitch went beserk , shaking his feet, and howling:AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHHAHHHAHAHAH! NO MORE! I GIVE UP! NOOOOO! HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! Finally, the tickle ended, and Mitch was untied. He secretly wished it had been Naomi who was tickling him, instead of the doms.
On Thursday afternoon, Mitch was packed to head for San Fransisco. "I won't push you. I just hope to know where our lives are going, and I hope that my life is with you. I say again, and I will say no more but this. I dont want to lose you" Mitch picked up his suitcase, and headed out the door, to the airport, and the flight to California.
So, it had been a homestand where nothing was resolved. Now came a ten day West Coast trip. Would the situation be resolved the next time the Good Guys came home? That answer to come in the continuing story of the Tickle Team From Paradise Island.
The End
