The Good Guys embarked on their next road trip, which would complete the first part of their season's schedule. They began by winning two of three in Washington, before losing two of three in Philadelphia, and winning two of three in Cincinnatti. They returned home, on a Sunday night, to begin a nine game homestand, against the teams they had began the season with.
While Mitch was away on the trip, the bad cold he had been fighting seemed to finally feel better. Then, while on the airplane home to Nassau on Sunday night, he got a chill from the Air Conditioning vent, and arrived at Nassau International with chills, and feeling infinitely worse. By morning, the cold he had, turned into a chest cold, and bad sinus infection. Mitch saw the team doctor that day, as well as his own personal physican, and was diagnosed with a sinus infection. He was told to rest in bed. It was not known if Number Three would play at all during that homestand.
On Monday night, the Good Guys began their homestand against the New York Mets. Mitch, instead of being in the third position in the lineup, was home in bed, watching the game on WPAR-TV. Kate Hudson was on the mound. Luckily, the Good Guys managed to score three runs without the captain in the lineup, and Kate was great, allowing only one run into the eighth inning, as the Good Guys got a 3-1 win. Gil Bellows pitched on Tuesday night. He got hit hard, allowing four runs, as the Good Guys could not score any, and lost, 4-0. Charlize Theron took the hill on Wednesday evening. The Good Guys scored five runs early, but also had trouble holding the lead. Charlize was gone by the fifth, and the bullpen had to bring home what would be a 5-4 victory.
Thursday was an off day. That day, Mitch tried to rest in bed, as he was still feeling under the weather. Naomi was not behaving like the pillar of sensitivity, as she left the apartment early, and did not ask Mitch how he was feeling, or offer him so much as a cup of tea. So much for "Heartfelt Love". As Mitch lied in bed on that Thursday, his mind raced. He began to think of a future without the tickling community, baseball, and Naomi. He considered retiring after the season, regardless of whether the Good Guys won the World Series, or lost in the playoffs. In spite of these thoughts, Mitch also reminded himself that he was sick, and ill tempered, so he didnt want to make a rash decision, when he was feeling in this condition.
It was a difficult choice: If Mitch retired, he wouldnt have thirty to fifty thousand people chanting his name every night. If he retired, he would not have free tickles of Kate Hudson, Amanda Bynes, Hillary Duff, Hayden, and others, every Saturday night. With as unhappy as Mitch was with Naomi, the team, the traveling, and all the bullshit, this was his life. Sure, there would come a day when his skills would deteriorate, like any athlete, and he would have to retire. That day had not come. Mitch was still a productive hitter. His decision would lie in what was in his heart. So much made him want to go, but oh so much also made him want to stay.
In the meantime, while this decision was going through his mind, there was more baseball to be played on the homestand, as Neve Campbell took the mound against Atlanta that Friday night, again without Mitch in the lineup. The Good Guys got three early runs, and made it stand up, as Neve allowed only two, in a 3-2 win. Rachel Leigh Cook took a 5-0 loss on Saturday night. On Sunday, the team was dressing, at 11am, for the 1pm game with the Braves, when Mitch, clearly not at full strength, entered the clubhouse: "I want to try and play today. I want to face Smoltz, and to help us win some games" Mitch said. Manager Elmont Koehler, and General Manager Lee Sniderman were in the clubhouse, and looked at Mitch. "You look terrible, go home and go to bed. That's an order" Sniderman said firmly. "I want to play" Mitch said simply. "The hell you do. You're not up to it. You try to suit up and play, and I'm going to fine you a thousand dollars" Sniderman said. "One problem, Lee, you're not the manager anymore" Mitch shot back. "Well, I'll tell Elmont to do it, and he will" Lee retorted. Mitch looked at Elmont, who shrugged his shoulders: "If the guy wants to play, then let him. We could use his bat" Elmont said. As Mitch was dressing, Naomi, fully dressed in her uniform, came out of the girls locker room: "What the fuck are you doing here?" She asked. "The first words she speaks to me all week, and she asks me that. Hello to you, too, Bitch, I'm here to play, if it's okay with you" Mitch said. "Are you up to it? How are you feeling?" Naomi asked. "Okay, you know what, stop with the little miss perfect wife act. It is bullshit. You let me lie in bed all week, and you dont speak a word to me, and now all of the sudden in front of everyone, you're all "oh my god honey how are you" I'm well enough to play, but not well enough to get into a sparring match with you, so please just leave me alone, and let me go warm up" Mitch said, calmly. "Okay, I'll leave you alone" Naomi said, retreating. Mitch took his warmups in the outfield, and the sellout crowd on that Sunday roared, as the lineups were announced, and Mitch's name was in the Good Guy starting lineup. In the first inning, after the Braves had been retired by Kate, an out and a walk brought Mitch to the plate. John Smoltz was pitching for the Braves. Mitch and Smoltz were good off the field friends, often golfing together in the winter time. Mitch looked out at his friend, with a smirk, and thought: "Great, I'm in bed all week, and I get to come back, and face you" While Smoltz, also with a grin, must have been thinking: "I thought you were sick. You come back just in time, so you can hit another home run off me. Havent I already given up enough to you in twenty years?" On that Sunday, in the first inning, Smoltz won the confrontation, striking Mitch out with a nasty slider. Mitch walked away from the plate thinking "A slider, after I havent swung a bat all week? No fair" In the meantime, the rest of the game went well for Paradise. Smoltz gave up three solo homers, to Ed Burns, left fielder Dawson, and third baseman Michael. That was all Paradise got, and all they needed, as Kate Hudson allowed one run in eight innings, of a 3-1 Good Guys win.
Houston came to town on Monday. Gil Bellows was the starter. He gave up only three runs, and kept the team in the game. In spite of Mitch striking out four times, Paradise had a 4-3 lead in the ninth, with Hayden trying to close it, when second baseman Russell made an error, allowing two runs. The Good Guys could not recover, and took a 5-4 defeat. Charlize Theron pitched on Tuesday night. She allowed but two runs, on a first inning homer. The Good Guys could not recover, and fell, 2-0, scoring no runs at all. Neve Campbell took the mound, on a sunny, warm, 85 degree Wednesday, in front of a sellout. Neve allowed only one run in six innings. The game was tied, 1-1, in the eighth, when Ed Burns came up, and launched a home run. Hayden had some trouble in the ninth, but got out of the jam, and the Good Guys came away with a 2-1 win, that completed a winning five and four homestand. They hadnt performed badly, with gaining a winning homestand, considering that their top hitter was out of the lineup for a week. As they prepared to pack to head to New York the next night, things would hopefully look up.
In the meantime, the team held a tickle party, on the night before they left on the road trip. The featured lee would be consumer reporter Nydia Han, from WPVI TV in Philadelphia, in town on vacation, and also to check out values on vacation deals in the Bahamas. Nydia was tied hands and feet to the bed, in a black bathing suit. Center Fielder Burns began the tickle on Nydia's neck with fingers, as her head shifted,and the giggles began: HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEE! Moving down, second baseman Russell was next, tickling Nydia on her underarms, sides, ribs, and belly with fingers, as she thrashed, and squealed:HEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHE! NO! Working down, left fielder Dawson was the next ler, attacking Nydia on her hips, inner thighs, and knees with fingers, as she bucked her legs:HEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEE! Finally, Mitch positioned himself at Nydia's bare feet, and tickled them with fingers, two feathers, ice, and an electric toothbrush, over her soles and toes. Nydia went ballistic, wiggling her toes every which way, flexing them hard, and pointing them all the way down, and squealing with hysterical laughter, begging for mercy:HEHEHEHEEHHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEE! OMG PLEASE NO MORE ON THE FEEET! THEY ARE SOOOOO TICKLISH! NOOOOOOO! HEHEHEHEHEHEEHHEHEHEHEHHEEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEE! Finally, the tickle ended, and the beautiful reporter was untied.
On Thursday night, Mitch was packed to head on the road trip, and the flight to JFK Airport in New York. "I know you arent talking to me, and that I dont matter, based on how you treated me when I was sick, but you should know, that I'm seriously thinking of retiring" Mitch said. "I really dont care what you do" Naomi replied. "Okay, well, that's fine then. Will you care if I file for divorce at the end of the season? Answer me that, bitch, who doesnt seem to care about Mitch,or anything else" Naomi was silent. "Great, silence, it solves a lot. You know what, fuck you. I'm going off on my trip. Goodbye" Mitch said, picking up his suitcase, and slamming the door to the apartment.
So, another homestand had come to an end. Was Mitch serious about retiring, and was it true that Naomi really didnt care about him, or their marriage anymore? What would come of all this unpleasantness? Was it just a bumpy road, or the end of a long two decade ride? Those answers to come in the next segment, and surely other upcoming segments, of the Tickle Team From Paradise Island.
The End
While Mitch was away on the trip, the bad cold he had been fighting seemed to finally feel better. Then, while on the airplane home to Nassau on Sunday night, he got a chill from the Air Conditioning vent, and arrived at Nassau International with chills, and feeling infinitely worse. By morning, the cold he had, turned into a chest cold, and bad sinus infection. Mitch saw the team doctor that day, as well as his own personal physican, and was diagnosed with a sinus infection. He was told to rest in bed. It was not known if Number Three would play at all during that homestand.
On Monday night, the Good Guys began their homestand against the New York Mets. Mitch, instead of being in the third position in the lineup, was home in bed, watching the game on WPAR-TV. Kate Hudson was on the mound. Luckily, the Good Guys managed to score three runs without the captain in the lineup, and Kate was great, allowing only one run into the eighth inning, as the Good Guys got a 3-1 win. Gil Bellows pitched on Tuesday night. He got hit hard, allowing four runs, as the Good Guys could not score any, and lost, 4-0. Charlize Theron took the hill on Wednesday evening. The Good Guys scored five runs early, but also had trouble holding the lead. Charlize was gone by the fifth, and the bullpen had to bring home what would be a 5-4 victory.
Thursday was an off day. That day, Mitch tried to rest in bed, as he was still feeling under the weather. Naomi was not behaving like the pillar of sensitivity, as she left the apartment early, and did not ask Mitch how he was feeling, or offer him so much as a cup of tea. So much for "Heartfelt Love". As Mitch lied in bed on that Thursday, his mind raced. He began to think of a future without the tickling community, baseball, and Naomi. He considered retiring after the season, regardless of whether the Good Guys won the World Series, or lost in the playoffs. In spite of these thoughts, Mitch also reminded himself that he was sick, and ill tempered, so he didnt want to make a rash decision, when he was feeling in this condition.
It was a difficult choice: If Mitch retired, he wouldnt have thirty to fifty thousand people chanting his name every night. If he retired, he would not have free tickles of Kate Hudson, Amanda Bynes, Hillary Duff, Hayden, and others, every Saturday night. With as unhappy as Mitch was with Naomi, the team, the traveling, and all the bullshit, this was his life. Sure, there would come a day when his skills would deteriorate, like any athlete, and he would have to retire. That day had not come. Mitch was still a productive hitter. His decision would lie in what was in his heart. So much made him want to go, but oh so much also made him want to stay.
In the meantime, while this decision was going through his mind, there was more baseball to be played on the homestand, as Neve Campbell took the mound against Atlanta that Friday night, again without Mitch in the lineup. The Good Guys got three early runs, and made it stand up, as Neve allowed only two, in a 3-2 win. Rachel Leigh Cook took a 5-0 loss on Saturday night. On Sunday, the team was dressing, at 11am, for the 1pm game with the Braves, when Mitch, clearly not at full strength, entered the clubhouse: "I want to try and play today. I want to face Smoltz, and to help us win some games" Mitch said. Manager Elmont Koehler, and General Manager Lee Sniderman were in the clubhouse, and looked at Mitch. "You look terrible, go home and go to bed. That's an order" Sniderman said firmly. "I want to play" Mitch said simply. "The hell you do. You're not up to it. You try to suit up and play, and I'm going to fine you a thousand dollars" Sniderman said. "One problem, Lee, you're not the manager anymore" Mitch shot back. "Well, I'll tell Elmont to do it, and he will" Lee retorted. Mitch looked at Elmont, who shrugged his shoulders: "If the guy wants to play, then let him. We could use his bat" Elmont said. As Mitch was dressing, Naomi, fully dressed in her uniform, came out of the girls locker room: "What the fuck are you doing here?" She asked. "The first words she speaks to me all week, and she asks me that. Hello to you, too, Bitch, I'm here to play, if it's okay with you" Mitch said. "Are you up to it? How are you feeling?" Naomi asked. "Okay, you know what, stop with the little miss perfect wife act. It is bullshit. You let me lie in bed all week, and you dont speak a word to me, and now all of the sudden in front of everyone, you're all "oh my god honey how are you" I'm well enough to play, but not well enough to get into a sparring match with you, so please just leave me alone, and let me go warm up" Mitch said, calmly. "Okay, I'll leave you alone" Naomi said, retreating. Mitch took his warmups in the outfield, and the sellout crowd on that Sunday roared, as the lineups were announced, and Mitch's name was in the Good Guy starting lineup. In the first inning, after the Braves had been retired by Kate, an out and a walk brought Mitch to the plate. John Smoltz was pitching for the Braves. Mitch and Smoltz were good off the field friends, often golfing together in the winter time. Mitch looked out at his friend, with a smirk, and thought: "Great, I'm in bed all week, and I get to come back, and face you" While Smoltz, also with a grin, must have been thinking: "I thought you were sick. You come back just in time, so you can hit another home run off me. Havent I already given up enough to you in twenty years?" On that Sunday, in the first inning, Smoltz won the confrontation, striking Mitch out with a nasty slider. Mitch walked away from the plate thinking "A slider, after I havent swung a bat all week? No fair" In the meantime, the rest of the game went well for Paradise. Smoltz gave up three solo homers, to Ed Burns, left fielder Dawson, and third baseman Michael. That was all Paradise got, and all they needed, as Kate Hudson allowed one run in eight innings, of a 3-1 Good Guys win.
Houston came to town on Monday. Gil Bellows was the starter. He gave up only three runs, and kept the team in the game. In spite of Mitch striking out four times, Paradise had a 4-3 lead in the ninth, with Hayden trying to close it, when second baseman Russell made an error, allowing two runs. The Good Guys could not recover, and took a 5-4 defeat. Charlize Theron pitched on Tuesday night. She allowed but two runs, on a first inning homer. The Good Guys could not recover, and fell, 2-0, scoring no runs at all. Neve Campbell took the mound, on a sunny, warm, 85 degree Wednesday, in front of a sellout. Neve allowed only one run in six innings. The game was tied, 1-1, in the eighth, when Ed Burns came up, and launched a home run. Hayden had some trouble in the ninth, but got out of the jam, and the Good Guys came away with a 2-1 win, that completed a winning five and four homestand. They hadnt performed badly, with gaining a winning homestand, considering that their top hitter was out of the lineup for a week. As they prepared to pack to head to New York the next night, things would hopefully look up.
In the meantime, the team held a tickle party, on the night before they left on the road trip. The featured lee would be consumer reporter Nydia Han, from WPVI TV in Philadelphia, in town on vacation, and also to check out values on vacation deals in the Bahamas. Nydia was tied hands and feet to the bed, in a black bathing suit. Center Fielder Burns began the tickle on Nydia's neck with fingers, as her head shifted,and the giggles began: HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEE! Moving down, second baseman Russell was next, tickling Nydia on her underarms, sides, ribs, and belly with fingers, as she thrashed, and squealed:HEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHHE! NO! Working down, left fielder Dawson was the next ler, attacking Nydia on her hips, inner thighs, and knees with fingers, as she bucked her legs:HEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEE! Finally, Mitch positioned himself at Nydia's bare feet, and tickled them with fingers, two feathers, ice, and an electric toothbrush, over her soles and toes. Nydia went ballistic, wiggling her toes every which way, flexing them hard, and pointing them all the way down, and squealing with hysterical laughter, begging for mercy:HEHEHEHEEHHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHHEHEE! OMG PLEASE NO MORE ON THE FEEET! THEY ARE SOOOOO TICKLISH! NOOOOOOO! HEHEHEHEHEHEEHHEHEHEHEHHEEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEE! Finally, the tickle ended, and the beautiful reporter was untied.
On Thursday night, Mitch was packed to head on the road trip, and the flight to JFK Airport in New York. "I know you arent talking to me, and that I dont matter, based on how you treated me when I was sick, but you should know, that I'm seriously thinking of retiring" Mitch said. "I really dont care what you do" Naomi replied. "Okay, well, that's fine then. Will you care if I file for divorce at the end of the season? Answer me that, bitch, who doesnt seem to care about Mitch,or anything else" Naomi was silent. "Great, silence, it solves a lot. You know what, fuck you. I'm going off on my trip. Goodbye" Mitch said, picking up his suitcase, and slamming the door to the apartment.
So, another homestand had come to an end. Was Mitch serious about retiring, and was it true that Naomi really didnt care about him, or their marriage anymore? What would come of all this unpleasantness? Was it just a bumpy road, or the end of a long two decade ride? Those answers to come in the next segment, and surely other upcoming segments, of the Tickle Team From Paradise Island.
The End
