Ain't No Laughing Matter: The Story Of Rusty Traylor

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Knickerbocker91

Liking the storyline you have here so far, good luck making it to the majors.

Thanks a lot man! Making it to the majors is gonna be difficult with the Giants I feel. Being so loaded in pitching, it's gonna be a tough task to get there.

[TheNumber35]

I'm loving this man, great to have a story to read...with some stats on the side. Perfect mix in my mind, but yeah good luck getting there with the Giants. Maybe Cain or Timmy will leave town since they got a young ace in AA ball ready to steal their job

[trekfan]

Episode 6: Say What?

University of Richmond Campus

June 11th, 2012



Damn, damn, damn, he thought to himself hurriedly as he ran to where the dorms were. He was late. He had gotten in touch with Jessica via text and she told him when to be there and stupidly he had forgotten to set his alarm.

It was only because he had to take a piss that he woke up and saw what time it was. From that point on, he'd been rushing like a manic to make up for lost time. He hated being late, it was a pet peeve of his...it was better to be early than to be late.

He felt like he just hung a slider over the middle of the plate and watched the batter belt it out of the park. So stupid.

He pulled up when he saw her car-a white Lexus, trunk open. His eyes searched for her and that's when he saw a small girl struggling down the sidewalk with a box load of stuff.

That had to be her. Sprinting over, he picked the box out of her hands with ease and put on his best smile.

That smile lasted about two seconds before he realized he was looking at Jessica...but not Jessica.

When Rusty had last seen her, the girl was decent looking but a bit on the average side. The girl he was staring at now was not average. Her glasses were gone, her braces were gone, and her facial complexion-once zit filled-was spotless.

The lithe brunette looked to have been working out...at least her lower body anyway as her jean shorts hugged her hips like they were a second skin.

"Damn," he said under his breath.

Jessica shot him a confused look. "Rusty?"

Realizing what he was doing he quickly started fumbling around for an excuse. "Uh...sorry for being late. And for coming out of nowhere." He put the box down and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I forgot to set my alarm...still a bit sleepy."

Her brown eyes flashed in understanding. "Oh, no prob'. I wish I could have been sleeping in too." She flashed a smile. "Mind grabbing more boxes than one? I got a few in the car...sooner we get done, the sooner we can grab some lunch."

"Lunch?" Rusty took a quick glance at his watch. "It's only ten."

"I like early lunches, helps keep the metabolism up." She walked back to her car and motioned for Rusty to follow. "Come on."

He stood there and watched as she walked away from him...his eyes firmly on those jeans and those hips.

For once, his mother might have done him a favor.

[trekfan]

Quote: Originally Posted by TheNumber35

I'm loving this man, great to have a story to read...with some stats on the side. Perfect mix in my mind, but yeah good luck getting there with the Giants. Maybe Cain or Timmy will leave town since they got a young ace in AA ball ready to steal their job

Thanks man! I'm big on story, and feel it's more important in an RTTS than a regular franchise (as seeing the focus of RTTS is more on the individual than the team, as it rightly should be). Glad you like the mix of story and stats.

I can only hope Timmy or Cain leave, but the way things look...eh, might be stuck in the minors awhile. Just gives me more time to polish my player and get ready for The Show.

[trekfan]

Episode 7: Moving Along

Gill's Drug Store, Richmond VA

June 18th, 2012


He smiled as he read the text message again, a great weight lifted off him. He was going to be starting again.

Thank God.

For the past week Rusty had been working relief appearances to get back into the groove of things and for the coaches to determine whether they wanted him back in the starting lineup. Fitz had been gone while Rusty had been away but, since Rusty got back with the team Fitz had started looking shaky at best.

Rusty guessed it was because the SOB felt uncomfortable with him there but whatever the case, Rusty was glad to see Fitz struggling. He didn't wish it on many pitchers but Fitz warranted that at least, if not more.

"Earth to Rusty, Earth to Rusty, do you read, over?"

Rusty's eyes snapped up and there was Jessica with an amused smirk on her face. "Rusty to Earth...you sure look pretty from up here, over."

She blushed and slid into the booth, sitting across from him. "Flattery will get you everywhere." She leaned forward on her elbows. "So, good news I assume?"

"Yep," he said with a grin, "I got my starting pitching gig back."

She smiled wide. "Does that mean you're buying the milkshakes?"

He laughed but agreed. The two quickly ordered their shakes and began to talk about their individual day. Things were moving fast between the two...which Rusty didn't mind actually.

That was always the problem in high school. Girls just took so much time to invest in and then...well, the investment wouldn't pay off or someone else would use the work you did. Either way, he never had the time to really go "slow and steady" like other guys. They'd put weeks, months of time into one girl; Rusty would rather be pitching truth be told.

But Jessica, she was different-they had hit it off since that first day she got here. They spent a lot of their free time together too, as seeing that she knew no one else up here and they had developed a nice little chemistry. It wasn't romantic yet...but the flirting was rampant, the flattery was everywhere, and the times were good. That was enough for him.

Jessica did have a tendency to drone on and on though; thankfully the milkshakes arrived quickly and the sound of her chatting stopped.

He could get in a word now. "So, I was wondering...Friday I'll be pitching. I can give tickets to a few people per game...so..."

"I would love to," she said with a smile, a bit of milkshake froth on the side of her mouth. "Are your parents going to come?"

Rusty's eyes got wide. He had completely forgot about that...he did promise his dad he'd call.

But then if his parents came and Jessica was there too...that would make things awkward. He wasn't sure how serious it was between them just yet and his parents being there would force the issue; those two were good at that.

"Uh...well, it's a four game series that starts on Friday...I'll be pitching again more than likely. They've let me rest in the bullpen for the last week, I'm more than ready to get some innings in. They can come another time."

She eyed him suspiciously. "You sure? Weren't you dying for your parents to see you pitch?"

He mentally slapped himself. He had a tendency to divulge way too much personal information early on with people...this is what always happened. "It's for the best...I won't be at my best this first start anyway. I've got to work myself back. The next game, I'll be better...this game I just want a solid outing."

"Oh...so I'm good for a solid outing..."

The words hung in the air for a long moment as Rusty contemplated what to say next.

Jessica smiled. "I'm joking."

He sighed in relief. He thought she was going to get riled up there. "Look, no offense...but I have to be at my best for my parents, especially my dad. I have to prove to him this baseball thing I'm doing is the right choice."

She nodded. "Okay, I get it...just don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"Baseball's all about pressure...especially pitching," Rusty said with a smirk. "We can lose the game faster than anyone else on the team."

"Isn't baseball supposed to be fun though?"

"It is fun...when you win," he responded with a wink.

[trekfan]

Episode 8: Regrets

Apartment of Tim Hardy

June 23nd, 2012


She crossed placed her hands on her well formed hips and shot her lover a look of such spite that she was surprised he didn't melt from it. "Repeat that?"

He sighed. "I think you need to give up on this idea of yours."

Gloria Green, her fiery red hair somewhat of a mess due to the hour of the night, didn't like what she was hearing. "Be more specific, which idea?"

She was clearly baiting him into a trap. It was an intelligence test. If he backed away from the subject, he would live to see another day. If not...she'd rip him a new one.

"The 'I'm gonna be a secretary for one of the better baseball agents out there to score a big story and make me famous' idea," he seethed. "Damn it, Gloria, I know how bad you want to make the big time in the this business but journalism is about long, steady work; not about big time stories. They don't come around that often."

She got out of the bed, tied her robe, and walked to the window, staring out into the night. "I've tried that route."

"You tried for a few years..."

"Five years!" She yelled as she turned on him, her usually composed self falling away into a pool of fury. "I graduated at the top of my class...and what do I have to show for it? I got a basic job that gave me no movement at all for five years. Should I have stayed?"

He leaned his head back on the wall. He didn't have a response.

"Damn right," she spat at him. "I'm not you...I didn't sleep with my boss to get where I am."

He looked away from her, obviously ashamed at his past actions. "It was a mistake...I told you..."

"A mistake?" She scoffed. "You're still benefiting from it, aren't you? You're the leading Double-A beat writer for ESPN, aren't you?"

He chuckled but with no sense of happiness. "You make it sound more impressive than it is."

"It's damned impressive considering you went to a less prestigious school than I did and graduated 16th in your class." She sat on the edge of the bed and fought back the tears. "It's not fair."

She knew life wasn't fair. It still didn't help...still didn't make things easier. She didn't sell herself like the other girls in her class...she never mixed sex with her career. She never used it as a tool.

And instead of being rewarded for that, she was punished. People less qualified, less worthy than her, moved up and she was left stuck. That's why she quit her crappy job and took the secretary position with Roe. The old man was a grump but he didn't hit on her; he didn't care. He'd rather scout a kid and sign him to a contract than nail her.

That was all well and good. She didn't mind that...she actually admired Roe's commitment to the job. But she couldn't be his secretary forever...she was digging, for something, for anything she could use to propel herself into journalistic stardom. She just needed that one big break.

It was part of the reason she was with Tim. He was attractive, smart, but above all connected; she needed someone with his connections for this to work. It was a damned long shot, she knew that...but it was her only shot at this point.

She felt his strong hands on her shoulders, and he leaned into her ear. "We'll figure out a way to make it work, okay?"

Cooled down a bit now, she nodded. She climbed back into bed and he entered it with her.

There had to a story out there in Roe's office somewhere...either buried or developing but there had to be one somewhere. She'd find it.

She had to at this point.

**

Rusty's Apartment

The jug of chocolate milk was nearly gone and Rusty continued to feel like hell from having so much of it. It was his stress drink...some people drank beer, some drank wine, some drank whiskey but Rusty had always drank chocolate milk. It had been his thing since he was a kid.

And damn it all, he needed every bit of that jug this night. Or morning...or whatever the time it was. Hell, what did it matter?

His eyes, bleary as they were, could still make out the article on his laptop screen.

"Traylor Rusty Indeed: Richmond Loses in Rout 9-0

By Tim Hardy

It didn't take long for the home crowd to know something was wrong with Rusty Traylor. Ever since that accidental wild pitch in practice earlier this month that sent the young talent out of the starting rotation, Richmond had been easing him back into things. Last week, he appeared in four games in a relief role, helping his team win three of those four. He seemed to be finding his fastball again, but especially his deadly slider.

He looked to be all right but looks, as we all found out tonight, can be deceiving. Traylor started poorly, allowing three runs in the first inning alone and for some reason was left in there to suffer for another three innings before finally, mercifully, getting pulled in the fifth.

His final line was not flattering as the bullpen preceded to emulate his performance the rest of the game. Traylor finished with 4 innings pitched, 7 hits, 7 runs, 6 earned runs, 1 walk, and 3 strike outs. His ERA was only 2.20 thankfully but his night was a long one.

Traylor, a highly touted prospect right out of high school, is talented for sure but just how talented is the question. The Giants, already loaded with pitching, took him right away in the first round and seemed relieved to see he was still there. Who wouldn't be, right? The kid's only 18 years old and surely his best years are ahead of him, right?

That's what the general consensus was around the league when he came out and many scouts still feel that way. But there have been other kids like Rusty Traylor with young arms, a bright future, and better years ahead...and those kids are usually the ones that never live up to the hype.

Pitchers are like quarterbacks in the NFL and centers in the NBA. They are a very tough position to scout-physical assets are only one component of a complex make up that results in a varying degree of success. There have been plenty "can't miss" prospects in the NFL at quarterback and in the NBA at center. A lot of them do miss.

Am I saying Rusty Traylor is gonna be on that list? No. It's way too early to make that conclusion but tonight, he looked like an 18 year old kid out there. All the talent, guts, and control he'd shown in his previous starts where he'd won an impressive 6 out 7, was missing this start. He looked shaky from the beginning and while the coaches may have thought "he'll rebound next inning" he never did. He just sank, like a stone, as he got lit up by one of the worst teams in the league.

Traylor should have waited another week before he came back likely, but with Richmond in a tight race for the division lead with the Bowie Baysox, they bet they could get a solid outing from their young ace.

The only solid thing Traylor gave them was a reason to regret putting him out there in the first place."


Rusty's eyes hung on that last line. It burned him. It was his worst game of the year, yeah, and he was leaving a lot of things out there over the plate...he just couldn't get things to go where they were supposed to.

And after the game...after the game was the worst. Jessica had stayed for the entire thing and Rusty had forgotten she was even there by the end of the first inning. He was desperately trying to claw his way back into the game ever pitch after that but the more he tried, the worse it got.

By the time he got out of the locker room, Jessica was waiting for him, offering him a shoulder to cry on. Unfortunately he was pissed at himself and his performance. He blew her off and didn't even bother to hear what she had to say. He just wanted to be alone.

Out of everything, that might have been the worst thing he did that night.

She still wouldn't return his texts. He didn't want to call and get voicemail...he was going to be pathetic and leave a bunch of voicemails for her. He just wanted to apologize...

Clutching his stomach with his hand, he let out a sickening burp. "Maybe I should apologize to you first," he said, referencing his stomach. All that chocolate milk wasn't sitting well with him.

That figured.

[trekfan]

Episode 9: Something

Stadium Parking Lot

June 24, 2012


The final stat line read much better than last time. 8 innings pitched, 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, no walks, and 10 strike outs with an ERA of 2.19. His team won 6-2 and it brought his record to 7-2. Rusty Traylor should have been the happiest man in that ballpark.

But he wasn't. All throughout the game he was thinking about Jessica. She still hadn't returned his texts and he wasn't going to force it. He didn't want to force it...but he was beginning to feel like he had to force it.

Sitting in the stadium parking lot on the back of his old Ford pickup truck, Rusty was staring up at the sky. It was black and he could make out a few stars but the lights in the parking lot pretty much hid the rest. The stadium was to the left of him, still lit up in the night even though the game had ended hours from now.

"Hey."

The voice made him turn his head. "Jessica!" He jumped out of the truck and landed in front of her. She was there...she had come.

Her eyes looked him over intently. "I need to know something."

"Sure," he said enthusiastically. He was just glad to see her. "Before you say anything, I just want to tell you I'm sorry...I shouldn't have taken it out on you like that."

She smirked, but there was little warmth behind it. "I appreciate that but...I just need to know...is this really the most important thing in your life?"

He looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...is this all for you? Is all you aspire to do is play baseball...for life?"

The question caught him off guard. "Well...I can't play it all my life, I'm not that good," he joked.

She didn't laugh. "So, this is it for you." Her voice had a strange finality to it.

"I don't get it...what's up?"

She sighed. "Rusty...I like being with you. You're fun...you're nice...but...after that last game where you just lost it..." She shook her head. "I don't know if I can take that. I can't be your punching bag after you lose a game."

He felt horrible. "Jessica...I'm sorry, really. I'm not like that after I lose, it was just that game...I put a lot of pressure on myself to do decently and I blew it."

She looked away from him and to the stadium, all lit up in the night, weighing her options. "It is pretty."

He looked to the stadium and smiled. "It is." He looked back at her. "But so are you."

The obvious flattery made her blush and brought a smile to her face. She looked back at him. "I'm willing to keep going with this...as long as I don't turn into a punching bag." She jabbed a finger into his chest. "I won't be used as that, you understand me?"

He held up his hands in defense. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." She quickly embraced him in a hug and he hugged her back.

And to the left of them, the stadium lights finally went off.

[trekfan]

Episode 10: Repercussions

Offices of Herb Roe

July 20, 2012


6-29-2012

Rusty pitches well, and looks like he's getting back to his previous form. The kid pitches 8 innings, allows 6 hits, no runs, no earned runs, no walks, and strikes out 6. He finishes 2.02 ERA. His confidence seems to be returning. Kid's record is 8-2 now as his team wins.

On a lighter note, his parents were at the game and got quite a show. Finally me the kids father and he seems like a decent guy, though a bit bull-headed. Rusty seemed really glad they were there...good for him that he got through that. Now let's see how he holds up the rest of the year.

7-4-2012

Rusty pitched a good game but his team let him down. The kid gets through 6 innings, allows 6 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, no walks, and 4 strike outs. He finishes with a 1.99 ERA but Richmond couldn't get on base, and loses the game 1-0 to Binghamton. Kids record is now 8-3.

7-9-2012

Seems like when the Reading come to town, Rusty has their number, and he did tonight. The kid pitched a great game, going 8 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 run, one earned run, no walks, and striking out 9 finishing with a 1.93 ERA. Richmond won 3-1 and the kid's record looks good at 9-3 overall. He's looking more and more like he's ready for the big leagues with nights like this.

7-16-2012

Rusty had a solid outing but again his team left him to hang. The kid pitched 6 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, walking no one, and striking out 5. He finished with a 1.90 ERA but that one run made the difference as Altoona beat Richmond 1-0. Rusty feels responsible but he shouldn't as the offense for the team has been downright awful. The kids record falls to 9-4 but it's still pretty damn good overall.


Herb disdainfully tosses his notes onto the desk in front of him, tired of reading them. He'd been looking through them for nearly an hour now trying to find some new angle to help get Rusty promoted but it wasn't happening. The organization was dead-set on keeping him in Double-A right now.

Why was the issue though; those bums they were pampering in Triple-A weren't producing and Herb was damn sure that the organization wanted to get rid of them...but someone wasn't pulling the trigger. Someone was stopping his client from moving on up.

And Herb wanted to know who it was...he wanted to find them, kick them in the crotch, and get his client the promotion he deserved.

"Bastards," he mumbled as he reached for his bourbon. He took a deep drink of it and that shook the cobwebs; the burning feeling sent shockwaves of energy through his body.

He set the drink down, shook his head, and stared at his notes. What angle was he missing? What did he have to say to get his client that promotion?

There was a knock at the door and Gloria entered.

Herb stared at her, surprised to see her here so late in the evening. "Isn't the office closed?"

"It is," she said as she put her hands on her hips, "but some people have to do work around here."

Herb rolled his eyes but smirked nonetheless. She had spunk. He liked that. "Want a drink?" He held out the bottle of bourbon.

She eyed it for a moment before sitting down across from him. "I could use one."

"I could use another," he said as he refilled his glass before pouring hers. She reached for it without hesitation, took a swig, and set the glass down.

She was a pro at this like him. "So...Traylor still hanging around the minors?"

Herb grimaced but nodded. "He's not going anywhere. Someone in the organization has a bone to pick with him."

That got her attention. She looked at him intently. "Really? You sure?"

"Positive," he seethed, the alcohol having an effect on him for sure. "I don't know who, I don't know why...I don't have a scrap of God Damned evidence," he said as he slammed his fist into the desk. "But I know someone's blocking his promotion..."

She sat there for a moment and then reached for her bourbon, downing the rest of it in one shot.

Now he was impressed.

She slammed the glass down, her face flush red, but her eyes filled with determination. "I can ask around."

"You're a secretary."

"We 'secretaries' do talk to one another," she shot back. "If you want the answers, I can try to find them."

He frowned. She was a secretary, not a private eye...but his usual channels weren't producing any new information. "Sure...ask. What the hell, right?"

She smiled. "Sure, what the hell?"