by me
Rating: PG-13, I suppose
Disclaimer: This is mostly fake. I mean, the Braves did play on opening day
and all, but...I'm sure you can pick out what's fake.
Summary: It's Opening Day, and Glavine is starting.
Notes: Sorry this took so long *past* Opening Day to get out, but...I've been
busy. Anyway, Glavine started against the Phillies, went 6 1/3 innings,
and gave up 2 earned runs. The Braves won 7-2. Glav also had an RBI. And
let me say that I was definitely one of the 51K+ cheering Glavine...he
pitched extremely well.
"Nervous?"
"No." The car rolled to a stop at a red light. Greg Maddux gazed out the
passenger's side window. As the light changed, he looked over to his
companion with a sly grin.
"So...nervous?"
Tom Glavine squeezed the wheel tighter. "NO, Greg! I'm not!"
Maddux laughed.
"Just because you keep making up phantom injuries to get out of doing opening
day..."
"It hurts..." Maddux insisted.
Glavine rolled his eyes were the other pitcher could see him. "Hey! Watch the
road!" Maddux snapped.
"I am!"
"You were too busy rolling your eyes at me to watch the road."
Glavine did it again. "I'm not going to hit anything."
"Including a batter?"
"Greg, shut up. I'm not nervous. I'm perfectly fine."
"You've never won a home opener, have you?"
"No," Glavine sighed. "I haven't. Could you shut up now?"
"Fine." He crossed his arms and, true to word, didn't say anything for the
rest of the trip.
In the seventh, after giving up a home run and letting men reach
second and third with one out, Glavine was pulled. He handed the ball over
willingly and started with the dugout. Once the pitching mentality was
gone, he could hear the crowd again, all 51 thousand of them, on their
feet, cheering him. His eyes were fixed on the ground, but he raised them
to look into the dugout. Greg touched the bill of his cap. Remembering,
Tommy raised his slightly, to the crowd's delight, and trotted down the
dugout steps.
He sat next to Maddux. The other pitcher shook his head. "So much for never
winning the home opener."
"It isn't over yet."
Maddux peered out where youngster Tim Spooneybarger was warming up, blazing in
the wild tailing fastball of his. "It's over."
Tom cracked a smile. "It did feel good."
"It looked good, too."
"I walked too many."
"Yeah, 2. Geez, Tommy, you're slipping."
"There's 2 earned runs," Glavine stated as Tim recorded the second out on a
sacrifice fly.
"Dude, that makes your ERA like 2.80."
Mark DeRosa, sitting beside them, offered a "2.84" before looking back at the
field.
"Um, 2.84, then," Maddux said, giving the University of Pennsylvania graduate
a weird look.
Glavine smiled. "It felt good."
"I bet."
He pointed a finger at Maddux. "And I got an RBI."
"I know, I know. Smoltzy's keeping track."
"That means I'm winning."
"Dude, none of the rest of us have batted."
"Whatever works," Glavine grinned.
The half inning ended, and Tim jumped down the dugout steps, sitting next to
Tom. "Pretty game, Tommy."
Glavine looked at him sidelong. "Are you speaking to me, kid?"
Tim smirked. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Glavine, sir. You pitched real good today, sir."
Tom knocked the cap off his head and onto the ground. "What's with these damn
kids and their lack of respect for us weathered veterans?" He said to
Greg, who shrugged.
Tim was still grinning and brushing off his hat. "'Weathered' just means
you've lost a lot."
"And won a lot, too, don't you forget."
"How could I, with you two reminding me all the time?"
"How indeed," Greg said.
"Man, this isn't fair. It's two against one."
"Relax, Timmy," Tom said, patting him on the head. "Foster will be back."
The young pitcher rolled his eyes. "He's no help," he said fondly. "He's too
quiet."
"Mm. He better be back. I like the kid."
"Me too," muttered Tim.
"We know you do, Timmy. You two were all cuddly during spring training."
"We were not."
"You so were."
"Not."
"Whatever. You miss him."
Tim rolled his eyes. "I'm going to go pitch now, ok?"
"Have fun," Maddux called after him.
Tim pitched another great inning, Smoltz shut them down in the ninth, and Tom
Glavine finally won a home opener.