"I'm sorry," she said.
"See, that's what everyone says. And at the time, I would have agreed with you. I thought I could match Blanton. With Mulder and Hudson gone, and Zito ended up having a terrible year the next year, I might have had a shot. But other people didn't agree. Billy Beane didn't agree. And he had a great method for finding talent. But I didn't cut it. Even in the Mets' organization. I still had chances. I was mostly fit, had a good arm, nice curve. But in The Show, everyone has that. You need more. Mostly, it's between the ears. Doing the things you can do when it really matters, not just in training. When the pressure is really on. Other guys took those moments better."
I took a long slug of my wine. "So people think that's so sad. But here's the thing. I spent twenty-nine days in The Show. Twenty-nine incredible days. Sure I would have loved to have pitched an inning. To have thrown my stuff on some of those great players. Tossed my heat, or weaved a curve. I’d have loved that. But I still got to spend twenty-nine days in the Majors."
Danielle nodded and looked at the rippling water. "I wish Sandy Ferguson could have looked at it that way. He missed his life because he couldn't get over missing the Heisman."
"I don't think the Heisman caused his problems. That was just how it manifested itself. His demons were always going to catch up with him. Sooner or later."
She nodded again. "Well I for one am glad you didn't make it in the Majors."
"Gee, thanks." I smiled.
"I don't mean it like that. I mean I'd have never met you."
"Exactly. If you live in the past you miss out on the now. And the now is when great things happen."
"My poet warrior."
"Something like that."
"Is there another bottle of wine going?"
"Always. But you want to be careful," I said.
"No, I think you better be careful."
I smiled. "That a promise?"
"It is. Tomorrow morning. First thing. You and I are going to be doing pushups."
"What's the prize?"
"If I win, we both go vegetarian for two weeks."
"You trying to kill me?"
"I'm trying to help you live forever."
"And if I win?" I said standing to retrieve another bottle of wine.
"Name your prize."
I looked down at Danielle reclined in her lounger, moonlight bouncing off her face. And I smiled.
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About the Author
A.J. STEWART WROTE marketing copy for Fortune 500 companies and tech start-ups for 20 years, until his head nearly exploded from all the stories bursting to get out. Stiff Arm Steal was his fifth novel, but the first to make it into print.
He has lived and worked in Australia, Japan, UK, Norway, and South Africa, as well as San Francisco, Connecticut and of course Florida. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his two favorite people, his wife and son.
AJ is working on a screenplay that he never plans to produce, but it gives him something to talk about at parties in LA.
You can find AJ online at www.ajstewartbooks.com, connect on Twitter @The_AJStewart, Facebook facebook.com/TheAJStewart or Google Plus.
Books by AJ Stewart:
Stiff Arm Steal
Offside Trap
High Lie
Dead Fast
Crash Tack
Three Strikes
Acknowledgements
THANKS TO ALL my readers who send me feedback. A big shout out to Beth for the edits, Donna for the proofreads, all the betas, especially Heather and Andrew, and the folks at the Tiki Hut in Fort Pierce, FL, where this book was conceived and partially written over plates of peel’n’eats and cold bottles of Kalik. You all make my life and my work better. Any and all errors are mine, especially but not limited to the one for the road. That’s never a good idea.
Author's Note
DEPRESSION IS A serious illness that affects millions of people worldwide. If you or someone you care about exhibits any of the signs of depression, including but not limited to ongoing sadness, feelings of emptiness or hopelessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, insomnia or thoughts of suicide, seek assistance. For a list of helplines in various countries, visit
AJStewartBooks.com/helplines
Jacaranda Drive Publishing
Florida, USA
www.jacarandadrive.com
This ebook is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.
The Heisman Memorial Trophy is a registered trademark of the Heisman Trust. The author and publisher are in no way affiliated with the Heisman Trust and no affiliation is implied.
Cover artwork by Streetlight Graphics
ISBN-10: 0985945508
ISBN-13: 978-0-9859455-0-3
Copyright © 2012 by A.J. Stewart
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author.
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