~ Chapter Seven ~

"And that pitch is hit deep into right field, Carter's going back towards the wall... it's off the wall, and it bounces right past him! Both runners are going to score!"  Niehaus' voice reached the takeoff point again as the play on the field escalated.  "Center fielder Shingo Kinomoto is backing him on the play, he has the ball back into Littrell, holding Nelson at second.  The Yankees now lead 7-3 with one out in the fifth."

"That's a single and RBI for Nelson, and an error on Carter."  Charlie interuppted.

"That's got to be hard on him, coming back to New York and missing a routine play like that."  Niehaus began, ready to dramatize the error until something else exciting happened.

~*~

Howie dropped onto the stool in front of his locker in the Yankee Stadium visiting clubhouse.  That hadn't been a good game.  Losing was never good, but losing to the Yankees was always worse, and losing 14-3 was worst of all.  It had been a very long game.  The few reporters that had dared venture into the clubhouse for postgame interviews had dispersed quickly, as had most of the team.  No one was particularly interested in talking. 

Ever since the season started, almost two weeks ago, the Mariners had been playing poorly.  Their record was only 5-8, but two of those wins were solely the credit of AJ McLean, who had saved them both with some incredible pitching and, Howie suspected, nerves of steel.  To come in during the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, no outs and the winning run on second base, with Kevin glaring at you from the pitchers mound and actually save the game was enough to earn respect in Howie's book.

"Fourteen to THREE!"  Kevin hollered. 

Let the yelling begin.  Howie busied himself with his shoes.  For once in his life, he wasn't the one being yelled at.  Howie was responsible for the three runs the Mariners had scored, hitting a three run home run in the second inning.  Things hadn't fallen apart until the fifth inning, when Nick had misplayed a fly ball in right, resulting in the Yankees sending twelve men to the plate that inning before the Mariners managed to stop the bleeding. 

"Kevin, stop."  Brian said quietly.  "Just cut it out."

"No."  Kevin spun around and glared at his cousin.  "No, I will not cut it out!  That was disgusting!  I think there were minor league teams that played better than us tonight!"

Left-handed setup man Brad  Arton raised his hand, ready to speak.  "You're right.  I played my Triple A ball with Atlanta... they're pretty good."

Howie almost laughed out loud.  AJ did, although he quickly stifled it.

"Shut up."  Kevin wrinkled his nose at the pitcher. 

"It's one game."  Brian didn't back down.  "It's only April, Kevin.  Calm down."

Kevin ignored Brian's request, turning to Nick instead.  "That was a nice move you pulled in the fifth, Nicky."

Nick didn't even look up from his locker.

"Back off, Kevin."  Brian warned.

"Just shut up!"  Kevin snapped, kicking one of his shoes in Brian's direction.  Brian raised one eyebrow.

Howie decided it was almost as entertaining to watch AJ observe the escalating argument than to watch the argument itself.  AJ was watching with all the enthusiasm one would have following a tennis match.  His head swerved from Kevin to Brian to Kevin and back again, his shirt half buttoned, forgotten in the excitement. 

"Thanks to that so called ‘play' they scored seven runs, Nick.  SEVEN."  Kevin was taunting him now. 

Howie was pretty sure Nick was aware of what had happened that inning.  Howie had been in the place many times before.  He did feel sorry for Nick, but at the same time, was thankful that finally, it wasn't his fault they lost.  Maybe his luck was finally changing.

Nick turned around slowly and stared Kevin right in the face.  Much to Howie's surprise, Nick didn't appear angry, or even upset. Then again, Nick was hard to read. 

"Well?"  Kevin asked, the disdain in his voice evident.

"You want to blame tonight's game on me, go ahead."   Nick voice was so quiet Howie could  barely hear.  "I don't care."   Nick turned  his back to Kevin again.

"Well, I DO care!"  Steam was about to start pouring from Kevin's ears.   "Would you mind turnin' around!  I'm trying to talk to you!"

Nick paused just a hair too long before he turned and faced Kevin.  Kevin snapped. 

Howie was certain he saw Brian roll his eyes as Kevin swung at Nick.  The punch glanced off Nick's shoulder and AJ shook his head. 

"Figures,"  He mumbled.  "He can't throw to second base in a straight line, why should he be able to hit either?"

"Cut it out!"  Brian hollered, as Nick swung back at Kevin and the two of them ending up wrestling on the clubhouse floor.  "Nick!  Kevin!"  Brian hovered on the sidelines, not exactly sure how he was supposed to break this one up, seeing as how they were both quite a bit bigger than he was.

AJ took a swig from his water bottle and continued to watch with childish delight.

Howie sighed and moved in to help break it up.  He and Brian grabbed Nick at the same time Scott Martin dragged Kevin away, his arms waving, still trying to get in one last swing at Nick.  Nick backed off quietly, but Howie could feel him shaking.

"What the Sam Hill is going on out here!"  Buddy Williams stormed out of his office.  "I've never managed such a bunch of idiots in my entire life!"  He stopped when he saw the two being restrained.  "You know, I don't even care.  Take it somewhere else, you two.  I mean it."  And with those words of managerial advice, Williams vanished back into his office.

There was silence for almost seven seconds, before it was broken by none other than AJ McLean.  "Gentlemen, I give you our leader."

"Let go of me."  Kevin shook Scott off his arms and stalked off down the tunnel.

"You okay?"  Brian asked Nick quietly.

"Yeah."  Nick pulled his coat from his locker and started for the clubhouse door.

"Hang on a minute...." Brian started.

"I've got stuff to do!"  Nick called as he disappeared down the tunnel.

"Day-um."  AJ shook his head.  "That was impressive."

"Well, you were no help."  Brian raised one eyebrow, not really mad at AJ.

"Hey."  AJ finished tucking his shirt in.  "I don't get involved."

"Going to be a fun year."  Howie agreed with AJ's first comment.