us win! So how about we stop acting like Rafa is a dead man walking, and instead go out and prove to Jeff Motherfucking Delorian that he should invest in us?”
The speech, as silly as it was, invigorated the team. Everyone cheered and slapped Rafa on the back, telling him that they were going to play better for him. Joel was pumped up and red-faced, and forcefully high-fived everyone he passed through on the way back into the locker room.
At the back of the clubhouse, I saw Theo Parker standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. He was smiling too. I knew he was on our side in all of this. He would love nothing more than to be able to go out and add pieces to the team. If only Jeff Delorian would allow him to spend the money.
Above him, the camera in the ceiling of the clubhouse watched silently.
25
Natalie
For the rest of the month, the Texas Rangers went on the winning streak of their lives.
Rafael won five games in July, the first Rangers pitcher to accomplish the feat since Nolan Ryan in 1992. He pitched deep into the eighth and ninth innings, and even threw two complete games, which allowed the bullpen pitchers to rest.
Joel was amazing. Aside from one blown save after the All Star break—which was mostly due to two infield errors—he was flawless on the mound when the team had a slim lead. He racked up thirteen saves, breaking the single-month record previously set by Francisco Rodriguez. The sale of Rogers jerseys skyrocketed, and the team eventually began selling a special “Mr. Rogers” jersey.
Darryl continued his hitting streak. He batted three-seventy-two with twelve home runs in July. The rest of the offense finally got hot behind him, meaning opposing pitchers couldn’t intentionally walk him and easily get the next batter out.
I soon learned that winning was a huge aphrodisiac—both for me and my boys. Darryl and Joel were especially lustful after big wins, and I found their enthusiasm and spirit ridiculously sexy. They fucked me in hotel rooms and in the clubhouse. During a road trip to the east coast, Darryl ravaged me in the bathroom of the Baltimore Aquarium. They took me individually and in pairs and sometimes all at once. Success made them hungry for me. Like I was their fuckable good-luck charm.
And I loved every minute of it.
Overall we went 17-4 in the month of July, ending with a record of 57-45. We were now in sole possession of the wildcard spot. More importantly, three of those wins were in a sweep of the first-place Astros, bringing us to within one game of the division lead.
There was no denying it: we were officially in contention.
Theo was busy on the morning of July 31. The trade deadline was at three that afternoon, and he had been making calls and meeting with his assistants for the past few days. But he managed to squeeze in a few minutes for me before the game.
“Ramirez is done,” Theo said when I walked into the office.
I winced. “The scans were bad?”
“Not as bad as we expected. But we’re going to shut him down for the rest of the season to make sure we don’t exacerbate it. Who do you think should replace him?”
“That’s a question for the head of scouting and development.”
“I’ve already asked him. Now I want your opinion.”
I sat down and pretended to think about it for a few moments, even though I already knew what I was going to say. “Domingo is the best option. I reviewed his developmental report the other day. His walk rate is way down and he’s locating his fastball well.”
Theo nodded and typed on his keyboard for a moment. “I like it. Done.” He went back to whatever he was doing before I came in, then paused. “Is there something else I can help you with?”
“You know what I’m going to say.”
His mouth tightened.
“We need another starting pitcher.” I spoke in a rush before he could interrupt me. “We’ve gotten lucky with Miner and the rookies this month, but we can’t rely on any of them long-term. Especially not in the playoffs. We need someone behind Rafa.”
“I am aware,” he said curtly. “I’m working on some things.”
“Are we buyers, or sellers?” I demanded. “Or are we neither? Because based on the way this team has performed in July, it would be a travesty if the owner refuses to add the pieces we need to make a championship run.”
“That