With the news of Juan Pierre dwindling down and not much else to talk about I'd thought I'd resurrect an old story I wrote when I was bored to tears before I changed jobs.  This was originally written in late Sept, 2007 two months into my TBLA career after I had finished reading a fascinating trilogy called Dark Materials.

With the Giants coming into town and Barry Bonds finishing up his career as a Giant, combined with the boredom of my day job, my imagination took off today and you readers will pay the price.

In the fall of 1953 Leo Durocher's managerial career was going nowhere. His team had finished 8th in a ten team league, and he was feeling the heat. He had the best player in baseball coming back from the Korean War and he knew he needed to deliver the goods.

On a blustery fall night he entered McSorley's to have a drink alone when a beautiful dame sat next to him. Her name was Alyssa and her eyes were coal black where no color could penetrate. She was easy to talk to and seemed to know more about baseball then any dame he'd ever met. As they drank he became more open about his hopes and fears for the future. The night was winding down when she pulled him close and whispered into his ear that she could help him in his endeavors to get back on top, but the price would be steep.

He was very drunk by this time and wasn't sure what she meant. To erase any doubt she said it again. She stated she had seen the future and without her intervention, Willie Mays would never play for the Giants again. At 1st Leo gave an unsettled laugh, but after staring into those eyes he knew this was no laughing matter. Without Willie, the Giants would be nothing, he started to panic but she calmed him down with a touch of her hot hand. She wasn't a devil but a baseball daemon, and she showed him her power. All activity in the bar had ceased, except for theirs. He was a desperate man, who couldn't bear the thought of not having Willie for next season. With a deep sigh he grudgingly agreed to her price.

The next morning he remembered the previous evening, but he had been so drunk he felt he must have imagined the crazy parts of it. As time passed he prepared for the next season and his memory of the evening faded until he hardly thought of it at all. It came to pass that Willie Mays came back unscathed from the Korean War and joined the Giants in 1954 and led them to the World Championship with the greatest season any Giant had ever had upto that point in history. It was his 1st World Championship and as the celebration continued into the winter he felt it would only be the 1st of many.

Then on the one-year anniversary that Leo had met Alyssa she came to his home when he was alone, and demanded the price he agreed to one year ago. He was horrified that it hadn't been a dream and refuted the idea that she was instrumental in Willie playing for the Giants and so he refused to pay the price that he had agreed to. The black eyes flashed with fire and she denounced him and told from this time forward no Giant team would ever win another world championship and that all her favors would instead focus on their hated rivals, the Brooklyn Dodgers. He scoffed as she drew herself up and whirled away from his house.

Leo should have known better. A broken promise to any woman will cause a rift; a broken promise to a female baseball daemon split asunder the baseball world for the next ½ century.

In 1955 she quickly showed Leo the depth of her power and broke the spell that had bewitched the Boys of Summer so they were able to win their 1st World Championship.

That was only the beginning. Her wrath has not waned, since the day that Leo refused to acknowledge the deal; she has teased the Giants forever and a day.

She set it up so that they would follow the Dodgers to California but they would end up in an unforgiving bay where it is cold and damp, while the Dodgers played in sunny Southern California with the beautiful people.

She saw to it that the Giants would have bountiful talent, but always play second fiddle. She found out that she loved to tease and so no one has been teased more then the Giants.

The Dodgers got Dodger Stadium, which was the best place to watch baseball while the Giants got Candlestick Park, the worse place to watch baseball.

When Willie McCovey hit the ball as hard as any man has ever hit a baseball, all it did was drill a hole in Bobby Richardson's glove.

Juan Marichal was the greatest pitcher in baseball during his time, except for a guy name Sandy Koufax so he was often an after thought season after season.

Willie Mays was the greatest player in baseball, but since 1954 all he could do was lead his team to almost victory. As great as he was, it is hard to defeat a baseball daemon.

Bobby Bonds was so talented they thought they had another Willie Mays, and he teased the Giant fans with his talent until it turned out he was only made of moissanite and the diamond talent that glittered was only a mirage.

She gave their hated rivals moment after moment. Six World Championships starting with that 1st one in 1955. Eleven times have they appeared in the World Series. Sometimes even a daemon has limits. In 1988 she overindulged her favorites, which left her weak for several years. The only thing she could do for a while was to send them a gift from the heavens, packaged as a HOF catcher, when they spurned her gift, and sent it away her anger was great, and she turned her back on them. They are now paying the same price as the Giants did for all those years.

Once she got her strength back she came up with the greatest tease ever to be perpetrated upon a franchise. She brought the best player in baseball home to where his Dad had starred. However no matter what Barry did he couldn't get the Giants into a World Series.  He became inflamed with jealousy over the fawning of McGwire and Sosa, and went outside his god given talents, which took his game to levels never seen on a baseball diamond. Finally the big head Bonds takes his team to the 2002 World Series. In 1962 they came as close as you can come, but they fell short. They would again be second best in 2002 and again they came oh so close. This time they were done in by a Rally Monkey. You see she made sure that Dusty Bakers managerial ineptitude would offset Barry Bonds greatness. Dusty Baker in all his swagger went out to the mound to replace his pitcher and then tell the dugout to save the ball. This time she really had them. Not one Giant fan thought this wasn't going to be the moment. And then Scott Spiezio hit the second greatest home run in California history, and broke the back of the spineless Giants. Year after year Barry Bonds would be the best player in baseball just as Willie Mays had been in his time. And year after year someone else would end up World Champions. It became hell to be a Giant fan.

She is not done, not this vengeful god. 2007 will see the end of Barry Bonds as a Giant, and while he gave Giant fans plenty to cheer about, he wasn't' able to deliver the final payment. Neither were Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, The Alou Brothers, and countless other great Giants.

Oh and the man who started it all. Just look up the 1969 pennant race and you'll see that she never forgave him. If you think this is a bunch of hooey, then you tell me why the Giants couldn't win a world championship with some of the greatest players to ever play the game on their team over the last 55 years?

When he hung up the phone he knew the sun was setting on his tenure as the Dodger GM and he needed something big to save his job. The job itself had lost its luster with the constant 2^nd guessing by everyone in this town. He wasn’t so much trying to save this job but his future. If he ever wanted to be a GM again he was going to have to win, and win now.

This trade could be the trick but he’d have to get Franks approval and he hated going into that boardroom with everyone shooting down his trades. It was hard enough hearing the snicker in the voice of the other GM’s when he was trying to make a deal. They knew nothing stopped with him, and they also knew it was likely that any trade he took to Frank was going to get shot down. It had gotten to the point where one GM asked him point black to check with Logan White to make sure they weren’t wasting their time.

Frank was hard enough to deal with these days;  with his infatuation with everything Logan White, but it was Jamie who had become bitter over the money he had spent that he had the biggest problems with. The last time he tried to get Frank to make the deal for CC, she had just laid into him. The boardroom with Frank, Jamie, Logan, and Kim had been testy with each side giving their opinions on the merits of the deal. Finally when all was said and done, it was apparent that no consensus was going to happen, he had put his hands on the table and asked Frank as his GM to trust him. For a moment it looked like he would get what he wanted  but just before Frank could speak, Jamie spat out “trust you? Like we trusted you about Jason Schmidt? Like we trusted you about Andruw Jones? Like we trusted you about Rafael Fural? Do you have any idea how much money you have wasted with the trust we gave you? All you have done is bring us broken ballplayers. The only decision you ever made that hasn’t been a huge albatross on our bottom line was bringing in that hard working speedy outfielder that Joey loves so much”.

That was hard to take, but she wasn’t done. Then in front of everyone she had to remind him that if she had, had her way Kim would be the GM and I’d still be getting Saben’s coffee. Kim was embarrassed, she was a good kid in an awkward situation who would never get the chance he had gotten. Jamie's stinging rebuke had hurt but she didn't understand the baseball landscape so he could let those arrows fall to wayside but he could see that her words had an impact on Frank. They asked everyone to leave while they considered the proposal. He knew at that point it wasn't going to happen.  Sure enough, several hours later Frank called and said that after consideration he had decided not to make the deal. CC was not going to be wearing Dodger Blue. Cleveland had given him everything he asked for and now he had to tell them no deal. He was crestfallen, he had already seen the headlines in the morning paper, declaring him a savior for bringing CC to the Dodgers. He felt they would have made him out to be the next Mitch Kupchak. Now he had nothing.

He wasn't upset that Logan or Kim were  after his job, that is what happens in a business where you only get a chance when someone fails. Without expansion and growth to provide jobs the finite number of GM positions makes for strange bedfellows in the front office.  Kim thought she had a chance because Jamie loved the idea of a female GM, but not even Frank would be stupid enough to put a skirt in charge of an organization of men. Frank didn’t understand that Logan was only looking out for his own shirt and couldn’t care less about how these deals would help them win now. It was to Logan's benefit if the Dodgers didn’t win. He would get blamed and everyone knew Logan was the next in line.

He sighed, but he knew he was going to have to go into that boardroom to make one more attempt to fix this team. Everyone is worried about trading the future but they needed to win now and this trade should do it. He had worked hard on this deal, but these were players that  knew how to win even if the stats didn’t back it up. They had been through the wars and had the scars to prove it. These weren’t kids who were going to fold when the going got tough but veterans who did what it took to win, even if that meant taking one for the team.

He hated to deal some of these kids but they had just not progressed as quickly as he needed. Maybe in time they would meet their promise but for now, for this team, he needed more. He opened the door and walked in…

Ned: Hey Larry, I understand Miggy is on the table

Larry: Yup, the papers said you'd be calling

Ned: Were looking to make a big splash and no one can make a bigger splash then your boy

Larry: More like a Tsunami when he hits the water

Ned : Hah, so what do want

Larry: Well lets start with that CF you have playing RF.

Ned: Ethier?

Larry: No, the one causing all the trouble with Kent

Ned: Kemp? Okay then, Kemp for Miggy

Larry: Not so fast Ned, if you want Miggy it is going to be as painful for you as it is for me

Ned: I understand it hurts to give up a talent like Miggy. If your serious about trading him I need to talk contract with him. No point in us even going forward unless we are able to talk to Miggy about an extension.

Larry: No can do, our little Miggy is on vacation and doesn't want to be bothered until spring. He loves Los Angeles, he told me before he left that if Los Angeles was interested in him, to tell you guys he'd love to retire a Dodger and break Alex Rodriguez record in Dodger Stadium.

Ned: Really?

Larry: Oh yeah, he loves LA. Wants to become the 1st Venezuelan  movie star. He seemed especially interested in working in the Northwest Valley Movie industry for some reason. I guess Hollywood has moved.

Ned: That sounds great. I'm very familiar with that industry. They don't call me the "moustache" for nothing.

Ned: Okay then, with that out of the way what else do you want. I was thinking of something like Kemp, our hot little SS Hu, and our crack closer Meloan. Hu is a defensive whiz and it would really upgrade your infield.

Larry: We have Hanley at SS, we have no need for Hu

Ned: No offense Larry but Hanley sucks at SS, are you sure you don't want Hu

Larry: We know he sucks, but he thinks he's Derek Jeter, which of course he is, but he thinks that is a good thing. He won't move off of SS, were stuck with him. Don't need Hu

Ned:Hmm, how about Juan Pierre. You won a World Championship with him last time he was playing for you and that would make Big Train awful happy to have his little friend back

Larry: Were not going to bail you out of that mistake. If you want us to take Pierre your going to have to eat his contract in 2009/2010/2011. 30 Million big ones.

Ned: No, I can't do that. Joe hates him, says his little head reminds him of beatlejuice and he hated that movie but Frank would bust my balls if I did that.

Larry:  The papers said I'd be asking for Kemp, LaRoche and Kershaw. If I don't, those guys they will say I gave in to you. I need a win here, I'm trying to get a stadium built.

Ned: You need a win, Christ I spent 50 Million last year and none of them were playing except for Pierre by the end of the year. Plus I gave the Phillies a cheap starting RF who was better then the guy I spent 7 Million on. Hell even your Cody Ross was better then Gonzo and you got him for nothing from us. Who knew that these kids who don't make any money could be better then the million dollar veterans who've seen everything?

Ned: Okay, I hate to do this but how about Kemp and LaRoche. That gives you your CF and 3rd baseman.

Larry: That is a start, but only a start. I want Loney instead of LaRoche, that Loney can hit and LaRoche has those back issues.

Ned: Hmm, really wasn't planning on giving up Loney. Thought for sure you'd want LaRoche. Who is going to play 3rd base for you?

Larry: Were talking to the Yankee's about Betemit for Jacobs if we get Loney from you.

Ned: So if I throw in Loney would that get it done, Kemp, Loney, and Abreu?
Larry: No, you still have to give up the crown jewel. Like I said I need to bring  home Kershaw

Ned: YOUR KILLING ME LARRY

Ned: Grady, if I bring up La Roche tomorrow would you play him.

Grady: You mean the guy who didn't hit a lick the last time you gave him to me.

Ned: Yeah, but he was hurt then, now he's on fire. Hit two homers last night.

Grady: All I remember is a kid who was afraid to swing the bat. Kept taking walks, it was like watching JD all over again. I don't need that kind of nightmare. Did you see what Shea did. He swung and missed nine straight pitches. That is the kind of aggression I'm talking about. One of these days he's going to put a ball in play. Why in Boston he was one of our better hitters.

Ned: Wasn't Manny, Ortiz, Varitek, Nixon, and Damon your better hitters.

Grady: Well sure, but he was better then that Minky guy.

Ned: So your saying, you want to stick with Shea?

Grady: Yeah, he got us where were at, so I'm going to stick with what got us here.

Ned: How about Hu, you could play Kent at 3b and Hu at 2nd.

Grady: Who

Flanders sat with his head in hands. His team had just come back from a 5 run deficit, but the game was about to enter extra innings and they only had Proctor and Hernandez left. Not exactly his best acquisitions.

The trade for Proctor was not working out well. He was getting lit up just about every time he took the mound. At least Shea Hillenbrand had hit a home run today and Betemit was no longer hitting home runs every night, so the flak he'd been taking on that deal was diminishing.

What really galled him was that Kim might have been right. She said we could just use Meloan or even that guy, Eric boatpartsomething or another, instead of trading our key utility guy. What the hell was she worked up about anyway; Betemit was only hitting 239. How was he to know that Nomar would get hurt? It is not like he has a history of getting hurt. Plus, it is not like Betemit was getting on base like Pierre. Pierre has been on fire, soon he'll be hitting 300 and all his detractors will look like fools, and they will recognize his genius. It is not his fault that Proctor has been an incendiary device since he got him, he ran the numbers, that ERA was as good as it gets.

Now, Kim has been pestering him to bring up Meloan and release Roberto, but what does she know. She must have the hots for Meloan. I've heard he's ripped but that is why you don't let gays or skirts into the front office. The hormones get in the way. Roberto has been pitching for 20 bloody years and he has that PVL that this team needs, even if his arm has no life left. And here she is right now; with her hand on her hip in that I told you so look that has driven men crazy for thousands of years. Good God I hope the Astro's give her a call. He was tired of having to clear every little decision through the little dominator. It irked him to no end, that she had the ear of Jamie. While Frank may pretend to be the guy, he knew it was the skirt that pulled the strings in Chavez Ravine.

God how he hated LA. The people, the fans, the media, the weather, and the blogs, especially the blogs, who dissected every single move he made as though they knew something about what it takes to build a winning baseball team. In SF all they talked about was Barry, it was so easy to screw up there because no one noticed. They were a 2nd class franchise and no one cared how they screwed up the team. Man, he missed SF.

He couldn't wait to make his name here so he could replace Sabean when he falls on his face after Barry hangs em up. They don't expect much up there, hell they even gave Lou an extension, but at some point they will realize what a dolt he is without me propping his sorry ass up. And then I can go back home and leave these clowns behind.

Until then he knows he has to be successful for anything like that to happen so he peers through his fat, grimy fingers at the game. OMG it was hot, his sweat intermixed with his after shave lotion gave off an odor that was all too familiar in a press box full of men.

Cripes, Proctor was coming in. If he blows this game I'll never hear the end of it. Come on boy, show me something, where is that ERA that Cashman was touting. Kim said he was toast, that he'd been burned out and her Harvard intern had the numbers to prove it. Screw the numbers, his ERA said solid to me, and that was the only number I've ever needed. That and saves.

Hey, not bad he got us through an inning. Wonder who I should drop for Loaiza? Probably Stults, he's just a kid and while he's pitched better then anyone I've brought in, you can't count on him. Heck, his ERA was something like 7.90 at AAA.  Yeah, I'll dump the kid. Crap, we didn't score and Proctor is going back out there. Phew, another good inning. That is what were talking about, 3 up and 3 down. Okay, now we've got the speed demons coming up; they should do something.  I can't believe that anyone complains about Juan. The man is a force when he gets on base. He never strikes out, he works hard, plus he has a ring. I only hope I can take him to SF with me when I go home.

Dang we still can't score. What is with this Kemp kid, friggin ground ball to 3rd. My boy Feliz would have put that ball into the bleachers. I bet I can find some fool who will take a chance on a young power hitter, with speed to burn. He just makes to many mistakes for me. Reminds me of Manny and I don't want to go down that route.  Maybe I can get Chavez for him, Tommy told me he was available. We need a steady influence at 3b and once Chavez gets his back straightened out I'm sure he'll be okay. I may need to throw in LaRoche but he's always hurt so that will work out for us. I love screwing Billy and his numbers.

Yea baby, Proctor goes 3, who the hell needs Meloan. I can smell victory or is that myself? Either way it smells good.

SHEA SHEA SHEA you're the man, I'm a friggin genius, take that blogger boys. He hurries past Kim, giving her a triumphant smile and sets out to find Simers, so he could rub Shea in his face, ignorant of the fact it was a weak ass fly ball that won the game.

Kim shakes her head and leaves. Cashman, Depodesta, and now this idiot. She's worked for a trinity of losers and yet she is still on the outside looking in. She storms down the hallway but passes the windows and can't help but stop to admire her petite figure. Meloan will be up soon and then she can put this figure to good use. If not him, then maybe that intern. It was kind of cute the way his hand moved like magic over the 10key.