I applied for assistant coach here
but you sort've wouldn't even give me an interview.
You're the girls' volleyball coach.
Yeah, but I just had a good meeting with Coach Van Scoyoc at Norway High.
- Norway? - Yes, sir.
And since this is my last year here, I'm taking a job in St. Louis...
So, you want to go coach baseball at another high school
for the two months that you have left?
Assistant coach.
Don't you think that's a pretty unusual request, Mr. Stock?
Yeah. But it's Norway.
All right. Go ahead.
Hey, Kent.
Coach, I thought this was just supposed to be a practice.
It is.
Wow.
- Did you bring that stopwatch, like I asked? - Yeah.
What's that for?
Well, I just thought I'd take some notes.
- Here you go, Coach. - Thanks, Big-O.
We're gonna take infield now, just like before a real game.
I want you to watch carefully and I want you to time it.
Time the infield, check.
All right, let's go, infield!
Now.
Bring it on.
Come on, now, Brent.
Go wide!
One on the end.
Bring it in, boys!
- Under nine minutes, wasn't it? - 8:24.
Always keep it under nine. Always take it first if you can.
What else did you notice?
Well...
- Here you go, Coach. - Thanks.
It was perfect.
You took something off those ground balls, but...
Why?
Because the other team is watching.
We make it look nice and easy, and we're already in their heads.
- You got it? - Yeah.
Outfielders, let's go!
The Norway Tigers have spent the last three days
wondering if the rains would ever let up.
They finally did today, allowing the Tigers a rock solid start
toward a second straight state title.
They pounced quickly, did the Tigers, as Jim Van Scoyoc, their manager, watches.
Kevin Stewart slapped a double down the line.
Here comes Steve Meyers, he'll score easily.
West Bend couldn't get out of the third inning as Norway's...
Vries allowed two hits in the first
and collared the Bulldogs the rest of the way.
Norway hasn't given up a run in the playoffs
and the senior hurler tossed a shutout on just 43 pitches.
The Tigers move to the 1A Finals, winning it in five.
Well, today's victory puts the Tigers in the championship game
for the ninth time in the last 10 years.
We ain't the biggest, or the fastest or even sometimes the best,
but no one's got the fundamentals down better than our boys.
Every little league coach within 50 miles of here is an ex-Norway player.
It's like having our own minor league feeder system.
Norway baseball tradition is as rich as lowa soil.
We grow ball players here like corn.
Hell, 80% of this game is defense.
The most important thing to understand
is these boys take a great deal of pride in knowing how to beat you.
It's how they get remembered. And that's how we're gonna win State.
Coming to you live from Colonel Stadium,
this is KZIA-Z 102.9, the voice of Iowa baseball.
North Tama with the rally going.
Looking to upset the Norway Tigers
and deny them their 19th state title.
Long drive to right center!
Time, blue!
And out comes legendary coach Jim Van Scoyoc
to talk to his senior pitcher, Brent Fitz, who definitely looks to be tiring.
How you feeling, Brent?
I'm good. That was a lucky hit.
I'll keep it down.
Well, the thing is Kimmel's on deck.
He already owns you, so we need to get this next batter out.
Don't you bullshit me, now.
I'll get him, Coach.
All right, this kid's a dead-pull hitter.
Off-speed, low and away, he's gonna pull a grounder to short.
Now, you tighten your belt and let's get him.
- Come on, buddy, get him now! - Let's get it going!
One more! One more!
Here we go, Brent! You're all right, kid! Come on now!
There's a drive!
Deep left field! Fitz going back!
It is a foul ball! Oh, my.
Six inches to the right and Tama's got the lead!
Fitz is clearly on the ropes, all of his pitches are up in the wheelhouse.
Come on, Fitz! Let's go, baby, let's go now!
Let's get this guy! Just like we talked about! You know how!
Ground ball to short.
Out!
And the Norway Tigers are the State 1A Baseball Champions
for the 19th time!
- That last pitch, how'd you know? - I scouted the hitter.
- When? - In my spare time.
- Coach, you don't have any spare time. - I made some. They deserve it.
So the Norway Tigers win their 19th State Championship
and their 12th under Jim Van Scoyoc.
From a town with a population of just 586, a high school with only 101 students,
these players grew up watching their older brothers,
relatives and friends win state titles.
Finally, it's their turn in the sun.
We are honored and proud to present this trophy to Norway High School
and to all the people of Norway that have supported us through thick and thin.
- Yeah! - Yeah!
Mostly thick!
Let's do it again next year and make it an even 20!
- Yeah! - Yeah!
Matthew, we did it again, didn't we?
Do you ever get used to this?
Oh, we don't take anything for granted around here.
We're so grateful for baseball, and so proud of the boys.
Of course, they don't have to live with Coach Grumpy all through the season.
He speaks very highly of you, by the way.
He does?
- Oh, bye. - There you go.
Is it true Hal Trosky once hit a ball that went all the way out to the railroad track?
That's what the old timers say.
I mean, that's what, 500 feet?
Hell, son, that was the longest home run in history.
That ball traveled 200 miles.
See, he hit it out of the park right over there.
It took one bounce on the highway, landed on a freight train that was going by
and ended up in Chicago.
Yeah.
Oh, we had a good run, didn't we?
Thank you for letting me be a part of it. I learned a lot.
You're a good coach. Boys like you.
There's a bunch of them coming back next season.
What about this rumor
that Norway's gonna close and merge with Madison Community?
Lt'll never go through.
I can't imagine why anyone would want to destroy
something that means so much to these kids.
Yeah.
Kent, Norway is baseball.
Anyway, if I don't get home soon,
Chic's gonna feed my dinner to the dog again.
How about you? You eat yet? There's always plenty.
No, I'm good. I'd just like to stay out here for a little while longer.
- Couldn't have done it without you, Kent. - Sure, you could.
Well, I wouldn't have wanted to.
I'll see you next season. We'll go for an even 20.
- Coach, I'm not coming back next season. - Oh, that's right.
Yep. I got a job in St. Louis, whole deal.
See what big city life's about.
That's too bad. The game could use more people like you.
No, no, everything's right on schedule, sir.
Yeah, the inspection's on Friday. You're already pre-approved for the loan,
so all we need is for the bank to accept the appraisal.
And then it's just a formality.
Right, right. Well, I'll call you as soon as I hear anything.
Okay? Have a great night.
Mitch!
Mitch, what are you doing?
Hey, how many times have I told you not to do that?
Seven.
Eight, if you include right now. What do I win?
You think it's funny?
After what those things did to your mother's health?
Dad, I can't stay in there and listen to your real estate B.S. 24-7, okay?
I'm getting some air.
Well, my real estate B.S. Is what pays all the bills around here.
One of these days you're gonna have to make a living yourself.
Okay, when I work, I'm gonna work to live, not live to work. Okay?
You think I like working all the time?
Mom sure thought so. Hey, like mother like son, right?
You know what? Why don't you go pack a bag?
- What for? - You'll find out when we get there.
Okay.
Why don't you pack two?
"What do I win?"
The way I see it, it's a win-win proposition. Madison's all for it.
- What about the baseball team? - Oh, I cannot wait to hear this!
Bigger opportunity because of a larger school system.
Now that's the part that don't figure, Mr. Makepeace.
If you close Norway High and merge it into Madison,
what happens to our baseball players? What happens to Coach?
It's a free market system. They have to compete like everybody else.
Cream rises to the top.
Didn't you pull your son out of Norway
because Coach Van Scoyoc wouldn't let him play baseball and football at the same time?
Well, now, that's got nothing to do with this.
The school board's responsibility is educational.
Sports programs come secondary.
How do we win here, Harvey?
Lower taxes. Plus, kids like your boy, Kevin, get a better opportunity for education.
Norway's got a 16-to-1 studentlteacher ratio and Madison's got 22-to-1.
How's that better?
We sent two sons and a daughter to this school
and they're all on the dean's list in college.
You take away our school, those kids won't be shopping in our store.
We'll lose our business.
And we're not the only ones. What about our local economy?
Well, I can't address any issues except the educational ones.
Why the hell not, Harv?
Millie and Lou's store's been a part of this town for five generations.
There's more at stake here than closing a school.
Nobody said anything about closing the school.
No, not yet you haven't. You'll get around to it, won't you?
Well, I mean, even if it does happen, you're all gonna make out like bandits.
The agreement offers all kinds of financial incentives.
Let Miss Hudson here explain this to you.
Yes, the state gives $3,000 to each local school district per student.
Now, Norway would retain a percentage of that allowance
without incurring any of the educational expense.
Would someone please translate that into English?
She said the state is willing to bribe you to the tune of $3,000 a kid
for closing down the school.
You really think you can place a value on something like that?
Well, changes in state budget regulations are favoring the larger districts.
If you don't like the law, I would suggest that you take it up with the legislature.
Well, you know there's no time for that.
Perhaps you're out of your league.
I guess I missed the announcement that Des Moines has made the majors.
Let's just be fair here.
The state has its job to do but you still all have a right to be heard.
Matthew?
Harvey's right. Anyone who opposes this merger
can file a petition for a feasibility study.
But it'll take 20% of the eligible voters' signatures.
How about your signature, Matthew?
You gonna sign it so your boys can keep playing for Norway?
I didn't think so.
I'm done talking to these people.
I'm not. I want to hear more about that petition.
I'll walk home.
Good night.
You don't really believe all that numbers crap, do you?
Yes, I do.
The State's helped over 100 school districts with similar agreements.
And how many of them have 19 state baseball championships under their belt?
Is that what this is all about?
This team beats the biggest schools in the state year after year.
At baseball. But what about at life?
They'll have better opportunities in the real world
if they have more resources at school.
You don't get it, do you?
Kids in small towns like Norway, they have something special.
If they want to play baseball, join the band, run for student council, they just do it.
Nobody gets left out. Everyone participates.
And you cannot tell me it's like that in all the big schools.
Don't tell me how to do my job.
I'm not.
Maybe you could get a different job.
How long do I gotta stay for?
You're enrolled in the high school tomorrow.
Mom, Dad, listen, got no cell service or I would've called.
- Great. - But listen, I'll explain everything.
- Let me look at it. Wait. Wait for it. - Come on.
First team All-State.
How are we gonna keep you down on the farm now?
- Come on, man. - Look at this guy.
Oh, you guys are gonna kill them again next season.
- Yeah. - Thanks.
- But playing for who, Madison? - Does it matter?
I'm not playing for Madison.
No way. I can't imagine playing for anyone...
- Hey, guys, guys, guys, guys. - Hey, look at this kid.
- Camels. - ID?
I left it in my Jag.
You better go get it.
Are you kidding?
Denied.
Did you see that Johnny Rambo jacket?
What are you looking at?
- Camels. - ID?
I left it in my tractor.
Steve, your perspective is off on this.
Get your trigger on there, get a good finish, it'll be all right.
Look who it is.
You're late.
I'm talking to you, son.
I'm new, so cut me some slack.
I just did.
I know your dad.
Sunglasses back, please.
- We don't do late around here. - Whatever.
You're late again, I'll flunk you.
Why don't you take a seat over there?
Right in the back of the class.
Don't cry.
What's wrong with that kid?
Dennis, Dennis, can you hear me? Dennis, stay... Can you hear me now?
- Hold on... - Dear Father...
No, it's not my phone. I'm in Bum-fart, lowa.
...thank you for the food... - Dennis, I need you to take care of this.
...and for your wonderful bounty. - Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, I'll get it. Stay.
- It has to happen by tomorrow. - Amen!
- Dennis, can you hear me? - Amen.
Amen.
What's wrong with the phone on the wall?
It's a rotary.
Dad, this is technology. It makes my life a lot easier.
What did you think of Coach Van Scoyoc, Mitch?
Van Nazi's more like it.
I don't see what the big freaking whoop about him is.
He's a farmer.
That "farmer" was my coach, too.
Not to mention the national coach of the year.
You might try listening to him. You might actually learn something.
- Something important. - Supposed to learn that stuff from you.
Sorry, Mom.
You didn't find anything funny in that, did you, Mitch?
No.
Maybe you wanna throw a little "ma'am" in after that.
No, ma'am.
Don't you have something to do?
- She made you come out here, didn't she? - Shut up.
- I don't know what I'm doing wrong, Dad. - You were a bit rowdy in your day, too.
That was a long time ago.
- When I got you out of jail? - One time.
You were naked.
- It was called streaking, Dad. - In an old age home?
It's pretty innocent compared to what Mitch is getting into.
I just thought that bringing him here would be good for both of us.
Then why are you leaving?
Because, Dad, I'm not a small town guy. You know that.
I'm more big city.
How's that working out for you?
Well, I can't run my business from here, so I don't know what else to do.
- Sorry I have to dump him on you like this. - Well, nothing we can do about that now.
Jared!
We'll look after him.
Jim, you and I basically want the same thing.
How do you figure that, Harvey?
Well, you want what's best for the town, so do I.
Sometimes you just have to ride the horse in the direction in which it's going.
Harvey, I get the uncomfortable feeling
you're trying to put something where I don't want it put.
Okay, here's the deal.
I let you finish out that contract of yours, which takes you to the end of June.
Then I transition you to Madison to the industrial arts position,
which, mind you, currently doesn't exist.
And my team?
Oh, your boys get to play one last season of Norway baseball,
but without you,
without the "save our school" petition your wife is circulating,
and without your big mouth.
I think that just might go a long way
toward making the transition to Madison easier for this town to understand.
If anybody asks me something, I tell them exactly what I think.
You know, you tell the truth, Harvey, you don't have to remember what you said.
- Are we done here? - Looks like.
You have no idea what you're trying to kill.
- Thanks very much. - Thank you.
- Hey, Kent. - Coach.
I didn't realize your truck could make it this far.
Hey, don't badmouth my truck.
- What's up? - Oh, nothing. I...
Just thought I'd stop by and see if you still had that little notebook of yours.
You drove 250 miles just to ask me that?
Well, I thought you might be interested in what's been going on up in Norway.
See, they're not gonna let me coach anymore. They're killing baseball.
There's a big town meeting next month. You might want to be there.
Now, we ain't the biggest or the fastest... Norway baseball tradition...
We grow ball players here... 80% of this game is defense...
Anyway, think about it, will you?
You know, those old timers say that baseball's the only game on earth
where the object is to get home, Kent.
Mitch, company!
Mitch, Patrick and Richie here want to play catch with you.
- Catch? - Yeah, okay.
- Richie? - Patrick.
Patrick. Richie.
- Richie. - I don't play baseball.
Try this on for size, Mr. "I Don't Play Baseball."
He was an all-star, straight up through Colt League.
He used to send me pictures.
Go on, get out of here. Play some ball.
- You should come out for the team. - Not with that dictator.
Man, Van Scoyoc's a great coach.
Yeah, I heard like a billion times.
- You wanna see me pitch? - Knock yourself out, kid.
- You got a live one there, don't you? - Is that as hard as you can throw?
No.
- How old are you? - Fourteen.
Fourteen? You should try out for the softball team.
You'd give them hell.
Who do I...
Who do I see about getting weed around here?
- Go get the ball, Richie. - There's some ditch weed right by the barn.
- Get the ball, Richie. - It grows wild around here.
Get the damn ball, Richie!
Okay.
I don't want you talking about that stuff in front of my kid brother, okay?
- What's the big deal? - 'Cause we don't do that crap around here
and I don't want Richie getting any ideas, all right?
You got it?
Listen, you stupid hick, nobody asked you to come around here and play ball with me.
Yeah, they did.
Come on, Richie.
- Richie, come on! - See you, Mitch.
I know some of you are concerned about Norway losing its identity,
especially when it comes to our sports teams.
So it's been decided that, for one year,
our scores will be reported "MadisonlNorway."
- What? - What?
- B.S. - Yeah.
A Norway student's never gonna be able to participate in Madison.
Not with farm chores before and after school and a 20-mile drive to and from.
- Yeah. - That's right.
The Madison baseball coach is never gonna start a Norway player.
Not even a good one.
Do you realize how much shit he'd catch for that?
Yeah.
And how about the average player? He's got no chance.
So you tell me again about all this opportunity you keep pitching us?
So what exactly you telling us, Harvey? You saying this is a done deal?
Yes, I am.
What? Wait. We have almost 400 signatures.
That's 90% of the electorate! 90%!
Right here.
Four hundred. Four hundred, Harvey.
Well, thank you for that, Chic.
That represents a lot of hard work on your part.
We've got the signatures. The merger is postponed.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Sam?
You had 30 days to file this with the State Board.
We're the School Board, Chic. I'm sorry.
- What? - What the hell?
You didn't tell us that last time. Did you just forget?
Or did you conveniently leave that part out?
Do something, Pop.
I'm afraid Sam is technically right. The petition is invalid.
Let's go, boys.
Just so everyone understands,
you all are going to go into a closed session with the Madison School Board
and vote against the wishes of this entire community
based on a minor legal technicality?
It is the duty of this board
to represent the best interests of this community as we understand it.
Does that seem fair to you, Miss Hudson?
It's the state's position that small schools are a financial burden
and aims to consolidate as many of them as possible.
Wow.
Excuse me.
Mr. Stock? Can I talk to you?
You did your talking in there.
- Listen, I'm not the enemy here. - Then who are you?
I'm someone doing my job.
Now listen, I know that this is a lot of change all at once
but you need to look at the bigger picture.
This is what is best for this town and what's best for this school.
This school is all the town has.
Have you even been to the other small towns
that have had their schools ripped out from under them?
No.
Then how can you say it'll be better for us
when you haven't gone back and checked for yourself?
- I guess that's not part of your job, is it? - No, it isn't.
I'm afraid you don't know what you're talking about.
I challenge you.
Go back to those towns and have a look for yourself.
- It's not her fault, you know? - I know.
Some of it is.
- Can I take out the truck? - "May l"...
- Where do you want to go? - I don't know. I'm just bored.
Well, when you have someplace to go, let me know, I'll drive you.
What's he so upset about?
Can't seem to get past the fact that life isn't always fair.
He took the truck.
Life's gonna get more unfair.
I'll pay you later!
How you doing?
- Loving life. - Really? Because I heard you were bored.
Get out of the truck.
Keys?
Let's go see what your grandpa has to say about this.
When you're done with that,
grind the feed, feed the pork chops.
Cycle of life. In one end and out the other.
- I don't think I'm bored anymore. - Sure you still are.
Trust me.
He's got a big mouth. I warned him.
You know what? We don't bring him back for the rest of the season.
So you're going to cancel the season?
What, and let them go out as martyrs?
Without Van Scoyoc coaching them, they go out as losers.
The sooner this Norway baseball tradition ends,
the sooner we get the merger behind us.
What do you know about this Stock guy, the assistant?
He's from Belle Plaine.
He filled in half of last year when Van Scoyoc's guy moved on.
He coach ball at Belle Plaine?
Volleyball.
Excellent. He's got a big mouth, but he'll do.
Grandpa's got me working hard, pretty hard.
Well, you could maybe take some of the heat off
if you found yourself something to do besides
stealing trucks and smoking cigarettes.
Get yourself a hobby.
Or something. You know, anything.
Where is Grandpa?
He's down there.
Smoking a cigar. Still thinks I don't know.
Don't tell your grandma, you know,
she thinks I gave them up.
I hate it here.
I want to go back home.
You know, I had this sergeant at Fort Bragg
and he said something to me once, stuck with me.
"Even the easy things are tough if you do them half-heartedly."
He actually said "half-assed," I'm just cleaning it up a little.
"I hate this, I hate that, I'm so bored," you know.
Stop whining. You're just making things tough, you know.
Put your heart in something.
Hey!
I know it's been tough on you guys since your mom passed.
It's all right. It's okay.
You're supposed to feel this way, you know.
Your grandma thinks that you need a hobby.
Something you can put your heart in, you know.
Not this here.
- What kind of hobby? - Well, son, she said that you'd figure it out.
You know, she's a smart woman.
Why I snatched her up.
- She told you to come out here, didn't she? - No.
Shut up. Come on.
Okay, she did.
Coming! Hang on a sec.
- Hi. - Hi.
I'm going to go check on some of those other small towns.
You are?
No one will care that Norway's been closed. Those kids will be better off.
You don't really understand all that much about small town America, do you?
- I'm from Des Moines. - Yeah.
You had supper yet?
I told you they were good.
I could eat like three of these things in high school.
- So, where did you go to school? - University of lowa Law.
- Where'd you go to school? - Luther College.
It's in Decorah. Division Three school.
- So, you didn't grow up here. - No.
What is the big deal with the high school baseball team? I don't get it.
Well, here's the thing you have to understand about Norway.
It's like being with the New York Yankees.
I mean, they have a tradition here that's about more than just winning.
It's about playing the game right.
I guess I just want some of that to rub off on me.
Does that make any sense?
This isn't going to work, you know.
- What's not going to work? - You trying to soften me up.
Well, we'll see.
Here we go, here we go, boy. Here we go, Billy.
Atta boy, Billy.
Strike him out, strike him out. Hey, batter, batter, swing!
Hey, batter, batter, batter, batter!
Hey, batter, swing!
- That's weak. - Norway game?
Yeah, a little game called fast rubber.
- Yeah? Who's next? - You can go.
- Yeah? - You want to play?
- You don't mind? - No. Sure, sure.
Go right in? You want it?
I got the ball. I'm pitching.
Look out, here he goes.
A little rust.
- Get him, Patrick. - All right.
Give me the ball, give me the ball.
All right, here we go. Too fast for you, too fast?
- You get two more. - Here we go, here we go, boy.
One more. Let's go. He held on to it.
Hey, whip some more... I got to feel it.
- You swing like a girl. - One more.
- Come here. - Yeah? Not as easy as it looks.
There you go.
- Good luck. - Go ahead, fight dirty.
Come on. Throw it right here.
Come on, Patrick.
That's chickenshit! Come on, city boy!
- Ball slipped. What? What's the problem? - You're the problem!
Don't even bother coming out for the team!
- Oh, yeah? - Yeah!
- Why not? - That big-city crap
- doesn't cut it around here! - No?
You'd get cut first day!
Get off of me! Yeah, go back to Chicago!
Hey, man, why don't you just go get in your Jag and leave?
Come on, have a cigarette and loosen up.
Come on, let's go. Let's play. Who's up?
Kevin's up.
- Sir, it'd be the opportunity of a lifetime. - You got that right.
- Yeah. - We'll let you know.
Okay, thanks.
- Volleyball, huh? - Girls' volleyball, actually.
Perfect.
- See you. Hi. - Hi.
- Hi.
You're...
Cindy.
- Cindy. Hi. - Hi.
So, I heard you and my brother had some run-ins.
- Who's your brother? - Patrick.
Patrick's your brother?
Four more years, you'll have one of these of your own, all right?
Yeah.
He's on the baseball team, right?
If you're a Norway baseball player, you're a hometown hero.
- All right, see you. - Yeah, I'm Mitch.
Yeah, I know.
- Give me a high five. - Hey, guys.
- Hey. - How's it going? We going to DQ?
I don't know. You bringing him?
Whatever happens, you guys are staying in school.
I could get a part-time job.
It's just not right that they're letting you go.
Hey, Coach.
I'm Mitch. I'm in your industrial arts class at school.
Yeah, I remember.
I was just wondering if, maybe, if we could talk in private.
Sure. This is my wife Sheryl.
Hi. I'm Mitch Akers.
- These are my kids, Chad. - Hey.
- How do you do? - I'm Mitch, how are you?
- Jean Marie. - Hi.
- Nice to meet you.
Come on inside.
What's on your mind?
I want to apologize
for my...
My grandma says I need a hobby.
I had this kid once,
I asked him to lay down a bunt. A runner on second, nobody out.
We're down one to Cedar Rapids, big 4A school, top of the seventh.
We get our runner to third, clean-up hitter's on deck,
chances are we tie the game.
Dude should totally bunt.
He didn't. He swung away.
- And you lost. - Nope.
"Dude" hit a two-run homer and we won.
And I benched him the next game.
Well, he pissed and moaned for a while, but he got the message.
Damn good player, your father.
Good attitude, too, eventually.
I want to go out for your baseball team.
I'm a pretty good catcher.
I'm not coaching at Norway anymore.
You'll have to talk to whoever the new coach is.
Well,
nice meeting you, ma'am.
- I'll see you. Thanks, Coach. - Yeah.
It's okay to miss it.
Be a whole lot easier if that field was
a thousand miles away.
Well, Mr. Makepeace, that just about wraps up my work here in Norway.
Well, you did a heck of a job for us, Miss Hudson.
- Thank you very much. - Thank you.
And don't worry, we're taking steps to deal with the nay-sayers.
Sir, that's really none of my business.
We're going to hire a coach who's going to take the team down with him.
Fall flat on his ass.
Mr. Makepeace, there's a Ken Stock here to see you
for an appointment regarding the baseball head coach position.
- Well, I'll be going. - No, no, no, hang around.
This is going to be fun. Send him in.
- Am I interrupting something? - Not at all, Ken.
It's actually Kent, like Clark.
Well, Kent, congratulations, we're giving you the coaching job.
Great.
I better get going. Thank you.
We've decided our boys from Norway deserve one final season.
You know, to go out in style.
- You're just the man to lead them. - I hope so.
- Sit down, sit down. - Yeah.
It's pretty old.
It's twice your age, son.
Coach Bernie Hutchinson gave it to me when he moved on.
Read the name scratched on the end there.
Trosky.
This is the bat that hit the ball that hopped the train
all the way to Chicago?
Hal gave it to Bernie, Bernie gave it to me
and now I'm giving it to you.
Coach, I can't accept that.
No. You got to.
Part of the tradition handed down by the gods of baseball.
You wouldn't want to piss them off, would you?
No, sir. No, I wouldn't.
Well, you take those kids all the way, Coach.
Yeah.
There it is. That's him.
He played all right.
He made the last out in the championship game.
- Great. - Never won the big one.
We're screwed.
- What you got that thing set on? - Vida Blue.
- Where'd you learn to hit like that? - My dad.
What school you say you go to?
- Norway. - Excellent.
I'm Kent Stock.
Hi. Mitch Akers.
Hi.
- Hey, Chip. - Hey, Coach.
I was going to tell you about that.
Look, we're missing a bunch of guys. I was going to tell you about that, too.
Well, we'll play with what we have. We're few but we're not bad.
- Right. - How the hell would you know?
Somebody say something?
Go on, speak up.
Some of the guys think you don't know what you're doing, Coach.
- You included, Patrick? - Coach Van Scoyoc would've gone pro
if the army hadn't drafted him.
Okay. I get it.
Kevin, you're our number-one pitcher, right?
I get three pitches. I hit one out,
you shut up about me and start focusing on yourselves.
There's no way you hit one out.
Do we have a deal?
- Yeah, deal but... - Let's do it.
Owen, give me a bat.
- All right, Kevin. - Shut him down.
All right, he's meat, Kevin. Bring it!
- Here we go, Kevin. - Give him something hard.
Give me the heat, let's go. I'm not kidding.
All right, Kevin, no puss. Bring it. I mean it.
You only get two more.
Come on, Kevin.
Come on.
No.
Okay, Kevin, bring it in.
Come on, guys.
Lose the volleyballs.
- Told you it was a bad idea. - Whatever.
Chip! Outfield! The rest of you guys will take some infield.
- Sammy, shag for me. - Infield, boys. Infield!
Coach.
- Owen, Fungoe, come on, buddy! - You want me to catch?
- No, Steve's got it. - Don't I get a shot?
What we need is outfielders now, all right? Go ahead and take center.
- Way to go, Coach. - Thank you.
Mitch, remember I need your bat in the lineup, so don't hang your head.
Let's go. Sammy, shagging balls, atta boy.
Yes, sir, Coach.
Let's go, let's get one.
All I'm saying is a T-ball player has a better chance
of hitting a Nolan Ryan fastball than our boys have of going to state.
Jim says that Stock kid's bright as a Musco.
I say what we need is a coach, not a big light.
Never going to be the way it used to be around here.
- Hey, Patrick! - Hey.
- Have a seat. - All right, then.
- It won't take long. - Okay.
Just want you to know that nobody expects you guys to win anything this year.
Not with Tyler and Jim gone, and half the boys not coming out.
- So don't sweat it. - Okay. Great.
Thanks, Scotty.
Patrick...
Well, am I wrong? Things change.
Well, I'm surprised at a lot of people in this town.
We have so little faith in these boys who have meant so much to us.
Well, you think it'd help if we all said a prayer for them at church?
A good prayer is fine, but there's got to be a little action with it.
You know, it wouldn't hurt if you started coming back to practices.
Let's go, Eddie, bring it home!
Get there, come on!
Keep it down! Get those throws down, come on, fellows!
Come on, Spitz! Know where you're going with it!
Sammy, back him up! Come on!
That's you, that's you! Get there!
Let's go, bring it in!
What is going on?
I mean, what's with you guys?
Stands used to be filled when we practiced.
Yeah, now all we got is that stalker guy.
It's okay, I'm married!
He's a reporter for the Des Moines paper.
And he's bald, that's why he wears his little hat.
All right. Thinks we're going to fall flat on our asses.
Butts. Sorry, Coach.
- Even Coach Van Scoyoc thinks that. - No, he doesn't.
Yeah, shut up, Sam.
Coach Van Scoyoc took one for the team so we could all play one final season.
All right, listen up.
We decide what happens out here, all right? Not the papers, not the people in town.
I don't want to hear one more word about Madison and the merger.
We're going to play Norway baseball.
Van Scoyoc baseball, Bernie Hutchinson baseball.
We do that, no matter what happens, we go out winners.
You got it?
- You got it? - Yeah.
Well, good! Get out there and let's run it again. Come on!
All right.
- Ciao, Coach. - Thanks.
- See you, Coach. - See you.
- Hey, sorry, Coach. - For what?
- The volleyball thing. - Get out of here.
- See you tomorrow. - Pretty funny.
It's not that funny, but it's pretty funny.
- Here, take that. - Thanks, Coach.
- Looks like they're warming up to you. - Yeah.
First game's Friday. If they play like they practiced, we're dead.
I guess we're going to have to call it.
We can't play in this.
Thanks, guys.
Well, we're back out here tomorrow
against Cedar Rapids Kennedy, so get home and get some sleep.
I'm going to get a beer.
Want to come over and watch the game?
- No, I'll see you tomorrow. - All right.
Good for the corn. Roger Dempsey, Des Moines Register.
Yeah, I've read some of your complimentary articles.
Take it easy, Coach. This is what I do.
Well, what I do is get my players over some of the bad-mouthing
they've been getting from guys like you.
You know, so they can play a little baseball for their high school
before going out into the real world and getting crummy jobs like yours.
We're being honest, huh? Well, let me tell you something,
I have the best job in America. I can't play baseball, so I write about it.
And you may not like it, but it's always honest.
Okay.
We'll pick it up again tomorrow. Because I love this. This is terrific.
But I got to get back to the office now. My crummy job.
I've even got the lead for tomorrow, what do you think?
"Cub Coach Kent Stock Irritates The Voice of Norway."
- Not bad. Keep working on it. - You, too.
Hey there.
- Hi. - Come on in.
Just for a minute.
From the bridge. Free.
Well, that's sweet.
I came out here to tell you that you were right.
Those smaller schools that were absorbed by larger districts?
Their economies were absorbed, too. They're turning into ghost towns.
Well, did you talk to the Norway school board about it?
- Yes. - And?
Mr. Makepeace is not interested in statistics that don't support his position.
- And he pretty much controls the board. - Yeah.
- I'm sorry. - No...
- Listen, you want to come in and sit down? - I should go.
But good luck tomorrow.
- With what? - The game. Cedar Rapids Kennedy.
You know about that? How'd you know about that?
Baseball's not just for boys.
Hey, wait! Can I get your number?
I wrote it on the bag.
- Hello? - Coach Hinkleman? It's Kent Stock here.
- Hi, Kent. - It's really pouring.
We got clear skies here. Our field's ready to go.
Well, it was supposed to be a home game but...
You don't want to call your first two games right out of the chute, do you, kid?
No.
I didn't think so. Why don't you load up and come on over?