The High Price Of Hard Living

"I keep having these daydreams about coming back. If they let me come back in June or July, I can picture winning Comeback Player of the Year and going to a dinner to get the award and giving a speech. I go over that speech all the time."

The rain has let up and the faintest bit of sunshine appears. He has to be on his way now. He has an appointment with his counselor this afternoon and an AA meeting in the evening.

Before he goes, he is asked about being paired in infamy with Strawberry. The two of them started out as stars and were going to be the dominant players of their era, sure as sunrise. Now here they are, on the outside looking in. with messy lives to clean up and careers as uncertain as they were once assured. Doc and Straw. Teammates once again.

"It's sad," he says. "The stories are kind of similar. Except Darryl was more vocal and I wasn't. Maybe if I was more vocal and if he wasn't, maybe it would have turned out better for both of us. Maybe."