Page 1 of Love in the Outfield

1

CADE

As I enter the locker room, Miguel Rios, our star catcher, looks up from tying his cleats. “Any news?” He’s already suited up for tonight’s game in the black and gold Sea Lions uniform. The clubhouse has cleared out with most of the team warming up on the field.

“Not yet,” I say.

His brow furrows. “The waiting is brutal, man.”

I nod. “Harder than I expected.”

Alejandro Mendoza, our centerfielder and the guy I’m closest to on the team, pipes in, “At least tomorrow is the trade deadline. Should hear something soon.”

“Good chance I’ll be moving on, Mendoza. Will ya miss me?”

Alejandro grins. “Si, si! You know it, bro. Who am I gonna whine to about the bad calls?”

“You have a whole team to commiserate with. Speaking of, the umpire in yesterday’s game couldn’t make up his mind on his strike zone. The other team got all the breaks. A ball for their batters was a strike for ours.”

“Si, mi amigo, nobody complains better than you.”

I laugh. “Thanks. Glad I contributed something to the team.”

“You de man,” he jokes. “But seriously, I hope the rumors aren’t true. I hate to see you go.”

I blow out a breath. “Yeah, me too. I’ve grown quite fond of SoCal. What am I supposed to do without your wife’s homemade tamales? I’ll be craving them like crazy. Just thinking about it depresses me.”

“For some reason, Elena has a soft spot for you. She loves to feed you.”

“She feels sorry for me.”

“Why wouldn’t she? The only home-cooked meals you eat are hers.”

I grin sheepishly. “I hate to cook.”

“My wife thinks that anyone single needs rescued.” A huge smile splits Alejandro’s handsome face. “She wants everyone to experience the same marital bliss that we have.”

I raise an eyebrow smirking. “Oh really? Hopefully, she never wakes up from that dream.”

He snorts. “Jealousy is not a good look, bro.”

“I’m perfectly content being single.”

“What, you don’t want to join the club?”

“Only if I can marry your wife,” I joke.

“Hey, we’ve tried fixing you up multiple times. Mi Dios, Gabriella for example, era perfecta! I guess you like the single life too damn much.”

“You’re just now figuring that out?”

He laughs. “I’m slow. But seriously, fingers crossed you aren’t going anywhere. I’ll be glad when this trade deadline is in the rearview,” Alejandro says.

There’s been tension in the San Diego clubhouse as rumors swirl about who is getting traded where. My name has been tossed around quite a bit. The last media report had me picked up by either Washinton or the Kentucky Cutters. It’s hard to tune out the noise and play my best while my prospects are stillbeing determined. I keep reminding myself that it’s part and parcel of any MLB player and out of my control.

If the Cutters pick me up, I’ll return to my hometown. At least my family will be thrilled. I’ve got mixed feelings about it because of the way I left things when I got called up to the major leagues. When the San Diego Sea Lions picked me up two years ago, I had one week to find a place to live, move my shit here and settle in. I was immediately placed in the middle of the batting lineup… absolutely no adjustment time. As strong playoff contenders, the Lions needed my hitting abilities and power to help their momentum going forward.

It had been a dream come true… except for the part where I had to leave the love of my life behind in Kentucky. That tore me up. It wasn’t like we weren’t expecting it. She and I had talked about it. I mean I had worked my entire life for an opportunity to play ball in the major leagues. I hadn’t intended to meet and fall in love at twenty-four. I was career-focused. I wasn’t supposed to meet the girl of my dreams just yet.

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