Take Me Out to the Ballgame

I almost got involved in a soap opera at this evening's game between the Bradenton Marauders and the Palm Beach Cardinals.  It was Cancer Awareness Night and pink Marauders jerseys were up for auction.  I was bidding on Willy Garcia's jersey for Debbie L., his future mother-in-law, who lives in Beardstown, IL.  I had placed in a bid of $200 for her and, as the bidding was about to close, I went to check on her bid.  A friend of mine, Mike S., put up a $230 bid, so I upped the bid to $240.  A mutual friend, Keith, asked me what I was doing and I said I was bidding for Garcia’s future mother-in-law.  Keith got really incensed, telling me Garcia was not engaged to anyone—that he had a girlfriend he is living with here in Bradenton.

He then went over and told Mike what I had said.  Apparently the “girlfriend” was hovering near him and heard what Keith told Mike.  Perhaps she was in the group with Mike, Keith and their wives—I don’t know.  Anyway, Keith comes over to me, a bit pissed off telling me the “girlfriend” was in tears and that there was no one else in the picture.  He told me I had to come over and let her tell me the situation, to which I replied I was not going to get into Garcia’s domestic affairs and to please don’t kill the messenger.  I then called Debbie to tell her she had the winning bid.

A little bit later, I called Debbie and asked her what her daughter’s name was (Robin) and was she down here, living with Garcia.  She said no, that Robin lives in Pennsylvania.  She asked why I was inquiring and I told her there apparently is a situation down here involving Willy and another girl.  She asked me if the girl has long dark hair and is a bit on the chunky side, which I confirmed.  She told me the girl’s name is Heather and that she is a “cleat-chaser”.  Apparently Debbie and Robin had a confrontation with Heather when they were down here in June (when I first met Debbie).  In the meantime I could see Heather sitting, rather stoically, over near the Marauders dugout, apparently stunned over the entire episode.  Garcia hit a double and all Heather could do was sit there with her arms crossed and had no reaction whatsoever.

While I didn’t feel I owed Keith an explanation, I told another mutual friend, Pat, that if he wanted to relay the truth to Keith, he could feel free to do so.  He did and reported back to me that Keith was a bit taken aback by the situation.  No doubt Willy is in deep doo-doo this evening.  If so, that’s his problem.  One might say he made his own bed and now has to sleep in it (if not on the couch).