[TribeFanInNC]

Jan 2, 2000

So I’m in my shanty on Altermatt Lake, fishin’ for some walleye when my cell rings. Since I haven’t gotten a bite in an hour, I figured I’d answer. It was some bigwig from Cleveland rustling up players for a new league called the Great Lakes Baseball Association. He said he saw me back in college and thought I might be able to help the club in its first year.

I looked at my fishing hole, bobber lying quiet as a mouse on the water’s surface. I remembered my catch from yesterday – nothing. In fact, I thought back to a half seasons worth of fish. A couple pike after Thanksgiving, the trip up to Lake Superior where my brother and I found a school of perch, another big pike last week. 50 trips or so to various lakes around Minnesota and only a handful of fish to show for it. Most of a winter pretty much got me a couple meals and an extra 10 pounds of beer gut.

I ask this Mack Boudreau character how much he’d give me to play. He says probably around $100,000 if I make the squad but we’ll talk more after he sees me on the field.

I looked at my bobber again and said hell, I’ll give it shot. He told me outfielders should show up March 1^st and hung up. I crack open another cold one and smile – I got two more months of fishing left.