Tools Of The Trade

Javier has the right sound, but he can’t quite get the motion down.

“Brrrrrrrrrr,” he growls trying to simulate a chainsaw. “Brrrrrrrrrr…”

The guys gathered around Juan Carlos’s coffee cart are locked in puzzled stares.

“What the heck are you doing?” someone finally asks.

“It’s a make-believe chainsaw,” Javier says extending his empty hands. “I’m pretending to cut down trees the same way the guys were cuttin’ down hitters last night. Joba and Kennedy and Traber and Hawkins and, of course, Mariano was brilliant as usual.”

“They all pitched well,” someone says. “It was a lot more impressive than your little chainsaw impression.”

Everyone laughs, but Javier keeps going.

“It was beautiful,” Javier says. “They were cuttin’ down the hitters and stackin’ up the outs like firewood.

“And they’re just gettin’ started,” Javier continues. “The kids have all the talent in the world and this pitching staff has the tools to keep it going all year.

“Brrrrrrrrrr…”