Is Billy About to Lose the Ball?

He stood there on the mound haplessly kicking the ground rolling the ball around in his barely used glove. He looked around for his eight team mates but there were none to be found. Not even a catcher they had all abandoned him.

Stu stood at the plate his teeth clinched his eyes squinting the bat raised determined to knock one out of the park.

The Trop was empty save for a lone person sitting behind home plate. Bud Selig sneered as Billy looked into the batter.

In the opposing dugout were those nasty Hillsborough County Commissioners and Mayor Buckhorn jeering and threatening to take away his ball.

In the home dugout the Pinellas County Commissioners were hooting and hollering wanting their turn on the mound.

What to do? What to do?

The water front stadium had sunk. The secret plan had not materialized, the threats to potential pitchers have lost their credibility. The empty threats, lack of leadership, unwillingness to compromise and failure to act had finally come home to roost.

Besides all of that Stu didn't seem to like him.

If Billy threw the pitch, all Stu had to do was let it go by, the ball would roll hopelessly to the wall and Stu would run the bases scoring a run and winning the game.

Billy looked dejectedly at the ground. Suddenly a huge figure of a man strode slowly from the home bull pen and put his arm around Billy. Newt, perhaps the most compassionate of the team members, helped Billy off the field.

Immediately both dugouts erupted as each Commission dashed to the mound. An epic struggle ensued to see who would pitch next. Yelling, screaming, sign waving (they are all politicians).

Almost unnoticed was a small gathering at home plate. Stu, Bud and Bob. Bob had what appeared to be some plans. Everyone was smiling.

Baseball is good for the Tampa Bay region. We need to keep it here. The best way to keep it here is to work together. After all it is a team sport.

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