WILL FAME AND LOVE RETURN

PART 2

THE LONG ROAD BACK

Denver, Colorado

Monday April 9, 2007

The defending major league baseball champions were starting the 2007 season on the road in the Rocky Mountain High city of Denver, Colorado to play the Denver Explorers who were said to be the dirtiest, nastiest playing team in major league baseball and were known for their rough play tactics, especially the dirtiest double play combo, the twin brothers 2nd baseman Derrick Schue and his brother shortstop Victor 

Schue.

Rick Randolph had always looked forward to the opening day of the baseball season and this season opener was no different, as was the previous 9 years, either with the Philadelphia Diamonds or the Baltimore Clippers, his teams were always the contending favorite to win the Easten Division Title in the American Conference League and the National Conference League and this season was no different.

Being the most elite player in baseball, having won the batting title 6 times and being selected the “Player Of The Year” 4 times, having finished a very close 2nd in the balloting the previous season to 1st baseman Joe Lock,  Rick Randolph was the overwhelming consensus favorite to win both this season and continue to post league leading statistics in almost every batting category. 

Starting the season on the road, it was a cool and cloudy day in Denver for the season opener and after the pre game ceremonies were over the home plate umpire hollered play ball and the 2007 baseball season was underway.

Typically, Rick Randolph was as usually the case the lead off hitter, facing Denver’s best pitcher Mitchell Bailey. Taking four straight pitches that were all outside the strike zone. Rick took a walk to 1st base, with right fielder Rollin Daniel making his way to the plate, coming to bat next. Wasting no time to get get a rally going, Rick was taking a sizable lead of 1st base, with right fielder Rollin Daniel digging in, waiting for Mitchell Bailey to get set to pitch to him, throwing a strike to the catcher Bryan Custis,

Rick took off for 2nd base, with the throw by Bryan Custis, the ball and Rick both reached 2nd base at the same time, With the Schue twins both converging toward 2nd base, Derrick Schue caught the ball and trying to make the tag on Rick who was doing a feet first slide. Unfortunately Derrick Schue’s cletes made contact with Rick’s head and face, then with Victor Schue charging in, stepped on Rick’s right shoulder.

Rick Randolph was laying in a heap on the ground, having been knocked out with a concussion, his face a bloody mess from the cletes not to mention the broken cheek bones and also suffering from a separated right shoulder.

Manager Edmond Hawthorne came out of the visitors dugout along with Clippers team trainer Rolf Gertmaine and they made their way toward 2nd base were Rick was lying on the ground. Having been knocked out and a rbloody mess, Rolf Germaine gave Rick smelling salts in order for him to come to, awaken and open his eyes. Being groggy, Rick needed to be helped up by the manager and the trainer. The Shue brothers were standing off to the side watching Edmond Hawthorne and Rolf Germaine helping Rick to stand up and then walk off the field, hiding their gloves over their mouths muffling their giggling and laughing like they thought that the scene that they had caused wasa funny joke.

Rick Randolph was taken to the visitors clubhouse where Rolf Germaine called 911 for EMT medics to rake him to the local hospital for treatment.

The beginning of the season had gotten off to a crashing start for Rick, who could forget about continuing on the record pace that he had been on. It was going to be a long spring and summer recuperating for Rick and the affects from his concussion was going to linger for a long while, hindering his comeback from his injuries.