“Of course, of course.” The GM tapped the pen on his desk. “Now, we want nothing more than to keep you on the roster. You’re a good player, and you still draw folks in.”
Tucker’s head bobbed in automatic agreement. He still wasn’t hearing any of the worrisome words he’d come in expecting, and it made him more nervous by the moment. “Thank you.”
“But let’s be honest, you’re not as young as you used to be. And you’ve had a major surgery.”
“One I’ve recovered from,” Tucker pointed out.
“Yes, you’ve done well. Chuck and I had a discussion about this new upswing you seem to be on with the quality of your pitching. It’s very impressive.”
“Thank you.”
“But we’re worried it’s a fluke.”
“A fluke, sir?” Tucker had to wonder what Darren’s grasp of baseball was if he believed 95-mph fastballs could be fluked into. But, as he considered it, he also reminded himself he had the same worries. Maybe it really was his one last hurrah before being herded off to the old bullpen of retirement.
“Your performance was slow to start in the season, I think you know that. You looked uneasy, and it showed in your pitching.”
“Just shaking off the cobwebs.”
“I had a discussion with Ms. Kasper about you,” Darren said, and Tucker froze.
“You talked to Emmy about me?” He wasn’t sure why this made him so uneasy. Of course Emmy would communicate with the GM about him, it was part of her job. He knew all about the daily reports the trainer was required to fill out, detailing the progress of injured players. But the way Darren said it made Tucker think there was more to the discussion than paperwork.
“She’s been working closely with you, I understand.”
“That’s her job.”
The GM made a low hmm noise, but didn’t disagree. “I mentioned to her I’d seen quite an improvement in your performance under her guidance. I did not mention to her, however, how unusual it is for an athletic trainer to be directly responsible for a change in performance. She seems to have taken a…special interest in you.”
“She saw an opportunity to help me correct something and she took it. She did the same for Miles. She’s very good at her job.”
“I never claimed otherwise.”
“Sir, I don’t mean to seem impatient, but did you call me up here to discuss whether or not Emmy—Ms. Kasper—is doing her job better than she ought to?”
“No, this meeting isn’t about Ms. Kasper at all. It’s about the fact it took the intervention of an unproven athletic trainer to restore you to your previous skill level. There’s a bit of concern that this is something you should have been able to do yourself. There’s also concern you won’t be able to maintain the performance level you’re currently at.”
“I don’t think that’s a necessary concern,” Tucker said, his tone becoming cool and defensive.
Self-doubt was one thing, and it was perfectly normal. Having the upper management of the club you worked for doubting you openly? That was a tougher weight to bear.
“You’re saying we shouldn’t worry?”
“That’s right.”
“You’re reasonably sure you’ll be able to keep this up?”
Tucker wiped his damp palms on his jeans. “I’ve worked hard. It took time, but now I’m back, and I think there are people who would say I’m pitching better now than I was before the surgery.”
“I read the sports pages too, Mr. Lloyd.”
“Then you shouldn’t have any reason to doubt me.”
“My job is to doubt everything. It makes positive turns into pleasant surprises. Tucker, the reason I brought you in here isn’t to deliver any bad news.” He leaned back in his chair, leaving the pen sitting on the desk. “I know you must have thought the worst when I asked you to come up tonight.”
“Naturally.”
“But I don’t want you to think you’re living in the land of wine and roses either.” The GM wove his fingers together and propped his hands over his belly. “Every decision I make is a business decision, and the time has come for us to look at what’s next for you. After fourteen years, perhaps it may soon be time for…change.”
Ah, and there it was. The other shoe waiting to drop. Tucker didn’t reply, just let Darren finish his speech.
“We’re going to watch you for the remainder of the season. See how consistent you are, see what your wins look like. Put off making any decisions about your place in the club until the postseason. I don’t want you to think of this as an ultimatum. Think of it instead as an opportunity to prove to us you’re as good as you believe you are.”