Diamonds

5

Chapter 5

Joe and I walked into the clubhouse together and all the boys looked at me. They studied my every move. My eyes scanned the room and everyone's face while they scanned me. It was an awkward silence until Joe cleared his throat and all the attention was drawn towards him. 

"It's my honor, to announce to you boys our new General Manager, Brett Sandberg. I don't want to take away from her speech, but I'd like to give you men a few words! Brett, is easily my favorite person in this room! And I'm not just saying this because she's my new boss, but I've known Brett for a while and it was my pleasure to be able to watch her grow up. She's not like Jed. She's not going to stand around and clap for us even though we blew a 15-0 lead in the 9th to an 0-10 team! That's not going to happen and I can promise you men that! I can promise you that things will change for the better! I can also promise those men who are here to win a ring, that these next years, will be your best chances to accomplish that dream! Now, I'll shut up and give Brett the floor!" He sighed and I smiled as I walked over to be in front of the group of men. 

"I know that this is probably a little strange! A girl, younger than everyone in this room, is now in charge of you and your career. I promise you now that when I do start to make moves and changes and when I start trying to mix things up, I don't have anyone's careers in mind. I don't want the money, I don't want the fame behind this! I want to turn my father's old team into something meaningful! My father's number flies over this field. Every time you step out there and see that flag with 23 on it, that's my father's footstep imprinted in this organization! I'm here to make sure each and everyone of you can leave a footprint like that! By the end of my career here with the Cubs or your career, I want us both to have at least one ring! Let's stop fearing other teams, and start having them fear us. This goat superstition, it's nonsense because we all have a goat among us. You're all goats. For you old children like Joe over here, goat means the greatest of all time. You all have the potential to be the greatest of all time! I'll save the rest of my speech for a later time when it's more relevant, but for now, I'll end it with practice starts at 2, be out there at 1:30 to warm up and stretch. Practice ends at 4, be out there until 4:15 to cool down!" I sighed and everyone clapped. "Joe, men, I'll see you on the field!" I smiled, shaking Joe's hand before walking out of the clubhouse and up to my office.