The Batboy

As a senior producer, Liz can create her own schedule, so she arranges her workday around Brian’s batboy dates. Whenever she drops him off or picks him up at Comerica Park, Liz does not leave her car because she doesn’t want to get too “close” to Comerica. Liz has memories of Cole eagerly awaiting spring training in Florida or Arizona every year after Christmas, and she is left with the knowledge that Cole couldn’t wait to trade his “real” home for his baseball home.

Brian works with another batboy named Finn Simpkins, who lives nearby. Finn believes that batboys should remain as unobtrusive as possible, but on his and Brian’s first official day as batboys, even he cannot repress his excitement over Hank Bishop, who looks hefty and “tired.” Finn and Brian discuss Hank’s steroid use and its benefits, with Brian claiming that steroids have inflated everyone’s statistics and “screwed up” baseball’s record books. The two batboys dutifully ensure that there are plenty of sunflower seeds, gum, and other supplies for the players. They want to continue to be batboys for the Tigers and do not want to switch to the side of the visiting team, which Finn labels “Siberia.