“You need to be seen doing good in the community. You noticed Mom and I attended a mother-daughter event for literacy. I know you have a big heart. Find some things to do, donate some money, be seen being a stand-up guy. The little things will begin to define you in the public eye,” she explained.
“I don’t necessarily want to be seen giving money. I’m afraid people will start lining up with their hands out,” I said.
“Think about it for a moment. Do you honestly believe that people don’t know you have money?”
I thought about it and realized I was fooling myself. I would assume I had money; so would everyone else.
“How do I go about doing this? I’m not from here,” I admitted.
“Caryn is. She’s your manager, so use her. She can call Frank or talk to my mom. I’m sure there’s something you can do this weekend.”
She was right. Our family did do things for the community. It all stemmed from my grandpa and his political career. I recognized that if I someday wanted to follow in his footsteps, it would be much easier if people already knew and liked me. Not that this was all about making myself look good, it really was about helping others. It supported my life goal of
“I want for you to get serious,” Halle said with a frown. “The fight needs to be a wake-up call. There are people who target folks like you and my mom. She’s had to learn the hard way what can happen. That’s why her security people wear bodycams, and all her cars have video cameras. That kid targeted you; so will others. You have to be careful with people you meet, because of what they may want from you,
I just nodded. My uncle had given me a similar talk, but now that I was here in LA, it made much more sense. If anything, the hell Pam’s dad Cal had put me through in the name of money and ‘taking me down a peg’ should already have made me a believer. I was glad Halle was a good-enough friend to sit me down and make sure I was aware of what was going on.
◊◊◊
Chapter 22 – You Gave Your Word Friday December 18
Fritz had insisted that we be in a more controlled environment than the baseball field at USC, so I found myself working with Coach Revilla at the baseball training facility. Coach had me work on different hitting drills that didn’t involve a pitching machine or pitcher. He wanted me to learn the exercises I could use when I returned home.
What I liked about my coach was he didn’t get excited like many of my football coaches did. He patiently explained what he wanted and made corrections as needed, but there wasn’t the yelling to get his point across. That didn’t mean that you didn’t hustle. I think he was used to working with professionals, and he didn’t need anything extra to motivate his students.
When we were done, Coach Revilla wanted to talk to me.
“When I took this job, I thought I was going to be working with some actor to try to make him look like he could hit a ball. I’ll be honest: I did it so I could visit my son and his family in LA. I want to ask you something: are you serious about baseball? The reason I ask is that if you plan to play football or act, I don’t want to waste your time or mine. If you’re serious, I’d like to help you.”
Before answering, I had to stop and think for a moment.
“I know what I want to say: I want to play baseball. I’ve always loved the game, and like so many kids, I dreamed of playing in the big leagues. Here’s my problem: right now, it looks like I might end up being very good at playing football. If I stay healthy, which is a big if, and if I go to the right college and we have success, I can write my own ticket.
“As far as movies go, I have no idea how successful I’ll be. I have some things in the works that might set me up for life, and I need to take that seriously. If those go the way I hope, I’d want to pursue them. But both baseball and football have so many unknowns. I could get hurt near the end of college and wind up having spent the next several years pursuing a fantasy and then watch it all go up in smoke.
“But if I had an equal shot at all three? I’d pick baseball. If you could help me get there, I wouldn’t disappoint you; I’d work my butt off to make it happen. But I just can’t promise you that I’ll end up playing baseball. I wouldn’t lie to you, sir,” I said.
“Okay. I understand, and I appreciate you telling me like it is. It’s refreshing to have someone not just tell me what they think I want to hear. I brought Lucas in when I saw you gun down Kris at Dodger Stadium. You have the tools to become a Major League Baseball player, but you need to play against superior competition and get the right coaching.
