𝐂 𝐎 𝐋 𝐋 𝐈 𝐃 𝐄

𝐒𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐀

quick note: this book from here on is set in 2021. <3

"aye, you got any idea who that is?"

i looked to my right at the girl tyler had been firmly observing for the past week or so. it was sophia. i'd seen her briefly around the minors on my last rehab assignment. she was a sweet girl, very strong-willed and extremely talented. she was a young woman that stuck her foot in the door, mind you into one of the biggest sports franchises in the world, and was making her dreams come true.

i talked to her once. she likes sunsets, billy joel, and the snow. not to mention her dogs. pooch, balou, and summer. 

& the horse too. she somehow has a horse while living in new york city as well.

she was a nice girl. and even though tyler was my best friend, i wasn't gonna share too many details about her. the last thing she needs is tyler wade trying to kiss her and getting her fired.

"oh, i don't know." i shrugged, gazing over at the bright girl. it was a rainy september afternoon in new york, and we all looked like we were going to a funeral since the skies were grey and we were dressed in black. but of course, the sunshine the girl radiated was easily noticeable to tyler, "i think her names sophia."

"oh," tyler nodded, "what's her deal?" he pressed.

"i've seen her around a little bit. smart girl." i stated shortly.

"what does she do?" he raised his eyebrows and began to side-eye her.

"works here? i don't know?" i frowned slightly, in his attempt to take jabs at her.

"i'll go ask her." he declared, marching over to the girl who'd been in deep conversation with gardy. she seemed to be close with most of the 'veterans'. right off the bat, she'd already known boone and gardner pretty well.

i watched as brett began to walk away, and she turned to face tyler. he said something to her, and she said a few words back. tyler walked back to me after that.

"new bench coach. mendoza's still not feeling well." he shrugged.

"that answers your question." i replied, picking up my bat as i watched the grounds crew bring the batting cage out.

"yeah." tyler nodded. if we were getting pizza on broadway he would've began arguing with me. but we were at yankee stadium — so like i stated before, he was actually behaving.

sighing, i started to loosen up my arms and get ready to get a light workout session in. it was an off day. the orioles come tomorrow, which isn't anticipated to be a tough series. we still couldn't tell ourselves that though. the season had been packed-full with injuries and it felt like the playoffs were slowly inching further and further away from our grasp. we couldn't let that happen. we haven't not made the playoffs since 2016. my first year in the majors. i didn't ever wanna feel that again.

volυмe : ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇▉ " i don't believe in first impressions but for just this once i hope that looks don't deceive... "

2:40 ───|────── -1:19

sophia hummed quietly as she stared at all the players on the field from the dugout. she wasn't feeling so intimidated by everyone anymore like she was a week ago. breaking into this scene definitely wasn't where she would've seen herself two years ago, especially not this soon.

if it were up to her, she'd be a veterinarian. or a zoologist. maybe even an explorer. something smart and that she loved. not that being the yankee's bench coach was stupid, because for who she was it was not. it just didn't quite feel like herself. she'd done a lot of soul searching the past two years of her life. and just when she thought she figured it out she was sat down in brian cashman's office being offered a job with a yankees minor league associate that included a fat load of money.