Bull Durham

The General Manager studies the field. Hopeless.

He looks up at the sky. Cloudless, sunny.

KINSTON G.M.

(to his assistant)

Call the radio and the paper.

(with disgust)

The game's been rained out.

Organ music -- "The Blue Danube Waltz".

CUT TO:

INT. THE KINGSTON CIVIC ARENA -- DAY

"HOLIDAY ON ICE" in its matinee performance. The beautiful,

leggy women skating to the "Blue Danube Waltz".

TEN OF THE DURHAM BULLS sit in the front row. Nuke, Deke,

Tommy, others, but not Crash. 'Tony waves to a skater.

THE SKATER WAVES BACK as she swirls past the Bulls.

CUT TO:

INT. THE KINGSTON HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT

DEKE ICES THE CHAMPAGNE -- In the b.g. Tommy is blow drying

his hair. Mickey puts the finishing touches on his outfit.

Several other players get ready to party.

DEKE

Par--ty! I blew a whole day's

meal money for this champagne seven

dollars, man, it better be good.

MICKEY

For seven bucks it better be some

serious shit.

TOMMY

What time is it, eh? When are

they coming?

The guys lounge around nervously, trying to be casual.

CUT TO:

INT. KINGSTON HOTEL COFFEE SHOP -- NIGHT

CLOSE ON A STEAK DINNER set down in front of Crash.

Nuke hands Crash a hundred dollar bill.

NUKE

This is from Tony for the rainout.

C'mon, man, let's go to the party.

CRASH

Naw...

NUKE

"Naw"? There's ice skaters coming!

You ever made love to an ice

skater?

CRASH

By the dozen. Holiday on Ice,

Ice Capades, Ice Follies--

(beat)

I'm through with one night stands.

NUKE

You're through with one night

stands?! What do you want?

CRASH

I just wanta play everyday despite

small nagging injuries--and go

home to a woman who appreciates

how full of crap I truly am.

Nuke just stares at him.

NUKE

You're weird, man--I want a ice

skater real bad.

CRASH

Go for it.

NUKE

If I get laid, you won't tell

Annie?

CRASH

I won't have to.

NUKE LOOKS AT HIM STRANGELY -- And hurries to the party.

CUT TO:

INT. THE PARTY ROOM -- NIGHT

THE GUYS ARE GROOMING TO EXCESS -- Still blow drying and

preening for each other.

A knock at the door.

THEY QUICKLY GET "CASUAL" and lounge seductively.

DEKE

It's them, it's them! Be casual.

(calling out)

Come in!

THE DOOR OPENS -- It's Nuke.

NUKE

Hey, guys, pa--rty!

TOMMY

Shut up and be cool, man. Like

Mickey there...

MICKEY "LOUNGES" WITH A DRINK and a cigaret.

MICKEY

You wanta make it to the Show,

Rock, you gotta learn how to

"lounge".

NUKE LEANS ON THE BAR with an elbow, striking his version of

a "lounging" pose.

NUKE

How's this?

MICKEY

You got it.

A knock at the door.

TOMMY

Entre.

EIGHT ICE SKATERS STAND IN THE DOORWAY -- Ready to...

ICE SKATER #1

Pa--rty!

POP THE CORK ON THE SEVEN DOLLAR CHAMPAGNE -- And party...

CUT TO:

INT. ANNIE'S HOUSE -- NIGHT

THE WIVES AND SOME GIRLFRIENDS WATCH "DYNASTY" on Annie's

television. Annie hosts, filling their drink glasses, serving

popcorn, and largely staying in the background.

MICKEY'S WIFE

Do you think your husband plays

around on the road trips?

DEKE'S WIFE

No way. Well...God...do we have

to talk about that?

MICKEY'S WIFE

I guess not...it's just that once

I asked Mickey if he was faithful

to me on the road trips and he

said "in his heart he was

faithful".

(beat)

What the hell does that mean?

DEKE'S WIFE

It means he's unfaithful--but

only a man would put it in those

words.

A BABY CRIES -- Tommy's Wife lifts a baby from the couch,

begins rocking It.

CUT TO:

INT. THE PLAYERS' HOTEL -- NIGHT

Players are dancing, drinking, hustling the ice skaters, the

music is up, the party swinging, when:

SKIP ENTERS -- He's steaming and slightly drunk. Larry is

with him.

SKIP

I just got one word to say to

everybody--shut up!

THE PLAYERS AND ICE SKATERS freeze in mid-party.

SKIP (CONT'D)

Nuke-- get everybody in here.

Hundred dollar fine anybody's not

here in five.

NUKE HURRIES OUT THE DOOR

CUT TO:

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY -- CONTINUOUS

NUKE POUNDS ON DOORS in a hurry.

--P.O.V. IN FIRST DOOR -- Jimmy is on his knees at the bed,

bare chested, praying with an open Bible.

NUKE

Get your holy ass in Room 401.

He hustles to the next door, and pounds madly.

--P.O.V. IN SECOND DOOR -- TWO NAKED WOMEN with Jose and

Tony, nearly nude.

NUKE

Hundred dollar fine if you're not

in #401 in five.

JOSE

Hundred dollars?!

JOSE AND TONY LOOK AT THE TWO WOMEN -- It's a lot of money

in Class AAA ball.

TONY

Christ. Sorry ladies...

JOSE AND TONY HURRY OUT in their shorts.

NAKED LADY

Go to hell! You're in last place

anyway!

AND NUKE HURRIES DOWN THE HALL -- Pounding on each door.

CUT TO:

INT. COFFEE SHOP -- CONTINUOUS

CRASH EATING ALONE -- Peacefully. Nuke arrives excitedly.

NUKE

Crash! Skip wants everybody in

#401 for a team meeting. Hundred

buck fine if ya don't show!

CRASH PULLS OUT THE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL and hands it to him.

CRASH

Party without me.

NUKE

God--what a Big League move.

NUKE TAKES THE MONEY and hurries back.

CUT TO:

INT. THE PARTY ROOM CONTINUOUS

24 PLAYERS AND 8 ICE SKATERS -- Some of the players Nuke

rounded up are partially dressed. Skip spots the women.

SKIP

Who are you?

ICE SKATER #1

We're ice skaters. Can we go

now?

SKIP

No. I want you to hear my

philosophy. It'll do you some

good

(beat)

Here It is. This is a simple

game. You throw the ball, you

hit the ball, you catch the ball.

You got that?!

ICE SKATER #1

(frightened)

Yes.

SKIP

Are you lovely creatures aware

that you are about to compromise

yourselves with a buncha bums who

are--

(to Larry)

--what are we?

LARRY

Eight and twenty-four.

SKIP

Eight and twenty-four! How'd we

ever win 8 games?

LARRY

It's a miracle.

SKIP

Look, guys--I'm a man, I got needs

too. I understand this party--

but...

(beat)

sex is the one thing you can get

further behind in and catch up

faster than anything I know.

(beat)

There's a baseball lesson in there

somewhere.

(looking around)

Where's Crash?

NUKE STEPS FORWARD -- Hands Skip the hundred dollar bill..

NUKE

He can't make it. Here's his

fine.

SKIP

Aw Christ, he don't have to come.

He's hitting .350.

TOMMY

Don't you think that's a double

standard--we're here and he ain't?

SKIP

I believe in a double standard

for guys hitting .350.

(beat)

Look, men--you got a choice. You

wanta be roasting your nuts off

for Midas Muffler welding exhaust

pipes up the assholes of

Cadillacs...or--

(beat)

You wanta be sitting in the Caddy

while some other guy's crawling

around in a monkey suit with a

blow torch?

(beat)

There's only two places you can

be in life--in the Caddy or under

it.

(nearly pleading)

These are the best years of your

lives. These are the glamor days.

(beat)

It don't got any better than this.

(threatening, tough)

But...if this club don't start

winning soon, there's gonna be

changes made!

CUT TO:

INT. ANNIE'S HOUSE SIMULTANEOUS -- NIGHT

CLOSE ON TELEVISION -- "DYNASTY" drones on.

DEKE'S WIFE

(wistfully)

Deke was a great player in high

school. I thought held go right

to the Major Leagues--I was gonna

be a Big League wife.

(beat)

Pass the Pampers, please.

CRASH

Helluva guy--

Silence.

Crash flips off the T.V. with the remote.

NUKE

Can I ask you something?

CRASH

What?

NUKE

What would you think of a pitcher

who wore women's panties?

CRASH

If he had a good breaking ball,

I'd respect the shit outta him.

Crash turns off the light.

CLOSE ON NUKE -- A bit of light spill on his face. Eyes

open. A long ways from sleep.

CUT TO:

EXT. A CAROLINA LEAGUE BALLPARK -- NIGHT

CLOSE ON NUKE'S FACE -- He takes his cap off, wipes his brow.

He's pitching. Everything in SLO-MO.

FANS IN THE BALLPARK LAUGH at Nuke, mocking his.

EXTREME CLOSE UP ON NUKE'S EYES -- Frightened.

SLOW FULLBACK ON NUKE -- HE'S STARK NAKED save for his cap

and glove. Everyone else is clothed.

NUKE WINDS AND PITCHES in the nude. SLO-MO...and as the

batter cranks up to take a vicious swing--

CUT TO:

INT. TEAM BUS -- DAWN

CLOSE ON NUKE'S FACE -- He awakes with a start.

NUKE

No!

CRASH LEANS OVER and shakes him.

CRASH

Wake up, it's okay...you're

dreaming...

CRASH HELPS NUKE back to consciousness. Nuke shakes his

head, trying to wake up. Crash Is almost tender.

NUKE

I was playing naked.

CRASH

I know, I know--I have that dream

all the time. We're almost home.

The Bus continues across the Carolina landscape.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE STADIUM PARKING LOT -- DAWN

The team bus pulls into a deserted parking lot. A few of

the players' cars are parked. Some of the wives and

girlfriends. And Annie.

THE PLAYERS SHUFFLE OFF the bus. Tired and beat.

CLOSE ON NUKE -- He looks worse than the rest. He sees Annie

and waves. She's waiting next to her old Volvo.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREETS OF DURHAM MOMENTS LATER

ANNIE'S VOLVO PULLS OUT -- She drives.

INT. THE VOLVO -- DAY

Annie is up--Nuke is down.