February 18 snuck up on Tommy with the same stealth as his Tommy-Gun pitch confronted batters. That was the day Braves pitchers and catchers reported to spring training.
Between serving as product pitchman and overseeing the construction of his dream house, the off-season had flown by. Time to go back to work. But Tommy never thought of his baseball career as work, even during those trying times in Single-A. Ever since the day he played catch for the first time, he considered baseball a fanciful game, one that he simply loved to play.
As he drove his BMW to CoolToday Park, the ninety-acre facility in North Port, Florida where the Braves conducted spring training, he couldn’t wait to see his teammates and be welcomed back as the conquering hero.
But as soon as he approached the gate, he
