- Roger Bomman: God... if there is a God... if you're a man or a woman... if you're listening, I'd really, really like a family. My dad says that will only happen if the Angels win the pennant. The baseball team, I mean. So, maybe you can help them win a little. Amen. Oh, a-woman, too.
- Maggie Nelson: [stands] Um, excuse me. I'd like to say something on behalf of George Knox.
- Hank Murphy: What's your name? What's your business here?
- Maggie Nelson: My name is Maggie Nelson. I take care of foster kids. One of these boys is the child who can see angels. He could stand up right now and tell you what's going on and I'd know you'd just laugh at him. But, when a professional football player drops to one knee to thank God for making a touchdown, nobody laughs at that. Or when a pitcher crosses himself before going to the mound, no one laughs at that either. It's like your saying it's okay to believe in God, but it's not okay to believe in angels. Now, I thought that they were on the same team.
- Hank Murphy: Is it your belief, ma'am, that angels play baseball?
- Maggie Nelson: Since the all-star break, yes. We all need someone to believe in. Every child I have ever looked after has someone: an angel. You've got to have faith. You've got to believe. You have to look inside yourself. The footprints of an angel are love, and where there is love, miraculous things can happen. I've seen it.
- [sits]
- Mel Clark: [stands] I'd also like to say something. I don't know if there are any angels here other than the twenty-five of us in uniform. But I know there is one thing I won't do: I won't play for anyone but George Knox. I believe in him.
- Triscuitt Messmer: [stands] That goes for me, too.
- [the rest of Angels baseball team, Roger and JP stands and nods in agreement]
- George Knox: Thank you. All of you.
- George Knox: Hey, let's keep the profanity down!
- Angel players: HUH?
- George Knox: I mean it! No swearing!
- Ray Mitchell: That eliminates all speech for most of the team.
- [first lines]
- JP: Roger, do you believe in heaven?
- Roger Bomman: I guess. That's where they say my mom went.
- JP: Maybe that's where my dad went.
- Roger Bomman: Probably.
- JP: Hey, maybe your mom and my dad are friends up there.
- Roger Bomman: That could be.
- JP: 'Cause you're my best friend down here.
- Roger Bomman: You're my best friend, too, J.P.
- Roger Bomman: Dad, when we gonna be a family again?
- Mr. Bomman: From where I'm sitting...
- [looks at the stadium]
- Mr. Bomman: I'd say when the Angels win the pennant. You stay out of trouble, son.
- [starts motorcycle engine and drives away]
- [taking a picture with George Knox and Roger]
- Photographer: It looks like a prison photo. Would either of you mind smiling? The team did just win.
- George Knox: It was a mistake. This team can't win.
- Roger Bomman: They won because there were angels out there.
- George Knox: Huh?
- Roger Bomman: Real ones. I saw them. Two angels came out of the sky and they picked up Ben Williams and another angel hit Messmer's home run. That's why the bat broke.
- George Knox: Great. A psycho kid. David, you'd think they'd screen these people.
- Roger Bomman: It's true. Ask Williams about it or Messmer. They'll tell you something's going on. You'll see.
- Ranch Wilder: [hands JP a business card] Hey. I'm Ranch Wilder. The voice of the Angels.
- JP: I know who you are. I heard you on the radio. You sure do have a big chin.
- Ranch Wilder: Everybody's a critic.
- JP: [Roger and JP are in their beds] Roger?
- Roger Bomman: What?
- JP: Are you asleep?
- Roger Bomman: If I was sleeping, how would I be talking to you?
- JP: You could be sleep-talking.
- Roger Bomman: Look, I'll give you a dime tomorrow if you don't say another word.
- JP: Okay.
- [Roger snuggles more into the covers, just starting to sleep]
- JP: Roger?
- Roger Bomman: [sighs loudly] You can forget that dime.
- George Knox: You can't go through life thinking everyone you meet will one day let you down. Because if you do, a very bad thing will happen. You'll end up like me.
- Roger Bomman: David, I need a drink.
- David Montagne: Which of these drinks?
- Roger Bomman: I don't want that. I want something else.
- David Montagne: What else?
- Roger Bomman: Uh... coffee.
- David Montagne: You drink coffee?
- Roger Bomman: Yeah, of course. All the time.
- JP: Yeah, all the time! What do you think we are? Little kids or something? Now give me a cup or I'll scream!
- David Montagne: How do you take it?
- Roger Bomman: In cups.
- Hank Murphy: You feeling any better today, George?
- George Knox: Why would I be feeling any better?
- Hank Murphy: Commissioner's fined you $5,000 for you jumping Gates. And word has it Ranch is pressing civil charges for you popping him.
- George Knox: [grins] Come to think of it, I have felt better since I slugged Wilder.
- Hank Murphy: Your pistol's smoking, pal.
- George Knox: I hadn't made the connection.
- Hank Murphy: I know you two have been at each other's throats for a long time.
- George Knox: Yeah, we've been at each others throats since he spiked my knee and ruined my career.
- Hank Murphy: Accidents happen, George.
- George Knox: It wasn't an accident. When you slide into a catcher with your nails up, it's on purpose.
- Hank Murphy: Now, don't go making more cow pies to step in, George. You've already got enough manure on your boots now. Control yourself today.
- Maggie Nelson: And for dessert... Jello.
- JP: Yay!
- Miguel Scott: It's not really Jello, it's cats' brains with food coloring. She kills them at night and feeds it to us to save money.
- [JP makes a disgusted face]
- Roger Bomman: Shut up, Miguel!
- Maggie Nelson: Roger! We do not use those words in this house. And you know I would never put food coloring on my cat brains.
- [ruffles Miguel's hair]
- Family Court Judge: You understand that once this hearing has established Roger's permanent placement status, his welfare will forever forward be determined by this court.
- Mr. Bomman: [curtly] I understand.
- Family Court Judge: And you've consulted a lawyer?
- Mr. Bomman: Look, lady, I get what I'm doing. The kid's not mine anymore. I'm not proud of it. It's not something I can change my mind about it either.
- Roger Bomman: I've got to ask you something. Do you believe in angels?
- Maggie Nelson: What have angels got to do with you being out of bed?
- Triscuitt Messmer: [to George] It musta been those chili dogs I ate before the game. The third one tasted kind of funny.
- David Montagne: Okay, we have three photo ops. It'll be quick.
- George Knox: Give them publicity stills. It'll be quicker.
- David Montagne: They want a picture with *you*. They're all kids.
- George Knox: I HATE KIDS.
- David Montagne: [not surprised] Yeah, I guessed that.
- Roger Bomman: I'm glad you're here! I was afraid no one was going to show up today, since everybody knows about the angels.
- Al the Boss Angel: Nobody's coming. Championships have to be won on their own. It's a rule.
- Roger Bomman: Then why are you here?
- Al the Boss Angel: [gestures to Clark] I came to check up on Mel. He's coming up soon. Going to be one of us.
- Roger Bomman: You mean he's...
- Al the Boss Angel: Ah, he's smoked for years. Always a mistake. He's got 6 months left, doesn't even know anything's wrong yet.
- Roger Bomman: No!
- Al the Boss Angel: Oh, don't you worry. He's well taken care of. You concentrate on your own life now. We are expecting great things from you kid. We'll all be watching, you remember that.
- [slowly dissolves away]
- Al the Boss Angel: Even though you can't see us, we're always watching.
- George Knox: [the Angels have lost their fifteenth straight game] One more loss! One more loss which could've been a win! And you call yourselves professionals. I have never, ever seen a worse group of twenty-five players! You don't *think* as a team, you don't *play* as a team, you don't even LOSE as a team! You've all got your heads so far up your butts, you can't even see the light of day! One more loss and I'll, and I'll do this...
- [throws a chair at a rack of balls and bats]
- George Knox: to each and every one of you!
- George Knox: [after Roger tells him about the real Angels] Great! A psycho kid. David, you'd think they'd screen these people.
- George Knox: Any loss is hard.
- Ranch Wilder: But this one really got to you. You leave Cincinnati after ten years of winning ball clubs - although the really big one always seemed to be just out of reach - and you come out here to manage our Angels. Now, expectations were high that you could turn this team around. But that just doesn't seem to be happening.
- George Knox: Season's only half-over, Ranch.
- Ranch Wilder: And your club's in last place.
- George Knox: You oughtta know how one incident can change the course of events.
- Ranch Wilder: Well, you know, you play the game. You take your chances. Sometimes, you're just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
- George Knox: Yeah, you're an expert at that.
- Ranch Wilder: I could say the same about you.
- George Knox: Well, actions speak louder than words.
- George Knox: Gimme the ball.
- Frank Gates: It ain't my fault. You need a new outfield!
- George Knox: You're outta here, GIVE ME THE BALL!
- Frank Gates: You want the ball? Here you go...
- [makes as though to hand it over then tosses it]
- Frank Gates: Go get it. Want my glove?
- [repeats the gesture]
- Frank Gates: Go get it!
- Ranch Wilder: [broadcasting offscreen] Gates has thrown the ball and his glove into the stands.
- George Knox: [jumps Gates] Get out of here! You're finished, Gates! You're washed up! You'll never pitch again!
- [the players are touching a post as they walk into the locker room]
- Frank Gates: Why do you idiots do that after you've lost?
- Ray Mitchell: It's for good luck, man.
- Danny Hemmerling: After 15 straight losses, I say we find something else to rub.
- Pablo Garcia: How about Triscuitt's head?
- Triscuitt Messmer: Hey, don't even think about touching me anywhere.
- Jose Martinez: [stops reaching for it] Fatty pants.
- Whitt Bass: You know, maybe we should do this *before* we lose.
- Ranch Wilder: Whit Bass takes the mound with his oddball antics that are now well known to the fans.
- Wally: That's right, Ranch. This season alone we've seen him lick dirt, eat bugs, and floss his catcher's teeth in the dugout.
- Ranch Wilder: [switches off Wally's mike and on his own] None of that, may I add, seems to have helped his pitching. He's 2 and 11.
- Ranch Wilder: I'd say the fans seem a little bouncier today, wouldn't you, Wally?
- Wally: That's right, Ranch. As we saw last game...
- Ranch Wilder: [Turns off Wally's mike for the second time] Easy Wally, less is more.
- Hank Murphy: Ranch?
- [Ranch turns to face him, grinning as though he supported the play]
- Hank Murphy: You're fired.
- [exits]
- Ranch Wilder: You can't fire me! I have got a contract! I AM RANCH WILDER!
- Wally: [cheerfully] Easy, Ranch. Less is more.
- Ranch Wilder: [flinging the stats book and pamphlet the assistant offers him aside, after Clark's first two pitches fail miserably] I'm checking to see if Dan Prince pulled a muscle during his warmup tosses. There has to be some reason why Knox would make such a radical change. I have personally checked the stats, sports fans, and Mel Clark has not started a game in this decade.
- George Knox: I want you all here, in uniform, at 9 tomorrow! We're going back to work on fundamentals!
- [the team groans]
- Abascal (Angels Player): Fundamentals? In the middle of the season?
- Whitt Bass: I thought the game started at 1.
- George Knox: It DOES start at 1. And you're a jack-ass!
- Whitt Bass: No, I'm a pitcher.
- George Knox: [Knox storms off]
- Pablo Garcia: Well, you're a pitcher and a jack-ass.
- Jose Martinez: Si, it's very common.
- George Knox: [Roger sees an angel, but can't let David know about it] Go buy the kids nachos.
- David Montagne: *Anything*... but nachos.
- George Knox: Buy them Angels jackets.
- David Montagne: It's ninety degrees out here.
- George Knox: Get your butt up there, *now!*
- David Montagne: [David leaves]
- Hank Murphy: Are you crackin' up, or is this a repeat of Cincinnati?
- George Knox: No, no, it's nothing like that.
- George Knox: In baseball we use signals. Make some kind of signal. I can't come over here every couple of seconds.
- Roger Bomman: I'll go like that, okay?
- Ranch Wilder: And Ben Williams makes a miraculous catch!
- Roger Bomman: Holy cow!
- George Knox: How did he do that?
- Ranch Wilder: How'd he do that? HOW DID HE DO THAT?
- Mel Clark: I got nothing left.
- George Knox: Yeah, you do. You got one strike left.
- [Roger and JP come out of the dugout flapping their arms]
- George Knox: You got an angel with you right now. He just got here, and he's going to help you.
- Mel Clark: The kid sees an angel?
- George Knox: Yeah, he must. That's the signal.
- [the crowd and players begin flapping their arms like angel wings]
- George Knox: Good helping.
- [soon everybody except Ranch is flapping their arms]
- Mel Clark: Okay.
- George Knox: Go get 'em for the championship!
- George Knox: [Knox and Williams watch a replay of Williams' amazing catch] Nice catch yesterday, man. How did it feel? Or did it all happen so fast you don't even remember?
- Ben Williams: I felt weightless, like somebody had me by the arms, Skip. How did I do that?
- Roger Bomman: Did you see that?
- JP: Yeah! Awesome!
- Roger Bomman: They were just sucked down right from the sky.
- JP: Who?
- Roger Bomman: Those guys. Those guys... in sparkling pajamas.
- JP: What are you talking about, Roger? What guys in sparkling pajamas?
- George Knox: [after dinner] Next time I'll try lasagna. You guys like lasagna?
- Roger Bomman, JP: No... What is it?
- George Knox: You're Roger's mom?
- Maggie Nelson: Nope.
- George Knox: Aunt? Grandma?
- Maggie Nelson: No, we're not related. This is a short-term foster care facility, I run it. Roger is a ward of the state.
- George Knox: I see. So Roger, he's got a wild imagination? Always coming up with stories?
- Maggie Nelson: No actually, he's very grounded. Truth is most kids who are taken away from their parents by the court system, have a good handle on reality.
- Jose Martinez: [singing to the tune of the Star-Spangled Banner] Jose, can you see?
- Whitt Bass: Wait a second, the first word is "Jose"? I thought it was...
- Pablo Garcia: It's Jose, we know.
- Whitt Bass: Wow! It's about a Spanish guy!
- [singing and walking away]
- Whitt Bass: Jose, can you see?
- Pablo Garcia: I don't believe it, man.
- Jose Martinez: He's so easy.