Inside, it's dark and humid and loud. Kennedy loses Jackson just inside the door but finds himself with Qualls and Haren, who seems to be looking for someone in the crowd. Kennedy starts to ask Qualls who's getting the first round when Haren raises both of his hands and shouts into the crowd, "Over here! Z!"
And then Barry Zito appears out of the ether and crowd, wearing a button-down shirt with a subtle paisley pattern, badly needing a shave. Qualls scoffs, "Fraternization, Danny. What the fuck?" but Haren just grabs Zito by the shoulder and yanks him in for one of his famous rib-cracking bear-hugs. Kenney got one the first time they met at Spring Training and it left him gasping when it was done, because apparently Haren had never gotten used to being huge and strong
Zito has a sort of hangdog look on his face, which is just ridiculous considering how well he's pitching this year. Kennedy wishes his lines looked as good. He hopes he looks as good when he's Zito's age, hopes he pitches as well as Zito did tonight. The only time Zito looks anything other than exhausted is when he knows Haren is looking at him, and he tries to smile as crazily as Haren must expect. Haren doesn't notice anything amiss, but he's also getting drunker and drunker as Qualls and Gutierrez and Boyer stop by one by one with alcohol, not to mention probably still a little adrenaline-high from nine beautiful innings and a win that has them within three of the Giants and the lead in the West.
Haren mentions something about USC to Zito, because the CWS is looming up pretty close and USC is looking good. "Hey, you both went there!" Haren says, glancing at Kennedy and grinning so wide his molars are visible. Something annoyed flashes across Zito's face, like he'd like to pinch Haren somewhere tender, then he turns to Kennedy and smiles faintly.
"Men of Troy?" he asks.
Kennedy smiles. "Go Trojans," he replies.
Zito's smile relaxes and kicks up a few notches, and some of the cloudiness clears from his eyes. "Let me buy you a drink, kid," he says.
And then Barry Zito appears out of the ether and crowd, wearing a button-down shirt with a subtle paisley pattern, badly needing a shave. Qualls scoffs, "Fraternization, Danny. What the fuck?" but Haren just grabs Zito by the shoulder and yanks him in for one of his famous rib-cracking bear-hugs. Kenney got one the first time they met at Spring Training and it left him gasping when it was done, because apparently Haren had never gotten used to being huge and strong
Zito has a sort of hangdog look on his face, which is just ridiculous considering how well he's pitching this year. Kennedy wishes his lines looked as good. He hopes he looks as good when he's Zito's age, hopes he pitches as well as Zito did tonight. The only time Zito looks anything other than exhausted is when he knows Haren is looking at him, and he tries to smile as crazily as Haren must expect. Haren doesn't notice anything amiss, but he's also getting drunker and drunker as Qualls and Gutierrez and Boyer stop by one by one with alcohol, not to mention probably still a little adrenaline-high from nine beautiful innings and a win that has them within three of the Giants and the lead in the West.
Haren mentions something about USC to Zito, because the CWS is looming up pretty close and USC is looking good. "Hey, you both went there!" Haren says, glancing at Kennedy and grinning so wide his molars are visible. Something annoyed flashes across Zito's face, like he'd like to pinch Haren somewhere tender, then he turns to Kennedy and smiles faintly.
"Men of Troy?" he asks.
Kennedy smiles. "Go Trojans," he replies.
Zito's smile relaxes and kicks up a few notches, and some of the cloudiness clears from his eyes. "Let me buy you a drink, kid," he says.
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