Heat

Michael recognizes the policeman, Officer Crandall, as the one who caught the bag thief days earlier. The other man, Michael says, must be “An Official Person” (54). The Official Person gives Manny a playful shove, and then Manny jogs over to Ellie and Michael.

When Ellie squints, she identifies the official as Mr. Lima, a man who works in public relations for Mr. Amorosa, the Bronx borough president. Michael senses that Ellie seems nervous, and she admits that she’s met Mr. Amorosa with her father. Manny admits that Mr. Lima wants to meet Michael, after hearing about his heroics, and to ask if he and his parents will go to his office to take a picture with him.

Manny explains that he “tried to make a joke of it,” speaking as Michael’s “agent” who would “have to clear it with [him] first” (55). But as Michael and Manny try to figure out what to do, Ellie begins to run away. Michael looks longingly after her, then he tells Manny to “wait for [him] at McDonald's” (56). When Manny wonders what he should tell the officials, Michael tells him to explain that “this is the first day of [his] whole life that [he] started chasing girls” (56).

As he approaches Yankee Stadium, he wants to ask a police officer if he’s seen a girl with a baseball glove, but he knows that, on a game day, the question is ridiculous. So he slows down, instead, and watches Manny with the officials from a distance, still entertaining, like “Manny the Entertainer” (57).

Michael feels that “it had been such a perfect day” (57). But he is nervous, because “they knew where to find him now” (58), and he is concerned for his and Carlos’ safety again. Later that night, Carlos asks Manny to repeat everything that he said, including the fact that he gave the officers Michael’s last name but not his home address. Then, Manny tells Carlos that Michael escaped to “run after his new sweetie” (58), which makes Michael blush. Michael avoids the situation by turning to the radio broadcast of the Yankees game; “at least somebody was winning something today” (59). 

The team rides up to New Rochelle in their “old blue bus” to play Justin’s Westchester South team. The beautiful field, with beautiful grass and a “small green press box” impresses the boys (60).

“Justin the Jerk” (61) stares down Michael before the game and starts for the team. His teammate, Anthony, is a similarly big kid and is not “afraid of anybody or anything” (61). Anthony starts to talk about Justin’s staring, too, and even Kel gets in on the conversation.

In the dugout, the boys joke around with Manny about his careful pre-game rituals. As they laugh, they hear Justin say, “What’s so funny?” to which Manny responds, immediately, “You are, Skippy” (62). An argument starts to build until Mr. Minaya appears, “as if out of nowhere” (63), to shoo Justin away and settle the team.

He reminds the players of the team rule: “no trash talk” (63). As he settles, he tells them to “quiet down,” though Manny, “as usual,” chimes in anyway, noting that “this should certainly be a festive occasion” (63).