A Scene from Episode VII, the 'Stros Awaken
INT. MINUTE MAID PARK - NARROW CORRIDOR - DAY
A LOCKER ROOM DOOR opens.
Several Houston Astros enter. One man has a sweet goatee and mustache (JUSTIN VERLANDER), with a hot swimsuit model on his arm.
They turn into and stop at one end of the corridor.
Juan Soto, trying to stuff the World Series trophy into his travel bag, stands , forty feet away in the middle of the long hallway.
VERLANDER: Juan Soto. You are a dead man.
Juan smiles innocently, friendly.
JUAN: Justin Verlander! What's the problem?
VERLANDER: The problem is you're in my way.
VERLANDER: Heard you also said Stephen Strasburg was better than Gerrit Cole.
JUAN: You know you can't trust that long-haired freak! How long've we known each other?
VERLANDER: The question is how much longer will we know each other? Not long. We want our trophy back now.
JUAN: Ya think beating the Dodgers and Cardinals was easy? I've earned this trophy!
VERLANDER: Gerrit Cole says he wants a piece of you too.
JUAN: I never said anything bad about Gerrit Cole!
VERLANDER: Tell that to Gerrit Cole.
The SOUND of the TRAINING ROOM DOOR opening. Juan's face GOES WHITE as he turns to the OTHER END OF THE CORRIDOR, where Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman, and George Springer have appeared in their uniforms with bats on shoulders. JUAN smiles uncomfortably at the Astro sluggers as they part and Gerrit Cole walks out to stand in front of them.
JUAN: Gerrit Cole. Good to see you.
COLE: Wrong again, Soto. It's over for you.
Cole COCKS HIS ARM, there for blood.
JUAN: Boys. You're both great pitchers! Have I ever said Strasburg and Scherzer were better than you guys?
Verlander: Yeah.
Cole: Twice!
Juan realizes he's right.
JUAN: What was the second time?
VERLANDER: Your swing is full of holes. There's no one in the World Series for you to hit homers off of.
COLE: No spot in the lineup left for you to hide.
VERLANDER: That trophy ... the American League Apex Predators are looking for one just like it.
Soto poops his pants.