Good Time Phil

You might lose 'em here Wendy

Our Hero:  Phil Coke

What You Need To Know:  Drafted by the New York Yankees in 2002 in the 26th round.  Spent time, on and off, with the big club and earned a World Series ring in 2009 when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies.  He was traded to the Tigers in 2011 in the deal that sent my boyfriend, Curtis Granderson, to New York.  He's primarily a relief pitcher, but someone in the Tigers organization had the boneheaded idea to try him out as a starter in 2011.  A move Wendy hated, and ultimately didn't work.  Phil went back to the bullpen and is one of our more reliable relievers.  He even closed a few games last year after our closer lost his damn mind and forgot how to pitch.

His Baggage:  Phil's an interesting guy.  He has a reputation for being a goof-ball in the clubhouse and in the bullpen.  He's also, typically, a fun interview.  He's got a good sense of humor and gets his kicks ribbing his teammates.  That said, don't let that fool you into thinking he's Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky when it comes to his job.  He's an intense guy.  When he's called in from the bullpen to pitch?  Yeah, he runs to the pitcher's mound in a full out sprint.  And when the rest of the team was celebrating their victory in the ALCS?  That's Phil stomping around the pitcher's mound doing his best (or is that worst?) Hulk impression.  Hey, he pitched the final half inning, so he can stomp around all he damn well pleases.

Also, neither here nor there, he is currently the player on the active roster I would most like to have a beer with.  Every team should have at least one of those guys - and Phil Coke is mine.

The Proposed Category Romance Plot:  He may work hard, but he also believes in playing hard - which is why he's never been one to settle down.  He likes spending time with women, he just doesn't see himself settling down with one woman for the rest of his days.  When he's not busy with work, he's too busy having fun.  Light, fun, and a good-time - that's what he's after when he's not giving it his all out on the diamond.  So why does it grate on his nerves so badly when some pretty, albeit uptight, nursing student seems to look down her nose at him?

Yes.  Yes, he will.

Our Heroine:  She has no time for fun and games.  A single mom, raising a baseball-loving young son on her own, she's tired of rubbing pennies together and hauling her dead-beat Baby Daddy into court.  She's working a menial job and clawing her way through nursing school.  It's while she's pulling clinicals in a pediatric ward that she runs into our hero, who is there visiting the sick kids as part of his charity work.  While his appearance at the hospital is admirable, he still smacks her as all flash and no substance.  Our girl has no time to play around with men, especially ones who don't seem inclined to stick around for the long haul.  But when he promises her he'll get her box seats for her and her son for the All-Star game?  She realizes that she'd do anything for her kid, even if that does mean spending time with a man she's not all that sure she should be surrendering her heart to.

What Category Romance Line?:  I'm going with the newcomer, Harlequin Kiss.  It's fun, it's flirty, I can see Phil doing OK there.