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see her flush at the contact. Picking up his jersey, he started for the door and then paused, looking over his shoulder. “This team is known for their practical jokes, and you’ve got them pretty worked up. Just because you’re a woman, even a gorgeous one, it won’t make a difference.”
    He was pleased to see the flush of color that stained her cheeks deepen further when he complimented her. He continued in the same lazy tone as he walked out the door. “Consider yourself warned.”

Chapter Six
    “So you really think the Sonics have turned over a new leaf?” Chris Smith gazed out over the field, Nikki Case at his side.
    “Yes, I do.” Nikki indicated the batting cages. “I know they didn’t always have the best reputation, but that’s about to change. Take spring training, for instance. We’ve got some great new players coming up, and they are working really hard to get a spot on the roster. Our veterans have been coming in early, getting extra practice, and our younger players are following suit. In addition to the fundamentals, the team is incorporating additional work like base running in order to improve performance.”
    “We’ll see,” the reporter said noncommittally. “My feeling is the Sonics are a second-rate team. They were lucky to make it as far as the World Series last year, and if Atlanta didn’t have so many injuries, we would’ve seen a different result. As it is, it took New York only four games to defeat them. I think they found out their bullying tactics don’t work at the big show.”
    “That was last year,” Nikki said determinedly. “They have learned they can go the distance. While it’s true that some of the other teams in their division had health issues, they stepped up when it was important. You can’t say that Chase didn’t make an excellent effort. Or that Ryan didn’t get the hits when we needed them. And Jake Baldwin stole more bases than any other player in the league, and made a spectacular catch in the Series.”
    The reporter grinned. “Sounds like this team’s got itself a cheerleader. But I’m curious to see them myself. I’ve always thought they had the talent to make it big, but they had to get past that reputation of being the Garden State Goons. If they really cleaned up their act, got some discipline, they could be unstoppable.”
    “You’ll see,” Nikki said with no small degree of satisfaction. “We are taking a page out of Steinbrenner’s book. The Sonics have become model citizens…”
    Eager to show off their well-groomed appearance, she led the reporter toward the dugout. But her voice trailed off as Ryan appeared and walked onto the field.
    Beneath his helmet, his head was covered with a three-inch-long royal-blue clown’s wig.
    The crowd of noisy fans applauded as Jake followed with the identical hairpiece, then Brian and Derek. One by one the players took their positions, all of them adorned with curly, blazing-blue hair.
    The only exception was Chase. As he strode onto the pitching mound, he doffed his cap in a gesture of appreciation to his fans. The second he took off the Sonics hat, a bush of fire-engine-red hair sprang out and the crowd got to their feet and roared their approval, whistling and bellowing with laughter.
    Chris chuckled deeply. “Model citizens? They look like they’re decked out for the circus.” He snapped pictures furiously while Nikki gaped in stunned surprise. “I have to thank you for contacting me,” he said, still grinning. “This will make the cover of the Sunday sports page.”
    John strode up to meet Nikki. “What the hell—” He looked askance at the motley-topped team. “Don’t suppose there’s any possibility you won’t print this?”
    “Not a chance,” Chris said with a grin. “I can’t wait to interview the team and get their comments. The Sonics were always known for practical jokes. I guess some things never change.”
    The reporter strode off and John turned to Nikki, accusation