Ghost Whisperer s02e10 Episode Script
Giving Up The Ghost
My name is Melinda Gordon.
I'm married.
I live in a small town, and I own an antique shop.
I might be just like you.
Except that from the time I was a little girl, I knew that I could talk to the dead.
It's all right, honey.
Earthbound spirits, my grandmother called them.
They're stuck here because they have unfinished business with the living.
And they come to me for help.
In order to tell you my story, I have to tell you theirs.
- Fifteen strikeouts.
Unbelievable.
- Isn't that what he's supposed to do? - In one game? - It's very good.
All right.
What do I know, I played field hockey.
You know, maybe it's not too late for me to go pro.
I was a great third basemen.
I didn't know you played baseball in high school.
I didn't.
Little League.
I played a lot of years though, huh.
But I was 12 when I hit my first home run.
I can still remember the pitch.
It was a low fastball, it was right over the middle of the plate, and I golfed it, you know, right over the center-field fence.
Nice.
I can still hear my parents screaming.
You know what, I would have loved to have seen that.
You can.
Actually, my dad took a video.
- Oh, I so wanna see that.
- No, no.
Unbelievable.
- You'll never see that again.
- That's incredible.
Wait.
We have to find out if your mom still has the videotape of you getting your first home run.
Oh, she's got it.
I swear sometimes when I call her, I can hear it playing in the background.
What I want to know is, does she still have my baseball cards.
Wait here.
Hey, sorry.
I'm an EMT.
- Justin, you all right? - Justin? You know what? - Is he okay? - Yeah.
Justin, you all right? Are you all right? Yes, I think so.
Can you see us? He collapsed on the field.
He was having respiratory problems.
He didn't lose consciousness.
He was awake, responsive.
- Let's move.
- How is he? He's a little woozy, but there's no sign of trauma.
His nose stopped bleeding.
We should go to the hospital.
Why? He's up.
He's talking.
I did everything I could.
Yeah, but I haven't.
So the stadium lights, was that some kind of a warning? It felt like it.
Hey, if you see a ghost in here, tell me.
How? There's gonna be people around.
- Just give me a signal.
- Like what? You want me to whistle? No.
Like a baseball sign.
The first two mean nothing.
This, hit and run.
Don't tempt me.
Why? All right.
Really.
All I wanna know is how the ghosts are affecting people, you know, so just do something simple.
Okay.
- What's that sign for? - All right.
Hi, Coach.
Don't mean to bother you, we just thought we'd stop by and see if Justin's okay.
We're still waiting.
Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet back at the school.
It was a little crazy.
I'm John Heath.
Jim Clancy.
This is my wife Melinda.
- Hi.
- And I'm Justin's mom, Traci.
Thank you so much for your help.
It was really scary.
I think I'm still shaking.
I'm sure he'll be okay.
I hope so.
He's worked so hard for this.
Excuse me, I think I'm gonna go check again.
I hate this waiting.
How was he when they brought him in? Much better.
He was telling everybody he wanted to go home.
I had to tell him to shut up and get his butt back in the room.
- Is his dad in there with him? - No, his dad passed away.
That's too bad.
It's too bad he can't see how well his son is doing.
Yeah.
Yeah, he's He's doing very well.
Hey, is this the first year you're coaching at Grandview? Second.
I was in Chicago before.
But I got a chance to come back home, I jumped at it.
I was born and raised right here in Grandview.
There's nothing wrong with me.
They didn't find anything.
The tests are negative.
It probably was a sudden drop of blood pressure, maybe from the exertion of the game.
He should just take it easy for a day.
Thank you, Doctor.
- Okay, you're sure you're all right? - Yeah.
He'll be good.
He's gonna be good.
Thanks a lot.
- So what? No ghost? - "Just give me a signal.
" I signaled you five times.
This whole thing.
- What's that? This is the signal.
- I'll give you a signal.
What is it that you wanted me to do? Give you a sign before the sign.
How about I sing Some Enchanted Evening or do a cartwheel down the hall, 'cause you wouldn't have missed that.
Okay, I'm sorry.
- Well, was he with anybody? - I don't know.
He was all over the place, but when he saw the coach, he was mad.
Do you think the ghost is attached to the coach? Well, maybe.
But I don't think Justin collapsed from exhaustion.
That's why they couldn't find anything wrong.
No medical report is going to pick out a ghost.
Get down! You all right? Are you okay? How do I explain three broken windows to our insurance agent? It's vandalism.
Let's just hope they don't ask whether the vandal is dead or alive.
You know, it's times like this I wish I could see them.
- Why? - Why? So I could say, "Look, pal, "what the hell do you think you're doing?" Confrontation.
Not the best way to deal with the dead.
He's got no problem confronting you or us.
He just feels threatened.
Wait.
He breaks our windows and he feels threatened? You know Look, this is what I'm talking about.
It's frustrating when the dead can do more than I can.
This ghost wants to hurt Justin or the coach, I don't know.
But what I do know is that he's mad as hell, and he doesn't want me messing with him.
And he wants to raise our deductible.
Okay, now I know two things.
- I just wish I could do more.
- You do a lot.
And this ghost Well, he can't do what you're thinking about right now.
Works for me.
It was made about 1940.
Turn the switch once, and the lamp comes on, and then you turn it again, and the skirt moves and makes it look like she's hula dancing.
Thanks.
Yeah.
I guess everyone in town is cleaning out their closets.
Well, it's for a good cause.
I actually found stuff I thought I gave away a long time ago.
- Hey, you going to the game tonight? - Are you kidding me? Jim would rather miss his own funeral than the big playoff game.
Well, you better get there early, because everybody I know is going.
I'll see you at the game.
All right.
But whoever gets there first has to save seats.
Hey, you okay, lady? Wait, wait.
You think Grandview High School is haunted? It is a high school.
And I know a few unresolved issues that would keep me from crossing over.
But you didn't actually see a ghost there, did you? No, not yet, but I think there was a ghost there that definitely wanted me to stay away.
Sorry about that.
There's gotta be a rational explanation, you know, sewage gas, mutant cockroaches.
If I ever see a mutant cockroach, you have to deal with it.
I'm your man.
- I'm tired of it being all about him.
- You don't think we're all like that? Yeah, but I'm only 60 feet away.
At least you're in left field.
What're you doing? What do you want with him? Him? - Justin - Stay away from him.
- I know who you are! Matt Vonner! - No! Justin, don't do this! Matt.
- No.
- Who are you? Justin, what the hell are you doing? - Hey, what's going on? - Stay out of this.
I want to know what was going on! - She broke it, okay.
Get off me.
- Don't you walk away.
Yo, just keep her away from me! You stop right now, or you're gonna be on the bench for Saturday's game! You know, I'm the only reason we're in the playoffs.
And you know that.
If I don't play, you'll lose.
Watch your mouth, kid.
You know, I made it, Jackie boy, and you didn't.
But you never were good enough and you know that.
- Are you okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
I saw what happened.
I understand if you want to press charges.
I don't.
He wasn't himself.
Look, I'm gonna have to report this.
I don't know what's going on with him lately, but he's out of control.
I need to know what happened.
I don't know.
It all happened so fast.
It's probably something I said to him.
Look, I don't care what kind of pressure a kid is under, there is no excuse for this.
Yeah, I really have to think about this.
I'm sorry.
I have to go.
Got a buyer for the fishing lures.
That's the Crazy Crawler.
Made by Heddon in 1944.
The other one's the Wotta Frog, made by Paw Paw about 1942.
- Who's it for? - My husband.
He's a collector.
Oh, well.
If you really want to be a hero, the Vampire.
It's extremely rare.
Made in 1924.
No, I'm sorry, 1923.
Oh, my goodness.
I am never bringing my husband in here.
You are the wife he always dreamed of, and I kept telling him you don't exist.
Mel.
Look, I just heard what happened.
I'm trying to stay calm.
- Okay, Jim - No, but I'm gonna tear his head off! Jim.
Back room, please.
Thanks.
- Hi.
- Hi.
It wasn't Justin.
It was Matt Vonner.
Well, who the hell is Matt Vonner? All right, so it's Matt Vonner.
I'll tear his head off.
Too late.
He's already dead.
He's the ghost.
Wait a minute.
Matt Vonner, the baseball player? Yeah, he was the one that I saw at the game the other night.
He was also there today.
He's haunting Justin, not the coach.
And Justin has no idea what happened to him.
All right.
And the question is, if I punch Justin hard enough, will Matt Vonner, the ghost, feel it? Not helping.
Honey, just tell me first, okay, so I don't hear it from Bob at the station, who heard it from his brother, Harry, who heard it from his kid who plays catcher.
What? Okay, my bad, but when I realized who the ghost was Matt Vonner.
He graduated from Grandview in '90.
And signed with the Chicago Cubs the same year.
He spent a year in the minor leagues then got traded to the White Sox.
He won Rookie of the Year and came in second for the Sid Young award three times.
- "Sid"? - Yeah.
That's an award they give out for pitching.
And you thought I didn't know anything about baseball.
Cy.
Cy Young.
He was an old pitcher a long time ago.
Oh, Sid, Cy, whatever.
You know, I remember reading about this guy.
Now, he was amazing, and then he just went downhill.
I don't know what happened.
Was it drugs or gambling or something? Wow.
I remember how surprised people were.
He just fell apart.
But why would he want to haunt Justin? I don't know.
You know, Justin's been recruited by, like, five Major League teams, I mean, the A's, the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Braves.
Maybe he wants to hurt Justin so Justin can't make the bigs.
- "Bigs"? - Majors.
Makes sense.
That is a possibility, but either way, I have to let Justin know what's happening to him.
All right, but with me this time, okay? Oh, I'm so sorry.
Do we have any Noguchi lamps? Duty calls.
We will talk some more about the mutant cockroaches later.
Yeah, and I'll get you that chemical bug spray.
Great.
You guys have your own code.
That's so cute.
My mom saved the video.
All 14 hours.
Ready for a Jim marathon? - Is that really you? - Come on.
Can't you tell? Look at the pecs.
That kid is cut.
What is all this? My mother is the greatest living human being on Earth.
She saved all my baseball stuff, everything.
And look at this.
These are the cards my dad collected when he was a kid.
I mean, look at these names Mantle, Mays, Koufax, Clemente.
That's Reggie Jackson.
I saw him play once.
My dad took me.
We had seats right behind home plate.
That day, Reggie hit four home runs.
It's the truth.
That was the last game my dad and I ever went to together.
It's weird.
Here it is.
I think I hit a double here in this one.
Maybe it's the next pitch.
Now I know why they call it a double.
Hey.
I came here I came here to say I'm sorry.
- I don't know why I did what I did.
- Come in.
You got to be kidding me.
- You come into our house? - Jim Look, I said I was sorry.
I feel really bad about it.
- I just need to talk to you.
- I need to talk to you, too.
- Can you get us some drinks? - Yeah.
Hey, I'll be in the kitchen, you know, the next room.
Did your coach ask you to come here? No, my mom.
Coach suspended me.
I need you to talk to him for me.
I can't be suspended.
And none of this is what you think it is.
I don't take anything.
No drugs, nothing.
I know I get nosebleeds, which is, like, a sign of it, I know, but I'm not on anything.
I work my ass off every day.
I've been doing this since I was five, and everybody thinks that I'm on something, but I'm not.
- I mean, we get tested - Look, I'm not the steroid police.
Well, isn't that why you've been following me around? You've got a different problem.
Okay, you don't understand.
This is all I've ever wanted to do.
It's the one thing I've always been good at.
It's the only thing that's made my dad proud of me.
What happens when you go out to play on the field, when you start to pitch? Do you feel anything different? I don't know.
I just I feel like I can't lose.
I feel stronger.
- It's kind of hard to describe.
- Do you know who Matt Vonner is? Of course, yeah.
Everybody does.
When you're out on that field, it's him.
What? I don't know what you mean.
Matt Vonner's dead.
Justin, it's his spirit.
A ghost? You're telling me that there's a ghost out on the field with me? No, not with you.
In you.
That's why you've been having the nosebleeds.
He's using you.
When I'm pitching.
That's what you think.
It doesn't mean that you're not good, but he is controlling you when you're out there.
- You're lying.
- No, I'm not, and you know it.
Deep inside, you know it.
We have to get rid of him.
No, it is me out there.
It's not him.
It's not anything else.
It's me.
He's gonna hurt you.
Even if what you say is true, he's making me great.
Do you think I want to give that up? Do you think I can give that up? I am better than I've ever been, and even if I knew how to change that, I wouldn't want to.
Justin Justin! - Leave him alone.
- Mel? I'm gonna win again and I'm gonna be great again.
Justin is the best player to come through here since me.
I'm taking him all the way.
Justin isn't playing.
Is that what you want? The coach? That's the son of a bitch who killed me.
He killed me! Melinda.
- You okay? - Yeah, you? They reversed your decision? How can they do that? They're the school board.
It's what they do.
They do what they want, and they didn't reverse it.
They just won't approve my decision until they review the charges next week, which really just means they're gonna make sure Justin pitches in Saturday's championship game.
- Does Justin know that? - Beats me.
I'm not the coach anymore.
What? I told them if Justin played, I wouldn't coach.
They agreed.
- Oh, I'm so sorry.
- That's okay.
Not as much fun as it used to be, anyway.
Used to be about playing.
Now it's about winning.
And I don't know what's happened to Justin.
I mean, he was like my own kid.
Every day I would work with him, and now, the last four months, it's like I don't even know who he is anymore.
Hey, I wonder what happened to coach.
I hear he got fired.
Anybody know why? Maybe he made a bad decision.
You're the one that shouldn't be out there.
Then why don't you do something about it? None of us want to be out there if he pitches! Why don't you tell us how the coach got fired, Justin? Hey, hey, hey, cut it out! - Break it up! - Chill out, man! - Move back.
- Justin, man.
Justin, take a walk.
What the hell happened to you, man? I need to talk to you about something.
Someone.
Someone I know? Matt Vonner.
Well, we grew up together, played on the same teams, but Matt was always the big deal, a lot like Justin is now.
Were you with him when he died? - Yeah, why? - He blames you.
- What do you mean? - He says you killed him.
He says I killed him? Look, it was Matt that grabbed me that day at school, not Justin.
Okay.
You're gonna have to catch me up a little here.
- You saw Matt Vonner? - Yes.
You know he's dead.
I know how it sounds, but Matt's spirit is still here, and that's why Justin is pitching so well, and he knows it.
- You know what's weird? - What? He's been in my dreams lately, Matt, and the accident.
Tell me what happened that night.
We both got drafted the same year right out of high school.
Matt went straight to the bigs, and I spent eight years in the minors.
Then one day, I got called up.
I was beyond excited, playing in the bigs alongside my best friend.
Flew into Chicago.
Took a cab ride over to his place.
I mean, he wanted to be the one to bring me to my first game, and he had a lot of problems by then, but he was ready for his comeback.
Then on the ride over to the stadium - This is what it's about! - This is really it.
- I'm going to the bigs.
- You're going to the show, baby.
You're going to the show.
Jesus! Matt was killed, and that was the end of it for me, too.
If this is real, why would he be doing this? I think that he's trying to give himself another chance by using Justin.
It's like you said, everything is about winning, even in death.
I don't really believe in anything too much.
I pray when I get on the plane, that's about it, but if Matt really is still here and he's doing this to Justin, he's messing up a good kid.
Tell me what I need to do.
Can you talk to Justin? He's afraid that he'll fail without Matt.
This is the biggest game of his entire life.
He's got scouts from six different Major League teams looking at him.
I mean, what am I gonna tell him, "Don't pitch"? Well, then maybe you should talk to Matt.
Justin.
What are you doing here? I want you to tell me what happens when you come out here.
We're trying to figure out what's going on.
- You believe her? - Justin, you can stop this.
You know, I'm sorry about what happened to you, but that's your fault, not mine, 'cause she shouldn't have come near me.
I had nothing to do with her.
He's behind you.
Justin, don't let him Matt Matt, don't do this.
Oh, my God.
Jackie boy.
You know, I really wish you were catching for me tonight.
Be like old times.
You're too old now, man.
You're not gonna pitch tonight.
I'm not gonna let it happen.
Just get away from him.
Go! You're gonna ruin him just like you ruined yourself.
Run, Justin! Run! Where the hell is he? To your right.
I'm gonna tell you something I should've told you 10 years ago.
You were a damn good pitcher, Matt, but you weren't that much better than anyone else.
You just thought you were, because of what you did to yourself.
I remember that one game when you shot up.
We were right here in Grandview.
You said it was just once, just to see if it would help give you an edge, get us into the playoffs, and you got us in, I guess, but I never really felt right about it.
I never felt like we really won that game.
Everybody else always remembers what a great game it was.
Not me.
Then you'd jack yourself up another time and another time, and somewhere in there, you just You forgot how to play the game without it.
You didn't just kill yourself, Matt.
- You killed the game.
- He can't talk to me like this.
He's the reason I'm dead.
He thinks that you're responsible for his death.
You're wrong, Matt.
You were driving, not me.
You were so jacked up that night, you didn't know what was going on.
I didn't know what to say.
It was my first game, my big chance.
You don't know what it takes to survive up here.
You don't know.
Okay, fine.
I don't know.
Thought I'd do you a favor by giving you a ride to the game.
Matt, just drop it.
You want to know something? If it wasn't for me asking for you, they never would've called you up.
What? Yeah, I thought you'd be my good luck charm, you know, like the way it used to be, but if you think you can compete in the bigs without doing what I do, you're gonna be catching washouts in Little Rock by next weekend.
The last thing you said to me was, "Get with the program, Jackie boy, or be happy" riding pine.
No! Don't leave me.
Don't leave me here.
He saved himself and left me to die.
Tell him I know what he did.
I'm not gonna tell him that.
I tried to save that son of a bitch.
It cost me my career.
- Coach said he tried to save you.
- He's a liar.
Said it cost him his career.
I saw something.
I remember something.
Because of what you were on, you weren't clear.
You have to see what really happened now, Matt, and you can do that now.
You can see what you did.
Don't leave me here, Jackie.
Don't leave me here.
Come on.
Come on, I got you.
Matt! Matt Matt! Come on! Stay with me! No! How could I not have remembered that? You were thinking only of what happened to you.
You were so focused on your own pain that you couldn't even see your friend was trying to save you.
- I was dying.
- You were dead, Matt.
You denied everything you did wrong.
He lost it all because of me.
How do I change it? The only thing you can do now is make it right.
Coach doesn't want anything from you, and Justin, the way you make it right with him is by letting him go.
- I hit him.
I hit Coach.
- You didn't.
Yeah, I did.
I felt it.
It was my hand.
I mean, he was always there for me.
How could I do that to him? He knows that it wasn't you.
That it was Matt, and Matt's here right now.
It's okay.
He just wants to talk.
Tell him I was afraid, afraid of not being anyone anymore.
He wants you to know that he was afraid.
I just wanted to play the game again, to pitch again.
That's when I felt the most alive.
That's why I used you.
You're even better than I was.
I wanted to be on top again.
He thinks you're better than he was.
That's why he used you.
But I've hurt enough people, so I'm out of here.
You're on your own.
He's gonna cross over.
He wants you to know that you're on your own.
What if I can't do this without him? Tell him he never needed me.
I needed you.
He says that you never needed him.
He needed you.
He wants you to trust what you know.
I'm not sure what I know anymore.
Justin Trust him, like I should have.
Let him guide you.
There's nobody better than him.
Trust him.
Need you to warm up.
I don't know if I can play, Coach.
I don't care if you walk the first 10 batters.
I want you out there.
Come on.
Batting eighth and doing the catching, number 12.
And batting ninth, number 21, pitcher Justin Cotter.
Come on now, Justin.
Settle down.
- Where's Matt? - I don't know.
I don't think he crossed over.
Having him pitch tonight might not have been such a good idea.
I knew this would happen.
He thinks I'm out there.
He's mixed up.
He doesn't know the difference between what I did to him and just being scared.
He's forgotten how to be afraid.
Justin, he's not out there.
He's right here.
I can't do this.
Stop thinking with your head.
Think with your arm.
He wants you to stop thinking with your head.
Think with your arm.
- Justin - What, man? I'm on your team.
We all are.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
I'm okay.
Coach told us you're the reason he's back.
Let's win this.
You know Tell Matt I'll do that.
Go get 'em.
Yeah, I see it.
Is that the light? I can't see it.
It's for you.
Do I just walk into it? Yeah.
Hey, do you think the Babe is in there, or Mantle or Cy Young? Sorry, I don't have a program.
You know what? I bet they are.
Hey, one more thing.
Tell Jackie boy I'm sorry, and tell Justin, throw for the corners.
Is he here? No, he crossed over, but he wanted me to tell you that he's sorry, and tell Justin to throw for the corners.
That's what I always used to tell him to do.
- Play ball! - Hey, good luck.
So Justin pitching.
- Yeah.
- Got any help? Eight other players.
Come on.
Batter up! Yes! Yes! - All right, kid.
- All right, Justin! Throw for the corners.
Go, Justin! Oh, and it's going, going Gone.
Home run.
There he goes, the proud champion.
My first and only home run.
Well, the inning isn't over yet.
Wait, there's a ghost in the house? Never mind.
No, do not follow me.
- Do not follow me.
- I'm following you.
There won't be no home run for you today.
- Come on.
- No Get off of me! Stop!
I'm married.
I live in a small town, and I own an antique shop.
I might be just like you.
Except that from the time I was a little girl, I knew that I could talk to the dead.
It's all right, honey.
Earthbound spirits, my grandmother called them.
They're stuck here because they have unfinished business with the living.
And they come to me for help.
In order to tell you my story, I have to tell you theirs.
- Fifteen strikeouts.
Unbelievable.
- Isn't that what he's supposed to do? - In one game? - It's very good.
All right.
What do I know, I played field hockey.
You know, maybe it's not too late for me to go pro.
I was a great third basemen.
I didn't know you played baseball in high school.
I didn't.
Little League.
I played a lot of years though, huh.
But I was 12 when I hit my first home run.
I can still remember the pitch.
It was a low fastball, it was right over the middle of the plate, and I golfed it, you know, right over the center-field fence.
Nice.
I can still hear my parents screaming.
You know what, I would have loved to have seen that.
You can.
Actually, my dad took a video.
- Oh, I so wanna see that.
- No, no.
Unbelievable.
- You'll never see that again.
- That's incredible.
Wait.
We have to find out if your mom still has the videotape of you getting your first home run.
Oh, she's got it.
I swear sometimes when I call her, I can hear it playing in the background.
What I want to know is, does she still have my baseball cards.
Wait here.
Hey, sorry.
I'm an EMT.
- Justin, you all right? - Justin? You know what? - Is he okay? - Yeah.
Justin, you all right? Are you all right? Yes, I think so.
Can you see us? He collapsed on the field.
He was having respiratory problems.
He didn't lose consciousness.
He was awake, responsive.
- Let's move.
- How is he? He's a little woozy, but there's no sign of trauma.
His nose stopped bleeding.
We should go to the hospital.
Why? He's up.
He's talking.
I did everything I could.
Yeah, but I haven't.
So the stadium lights, was that some kind of a warning? It felt like it.
Hey, if you see a ghost in here, tell me.
How? There's gonna be people around.
- Just give me a signal.
- Like what? You want me to whistle? No.
Like a baseball sign.
The first two mean nothing.
This, hit and run.
Don't tempt me.
Why? All right.
Really.
All I wanna know is how the ghosts are affecting people, you know, so just do something simple.
Okay.
- What's that sign for? - All right.
Hi, Coach.
Don't mean to bother you, we just thought we'd stop by and see if Justin's okay.
We're still waiting.
Sorry we didn't get a chance to meet back at the school.
It was a little crazy.
I'm John Heath.
Jim Clancy.
This is my wife Melinda.
- Hi.
- And I'm Justin's mom, Traci.
Thank you so much for your help.
It was really scary.
I think I'm still shaking.
I'm sure he'll be okay.
I hope so.
He's worked so hard for this.
Excuse me, I think I'm gonna go check again.
I hate this waiting.
How was he when they brought him in? Much better.
He was telling everybody he wanted to go home.
I had to tell him to shut up and get his butt back in the room.
- Is his dad in there with him? - No, his dad passed away.
That's too bad.
It's too bad he can't see how well his son is doing.
Yeah.
Yeah, he's He's doing very well.
Hey, is this the first year you're coaching at Grandview? Second.
I was in Chicago before.
But I got a chance to come back home, I jumped at it.
I was born and raised right here in Grandview.
There's nothing wrong with me.
They didn't find anything.
The tests are negative.
It probably was a sudden drop of blood pressure, maybe from the exertion of the game.
He should just take it easy for a day.
Thank you, Doctor.
- Okay, you're sure you're all right? - Yeah.
He'll be good.
He's gonna be good.
Thanks a lot.
- So what? No ghost? - "Just give me a signal.
" I signaled you five times.
This whole thing.
- What's that? This is the signal.
- I'll give you a signal.
What is it that you wanted me to do? Give you a sign before the sign.
How about I sing Some Enchanted Evening or do a cartwheel down the hall, 'cause you wouldn't have missed that.
Okay, I'm sorry.
- Well, was he with anybody? - I don't know.
He was all over the place, but when he saw the coach, he was mad.
Do you think the ghost is attached to the coach? Well, maybe.
But I don't think Justin collapsed from exhaustion.
That's why they couldn't find anything wrong.
No medical report is going to pick out a ghost.
Get down! You all right? Are you okay? How do I explain three broken windows to our insurance agent? It's vandalism.
Let's just hope they don't ask whether the vandal is dead or alive.
You know, it's times like this I wish I could see them.
- Why? - Why? So I could say, "Look, pal, "what the hell do you think you're doing?" Confrontation.
Not the best way to deal with the dead.
He's got no problem confronting you or us.
He just feels threatened.
Wait.
He breaks our windows and he feels threatened? You know Look, this is what I'm talking about.
It's frustrating when the dead can do more than I can.
This ghost wants to hurt Justin or the coach, I don't know.
But what I do know is that he's mad as hell, and he doesn't want me messing with him.
And he wants to raise our deductible.
Okay, now I know two things.
- I just wish I could do more.
- You do a lot.
And this ghost Well, he can't do what you're thinking about right now.
Works for me.
It was made about 1940.
Turn the switch once, and the lamp comes on, and then you turn it again, and the skirt moves and makes it look like she's hula dancing.
Thanks.
Yeah.
I guess everyone in town is cleaning out their closets.
Well, it's for a good cause.
I actually found stuff I thought I gave away a long time ago.
- Hey, you going to the game tonight? - Are you kidding me? Jim would rather miss his own funeral than the big playoff game.
Well, you better get there early, because everybody I know is going.
I'll see you at the game.
All right.
But whoever gets there first has to save seats.
Hey, you okay, lady? Wait, wait.
You think Grandview High School is haunted? It is a high school.
And I know a few unresolved issues that would keep me from crossing over.
But you didn't actually see a ghost there, did you? No, not yet, but I think there was a ghost there that definitely wanted me to stay away.
Sorry about that.
There's gotta be a rational explanation, you know, sewage gas, mutant cockroaches.
If I ever see a mutant cockroach, you have to deal with it.
I'm your man.
- I'm tired of it being all about him.
- You don't think we're all like that? Yeah, but I'm only 60 feet away.
At least you're in left field.
What're you doing? What do you want with him? Him? - Justin - Stay away from him.
- I know who you are! Matt Vonner! - No! Justin, don't do this! Matt.
- No.
- Who are you? Justin, what the hell are you doing? - Hey, what's going on? - Stay out of this.
I want to know what was going on! - She broke it, okay.
Get off me.
- Don't you walk away.
Yo, just keep her away from me! You stop right now, or you're gonna be on the bench for Saturday's game! You know, I'm the only reason we're in the playoffs.
And you know that.
If I don't play, you'll lose.
Watch your mouth, kid.
You know, I made it, Jackie boy, and you didn't.
But you never were good enough and you know that.
- Are you okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
I saw what happened.
I understand if you want to press charges.
I don't.
He wasn't himself.
Look, I'm gonna have to report this.
I don't know what's going on with him lately, but he's out of control.
I need to know what happened.
I don't know.
It all happened so fast.
It's probably something I said to him.
Look, I don't care what kind of pressure a kid is under, there is no excuse for this.
Yeah, I really have to think about this.
I'm sorry.
I have to go.
Got a buyer for the fishing lures.
That's the Crazy Crawler.
Made by Heddon in 1944.
The other one's the Wotta Frog, made by Paw Paw about 1942.
- Who's it for? - My husband.
He's a collector.
Oh, well.
If you really want to be a hero, the Vampire.
It's extremely rare.
Made in 1924.
No, I'm sorry, 1923.
Oh, my goodness.
I am never bringing my husband in here.
You are the wife he always dreamed of, and I kept telling him you don't exist.
Mel.
Look, I just heard what happened.
I'm trying to stay calm.
- Okay, Jim - No, but I'm gonna tear his head off! Jim.
Back room, please.
Thanks.
- Hi.
- Hi.
It wasn't Justin.
It was Matt Vonner.
Well, who the hell is Matt Vonner? All right, so it's Matt Vonner.
I'll tear his head off.
Too late.
He's already dead.
He's the ghost.
Wait a minute.
Matt Vonner, the baseball player? Yeah, he was the one that I saw at the game the other night.
He was also there today.
He's haunting Justin, not the coach.
And Justin has no idea what happened to him.
All right.
And the question is, if I punch Justin hard enough, will Matt Vonner, the ghost, feel it? Not helping.
Honey, just tell me first, okay, so I don't hear it from Bob at the station, who heard it from his brother, Harry, who heard it from his kid who plays catcher.
What? Okay, my bad, but when I realized who the ghost was Matt Vonner.
He graduated from Grandview in '90.
And signed with the Chicago Cubs the same year.
He spent a year in the minor leagues then got traded to the White Sox.
He won Rookie of the Year and came in second for the Sid Young award three times.
- "Sid"? - Yeah.
That's an award they give out for pitching.
And you thought I didn't know anything about baseball.
Cy.
Cy Young.
He was an old pitcher a long time ago.
Oh, Sid, Cy, whatever.
You know, I remember reading about this guy.
Now, he was amazing, and then he just went downhill.
I don't know what happened.
Was it drugs or gambling or something? Wow.
I remember how surprised people were.
He just fell apart.
But why would he want to haunt Justin? I don't know.
You know, Justin's been recruited by, like, five Major League teams, I mean, the A's, the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Braves.
Maybe he wants to hurt Justin so Justin can't make the bigs.
- "Bigs"? - Majors.
Makes sense.
That is a possibility, but either way, I have to let Justin know what's happening to him.
All right, but with me this time, okay? Oh, I'm so sorry.
Do we have any Noguchi lamps? Duty calls.
We will talk some more about the mutant cockroaches later.
Yeah, and I'll get you that chemical bug spray.
Great.
You guys have your own code.
That's so cute.
My mom saved the video.
All 14 hours.
Ready for a Jim marathon? - Is that really you? - Come on.
Can't you tell? Look at the pecs.
That kid is cut.
What is all this? My mother is the greatest living human being on Earth.
She saved all my baseball stuff, everything.
And look at this.
These are the cards my dad collected when he was a kid.
I mean, look at these names Mantle, Mays, Koufax, Clemente.
That's Reggie Jackson.
I saw him play once.
My dad took me.
We had seats right behind home plate.
That day, Reggie hit four home runs.
It's the truth.
That was the last game my dad and I ever went to together.
It's weird.
Here it is.
I think I hit a double here in this one.
Maybe it's the next pitch.
Now I know why they call it a double.
Hey.
I came here I came here to say I'm sorry.
- I don't know why I did what I did.
- Come in.
You got to be kidding me.
- You come into our house? - Jim Look, I said I was sorry.
I feel really bad about it.
- I just need to talk to you.
- I need to talk to you, too.
- Can you get us some drinks? - Yeah.
Hey, I'll be in the kitchen, you know, the next room.
Did your coach ask you to come here? No, my mom.
Coach suspended me.
I need you to talk to him for me.
I can't be suspended.
And none of this is what you think it is.
I don't take anything.
No drugs, nothing.
I know I get nosebleeds, which is, like, a sign of it, I know, but I'm not on anything.
I work my ass off every day.
I've been doing this since I was five, and everybody thinks that I'm on something, but I'm not.
- I mean, we get tested - Look, I'm not the steroid police.
Well, isn't that why you've been following me around? You've got a different problem.
Okay, you don't understand.
This is all I've ever wanted to do.
It's the one thing I've always been good at.
It's the only thing that's made my dad proud of me.
What happens when you go out to play on the field, when you start to pitch? Do you feel anything different? I don't know.
I just I feel like I can't lose.
I feel stronger.
- It's kind of hard to describe.
- Do you know who Matt Vonner is? Of course, yeah.
Everybody does.
When you're out on that field, it's him.
What? I don't know what you mean.
Matt Vonner's dead.
Justin, it's his spirit.
A ghost? You're telling me that there's a ghost out on the field with me? No, not with you.
In you.
That's why you've been having the nosebleeds.
He's using you.
When I'm pitching.
That's what you think.
It doesn't mean that you're not good, but he is controlling you when you're out there.
- You're lying.
- No, I'm not, and you know it.
Deep inside, you know it.
We have to get rid of him.
No, it is me out there.
It's not him.
It's not anything else.
It's me.
He's gonna hurt you.
Even if what you say is true, he's making me great.
Do you think I want to give that up? Do you think I can give that up? I am better than I've ever been, and even if I knew how to change that, I wouldn't want to.
Justin Justin! - Leave him alone.
- Mel? I'm gonna win again and I'm gonna be great again.
Justin is the best player to come through here since me.
I'm taking him all the way.
Justin isn't playing.
Is that what you want? The coach? That's the son of a bitch who killed me.
He killed me! Melinda.
- You okay? - Yeah, you? They reversed your decision? How can they do that? They're the school board.
It's what they do.
They do what they want, and they didn't reverse it.
They just won't approve my decision until they review the charges next week, which really just means they're gonna make sure Justin pitches in Saturday's championship game.
- Does Justin know that? - Beats me.
I'm not the coach anymore.
What? I told them if Justin played, I wouldn't coach.
They agreed.
- Oh, I'm so sorry.
- That's okay.
Not as much fun as it used to be, anyway.
Used to be about playing.
Now it's about winning.
And I don't know what's happened to Justin.
I mean, he was like my own kid.
Every day I would work with him, and now, the last four months, it's like I don't even know who he is anymore.
Hey, I wonder what happened to coach.
I hear he got fired.
Anybody know why? Maybe he made a bad decision.
You're the one that shouldn't be out there.
Then why don't you do something about it? None of us want to be out there if he pitches! Why don't you tell us how the coach got fired, Justin? Hey, hey, hey, cut it out! - Break it up! - Chill out, man! - Move back.
- Justin, man.
Justin, take a walk.
What the hell happened to you, man? I need to talk to you about something.
Someone.
Someone I know? Matt Vonner.
Well, we grew up together, played on the same teams, but Matt was always the big deal, a lot like Justin is now.
Were you with him when he died? - Yeah, why? - He blames you.
- What do you mean? - He says you killed him.
He says I killed him? Look, it was Matt that grabbed me that day at school, not Justin.
Okay.
You're gonna have to catch me up a little here.
- You saw Matt Vonner? - Yes.
You know he's dead.
I know how it sounds, but Matt's spirit is still here, and that's why Justin is pitching so well, and he knows it.
- You know what's weird? - What? He's been in my dreams lately, Matt, and the accident.
Tell me what happened that night.
We both got drafted the same year right out of high school.
Matt went straight to the bigs, and I spent eight years in the minors.
Then one day, I got called up.
I was beyond excited, playing in the bigs alongside my best friend.
Flew into Chicago.
Took a cab ride over to his place.
I mean, he wanted to be the one to bring me to my first game, and he had a lot of problems by then, but he was ready for his comeback.
Then on the ride over to the stadium - This is what it's about! - This is really it.
- I'm going to the bigs.
- You're going to the show, baby.
You're going to the show.
Jesus! Matt was killed, and that was the end of it for me, too.
If this is real, why would he be doing this? I think that he's trying to give himself another chance by using Justin.
It's like you said, everything is about winning, even in death.
I don't really believe in anything too much.
I pray when I get on the plane, that's about it, but if Matt really is still here and he's doing this to Justin, he's messing up a good kid.
Tell me what I need to do.
Can you talk to Justin? He's afraid that he'll fail without Matt.
This is the biggest game of his entire life.
He's got scouts from six different Major League teams looking at him.
I mean, what am I gonna tell him, "Don't pitch"? Well, then maybe you should talk to Matt.
Justin.
What are you doing here? I want you to tell me what happens when you come out here.
We're trying to figure out what's going on.
- You believe her? - Justin, you can stop this.
You know, I'm sorry about what happened to you, but that's your fault, not mine, 'cause she shouldn't have come near me.
I had nothing to do with her.
He's behind you.
Justin, don't let him Matt Matt, don't do this.
Oh, my God.
Jackie boy.
You know, I really wish you were catching for me tonight.
Be like old times.
You're too old now, man.
You're not gonna pitch tonight.
I'm not gonna let it happen.
Just get away from him.
Go! You're gonna ruin him just like you ruined yourself.
Run, Justin! Run! Where the hell is he? To your right.
I'm gonna tell you something I should've told you 10 years ago.
You were a damn good pitcher, Matt, but you weren't that much better than anyone else.
You just thought you were, because of what you did to yourself.
I remember that one game when you shot up.
We were right here in Grandview.
You said it was just once, just to see if it would help give you an edge, get us into the playoffs, and you got us in, I guess, but I never really felt right about it.
I never felt like we really won that game.
Everybody else always remembers what a great game it was.
Not me.
Then you'd jack yourself up another time and another time, and somewhere in there, you just You forgot how to play the game without it.
You didn't just kill yourself, Matt.
- You killed the game.
- He can't talk to me like this.
He's the reason I'm dead.
He thinks that you're responsible for his death.
You're wrong, Matt.
You were driving, not me.
You were so jacked up that night, you didn't know what was going on.
I didn't know what to say.
It was my first game, my big chance.
You don't know what it takes to survive up here.
You don't know.
Okay, fine.
I don't know.
Thought I'd do you a favor by giving you a ride to the game.
Matt, just drop it.
You want to know something? If it wasn't for me asking for you, they never would've called you up.
What? Yeah, I thought you'd be my good luck charm, you know, like the way it used to be, but if you think you can compete in the bigs without doing what I do, you're gonna be catching washouts in Little Rock by next weekend.
The last thing you said to me was, "Get with the program, Jackie boy, or be happy" riding pine.
No! Don't leave me.
Don't leave me here.
He saved himself and left me to die.
Tell him I know what he did.
I'm not gonna tell him that.
I tried to save that son of a bitch.
It cost me my career.
- Coach said he tried to save you.
- He's a liar.
Said it cost him his career.
I saw something.
I remember something.
Because of what you were on, you weren't clear.
You have to see what really happened now, Matt, and you can do that now.
You can see what you did.
Don't leave me here, Jackie.
Don't leave me here.
Come on.
Come on, I got you.
Matt! Matt Matt! Come on! Stay with me! No! How could I not have remembered that? You were thinking only of what happened to you.
You were so focused on your own pain that you couldn't even see your friend was trying to save you.
- I was dying.
- You were dead, Matt.
You denied everything you did wrong.
He lost it all because of me.
How do I change it? The only thing you can do now is make it right.
Coach doesn't want anything from you, and Justin, the way you make it right with him is by letting him go.
- I hit him.
I hit Coach.
- You didn't.
Yeah, I did.
I felt it.
It was my hand.
I mean, he was always there for me.
How could I do that to him? He knows that it wasn't you.
That it was Matt, and Matt's here right now.
It's okay.
He just wants to talk.
Tell him I was afraid, afraid of not being anyone anymore.
He wants you to know that he was afraid.
I just wanted to play the game again, to pitch again.
That's when I felt the most alive.
That's why I used you.
You're even better than I was.
I wanted to be on top again.
He thinks you're better than he was.
That's why he used you.
But I've hurt enough people, so I'm out of here.
You're on your own.
He's gonna cross over.
He wants you to know that you're on your own.
What if I can't do this without him? Tell him he never needed me.
I needed you.
He says that you never needed him.
He needed you.
He wants you to trust what you know.
I'm not sure what I know anymore.
Justin Trust him, like I should have.
Let him guide you.
There's nobody better than him.
Trust him.
Need you to warm up.
I don't know if I can play, Coach.
I don't care if you walk the first 10 batters.
I want you out there.
Come on.
Batting eighth and doing the catching, number 12.
And batting ninth, number 21, pitcher Justin Cotter.
Come on now, Justin.
Settle down.
- Where's Matt? - I don't know.
I don't think he crossed over.
Having him pitch tonight might not have been such a good idea.
I knew this would happen.
He thinks I'm out there.
He's mixed up.
He doesn't know the difference between what I did to him and just being scared.
He's forgotten how to be afraid.
Justin, he's not out there.
He's right here.
I can't do this.
Stop thinking with your head.
Think with your arm.
He wants you to stop thinking with your head.
Think with your arm.
- Justin - What, man? I'm on your team.
We all are.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
I'm okay.
Coach told us you're the reason he's back.
Let's win this.
You know Tell Matt I'll do that.
Go get 'em.
Yeah, I see it.
Is that the light? I can't see it.
It's for you.
Do I just walk into it? Yeah.
Hey, do you think the Babe is in there, or Mantle or Cy Young? Sorry, I don't have a program.
You know what? I bet they are.
Hey, one more thing.
Tell Jackie boy I'm sorry, and tell Justin, throw for the corners.
Is he here? No, he crossed over, but he wanted me to tell you that he's sorry, and tell Justin to throw for the corners.
That's what I always used to tell him to do.
- Play ball! - Hey, good luck.
So Justin pitching.
- Yeah.
- Got any help? Eight other players.
Come on.
Batter up! Yes! Yes! - All right, kid.
- All right, Justin! Throw for the corners.
Go, Justin! Oh, and it's going, going Gone.
Home run.
There he goes, the proud champion.
My first and only home run.
Well, the inning isn't over yet.
Wait, there's a ghost in the house? Never mind.
No, do not follow me.
- Do not follow me.
- I'm following you.
There won't be no home run for you today.
- Come on.
- No Get off of me! Stop!