Labor Day came early, September 2nd. The Champs were in Detroit, and Renee was in New York, where she appeared on a late night TV show. She threw peanuts to the studio audience and fed straight lines to the smart-aleck host. Two nights later she was interviewed on a "serious" show, one in which famous network journalists probed the ugly underside of big time big money professional sports.

That's what Mike meant when he said that Steve Carnivore would take it to a whole new level. Mike saw the big picture better than me, and when I met with Pete and Goldie every day he now sat in with us. That was the biggest change that resulted from the trade. Officially he remained in Box Office, with Millie Nicastro, but he now became part of my inner circle.

Our players stuck with the psychic theme, and Peeler Fitch kept on saying our psychics are better than their psychics. This was in keeping with the ballplayer's credo: Don't change nothing if you're winning.

Our fans continued to shout "Trust me" every time Bernie Weible gave them the opportunity to do so, and they cheered Renee every time we flashed her image on the giant screen in center field. Which we did to let the fans know where she was, give people in her vicinity the chance to get up on their feet and try to spot her.

With Shane winning every game he pitched, the story just wouldn't go away. The most famous trade in baseball history, and it eclipsed all other baseball news in September.

The designer vending outfit was rushed to market in record time and was an instant hit, outselling all other MLB merchandise, even in National League cities. My grandchildren came to the park in mid-September, and Mike brought them up to see me and Goldie and Pete in the fifth inning. Jordan was wearing a Shane London Red Sox jersey, and Amber was wearing a vendor costume.

I still hadn't researched the subject of grandfatherly activities and had not come up with anything better than the zoo idea. But it was time to get the ball rolling. Opportunities like this were rare. We were all so busy with the ballclub that I seldom saw Mike's kids.

Mike told us they'd seen Renee, and Goldie asked the kids how they liked her.

Jordan said she was okay, but Amber said "Oh, she's awesome! She's even more awesome in person than she is on TV!"

I wondered how to bring up the zoo.

Pete and Goldie told Amber she looked as pretty as Renee, complimented her on her vending duds. "You look ready to throw a few sacks of goobers yourself," said Pete.

"Goopers?" said Jordan.

"Goobers," said Amber. "Peanuts, you dumb-dumb."

What I envisioned was a Norman Rockwell moment, me and my grandchildren gathered together in my skybox and making plans to go to the world-famous Central City Zoo.

"She can do it all!" said Amber. "Even overhand! And she never misses!"

"But Amber," said Mike. "She throws like a girl!"

A father-daughter joke.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "So what?"

Goldie teased Jordan about his Red Sox jersey. "Have you given up on the Champs?"

"No," he said. "But you should trade Renee back to Boston, Uncle John. Then we could get Shane again."

"No way," said Amber. "No way Ho zay. Renee rules!"

"Shane rules," shouted Jordan.

"Renee forever! Renee forever! Renee Renee Renee!"

"Shane forever! Shane Shane Shane!"

I admitted defeat to myself at that point, even said it: "Amber. I bet you wouldn't have any interest in going to the zoo now, would you?"

She looked at me as if I came from outer space. They all did. "The zoo?" she asked. "What zoo?"

The Norman Rockwell age was over long long ago.

Then she told me she got Renee's autograph.

"You did?" I asked. "How did you manage that?"

"She stopped and talked to us," said Amber. "She visited with us! Even though she was real real busy."

"She came over to talk to Dad," said Jordan. "He's her boss."

"She even talked to Holly," said Amber. "And Mom told me to ask her for her autograph so I did."

"I have Shane's autograph," said Jordan.

"But you had to pay for it," she said. "I got Renee's autograph for free."

"Well, hang on to both of them," I said. "It looks like they're both going up in value."

"You got that right," said Pete.

"Renee's might be a little better right now," said Goldie.

"Correct," said Mike. "She's the hottest name in MLB right now. And we're taking her on the road next week."

"Oh?" said Pete.

"When we're on the road?" asked Goldie.

He had already told me about it. "Something he's cooked up with Steve Carnivore," I said.

"Renee's going to San Diego, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Detroit," said Mike.

"Cities with attendance problems," said Pete.

"She'll be a guest vendor?" asked Goldie.

"That's right," said Mike.

"Well Goldie," said Pete. "You know what Mike O'Ryan says, don't you?"

"Exploit this to the max," said Goldie. "To the max."