Twins at Kansas City. Twins 7, Royals 4.
At game time, Batgirl called Team Batgirl and the BatKitties together for a very special announcement. "Things have been a bit rough around here," she said, "what with the Twins' offensive problems, the BatKitty blackheads, and Batkitty #1's steroid violation, and I just wanted to say it's okay now. I'm going to carry Team Batgirl on my back. It's Batgirl Time!"
Jeb, Goober, Sooz, and the Batkitties exchanged glances, then Jeb said, "Huh?"
"It's Batgirl time!" Batgirl insisted. "You know how Jose Lima always says it's Lima Time? And you know how that inspires the Royals really to be the best they can be?"
"Um…" said Jeb. "No, not really."
"Well, okay," Batgirl said, scowling. "If you're going to be that way. Sure, the Royals have had it a little rough. Sure, they wear sleeveless pixie shirts. But I think Jose Lima has been a real comfort to them. That's part of what it means to have Lima Time, you know. It's not all about pitching well or getting batters out or having your natural hair color. Lima Time is about coming together as a team despite adversity, it's about growing as people when times are tough, it's about giving your teammates a shoulder to cry on when they lose 17 games in a row, it's about helping them look themselves in the mirror and say, 'Just because I play for one of the worst baseball teams since the invention of BakBall and we are the laughing stocks of the American League doesn't mean I'm going to be down about it! I'm going to go to the park and try my best and no matter what happens I'm going to hold my head high, for I have Jose Lima on my team, and after the game we will all hold hands and together we will chant at the top of our lungs, THANK YOU LIMA TIME!"
"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works," Sooz said mildly.
"Yes, it is! Lima Time is about the smile of a child, the smell of a newborn baby, the neon in young lovers' eyes. Lima Time is about rainbows and daffodils and fairies. Lima Time is about the indomitable human spirit, about joy and laughter, Lima Time is inside all of us, if we only look carefully enough."
"Um, Batgirl?" said Goober, coughing slightly.
"What?"
"That's not what Lima Time is about, Batgirl. Lima Time is about slowly losing your composure. Lima Time is about hurling the ball at Lew Ford after he attempts a bunt. Lima Time is about ERAs over six, nineteen game losing streaks, about putting a bunch of runners on base then sitting in the dugout and watching Jimmy "Gobble" Gobble serve up a gopher ball to Justin Morneau while your roots grow out. Lima Time is about driving your poor fans to despair, about the tragic, epic sucking time of a noble organization. That's what Lima Time's all about, Batgirl."
"Oh." Batgirl frowned. "Really?"
As one, Goober, Sooz, Jeb, and the Batkitties nodded.
"Well," said Batgirl. "Never mind then."