Plot

A semipro baseball hero in Gary, Indiana turns down a contract with the New York Yankees to stay home and do what he really loves: fix cars. but much to the chagrin of his family and friends, his generosity often gets the best of him.

Dale Barrett is to steelworkers in Gary, Indiana, what Hawkeye Pierce was to injured soldiers in the Korean War. He's the mechanic who can fix any car. When their car breaks down, people bring their car to him, often after other repair shops couldn't figure out what the problem was. By this time, they don't care what it costs, they say "Just fix it!" While he often could charge an exorbitant amount, he often repairs cars for little or no money, instead trusting people to pay what they can, when they can. Dale and his partner, Wilbur Holland are just about to close up the shop to go play softball when the buzzer rings from outside the shop, indicating a new customer. A desperate female voice cries for help. After a short debate, Dale and Wilbur open the service bay door to find Janie Crawford, attractive, mid 30's in a waitress uniform standing crying beside a broken-down pickup. Dale instantly knows it was the town's unscrupulous used car salesman who sold it to her. Dale sets out to fix her car and her situation and finds more than he could have ever dreamed: an unlikely partner in life and in his business who counts every penny and holds him accountable.—The writer