At the Maternity Ward, you sneak out... Exclaim "Put me in Coach... I'm ready to play, today.. Put me in Coach.. I'm ready to play.. Look at me, I can be centerfield".....
But of course you're in Centerfield.. you're a basket catch, the original Bonus Baby! An age where one is frequently caught napping.. mom or dad detects a whiff.. uh oh, gas.. time to be lifted out of the bandbox they've cooped you up in to change your uniform..
Ya gotta walk before you run and put those wheels in motion. WHAT? Mom's got one on deck? A few years later, anudder batting third? You're stuck in the Minors for awhile.. Ya move from Velcro to the next step, being able to make shoestring catches... you become Mom's utility player.. the table setter.. also assuring the younger ones don't walk-off.. or, that neither of 'em tries a twin killing..
You gradjugate to REAL food.. Yum.. meatballs.. high cheese from the highchair.. nibbles.. Jam... .. stokes one's appreciation for all the dish has to offer, ah, the sweet spot.
Sometimes baby brother, affectionately known as the cutoff man, tries to steal one too many cookies.. mom gets him in a rundown... nice catch, she's got him by the collar... to the dugout he is destined.. it is hoped, mom doesn't tell dad (the designated hitter) of this bush league attempt and he's hopefully not plunked.
The growing up season finally begins.. Spring is here, Spring training.. oodles and oodles of games, practice, hot box, pepper in the backyard. Once, middle brother hit a moon shot over the fence into the opposite field (cranky lady's backyard that lives next door)...you'll never get it back.. a "no no" she said... so, kinda like a rain out, off day.. the game is delayed until you get enough pop bottles gathered, sold, to buy a brand new ball.
Uncle Charlie's come to visit, mom's given the ok and the starting lineup to take the field.. Uncle arrives, sits on the back porch GA, discovers ducks on the pond.
Mom's cooking, but has one eye, one ear on the ruckus out back..."OUT!".. "NOPE,. I WAS SAFE!".. "WAS NOT".. "WERE TOO!".. hearing the beginning of this rhubarb, she opens the bullpen gate, shouts "Dinner is ready from the hot stove!".. sometimes ya gotta sacrifice... and the kids (and Unc) comea running.. "Hey, let's play two after dinner." Agreed. Life is good.
Year after year, first day of the minor league season (School), mom snaps our picture on the front porch... when the day comes we will finally make it to The Show.. The Senior Circuit.. she will embarrassingly, but lovingly, publish all twelve years of 'baseball cards' on Facebook for likes, loves and comments from fans..
Over the years, I've collected, written down some of my favorite sayings from Mom (The manager)... oh, and dad too (the bench coach):
"Ya gotta believe".. "We are family"..."Defeat isn't bitter if you don't swallow it.": "To hit .300, you still fail 7 out of 10 times at-bat."... "Make good habits and they will make you.".."I can't do it" never yet accomplished anything - "I will try" has performed miracles."... "Hit hard, run fast, turn left."
Plagiarism:
"My wife tells me one day, 'I think you love baseball more than me.' I say, 'Well, I guess that's true, but hey, I love you more than football and hockey." Tommy Lasorda
"There's no crying in baseball." Forrest Gump, I think.
"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America better learn baseball." Rogers Hornsby
"From baseball I've gained much/many... friends (even a spouse), holes in the knees of my jeans when I was a kid.. broken fingers, stitches, 'strawberries', torn hamstring after hamstring.. holler to and from when I played and umpired (two quick umpire stories.. once, a kid - 9 maybe, got hit by a pitch on his hands.. he limped to first base... and second, a parent heckler yelled and yelled and yelled.. finally came down RIGHT behind the backstop, then yelled "Just HOW do you call balls and strikes?".. "Well sir (I said loud enough for Northern Clay County to hear) first, I DON'T umpire with liquor on my breath." He no bother me any more that game.)... Baseball likens life (or, as Yogi said, 'You can observe a lot just by watching,') To me there are many wonderful things in life on Earth.. among them, (alphabetically).. Baseball, Dogs, God, Mates." Baseball been very bery bery good to me, and Ray."
Victurd
No comments:
Post a Comment