| The boys of summer. |
I can still remember the smells of the ball field, the way a new glove fit, the feel of a brand new hat on my head. As I imitated the batting stances of all my favorite players (most of whom now have admitted to using performance enhancing drugs) I couldn't wait until I got older and could play like the big leaguers did. Looking back, I had several very curious choices for baseball heroes. Chris Sabo was a Rec-Spec wearing nerdy looking third baseman for the Reds whose pre-pitch routine I practiced in the backyard. Sabo's teammate Eric Davis had an extremely unorthodox stance which I thought would work just as well for me in coach pitch, it didn't. But my first and most memorable hero was Jose Canseco. When I first got into baseball I collected all of his cards, had posters, a jersey, the Starting Lineup figure, the works. The way that he crushed the ball was amazing to me and I was amazed that a mere mortal was capable of such power. Don't laugh at me here, how many of you thought Jose was on the juice back then?! I didn't even know such things existed. My life was so simple and so care free. Innocence truly was bliss.
My nephew Zac just made the baseball team at Seigel Middle School in Murfreesboro, TN last week and I am very proud of him. He has developed alot faster than I did, judging merely by the fact that at 11 years old he looks me at eye level and he wears a shoe a half size bigger than me. Hearing about Zac's accomplishment made me reflect back to the days when I was learning the game. I used to love the beginning of each new season. Dad and I would go to Agee's sporting goods and get my stirrups, socks, pants, belt and hat. The hat was always my favorite part. I will never forget the year I convinced dad to upgrade me from the standard plastic adjustable strap hat to the "BIG LEAGUE FITTED" hat. It still makes me smile to think about that day. Now kids don't even know what adjustable hats are. Second to the day we got our jersey's handed out at practice, going to Agee's was always a highlight of the Spring for me.
Now my life is a bit more complex. The curveballs that you get in life are a bit tougher to hit than the ones I used to face as a 12 year old. Two of my favorite distractions to reality are working out and playing competitive sports (of any nature). Whether its intramural basketball with some other "Has-Been's" (btw that is our team name), cornhole tournaments, a day of golf or anything else with a score...I want to win. I credit some of this simply to being a man but mostly to the fact that it keeps me feeling young. Putting myself in a position where winning or losing depends on my performance excites me. Just like that game I struck out with bases loaded and 3 outs in the last inning, competition keeps me motivated. I just got done playing on a rec league softball team with some guys from my high school baseball team. We won the championship but that doesn't matter*. Every night as I got to the ball field I couldn't help but notice the kids on the fields around us in their socks (apparently stirrups are out), pants, belts, and fitted hats trying to act like their favorite major leaguers. I wanted to go over the intercom every night and address the kids to tell them to enjoy this time because some day you will be like me playing slow pitch softball to prove to yourself that you can still do what you did back when your biggest worry was whether to get a fitted or adjustable hat.
Recently I have noticed that kids these days are worried about designer sunglasses and bats that cost as much as my first car did. I am jealous of those kids having the time of their lives and not even realizing it. I wish everyone could have the experience of playing ball that I had growing up. I don't understand when some parents act as if their child might not get called up to the big leagues anymore after an error on a field that has a rollout mound and 60 foot base paths. If there are 12 errors in a game, people are probably not watching for quality's sake. These kids are making memories that they will recreate for the rest of their lives, let them be good memories. Also, another thing that I don't get is not keeping score. The leagues that do this are much different from the designer sunglass leagues. I understand the premise of learning the rules but if you don't keep score in a game, no one can win. True no one can lose, but is that a good life lesson? Things do not go your way all the time in life. As the saying goes, "You win some, you lose some" but that is only true if there is an outcome. Some of the best lessons in life are learned playing youth sports. Teamwork, integrity, resilience, determination, hard work, but most of all how to have fun.
I still have a dream of owning my own sporting goods store when I retire. I want to have a place like Mr. Agee. I want kids to be able to come in and have lifelong memories made picking out gear for their baseball seasons. I look forward to watching Zac as he begins middle school ball. I hope that he cherishes these years learning more about himself and the game that played such a big part of my life for many years. I know I'll never be able to go back to McKnight Field as a player but I am thankful for the years I spent on those fields. I am also thankful that they built a new complex down the road so that I can continue my storied career alongside some other guys that used to get as excited for post game Capri-suns as I did. Good luck Zac! Enjoy it buddy, softball is not too far away!
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| The has-beens of summer. |
*It does matter
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