Transcending Time

To say I am a huge baseball fan is an understatement. I think for the true baseball fan, his involvement with the game is part fan, part critic, part player, and part fantasizer. Baseball is the common thread for many people in their lives; it brings families together or makes them rivals. Baseball loyalties run deep and are the most intense. Baseball truly does “mark the time”. People remember lifetime events around baseball - where they were and what they were doing. People never forget the special moments they experience in baseball; they become emblazoned in their memories for all of time. Annie in the movie Bull Durham said it best, “I’ve tried all the religions but the only one that really fills my soul everyday is the church of baseball”. Baseball is spiritual; it’s generational; it’s a friend that’s with you everyday from spring to the falling of the leaves. Fathers and sons pass their baseball legacies on forever. Can anything ever mean more than, “Hey Dad . . .you want to have a catch?”

     My baptism into baseball was like many other kids - my dad took me to a game when I was 9 years old. It was Yankee Stadium, but it really doesn’t matter where – The first time for everyone is a revelation. The magic of the crowd, the color of the uniforms, the crack of the bat, the cathedral like park...”Baseball marks the time”. Kids keep souvenirs for a lifetime, and then pass them on to their children.  As I grew up, my passion for the game blossomed. I really believe the 50's, 60's, and 70's were the golden age of baseball. Mickey, Willy, and the Duke wasn’t just a song. And then there was Hammering Hank, Stan the Man, The Killer Killabrew, and so many more. Lets not forget Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, and Juan Marichal, just to name a few. It seems like a simpler time, and it probably was. And the great radio announcers of the day added to the romance of the sport with their pictures of words.

     As I got older, I played baseball through high school and have coached, from little league to teenage travel teams to high school. Teaching, coaching, and mentoring young ballplayers has always been rewarding and exciting for me. In addition, I also formed a Nationally Ranked fast pitch Softball Team for adults that won numerous local leagues and National championships.  I have written many articles about baseball and the many events and special moments that have affected all of our lives. Some have been printed in area newspapers and some have been blogged just for my friends. I feel they say a lot and hopefully I can continue do that 'til I can't any longer.