Baseball Memories

Summertime always makes me think of baseball. When I was growing up in Nebraska, our summers were defined by hanging out at the swimming pool and playing ball. And playing baseball even trumped the swimming pool. On game days we weren't even supposed to go to the pool.

Here are some random baseball memories:

Before we moved to Nebraska, my dad would take us to Dodger games. We even stood in line at the mall one time to get Steve Garvey's autograph.

I started in with T-ball. They made me a pitcher, which was silly, because the pitcher didn't pitch. It was more of a very close fielder position. But, since it was t-ball, a bunch of hits actually came to me.

I played catcher in the first tier league and switched to first base when my growing knees started to bug me.

One year, the coach chose his son as pitcher and we often would stand around as one kid after the next walked or slammed line drives into our week outfield. He just wouldn't let anyone else pitch.

One game, the coach had me play center to try and cover all sides of the week outfield. Someone hit a line drive to right field, I caught it and gunned it home as Jeff Mays tried to grab a point from third base. It would have been an awesome double play if the catcher, Derek Judd, hadn't tagged him a little too aggressively. Derek had a reputation for being too rough and after he made the tag and Jeff grabbed his neck in apparent agony, the umpire called Jeff safe and the other team got the point. Fortunately, Jeff recovered on the spot after that call was made.

In another game, left fielder Billy Hanke ran by our dug out on the way to take the field and taunted us with the prediction that they were going to "shut us out". I was next up to bat and hit a home run that went about 4 inches over his glove and sailed over the fence. Ha Ha Ha.

After every game, we got some sort of credit at the snack bar and went to load up on those little stick things that you dip into a sugary powder, big league chew, candy bars and soda.

Whenever he had time off, my dad was always around to help coach, catch balls and help us hit.