Put me in Coach, I'm ready to Play Today!!

(Friday)

As my fleeting desires escape me from the game that I played for it seemed 10 years straight (golf), none of that resembles my first sport that I love, baseball! A kid in a candy store is an understatement when I step on any field, the nervous energy, the thoughts of that game saving play, the diving, catching, hitting, and most of all running the defense with a loud mouth and perfect direction. The infield, the smells, camaraderie of a Beer League softball league, where all are out to enjoy themselves only moderately concerned with winning. There is one reason why I'm there... to feed the craving that I have to return to my youth.

I have stated my abilities before and don't want to bore you with another over inflated personal view of my talent. I love playing defense, infield mainly, patiently but eagerly waiting, anticipating a hot smash, a lazy fly ball anything... just as long as it is hit to me. On my toes the entire day I got to play the hot corner (3rd base for those who don't know) and after about a 3 month break I thought maybe that wasn't a good thing. But boy was it!!! I can only reiterate how much I enjoy playing DE-FENCE!!!

What really showed my rust was my rather lack luster day at the plate... I could of hit it with a purse harder!!! (And ladies that not a dig on you, clearly a reference to how ineffective a purse would be using it as a bat in slow pitch softball)!! I will shamefully share my line with you, 1 for 4, with a foul out, a grounder that went 3 feet, a ground out to 2nd base, and I beat out a ground ball to short in my last at bat... F'ing terrible!! Piss poor, but I was never much of a hitter. But, it wasn't all for not >>> THE KID FLASHED THE LEATHER!!!

For the first game back I was suprised how well I played in the infield, no errors, and a dunnnut dunnut (ESPN Top 10, theme) moment if I do say so myself! So the leadoff batter came to the plate in the second inning and hit a smash in the 5.5 hole (between SS & 3rd), I take react like a puma waiting for it's prey, take 1 quick step to my left and dove fully extended, luckily the field was a little wet so the in field was more like clay then hard dirt, and proceeded to snatch that ball from becoming a hit in the books. Now I had the ball and they play was only half over, I had to somehow get it over to first to beat the runner, so I popped to my knees, and like british sailor preparing for battle with Captain Jack Sparrow I loaded the cannon, and with the veracity of the late great Ken Caminiti unleashed a frozen rope (maybe not, but it works better for the story) beating the runner by 2 steps easy. One of the best feeling of the world, and a true player shakes it off like its a daily occurrence, but inside you are as hot and fired up as a coal engine on a runaway locomotive!

The kicker, we were already down 7 to nothing at that point, so it had little effect on the game, but if you don't go out there with the passion, and intensity you don't go out there at all... One might say, "Why the sacrifice?" because as is in life that's all there is, and it has taken me 28 years to find that simple truth. I have always been the kid, or now guy that want to dive over the field, to do the amazing, to finish the game with grass stains, dirt marks and bleeding scabs... playing the way the game meant to be played, and I always have, and that got me wondering about how I should have that same feeling about the way I live my life on a daily basis... Applying that sportsmanship to my life... I guess what I'm saying is being a LIFESMAN!!

Pure, full of emotion, understanding, anticipating, patience, pride, honor, truth, knowing that you can never be as big as the game, and most of all playing with love. The game of life can be played many ways and I have just learned that I need to play it the right way... the way I play baseball.

- Cheers