My Dad and Baseball

(burl and my dad walking into the game. i know when burl is talking about my dad because he says, "papa ball".)

Did you know I love baseball? I really, really do. It's in my blood. I get it from my dad, he played in the minor leagues, Triple-A baseball before I was born. He was also a star player on his high school state championship team. He was a talented catcher. He's also amazingly talented at remembering statistics. Statistics like players, names, years, positions, teams, batting averages, and so much more information pertaining to baseball. Often during baseball season, he can be found watching one game muted on TV and listening to two other games on two separate radios.

When he was a boy, he would play baseball games by himself. He would pitch and hit and run around the bases and have an entire 9 inning one-man game. I love hearing his stories of throwing a ball against a wall for hours and practicing his catching and throwing skills. I love hearing about his very first baseball mitt that his older sister bought him. I love hearing about how encapsulated he was with the game, that as a high-schooler, he had no interest in girls.

(explaining the game. he was pretty interested in the pitchers.)

Yesterday, we had the honor of attending a Triple-A game with my dad. We go to plenty of games together each year, but this game was special. His high school coach attended this game with us. It was a privilege to sit next to this man and hear him reminisce about my dad as a young, small, shy, and gifted boy. He talked about how incredibly talented my dad was. About how dedicated he was. About what an intelligent player he was. About how tough he was - playing the championship game with broken ribs and tape all around his chest.

(my dad on the right and his coach talking. he still calls him coach, which i think is pretty endearing.)

My sweet Burl is already showing an interest in the game. Mainly just in throwing things. And boy does this child of mine have an arm on him! The power, speed and aim he has is incredible for a two-year-old, but perhaps I'm biased :). If he continues to develop a love for baseball, he certainly has my support.