The Atlanta Braves are opening the 2015 season in Miami against the Marlins. Our family watched Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl on New Years Eve and we drove by Marlins stadium while we were down there.
However, that's not the big story. The big story is that the Braves have REVAMPED their team for the 2015 season. Only 6 of the 25 opening day roster spots are the same from 2014 to 2015. The Braves traded away Jason Heyward, Evan Gattis, Craig Kimbrel and both of the Upton boys. I have been listening to many offseason sports talk radio calls and facebook posts where people have been complaining about these moves. "Why?" "Why trade your best players?" "Are they just giving up?"
Baseball is a game that is run as a professional BUSINESS. Watching the Godfather movies taught me one thing that pertains to the professional game of baseball.......it's not personal, it's business.
The Braves traded away the best players of their team.....but it was a team who underperformed in 2014 to a losing record. They also have not won a playoff series in over a decade. In the span of a few weeks they changed the dynamic of their team to a group of marginal, hard working, smart, contact hitting team with some speed. These guys could either be a big waste of my time or they could be a fun story of hard working players who play the game right and play the underdog all year.
The Braves got a LOT better for the future......and they might be fun to watch while we wait. Good pitching should keep us in most games.....good defense will help keep us in some games.....putting the ball in play ALWAYS leads to better things than swinging and missing.
OK....enough sports section stuff.....my goal for the 2015 season and in honor of the Braves 50th season in Atlanta I'm hoping to blog about my favorite sport and my two favorite teams. When Ray Kinsella turned 43 years old he plowed under his corn and built baseball field because a voice told him to. As I turn 43 years old today I want to spend this baseball season writing about what I love.....the Braves, the Red Sox and this game that is a big part of my life.
My birthday fell on opening day this year. When Stacey asked me what I wanted for my birthday I said I would love to sit on the couch and watch some baseball all day. So that's what I'm doing. The Braves are opening against the Marlins. I watched most of the Yankees opener against the Blue Jays (which the Blue Jays won by the way.....love seeing the Yankees lose).
Baseball is a game of imperfection. Baseball is a game where you will never see everything and as soon as you've seen everything then you see something weird, wild, crazy and makes you go "wow...that's weird. Let me demonstrate.....the Braves are opening against the Marlins and I want to see the new Braves play well. I want to see Julio Teheran dominate. I want to see us start off with a win. Instead, what I'm seeing is that a very quick and INTENSE thunderstorm popped up in Miami in the third inning. They started to close the retractable roof (which takes 15 minutes) and they had to DELAY the game in a domed stadium because of rain. There is no tarp for the infield and watching their crew try to spread quik-dry is almost comical.
God I love this game......it always finds ways to show God's sense of humor and that life is about living for the moments you don't expect coming around the corner. Go Braves and thank God for quik-dry.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Opening Night of 2015 baseball season
So today is Easter Sunday. Today is also the opening of the 2015 MLB baseball season. As I write this the Cardinals are playing the Cubs on ESPN.
It's fitting that God's game begins on the highest of holy days in my faith. Jesus rose from the dead so that I could have new life in Him. Baseball begins every spring so that I can have new life rooting for my teams and my year of watching the game that I love. Life begins anew and brings hope of playing THE WHOLE YEAR into October.
The interesting thing about this year is that this really is a new life for my baseball teams. As I watch the Cubs play the Cardinals I'm watching Jason Heyward is playing right field for the Cardinals (he is currently 3-3 hitting out of the two hole). Tommy LaStella is playing second base for the Cubs (he just made a gritty play going back on a pop fly to save a run....an all out hustle play). David Ross, a former Brave and Red Sox player is catching for the Cubs and is catching John Lester....former Red Sox ace.
So as I begin watching the game that I love I will be watching a couple of teams that I hardly know. I have a new family that I need to get to know and a family that I hope will be fun to hang around this year. This is one of the first reasons of why I love this game. Baseball has the longest season with the most games of any of the major sports. The reason I love the length of the baseball season is because these guys become like family....you live with them day in and day out. When I grew up it was by checking the box scores. As ESPN became a major part of my life it allowed me to visually keep up with daily highlights. Now I can choose from dozens of websites, multiple games a week on various sports channels and any other countless ways to check on my teams. You get close to your family and you hope each year for the family to keep things interesting for a whole year.
Lord, thank you for loving me enough to die for my sins. Thank you for loving me enough to allow the game of baseball to be created on this earth.
It's fitting that God's game begins on the highest of holy days in my faith. Jesus rose from the dead so that I could have new life in Him. Baseball begins every spring so that I can have new life rooting for my teams and my year of watching the game that I love. Life begins anew and brings hope of playing THE WHOLE YEAR into October.
The interesting thing about this year is that this really is a new life for my baseball teams. As I watch the Cubs play the Cardinals I'm watching Jason Heyward is playing right field for the Cardinals (he is currently 3-3 hitting out of the two hole). Tommy LaStella is playing second base for the Cubs (he just made a gritty play going back on a pop fly to save a run....an all out hustle play). David Ross, a former Brave and Red Sox player is catching for the Cubs and is catching John Lester....former Red Sox ace.
So as I begin watching the game that I love I will be watching a couple of teams that I hardly know. I have a new family that I need to get to know and a family that I hope will be fun to hang around this year. This is one of the first reasons of why I love this game. Baseball has the longest season with the most games of any of the major sports. The reason I love the length of the baseball season is because these guys become like family....you live with them day in and day out. When I grew up it was by checking the box scores. As ESPN became a major part of my life it allowed me to visually keep up with daily highlights. Now I can choose from dozens of websites, multiple games a week on various sports channels and any other countless ways to check on my teams. You get close to your family and you hope each year for the family to keep things interesting for a whole year.
Lord, thank you for loving me enough to die for my sins. Thank you for loving me enough to allow the game of baseball to be created on this earth.
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Pete Van Wieren and why I love baseball
Pete Van Wieren died today. He was 69 years old and he is one of the three formative voices that raised me on the game that I love.....the game of baseball as the voice of the Atlanta Braves.
Pete, Skip Caray and Ernie Johnson Sr. were the three major voices of the Braves from the 70's until the 2000's. As I was growing up listening and watching to some AWFUL Braves teams in the late 70's and 80's....those three men rotated between radio and TV during each game. Of the three, I can honestly say that Pete was my favorite. Skip was the comedian and the son of a famous broadcaster. Ernie was the old storyteller who had played in the old days. Pete was your next door neighbor who got called in to do a game. Pete was a teacher who really loved the game and knew all the stats. Pete was your co-worker who would talk about the WITH you....not talk down to you or talk around you. Pete was the Professor....a true professional.
Tonight, as the Braves play the San Diego Padres....Skip Caray and Joe Simpson are spending the whole game talking to different players, announcers, team executives and others about Pete. They are telling stories, talking about family, card games on the bus, eccentricities, and all kinds of other things.
This is why I love baseball......Baseball is a game that lives life with you. Baseball is a game that mirrors life and it is designed to watch while you live your life, talking to friends and telling stories. Football is a war. Basketball is a concert indoors. NASCAR is a vacation destination. But baseball is life. Baseball is the only game that you could put the game into the background while two guys tell stories about their dad and their mentor who have passed away. Joe Simpson lovingly told people that if they don't like what they're about to do then they could "bite me." I'm betting no one turned the channel. We want to hear the stories. We want to enjoy the memories. We want to laugh. We allow ourselves to tear up. And we WATCH THE GAME OF LIFE AS THE GAME OF BASEBALL.
I'll miss you Pete.....we'll be back with scores and highlights right after this.
Pete, Skip Caray and Ernie Johnson Sr. were the three major voices of the Braves from the 70's until the 2000's. As I was growing up listening and watching to some AWFUL Braves teams in the late 70's and 80's....those three men rotated between radio and TV during each game. Of the three, I can honestly say that Pete was my favorite. Skip was the comedian and the son of a famous broadcaster. Ernie was the old storyteller who had played in the old days. Pete was your next door neighbor who got called in to do a game. Pete was a teacher who really loved the game and knew all the stats. Pete was your co-worker who would talk about the WITH you....not talk down to you or talk around you. Pete was the Professor....a true professional.
Tonight, as the Braves play the San Diego Padres....Skip Caray and Joe Simpson are spending the whole game talking to different players, announcers, team executives and others about Pete. They are telling stories, talking about family, card games on the bus, eccentricities, and all kinds of other things.
This is why I love baseball......Baseball is a game that lives life with you. Baseball is a game that mirrors life and it is designed to watch while you live your life, talking to friends and telling stories. Football is a war. Basketball is a concert indoors. NASCAR is a vacation destination. But baseball is life. Baseball is the only game that you could put the game into the background while two guys tell stories about their dad and their mentor who have passed away. Joe Simpson lovingly told people that if they don't like what they're about to do then they could "bite me." I'm betting no one turned the channel. We want to hear the stories. We want to enjoy the memories. We want to laugh. We allow ourselves to tear up. And we WATCH THE GAME OF LIFE AS THE GAME OF BASEBALL.
I'll miss you Pete.....we'll be back with scores and highlights right after this.
Friday, July 11, 2014
To be the man.....John Laseter and Ric Flair
Professional Wrestling is a cultural enigma......Whenever professional wrestling comes up in my life I always refer to Jerry Seinfeld's philosophical comments on the matter. The most amazing thing to think about is if it didn't exist already.....can you imagine the sales pitch to try and make it become a reality? Seinfeld talks about the pitchman saying, "It'll be great....the guys will be huge but they'll wear these tiny bathing suits. It'll look violent, but they won't really be hitting each other." I always get laughs when I talk about it....and then the conversation will turn to memories of matches on TV, matches at the armory in town, famous one liners, crazy storylines or old friends hanging out around the enigma of professional wrestling.
JOHN LASETER - A wonderful and beautiful enigma in my life passed away earlier this week. I went to his funeral to hug his wife, son and daughter. We laughed and cried......and then we talked about wrestling. Because wrestling was the enigmatic part of our lives that raised this man from just another adult in my life to a Cheshire-grinning sage who stood at a distance, but truly impressed my heart.
John Laseter had a son and a daughter - Jenni and Jay. We attended the same church growing up. My dad was the minister of music and John was an adult Sunday School teacher and a "youth group father" who I treated the way I treated most adults.....the way Charlton Heston told me to at the end of Planet of the Apes. Jenni and I were civil and our biggest interaction came when I met a friend of hers who became my first serious girlfriend. Jay was a few years behind me and I barely noticed him.....but the beautiful enigma hadn't crept to the surface yet.
My first real interaction with John Laseter came AFTER I graduated from high school. He probably had spoken to me many times, but this is when the enigma first surfaced. I had just become a youth sponsor....helping the youth ministry by being a chaperone, game leader, etc. John came up to me in the church hallway and said, "Steven! I've got a great event you need to do with the youth....You need to take the youth down to see the RASSLIN' MATCHES!"................................................................
After the long pause I think I said, "What?!?!?!" I said this because I couldn't believe an adult Sunday School teacher (who may have been an elder at the time too) was saying what I think he was saying. I was also taken aback wondering if he knew that I watched wrestling and making fun or could it be this man knew about wrestling? He kept pestering me almost weekly to "Take those teenagers down to see the RASSLIN' MATCHES!" There were offers to drive, offers to get pastoral approval, and other offers. What also came out of these weekly youth ministry hallway advisory committee meetings was a growing awareness that John Laseter was a real wrestling fan. I never could tell if he was completely serious or completely kidding (which I learned over time was the modus operandi of John Laseter....never too serious and never too sarcastic....almost always a "just right" position to create mischief and learning.)
What also happened at these exchanges was that John was building a relationship with me. After berating me to take the teens down to Center Stage to see WCW, there was always a question about my life, my schooling, my girlfriend, or my job. Slowly I began to ask him about his job (John was the first adult to tell me he hated his job....mainly because he was ready to retire. "One day closer" was a reply I remember), his family and his vacation plans. We were sharing life together. Any advice he dispensed was usually a nugget of truth buried in a cynical joke said with that Cheshire grin smile. In short - John Laseter was talking to me differently from most adults - he was talking to me like a peer - and I will always be grateful for that.
Then the enigma turned beautiful. John's son Jay was now 15-16 years old. Jay was nowhere near a relationship with God. Jay and I had both grown up in wonderful homes, with wonderful parents who were leaders in church and who gave us an opportunity to go to Christian schools......and we went in OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS....at least on the surface. I had always been "the good kid" in the youth group. Jay had developed a reputation as "the rebel" of the youth group. I had spoken in chapel and Jay would skip chapel to be in detention.
I can't remember if Jay and I talked about wrestling beforehand or if it happened when I came over, but John Laseter approached me one more time with a personal request. We had never gotten the kids down to see the RASSLIN' MATCHES, but John invited me over to his house because he and Jay were going to rent the newest wrestling video at Blockbuster (I think it was WCW "Bash at the Beach"). John promised me a mound of pizza, bags upon bags of chips, any soda I could dream of and even some desserts made by Mrs. Laseter. I was shocked when I arrived and saw 3 WHOLE PIZZAS for just the three of us. John was also incredibly excited that there had been two other recent wrestling videos available at the store. John, Jay and I then spent the next six hours watching wrestling, eating way too much food, burping, laughing and building a relationship built on the beautiful enigma that is professional wrestling.
Jay let me in his world because I impressed him with my historical knowledge of wrestling and my old habit of knowing different characters from old wrestling territories (i.e. - Dingo Warrior became Ultimate Warrior, and Vinnie Vegas became Diesel). As we watched the videos John would tell stories about old matches with "15 minutes of head locks complete with one leg drop and a pin." Jay would start a conversation with things like "Did you hear about that new character Undertaker in WWF? He used to be Mean Mark in the WCW..." I would usually try to start a discussion about "Flair vs. Hogan" or "Rock n Roll vs. Midnight Express"? The night would pass way too quickly because we would laugh at the stupidity of the storylines. We would hoot and holler over a new move tried from the top rope ("DID YOU SEE THAT!") We would rewind the best lines of commentary ("Trapezius muscle" from Gorilla, "Flying Tamale" from Bobby Heenan and ANY interview by the Nature Boy). And at the end of the night, when I would drive home......I was closer to John and Jay Laseter then when I got there.
John confessed to me one time that my interaction with Jay while we gorged on wrestling was the "closest thing to church" that Jay had in his life. Again I looked at this wise man and thought, "What?!?!?!?!" We never cracked our Bibles and I never asked Jay about "his walk" or suggested the latest Lucado book. I learned much later in life that John, Jay and I were simply SHARING LIFE. The beautiful enigma of wrestling was used by God and John to help me build a friendship with a wise old man and a young punk who I could ALWAYS talk to anytime and anywhere because we shared a love for the male soap opera of pro wrestling.
We had our wrestling parties a few times a year. We saw many tapes and had many conversations. Almost all of them around wrestling, but there were talks of life, people, school and maybe even a little about the Bible. Out of this male soap opera I developed two good friends. John went to be with his Lord and Savior. I heard about his leadership, his teaching and his military background. Yet to me - John was a laughing, mischievous elder in my church who became my friend and influenced my life very quietly through a loud and obnoxious enigmatic love around wrestling and gluttony.
Thanks John!
JOHN LASETER - A wonderful and beautiful enigma in my life passed away earlier this week. I went to his funeral to hug his wife, son and daughter. We laughed and cried......and then we talked about wrestling. Because wrestling was the enigmatic part of our lives that raised this man from just another adult in my life to a Cheshire-grinning sage who stood at a distance, but truly impressed my heart.
John Laseter had a son and a daughter - Jenni and Jay. We attended the same church growing up. My dad was the minister of music and John was an adult Sunday School teacher and a "youth group father" who I treated the way I treated most adults.....the way Charlton Heston told me to at the end of Planet of the Apes. Jenni and I were civil and our biggest interaction came when I met a friend of hers who became my first serious girlfriend. Jay was a few years behind me and I barely noticed him.....but the beautiful enigma hadn't crept to the surface yet.
My first real interaction with John Laseter came AFTER I graduated from high school. He probably had spoken to me many times, but this is when the enigma first surfaced. I had just become a youth sponsor....helping the youth ministry by being a chaperone, game leader, etc. John came up to me in the church hallway and said, "Steven! I've got a great event you need to do with the youth....You need to take the youth down to see the RASSLIN' MATCHES!"................................................................
After the long pause I think I said, "What?!?!?!" I said this because I couldn't believe an adult Sunday School teacher (who may have been an elder at the time too) was saying what I think he was saying. I was also taken aback wondering if he knew that I watched wrestling and making fun or could it be this man knew about wrestling? He kept pestering me almost weekly to "Take those teenagers down to see the RASSLIN' MATCHES!" There were offers to drive, offers to get pastoral approval, and other offers. What also came out of these weekly youth ministry hallway advisory committee meetings was a growing awareness that John Laseter was a real wrestling fan. I never could tell if he was completely serious or completely kidding (which I learned over time was the modus operandi of John Laseter....never too serious and never too sarcastic....almost always a "just right" position to create mischief and learning.)
What also happened at these exchanges was that John was building a relationship with me. After berating me to take the teens down to Center Stage to see WCW, there was always a question about my life, my schooling, my girlfriend, or my job. Slowly I began to ask him about his job (John was the first adult to tell me he hated his job....mainly because he was ready to retire. "One day closer" was a reply I remember), his family and his vacation plans. We were sharing life together. Any advice he dispensed was usually a nugget of truth buried in a cynical joke said with that Cheshire grin smile. In short - John Laseter was talking to me differently from most adults - he was talking to me like a peer - and I will always be grateful for that.
Then the enigma turned beautiful. John's son Jay was now 15-16 years old. Jay was nowhere near a relationship with God. Jay and I had both grown up in wonderful homes, with wonderful parents who were leaders in church and who gave us an opportunity to go to Christian schools......and we went in OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS....at least on the surface. I had always been "the good kid" in the youth group. Jay had developed a reputation as "the rebel" of the youth group. I had spoken in chapel and Jay would skip chapel to be in detention.
I can't remember if Jay and I talked about wrestling beforehand or if it happened when I came over, but John Laseter approached me one more time with a personal request. We had never gotten the kids down to see the RASSLIN' MATCHES, but John invited me over to his house because he and Jay were going to rent the newest wrestling video at Blockbuster (I think it was WCW "Bash at the Beach"). John promised me a mound of pizza, bags upon bags of chips, any soda I could dream of and even some desserts made by Mrs. Laseter. I was shocked when I arrived and saw 3 WHOLE PIZZAS for just the three of us. John was also incredibly excited that there had been two other recent wrestling videos available at the store. John, Jay and I then spent the next six hours watching wrestling, eating way too much food, burping, laughing and building a relationship built on the beautiful enigma that is professional wrestling.
Jay let me in his world because I impressed him with my historical knowledge of wrestling and my old habit of knowing different characters from old wrestling territories (i.e. - Dingo Warrior became Ultimate Warrior, and Vinnie Vegas became Diesel). As we watched the videos John would tell stories about old matches with "15 minutes of head locks complete with one leg drop and a pin." Jay would start a conversation with things like "Did you hear about that new character Undertaker in WWF? He used to be Mean Mark in the WCW..." I would usually try to start a discussion about "Flair vs. Hogan" or "Rock n Roll vs. Midnight Express"? The night would pass way too quickly because we would laugh at the stupidity of the storylines. We would hoot and holler over a new move tried from the top rope ("DID YOU SEE THAT!") We would rewind the best lines of commentary ("Trapezius muscle" from Gorilla, "Flying Tamale" from Bobby Heenan and ANY interview by the Nature Boy). And at the end of the night, when I would drive home......I was closer to John and Jay Laseter then when I got there.
John confessed to me one time that my interaction with Jay while we gorged on wrestling was the "closest thing to church" that Jay had in his life. Again I looked at this wise man and thought, "What?!?!?!?!" We never cracked our Bibles and I never asked Jay about "his walk" or suggested the latest Lucado book. I learned much later in life that John, Jay and I were simply SHARING LIFE. The beautiful enigma of wrestling was used by God and John to help me build a friendship with a wise old man and a young punk who I could ALWAYS talk to anytime and anywhere because we shared a love for the male soap opera of pro wrestling.
We had our wrestling parties a few times a year. We saw many tapes and had many conversations. Almost all of them around wrestling, but there were talks of life, people, school and maybe even a little about the Bible. Out of this male soap opera I developed two good friends. John went to be with his Lord and Savior. I heard about his leadership, his teaching and his military background. Yet to me - John was a laughing, mischievous elder in my church who became my friend and influenced my life very quietly through a loud and obnoxious enigmatic love around wrestling and gluttony.
Thanks John!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Today......June 14, 2014....the day before Father's Day......I walked in Gate D and took a tour of Fenway Park.
A big part of my bucket list just got marked off. After seeing MLB stadiums in Atlanta, Arizona, Tampa, St. Louis, New York, Philly, Colorado, Seattle, Milwaukee, Chicago, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.....I finally saw the stadium that started this love affair.
The year was 1981....I was nine years old. I had gotten some Topps baseball cards for Christmas and I was watching the NBC baseball game of the week. I didn't know who Yaz, Rice, Lynn, Duey or Fisk was yet. I had just started playing baseball in a church league so I was probably watching to learn how to better hit and throw. I'm not sure the exact details of how it started.....my best guess is that my grandparents passed their TRUE LOVE for the Sox to me. I was the youngest grandchild and I had lived with my grandparents before I went to school because of having two parents that worked at school. That started a very close relationship with my grandparents. I know the Braves were on the TV a lot, but I'm also sure I heard about the Red Sox while "Bambi and Bampa" read the paper. I'm sure I first heard about Ted Williams losing five years to two wars during this time. I also know that when I started school, whenever my grandparents came for a meal or came to watch me while my parents went out....the talk ALWAYS TURNED TO BASEBALL.
So by the time I was 9 I was starting to become immersed in a game that allows you to dive deep. However, during that game of the week I saw a park that was unique and it belonged to my family. My grandparents talked about New Bedford and my mom talked about Worcester....but along with those stories came stories of Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, Billy Goodman, and Johnny Pesky. Now that I was seeing the Monster and the Park I connected with the uniqueness of this park. It looked different from ALL OTHER PARKS. Even Wrigley was symmetrical like so many parks. Here was Fenway with its garage door in center field and a right center at 420 feet going all the way down to 302 in the right field corner.
So by 1981 I said, "I'm a Red Sox fan....so I want to see where they play." I never got to go during family trips. We went to Cooperstown and some other ballparks during family vacations (thanks Mom and Dad for feeding my love). We even visited Worcester once, but never made it to a game. After I got married Stacey and I talked about Fenway many times....we almost went once or twice, but something always came up or the finances were a tad too tight. Then kids came and getting the whole family to a game was too hard.
Three years ago we went to a Greenville Drive game and saw a Fenway replica. Then two years ago we started our own tradition of going to visit different baseball parks each year. Chicago was obvious, then Pitt and Philly allowed us to go see Greenville, PA as well. After Dad died in December we decided to stop putting off the park that started my true love affair with this game. Today I saw Fenway.....
Stacey teared up when they walked us up the ramp to right behind home plate. I didn't tear up because I wanted to soak in everything I could. I got to see the oldest seats from the 1930's. I got to touch Fisk's pole while walking around the Monster seats. I got to walk behind the Press Box. I got to go through the museum, talk to the staff, hear some great stories and just enjoy being in the first church of baseball.
We ate lunch at Jerry Remy's place. We bought a program for a game we weren't going to attend. I got lots of comments about my Sea Dogs shirt and talked to a few Sox fans around the park. One guy mentioned he was at Ted's last game in 60 when he hit his home run in his last at bat. I remembered I read Updike's famous piece about that.
God, baseball and a good laugh. Those are three things I seek and enjoy thoroughly in and around my life.
A big part of my bucket list just got marked off. After seeing MLB stadiums in Atlanta, Arizona, Tampa, St. Louis, New York, Philly, Colorado, Seattle, Milwaukee, Chicago, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.....I finally saw the stadium that started this love affair.
The year was 1981....I was nine years old. I had gotten some Topps baseball cards for Christmas and I was watching the NBC baseball game of the week. I didn't know who Yaz, Rice, Lynn, Duey or Fisk was yet. I had just started playing baseball in a church league so I was probably watching to learn how to better hit and throw. I'm not sure the exact details of how it started.....my best guess is that my grandparents passed their TRUE LOVE for the Sox to me. I was the youngest grandchild and I had lived with my grandparents before I went to school because of having two parents that worked at school. That started a very close relationship with my grandparents. I know the Braves were on the TV a lot, but I'm also sure I heard about the Red Sox while "Bambi and Bampa" read the paper. I'm sure I first heard about Ted Williams losing five years to two wars during this time. I also know that when I started school, whenever my grandparents came for a meal or came to watch me while my parents went out....the talk ALWAYS TURNED TO BASEBALL.
So by the time I was 9 I was starting to become immersed in a game that allows you to dive deep. However, during that game of the week I saw a park that was unique and it belonged to my family. My grandparents talked about New Bedford and my mom talked about Worcester....but along with those stories came stories of Bobby Doerr, Ted Williams, Billy Goodman, and Johnny Pesky. Now that I was seeing the Monster and the Park I connected with the uniqueness of this park. It looked different from ALL OTHER PARKS. Even Wrigley was symmetrical like so many parks. Here was Fenway with its garage door in center field and a right center at 420 feet going all the way down to 302 in the right field corner.
So by 1981 I said, "I'm a Red Sox fan....so I want to see where they play." I never got to go during family trips. We went to Cooperstown and some other ballparks during family vacations (thanks Mom and Dad for feeding my love). We even visited Worcester once, but never made it to a game. After I got married Stacey and I talked about Fenway many times....we almost went once or twice, but something always came up or the finances were a tad too tight. Then kids came and getting the whole family to a game was too hard.
Three years ago we went to a Greenville Drive game and saw a Fenway replica. Then two years ago we started our own tradition of going to visit different baseball parks each year. Chicago was obvious, then Pitt and Philly allowed us to go see Greenville, PA as well. After Dad died in December we decided to stop putting off the park that started my true love affair with this game. Today I saw Fenway.....
Stacey teared up when they walked us up the ramp to right behind home plate. I didn't tear up because I wanted to soak in everything I could. I got to see the oldest seats from the 1930's. I got to touch Fisk's pole while walking around the Monster seats. I got to walk behind the Press Box. I got to go through the museum, talk to the staff, hear some great stories and just enjoy being in the first church of baseball.
We ate lunch at Jerry Remy's place. We bought a program for a game we weren't going to attend. I got lots of comments about my Sea Dogs shirt and talked to a few Sox fans around the park. One guy mentioned he was at Ted's last game in 60 when he hit his home run in his last at bat. I remembered I read Updike's famous piece about that.
God, baseball and a good laugh. Those are three things I seek and enjoy thoroughly in and around my life.
Friday, June 28, 2013
I am the smoking pastor. I might also argue that we are all smoking pastors.
I am now 41 years old. I have started a business. I almost have a teenage son. I also believe that my wife and I are smack in the middle of our mid-life crises. We are talking a lot about why we are here, what were we made for, what is our purpose, what good are we doing in the world, where do we go from here, and on and on it goes.
I don't know who my friends are. I have a lot of acquaintances, but I don't know if I have a lot of friends. I'm also afraid if I really talk through this with some of my acquaintances, then I will get some weird looks. Tilted heads and backpedaling conversations. I have people who I truly care about, but I don't keep in touch with them very often. I have opportunities where God uses me to pass on a word of encouragement or love on someone, but I don't know if I can open up as a true friend and share my fears and struggles.
What is a friend? The Bible says someone who sticks closer than a brother. I don't want a facebook friend of platitudes and witty sayings. I want someone who will sit down next to me and not say anything. I want someone who will baptize me and come and call me on the carpet when I won't forgive a friend I disagree with.
God - you are my friend. Jesus is my friend and the Holy Spirit sticks closer than any brother. Show me people I can be friendly to and show me friends that you have placed in my path.
NEXT TOPIC - LEADERSHIP?
I am now 41 years old. I have started a business. I almost have a teenage son. I also believe that my wife and I are smack in the middle of our mid-life crises. We are talking a lot about why we are here, what were we made for, what is our purpose, what good are we doing in the world, where do we go from here, and on and on it goes.
I don't know who my friends are. I have a lot of acquaintances, but I don't know if I have a lot of friends. I'm also afraid if I really talk through this with some of my acquaintances, then I will get some weird looks. Tilted heads and backpedaling conversations. I have people who I truly care about, but I don't keep in touch with them very often. I have opportunities where God uses me to pass on a word of encouragement or love on someone, but I don't know if I can open up as a true friend and share my fears and struggles.
What is a friend? The Bible says someone who sticks closer than a brother. I don't want a facebook friend of platitudes and witty sayings. I want someone who will sit down next to me and not say anything. I want someone who will baptize me and come and call me on the carpet when I won't forgive a friend I disagree with.
God - you are my friend. Jesus is my friend and the Holy Spirit sticks closer than any brother. Show me people I can be friendly to and show me friends that you have placed in my path.
NEXT TOPIC - LEADERSHIP?
Sunday, August 17, 2008
This can be done....
I'm 36 years old. I've felt a desire to write this book for at least six years. It's time to go deep down into the gut, fight the battles, find the words and get this book written. There are notes, there are scraps of paper, there are tears and jeers and cheers and they just need to get on paper.
Here is the plan - I will write every night that I can. I will write chapter ideas, outline ideas, research results and sample chapters. I will then take it from this blog and get it into a book format. I don't care if this is ever published. This is for me and it's up to God whether it will be shared with the world to help others.
This is not a rant, a whine or a manifesto. This is my story. This is my journey. This is my observation. This is my feeble commentary. And it will be done!
Here is the plan - I will write every night that I can. I will write chapter ideas, outline ideas, research results and sample chapters. I will then take it from this blog and get it into a book format. I don't care if this is ever published. This is for me and it's up to God whether it will be shared with the world to help others.
This is not a rant, a whine or a manifesto. This is my story. This is my journey. This is my observation. This is my feeble commentary. And it will be done!
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