Looking back: Lots of similiarities

Good morning! It's tax day...are my taxes done? Nope!

This is going to be a quickie...too much to do and too little time today. Got to squeeze too much into the day.

Yesterday's game was broadcasted on television. Tink and I had the video and regular cameras ready and focused on the screen. And we waited.....first LW started the game. He did not have his best stuff and was giving up hit after hit. I said to Tink:

"Your brother would have pulled out after that walk....."

"Your brother would have been pulled out after that hit batter...."

"Your brother would have been pulled out after that single...."

"Your brother would never have been left in the game this long....."

Needless to say, Tink asked me to refrain from any more commentaries......

And so, the score was 5-1 after 5 innings and LW was finally removed from the mound. But before he was yanked, he started to limp....that's right...an injury....that's what pulled him out of the game...not the five earned and unearned runs that were scored while he was there.

Sorry about the sarcasm....but it gets better.....

Four pitchers were added to the game as the score was rung up. Each pitcher was allowed to give up at least two runs and worked out of their troubles. The big kid never got in....he sat in the dugout with his heavy coat and hat on. After all, it was snowing in Michigan as the game progressed. Something tells me that he was not upset about not seeing any action.

And so, I watched the entire game since I never know whether he will get in or not....and we watched and watched....another train wreck of a game. The announcers were trying to be nice, but let's face it. There is only so much that you can say about a team that is 6-23.

As the game ended, I had this flashback....sophomore year in high school....a new coach....he hated/loathed/did not get the big leftie.....any time that he was on the mound, he would pull him after one incident. He could be heard screaming..."Get him the %@&@% out of there...." Yeah....it happened all too frequently.....he never knew how good he had it until college coaches called him to share the good news that he had a stud sitting on his bench cursing him out every opportunity that he had....cra-zeee....

Those were the days when he would be so afraid to make a mistake that he threw tentatively ad therefore did not have great stuff. It's the same thing in college.....the pitching coach would rather throw anyone into a game including his mother who has a 35 mile an hour fast ball.....and again, I hear, "I don't have time to warm up...I can't make one mistake....I can't get myself out of a problem"....it's confidence...as I said to Einstein's parents this weekend....he lost his swagger.....

Once the game was over, the team boarded the bus for the 8 hour trip home. On the way, he texted me with a number of salty thoughts and one interesting one....I gave him the book "Thirty three year old rookie" for his birthday and he had been reading it in his spare time. A text came through: "Chris Coaste is my favorite player...." You know why? Well, CC never gave up. He was bounced from program to program....the best player in the minors...overlooked for the majors.....brought up to the majors for a day...sent back again....up...down...side ways....backwards....forward....the guy could have and should have thrown in the towel, but did not. He was eventually rewarded for his perseverance. Now Buddy shares a kinship with the guy. Makes me smile....first, he is reading books (wink!). Second, he selects heroes who are heroes...never giving up. This story plays out not only in


baseball but in life....

When we look back on this sorry season, we will see multiple positives. These include finding out more about ourselves....how hard life can be.....life is not fair....no one takes away a person's spirit unless you hand it to them....there are many more lessons, but I have to run....work awaits.....