Running Home

SPRING TRAINING

That’s the greatest thing about February, isn’t it?

Forget about whether or not some Groundhog saw or didn’t see his Shadow.  .  .

You know it’s  S P R I N G

.     .     .When Pitchers and Catchers and soon the rest of the ball clubs go to their respective Spring Training destinations and by the end of March, the first of April, we are into another Baseball season, AGAIN.

Who needs a Throw-Back Thursday, when you have the mentioning of Baseball and the new season that expels the Winter and begins the glorious Seasons of Spring, Summer,

B      A      S      E      B      A      L      L

As a kid, it was soon to be the time of Baseball tryouts.

Charlie Anderson was one of the managers that helped run the tryouts; he was a manager himself. . .I was dating his daughter, Debbie.

I was a shoe in to make his team at third base, batting third in the line-up:

A Seventh grader’s dream. . . .

It all worked as a charm. . .in fact, it was storybook perfect;

ENCHANTING.

The season began with lots of chilly practices and muddy fields from melting snow or worse, those cold, soaked to the bone rainy practices and games.

I couldn’t hit home runs but under Charlie Anderson’s coaching I had twenty-one home runs that Season. . .

EVERYONE   ONE   OF   THEM   WERE   INSIDE   THE   PARK   HOME   RUNS!

GLORIOUS

EXHILARATING

ADRENALINE-FILLED moments.

The Secret:

Half speed and half daringness.

Skipper Anderson told me that I had both.

He instructed me that anytime I hit the ball to the outfield and it wasn’t caught to

R U N

and never stop until I safely slide into Home.

His theory:

IT  WOULD  HAVE  TO  TAKE  A  PERFECT  RELAY  AND  THROW  TO  GET  ME  OUT

Coach Anderson knew that there were very few of those to be found in Little League, especially when the pressure of

P  E  R  F  E  C  T  I  O  N

was needed to stop a Daring, Speedy kid who was determined to

S     C     O     R     E !

Every mention of Baseball this time of the year takes me back to those days, and makes me remember what seemed like a much more fun, free-fall-give-it-all-you’ve-got kind of time. . . .

It makes me Wonder, too.

. . .makes me question when I stopped being so speedy and daring. . .

when I stopped running audaciously

HOME

.      .      .Safely ?

I only remember getting thrown out one time that Season. . .only ONCE:

W    H   E   N        I        H   E   S   I   T   A   T   E   D. . . .

I remember, Coach Anderson yelled,

“DID I TELL YOU TO STOP?”

No sir,

N     O !

How often have I forgot

THE SECRET

THE LESSON:

RUN HOME

WITHOUT HESITATION

WITH ALL OF YOUR MIGHT?

O F T E N

.       .       .t o o        o f t e n.       .       .

You?