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Perspective
Dave · September 5, 2007 at 9:02 am · Filed Under Mariners
If you never read anything I link to ever again, read this.
I’m not kidding. Go read it. You won’t regret it.
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51 Responses to “Perspective”
Spanky on
September 5th, 2007 11:30 pm
In 1980, I played Babe Ruth Baseball in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Medford Oregon was a small town of about 45,000. When we won the District Tournament, it was expected and while a very exciting day…no big deal. We later won state and found ourselves on the way to the Regional Tournament in Lewiston Idaho. Even now as I look back on it and think of the no-name places we played with players you’ve never heard of, it seems more like a fictional novel than something I really experienced.
The NorthWest Regional Tournament, we played teams from Yakima, WA, Lewiston, ID, and Casper, WY…names you’ll recognize as the megalopolises they are. We were living the BIG dream now playing teams from places near and far. Excitment was building and people were starting to notice back home as this 15 year old team just continued to win.
However, after winning the regional tourney, none of us were prepared for the hoopla that awaited us at the Babe Ruth World Series in Williston ND. While not as well known at the little brother tournament…The Little League World Series…we felt we had hit the big-time. Fans from all over the US made the homage trek to this small town to watch the best from around the country. Every time we entered the stadium wearing our uniforms, kids would descend upon us to seek our autographs on hats, balls, bats, programs, pictures, paper, or whatever they had available. For an entire week, we were Rock Stars. We were living every ball players dream to be considered the best…playing the best teams…on the big stage. Kids I had never seen before that were both younger and older than I asked me about playing in the big games, patting me on the back, shaking hands, seeking for a moment with the players if only by touching our uniform. Reporters held interviews after games and we watched the late evening news to see the highlights (as ESPN was still a fledgling network).
Yes, I agree. Baseball has something magical about it. You don’t have to play in MLB to weave a thread in the fabric of the magical cape of baseball. You don’t have to be famous or from NY, LA, Atlanta, or even Seattle. It can have an impact on others in ways unimagined. Remembering that this is what baseball is about and that the latest trade, stat, or win can be irrelevant if seek to gain and retain that magical perspective. Baseball can impact our life just by touching the sleave of the game as a fan.
In 1980, I played Babe Ruth Baseball in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. Medford Oregon was a small town of about 45,000. When we won the District Tournament, it was expected and while a very exciting day…no big deal. We later won state and found ourselves on the way to the Regional Tournament in Lewiston Idaho. Even now as I look back on it and think of the no-name places we played with players you’ve never heard of, it seems more like a fictional novel than something I really experienced.
The NorthWest Regional Tournament, we played teams from Yakima, WA, Lewiston, ID, and Casper, WY…names you’ll recognize as the megalopolises they are. We were living the BIG dream now playing teams from places near and far. Excitment was building and people were starting to notice back home as this 15 year old team just continued to win.
However, after winning the regional tourney, none of us were prepared for the hoopla that awaited us at the Babe Ruth World Series in Williston ND. While not as well known at the little brother tournament…The Little League World Series…we felt we had hit the big-time. Fans from all over the US made the homage trek to this small town to watch the best from around the country. Every time we entered the stadium wearing our uniforms, kids would descend upon us to seek our autographs on hats, balls, bats, programs, pictures, paper, or whatever they had available. For an entire week, we were Rock Stars. We were living every ball players dream to be considered the best…playing the best teams…on the big stage. Kids I had never seen before that were both younger and older than I asked me about playing in the big games, patting me on the back, shaking hands, seeking for a moment with the players if only by touching our uniform. Reporters held interviews after games and we watched the late evening news to see the highlights (as ESPN was still a fledgling network).
Yes, I agree. Baseball has something magical about it. You don’t have to play in MLB to weave a thread in the fabric of the magical cape of baseball. You don’t have to be famous or from NY, LA, Atlanta, or even Seattle. It can have an impact on others in ways unimagined. Remembering that this is what baseball is about and that the latest trade, stat, or win can be irrelevant if seek to gain and retain that magical perspective. Baseball can impact our life just by touching the sleave of the game as a fan.