At one of my favorite locations in the area, we gathered to play some baseball on the 4th of July. Five of the six kids, my wife, and I, all took some batting practice in the 90° plus heat. We love Allard Park and we had a blast just enjoying baseball and each other on Independence Day. Continue Reading...
To the Help
This one goes out to the help. The volunteers. The community. The common thread found among a group. Maybe it's a passion that you didn't realize you had, but you couldn't stay away knowing that things needed to be done right. I know I have said this, maybe too many times, over the last 15 years, but I believe it, it's all about the kids. So, when we get put to the test to host a baseball Continue Reading...
We Weren't Done Yet!
Isn't there another chance to learn that play? A chance to show the new skill being mastered? When can we cover this again? Why does it always have to end? Those who are closest to me in the baseball circles that I tread upon, they know how the last day of the season means to me. How much it affects me. And they probably know how much I have written on the subject over the years. But this year Continue Reading...
Allard Park 2016
Sometimes I sit and I wonder, what would fill the hole in my heart, were it not for this little gem, Allard Park. Continue Reading...
It's Alright to be Impacted by the Game
Sometimes I stay up quite late just so I can let my mind run away from the real, and approach subjects that I would much rather touch, or certainly feel. Then there are times when I lengthen the day just to wrestle free from the noise, you know, to get out from under the distractions, and that which just annoys. So, what. So I can prove that, maybe, something good happens after midnight, and I Continue Reading...
The Last Day of the Season
To Coach Hartwell, Coach Dodge, our baseball community, and the parents and families surrounding the players on our team: As gravity took over and the baseballs' path fell from the sky and rested finally into the opposing left fielder's glove, my hopes for a miracle comeback were replaced with the reality that I knew could come. Almost immediately, I found the softer, sentimental side of me Continue Reading...
To me, it’s still THE Game
The other night Albert Pujols hit career home run number 536 to tie Mickey Mantle for 16th on MLB's All-Time Home Run List. This is quite the accomplishment as Pujols continues his Hall-Of-Fame level career. I am not sure how many baseball fans noticed this feat. I am certain that regardless of how many home runs Albert Pujols hits, he won't be remembered like Mantle still is, and that's not his Continue Reading...
Thankful Because “It” Was
The winter season is still upon us here in New Hampshire. Yesterday's temperatures actually made it into the 50's here, and even though I love winter, it was a really nice day. It was a reminder that spring is nearing, a reminder to me of the renewal of the seasons that I love so much. It also gave my brain a little nudge down the steep mountain of snow that is everywhere around here still, and as Continue Reading...
Baseball Then and Now
For as long as I can remember, I have loved the game of baseball. I still do. I don't just love the game play, but I love the strategy, the gamesmanship, the personal effect, the unwritten rules, and perhaps most of all, the measurement by which all eras can correlate with one another. I watched last night as the San Francisco Giants punched their ticket to the World Series by ousting the St. Continue Reading...
The Wide-Eyed Boy and The Game
This is a short story I wrote because even after all of my years in baseball, playing it, watching it, writing about it, coaching it, dreaming about it, and teaching it, I was genuinely inspired. The source of my inspiration doesn't know about this story, and neither does anyone else, so I'm hoping everyone enjoys it. I have a tendency to romanticize things here and there I suppose. And yes, I Continue Reading...