Ghosts in the Grass: Middle of the Fifth
Where life and death were not actually life and death, but euphemisms for succeeding and failing.
A Day with Hank
Years ago, when we lived in a much smaller house, my collection of baseball memorabilia was relegated to a handful of boxes. Two houses, two kids and four dogs later, […]
October 25
I originally wrote this two years ago…I’ve modified it a bit to update it. The original is here. I was a kid. A 13 year old entering into some of the most confusing years of my life. Arm issues left me incapable of playing sports and a crippling shyness left […]
Love and Baseball
Earlier tonight (Oct 9), a post from an old coworker on Facebook reminded my of one of the most infamous moments in Orioles and baseball history: The Jeffrey Maier game. It opened up a flood of emotions not only from that game, but from my time in baseball. So, please […]
Lessons from Little Leaguers
It’s 8:40 on a Tuesday morning and I want to go to my kids school, pull them out of class and apologize to them. I want to apologize to them for my demeanor and attitude after our last few little league games. I want to tell them how proud I […]
Happy Memories in the Warehouse
The sun has risen and set 6,203 times since the last time the Baltimore Orioles played in an American League Championship Series game. That’s 17 years since Armando Benitez gave up that heart breaking home run (with Benitez, you usually need to be more specific when talking about heartbreaks) and […]
Small Miracles on the Diamond
Due to another event happening at the normal Little League field, Matthew’s game on Saturday was moved to a different time at a back up field. All three of my assistant coaches could not make the game because of prior commitments. One of the other fathers on the team happens […]
What does a ball hitting the bat look like?
His uniform seemed like a lead shroud hanging from his thin frame. His hat pulled low, concealing wet eyes. Glove tucked under his arm as he drags himself into the car. He is heartbroken. My heart breaks for him, also. I’ve been there and it feels like there is nothing […]
Anguish and Pride on the Little League Field
I’ve had some tough times as a father in the seven plus years that I’ve been on this wild journey. There have been some emotional moments for so many different reasons. However, one of the most emotional moments happened for me this past Saturday on a baseball diamond. I am […]
Fixing Home
This evening, after work, I was out playing tee ball with Benjamin and Matthew, trying to get a head start on practice for both them and me. At one point Matthew insisted on batting without the tee, with me pitching to him. So, I lined him up at the rubber […]
It's The Papa 