Dads,
DNA, and
Baseball


Christmas, Anniversary and birthday all rolled into one - you guessed it - it is TIME FOR BASEBALL~~~~~~~
Am I in hog heaven or what. For the past few weeks baseball has been more like freezeball. Never has my face been so cold or my rear end so frozen, but today...........ah today........ the sun was out, the heat was on (87 degrees), and there I sat with my sunflower seeds and water..
(If you are not quite understanding why my zeal for baseball, click on the right hand side under archives for 2007, then go to July 31, 2007 to see the love of baseball.)

I have often wondered if maybe the scientists stopped to early when they discovered the DNA module, and now the markers on those DNA strands because I believe that they just might have missed the most important stand of all - those particular loves that come from your parents. After all why would I be obsessed with crossword puzzles, or love sports, or love baseball. My love of words comes from my mother, my love of sports comes from my father. Baseball has become my therapy.

My father was the typical great dad; he loved baseball, he even was that Little League coach that when all the other fathers were to busy, my dad stepped up and coached for many years. I think that is why my brother has carried the torch and coaches for his sons, and maybe (again I believe it is in the DNA) his sons -or his daughter- will carry on the torch and coach the next generations.

I have to tell you a funny story about my mom, as many of you know she recently passed away from Alzheimer's, but her humor never left. Even as it was getting worse, she would call and say how she loved baseball because she could forget she was watching it, sleep and when she woke up it would still be on TV and the score would be just about the same....... ha ha ha

Baseball has a fluidity - a flow - I know I mention water a lot and the peace that comes from a still lake or pond - the almost glassy look of perfect quiet. Sometimes when a pitcher throws the ball there is that moment of stillness when the body is in perfect form and flow. The silence of the ball as it leaves the hand, the motion of the spin, the sound as it hits the catchers glove and the roar of the umpire "s t r i k e 3"........

Baseball is suppose to be slow, it was designed as a summer afternoon event that you brought your family to watch as you sat out on the lawn and had a picnic. It was never intended to be a billion dollar business where players take enhancing drugs and get paid mega millions. As I watch so much of the dirty muck that goes on day after day about who is dirty and who is clean I find myself wanting to slap them silly and say "enough" no more salary, no outrageous ticket costs, lay a blanket down, eat fried chicken and bring on the the guys that play because they LOVE the game.

I wonder if what I am really saying is "bring back the family"...........

This season my "happiness cup" runeth over........... I have two teams that I am watching with particular enjoyment. I have 2 families. My natural family - Nephew Josh playing for Creighton Prep in Omaha,

and my school players: Denton, Bobby, Byron, Sean, Josh, and Logan.

Each of these young men bring that innocence to baseball, that fun element, as baseball should be. they are the excitement of what the future of baseball can and should be.

So here's to both teams - may they win their state championships, may they NEVER loose the love for the game, and may they always remember:

" We flow like water, there may be twigs to block our flow,

but it is what is under the top ripple of water that

defines the strength and direction of the river."