We're Gettin Close

For our anniversary and Christmas this last year, Steph bought me a 9-game package to the Royals for this season. After selecting the games I wanted to attend and letting the folks at the KC Royals know them, it turned into a waiting game.

My wait has paid off. I received in the mail this week, two tickets for each of the games I selected. To open that box was exciting. I love baseball and am looking forward to watching the Royals this season. Regular season begins next month at the newly renovated stadium.

My love for baseball started as a teenager when I used to play catch with my buddy Paul in his back yard. We'd throw grounders to each other making them faster and faster. We'd end up throwing just about as hard as we could just in front of the other person's feet and making it difficult to field the ball. Through all of this, we would keep count until one of us missed. We actually did pretty well many a day in his backyard.

The other great memory was pitching to his dad. Rev. Charles would taunt us by telling us that we couldn't get a ball past him. We used a hard rubber ball that tended to flatten out a little when thrown hard. Chuck would start by crowding the plate - Paul and I had no trouble brushing him back, sometimes landing a ball square in his side. Then it was all we could do not to cry from laughter when he would jump around the yard fussing from us hitting him so hard. You knew it got bad when he'd yell to Frances in the house that "the boys" were beating up on him. I remember hearing Frances laughing in the distance.

You had to be careful with Chuck, though. If you floated one over the plate, he'd get that bat around and you'd be hoppin' a few fences to retrieve it. I often think about those times when we spent our whole afternoon in the backyard laughing, sweating and loving the game of baseball! Honestly, that's what it's all about.