Paul, thank you for not closing your laptop & continuing your writing. We’re all better for that. Chasing your dreams is ALWAYS a good idea.
My family moved from NYC when I was 7. I actually lived about 8 miles from Yankee Stadium which is not my point. Living on Broadway I didn’t play any baseball so when I got to Jersey I didn’t feel I had it in me. Of course I played Wiffle ball & had catches but never got to actually play on a groomed & manicured green field. I always wanted to but never thought my caliber was sufficient. So my point to you is your contribution to do your passion I applaud. By not quitting you’re hitting .300; thanks for continuing.
Thanks Jeff! I didn't want to get too sidetracked but I will never forget my version of that little league moment because it was the first time I ever realized that I probably couldn't do something I wanted to be able to do. It may have been my first "adult" feeling. One of the things I appreciate about baseball's lessons is that life is similarly a game of failure, full of ceilings, setbacks, and doldrums that people have to get through. If you bat .300 in life, you are doing really well!
I used to think if you’re hitting .300 on the field you’re good! But if your boss sees you as hitting.300 at work, you’re out the door. My problem was my parents never pushed me. And my lack of ‘self respect’ I guess you can call it didn’t help the situation. I would’ve been better trying & failing rather than never trying at all. “I coulda been a contender”
Wow, Paul, what a play! Thanks for the link and the timestamp so I could see it live. Again, I love your imagery especially the part where you describe how you came out of your writer’s block. Pete Rose was a superstar; it’s a shame that he had to tarnish his own record. Do you think he should posthumously be in the HOF? Or am I too forgiving to even entertain that idea?
Pete inspires strong emotions in a lot of people, and I was struggling with what to say yesterday until I decided to talk about the idea of Pete Rose that had taken root in my own imagination, rather than the actual person. His situation is such that, because he will not go in THE Hall of Fame, we are all left to weigh and measure him according to our own values and biases, and make our own decision, and we all get to be right. The magic catch really was something that first inspired me to write about baseball AND the first thing I worked on when I came back to writing a few years ago, and for inspiring in those crucial moments, Pete is in my Hall of Fame, first ballot.
Right you are. Headfirst dive into the stands. This is an interesting idea for baseball alternative history pieces. "What if Pete Rose had been in left field for the Bartman Game?" "What if Kirk Gibson hadn't been hurt during the 1988 World Series?" "What if Babe Ruth stayed with the Red Sox?"
Paul, thank you for not closing your laptop & continuing your writing. We’re all better for that. Chasing your dreams is ALWAYS a good idea.
My family moved from NYC when I was 7. I actually lived about 8 miles from Yankee Stadium which is not my point. Living on Broadway I didn’t play any baseball so when I got to Jersey I didn’t feel I had it in me. Of course I played Wiffle ball & had catches but never got to actually play on a groomed & manicured green field. I always wanted to but never thought my caliber was sufficient. So my point to you is your contribution to do your passion I applaud. By not quitting you’re hitting .300; thanks for continuing.
Thanks Jeff! I didn't want to get too sidetracked but I will never forget my version of that little league moment because it was the first time I ever realized that I probably couldn't do something I wanted to be able to do. It may have been my first "adult" feeling. One of the things I appreciate about baseball's lessons is that life is similarly a game of failure, full of ceilings, setbacks, and doldrums that people have to get through. If you bat .300 in life, you are doing really well!
I used to think if you’re hitting .300 on the field you’re good! But if your boss sees you as hitting.300 at work, you’re out the door. My problem was my parents never pushed me. And my lack of ‘self respect’ I guess you can call it didn’t help the situation. I would’ve been better trying & failing rather than never trying at all. “I coulda been a contender”
Ditto!
Wow, Paul, what a play! Thanks for the link and the timestamp so I could see it live. Again, I love your imagery especially the part where you describe how you came out of your writer’s block. Pete Rose was a superstar; it’s a shame that he had to tarnish his own record. Do you think he should posthumously be in the HOF? Or am I too forgiving to even entertain that idea?
Pete inspires strong emotions in a lot of people, and I was struggling with what to say yesterday until I decided to talk about the idea of Pete Rose that had taken root in my own imagination, rather than the actual person. His situation is such that, because he will not go in THE Hall of Fame, we are all left to weigh and measure him according to our own values and biases, and make our own decision, and we all get to be right. The magic catch really was something that first inspired me to write about baseball AND the first thing I worked on when I came back to writing a few years ago, and for inspiring in those crucial moments, Pete is in my Hall of Fame, first ballot.
Nice recollection, Paul. I think if Pete Rose were in the Wrigley Field stands on October 14, 2003, he would have wrested the ball away from Bartman.
Right you are. Headfirst dive into the stands. This is an interesting idea for baseball alternative history pieces. "What if Pete Rose had been in left field for the Bartman Game?" "What if Kirk Gibson hadn't been hurt during the 1988 World Series?" "What if Babe Ruth stayed with the Red Sox?"