Baseball season starts today. St. Louis plays Miami tonight, and everyone else plays on Thursday.
Thursday is also opening day for minor-league baseball. Nashville’s Triple-A team, the Sounds, will begin the season on the road and play its home opener next Friday.
I’m a sucker for minor-league baseball. Life doesn’t get much better than hanging out at a minor-league game. I had a gym teacher in high school who believed the best baseball was Triple-A baseball, because the players play their hearts out, hoping they’ll get called up. Thing 1 (the 12-year-old and a terrific softball player) really follows the action, and every summer, we try to guess who’ll be the first player to get called up.
Corey Hart at bat (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Our first summer in Nashville, 2005, I knew it would be Corey Hart. Thing 1 was only 5, but whenever Corey stepped to the plate, I’d tell her, “Now, watch this guy. He’s gonna hit it out of the park,” and he usually did.
I didn’t realize how closely Thing 1 was following Corey Hart until one game, late in the season, he wasn’t there.
“Where’s Corey Hart?” she asked?
“I don’t know,” I said. “We’ll look him up when we get home.”
While she brushed her teeth, I went online and found the answer. “He’s been called up,” I told her. “He’s gone to play for Milwaukee.”
It was late, Thing 1 was tired, and she burst into tears.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I miss him!” she said.
“It’s OK. This is a good thing. The guys who play for Nashville want to play for Milwaukee.”
“When’s he coming back?” she asked.
“Well, unless he gets hurt or something, he probably won’t be back. He’s playing for Milwaukee now.”
She began crying harder and finally said, “I want to send him a letter.”
I thought that was sweet. “What do you want to say?” I asked.
“COME BACK!”
“OK,” I said.
“We can write him a letter in the morning. Time for bed.”
She was still crying a little when I tucked her in. “It’s OK,” I told her. “He’s happy. This is what he wanted.”
She said, “I miss him. He’s the best baseball player I ever saw.”
She was asleep before I turned out the light.
Did she ever write and send the letter? Quite a compliment from such a little fan, I should think.
I asked her the next morning if she still wanted to send him a letter, and she said no. She’d moved on. Now, of course, when one of her favorate players gets called up, she’s really happy about it.
Sweet memory! Hard for little ones to understand promotions and the need for more income!
It’s hard to explain to a kid that the team you’re rooting for doesn’t really want to be here.
Toddster — I am having trouble with WordPress and am only now seeing this. Happy baseball season. While I’m here, congratulations to Kentucky on a fine finish to basketball season..
On behalf of the commonwealth of Kentucky, I thank you. Apparently, it’s become a tradition in Lexington for college students to BURN THEIR SOFAS when Kentucky wins. They drag their sofas out into the street and set them on fire. The Lexington newspaper quoted one student before the final game as saying she bought an extra sofa specifically to burn after Monday’s game. These kids today….
That is the sweetest story. I grew up on minor league ball and always said if I made it big, I’d buy a team. That hasn’t happened and now I’m heavily into HS baseball. Will be going to the D-Backs opener tonight though.
Have a great time, Tammy!
Corey Hart is one of Nate’s favorite Brewers. We’re planning a big Skarlupka family expedition to Milwaukee in June. Nate loves baseball!!!
It’s been a lot of fun watching these guys work their way to the bigs. Keep an eye on Mat Gamel.
i always admire baseball players because i love baseball so much.’
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