ANOTHER DAY IN THE SUN

Photo courtesy of mlive

While I was watching my son at baseball practice this week, I received a phone call from my high school baseball coach. It had been quite sometime since we spoke, so he briefed me about the baseball team did this spring as well as how a few of the guys from the old line-up were doing. While he didn't specifically call to chit -chat, it is always nice to hear from an old friend.

The point of his phone call was an invitation to play in a 35 and over alumni game where my high school, Lumen Christi, would play the across town rival Jackson High. The game is for varsity players only and it's primary purpose is to raise funds for the two school's baseball programs.

The old coach said we need a short-stop can you make it? I told him my schedule will not allow me to attend this year but said that is a great idea and sounds like a lot of fun. We continued to chat for a little while until he excused himself as he needed to call my brother who also played shortstop on the varsity team two years behind me.

After our conversation concluded. I sat and pondered a few of rivalry games with Jackson High. We had a good team in my day and we never lost to the Vikings. They were the big public high school with 3,000 plus where we were the smaller private school with 2,200 students. We did not like J-High very much while they felt the same way about Lumen.

Of the memories that I was able to pull to the forefront of my mind was a home-run that I hit over the right-field fence that went over the road and hit a house on the fly. I used an old school green lettered Easton aluminum bat, we did not have but two bats to choose from, to drive the ball out of the park. The pitcher that was on the hill at the time was a guy who I played American Legion ball with for multiple season as well as a friend. He had I had spirited conversations about that HR for the remainder of the summer.

Photo courtesy of mlive

The thought of digging in at that very same plate almost 30 years later is enticing, but I know I can never relive that moment again. I had my day in the sun with achievements as well as failures. If I were to put on the green and gold one more time and stand between second and third, as coach has asked me to do, I'm sure there would be more failures than achievements.

I really love the concept and wish that I could swing the stick with my old team one more time, but due to life's commitments that day will have to wait.

See you next year guys.