I was never much of a sports gal. Then my son joined a Little League team in kindergarten.
To put it simply, baseball suddenly became my passion.
I loved sitting out in the warm grass as the sun was going down, watching him do his best to figure out the game, gently guided by the men who volunteered their time to impart the secrets of the diamond.
I loved it even more when one of those guys asked me if I’d be his bench coach and keep those then first graders in the right batting order, and make sure no one got clobbered by a fellow player during batting warm-ups.
Those little boys became my team. I made sure that there was plenty of water on hot days, and ice-cold towels for faces and necks when the temperatures got up into the 90s. Nobody could help a catcher get out of that heavy chest protector faster on a sweltering evening – after all, I didn’t want my player passing out from the heat.
I carried snacks, and bandages, and gave the kid who is always wandering a job keeping the bats and batting helmets in order. I also made sure that everyone knew they were an important member of the team, and that there was no crying in baseball if you struck out – because everybody strikes out now and then. The team was mine until about fifth grade, when I was no longer needed.
Looking back, sometimes I think I loved being part of that baseball team more than my son did, and I freely admit that every April when I see little boys starting to practice on soggy diamonds in our local park, I yearn – just a little bit – to be back on the bench with them.
That wistfulness makes it very easy for me to appreciate the draw of the Valley Wheel Over-30 Baseball League that’s featured in this month’s issue.
I completely understand why guys who played baseball in elementary school, high school and college might want a chance to run the bases again, and with the way Founder and Commissioner Jim Nason has this league structured, even guys who experience baseball regret in their middle or later years can possibly get a shot to play. Nason’s managers don’t build their teams on the best talent, but on a balanced mix of players, which means even a guy who never played much organized ball – but has a passion for the sport – can still get a shot to be on a team.
Robert Jacuqes Sr. – who at 65 is part of a father-son team that joined the league in its inaugural season 13 years ago (and still play with the league) – summed up the appeal of Valley Wheel Baseball best:
“Well, there is no place in the world I’d rather be than a baseball diamond,” Robert Sr. told Prime. “My wife has been a real saint, we haven’t had a summer vacation since I started playing Valley Wheel.
“I love the game, I always have.”
I doff my cap to these eternal “Boys of Summer.” May you all have many more summers when you hear the Ump cry, “Play Ball!”
Thanks for reading,
Debbie Gardner
