You'rrrrre Safe

I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA.  A city well known for the hard working men and women of the steel mills and amazing sports fans.  My Dad was one of the amazing Pittsburgh sports fans.  He truly loved life and sports was one of his passions.  My love for sports was definitely a gift that was given to me from my Dad.  I have to admit that when I was growing up I never could quite understand my Dad's love for the game of  baseball.  I can remember thinking that the game of baseball just seemed to move at a pain staking pace and was always never ending.

My son, Eric, unfortunately was not blessed with having the opportunity to know my Dad very well.  My Dad died of a brain tumor when Eric was five years old.  It is truly amazing to me how much Eric is like my Dad.  Eric has my Dad's love for life and his passion for sports.  Eric is always striving to perfect his talents on the baseball field.  Throughout Eric's journey as a baseball player he has continued to teach me, as my Dad did, the true love of the game of baseball.

Both my Dad and Eric have given me the gift of always feeling that unbelievable feeling when you walk onto a baseball field.  The baseball field is truly an unbelievable place because it is a place where any thing is always possible.  A place where one decision can change the entire game.  I think that the game of baseball is a lot like real life.  Each and every day we are "at bat," at "home plate" faced with making each decision that will determine when and how we make it into the game.  If we are fortunate, maybe we achieve a home run only to arrive safely back home.

As I look back, I cannot believe that I thought that the game of baseball just seemed to move at a pain staking pace and was always never ending.  I could not have been more wrong.  I wish that I could have been a better student for my Dad as he was trying to teach me the love of the game of baseball.  I wish that I would have realized that what my Dad was really trying to teach me was so much more than the game of baseball.  I hope that I am being a better student of the love of the game of baseball and of life for my son, Eric.