Going...Going....Gone!

    Baseball's annual All Star Game will be played
today..
    But thousands of people jammed the stadium in
Kansas City last night even though there was no
game.
    They were there to watch the Home Run Derby!
    The "'Homer, the "Long Ball," call it what
you will. is the most exciting thing in baseball.
    It brought me back to the game!
    Mickey Mantle was my baseball hero back
in my teenage years. So, quite naturally, I
tried out for his Center Field position when I
wanted to play in the "Teener's League."
    The coach told me I had to throw the ball
from Center Field to Home Plate on once
bounce. I couldn't reach the infield on one
bounce! So, I didn't take the team!
    Disappointed I'd play a "sandlot" (in our
case a field of coal waste materials) game
with friends from time to time and switched
to 1st base so as not to embarrass myself.
   Then somebody talked me into coming
out for a Fast Pitch Church Softball League
game.
    That's when I hit my first home run and
"came back" to the game! I even impressed
myself, especially since there were no
fences on our fields!
     I never stopped playing after that, although
the league's changed from time to time.
    I didn't hit home runs all the time in later
years. But I had a couple and, besides, I
became a pitcher and pitchers aren't expected
to be able to hit And who am I to wreck
any body's expectations?
    I've been the "official" WYOU/WBRE
pitcher for a whole lot of years. But, this
year I've had to turn down two assignments
because of some health issues. I'm still hoping
to get at least one game in sometime this year.
   After all I've already outlasted Roger Clements
and never took anything but a Diet Dr. Thunder
before a game!
   If this season does pass me by I'll try for a
great comeback next year. Remember, there's
no crying in baseball....but there's always
next year!
    Hope you're still swinging for the seats and
that all your NEWS is good!