Baseball Equals Love

Hello Bloggers! Today on my way home from school, I saw a couple of high school aged boys walking from the baseball fields. They were in full uniform and had baseball bats in hands. And I'll be darned, I almost burst into tears! It made me so homesick. People always look at me funny when I talk about my love of baseball, so I am going to take this opportunity to tell you why I love baseball! 

This boy works hard

Spencer started playing baseball when he was 3 years old. We had just moved to Georgia and had not really been exposed to sports, considering that my sister and I danced, and our 2 seasons of indoor soccer in no way counted as a dedicated sport. And then Spencer came around. I remember one game when Spencer was only 3. He was playing third base. The ball came to him, he caught it, touched the bag to get the force out, and tagged the runner on third who didn't double up. He was 3 years old and had the baseball sense to get an unassisted triple play. The thing about Spencer is that he works HARD. Yeah, the kid has amazing baseball smarts. But he is seriously the hardest working kid. There is something about watching him play. Let me paint ya'll a picture. It's the third game of the day. It's night time. You have been at the field since 8 in the morning and you have watched your brother and his team fight their way to the elimination bracket. Your brother is at shortstop and his bat has been on fire. So it's the third game. And you are on edge. You are tired. And you want nothing more than for your brother to win. You are losing your voice, and your mouth hurts from eating so many sun flower seeds. Now back to my reality. Spencer gets up to bat. The bases are loaded. And he hits a grand slam. Over the fence. And this kid just runs the bases and goes back to the dug out like it's no big deal. My favorite thing about Spencer is that he will play like a rock star during a game. He will catch pop flies like they are no big deal. But when I say, "catch", I mean Spencer will dive, jump, spin, and do ANYTHING it takes to make sure that ball gets into his glove. Hence why he always ends up being the dirtiest kid on the team. He spends half the game in the dirt. But ya know what, that ball always ends up in his glove. Or Spencer will slam the ball to the fence, getting anywhere from a single, to a triple. Sometimes, he even gets an infield home run. And watching him steal is nerve racking, but he does it like it is his job. In fact, it is his job. And he does it with ease. Look away for a second, and all of a sudden, he is at second. One of my favorite plays was when he was at third and he was inching his way down the line. Pass ball. And BAM Spencer touched home and walked away before the catcher even had a prayer to recover the ball. And he just walked away without looking back. No big deal. 

My favorite part is taking Spencer home, because he is so stoney on the field, but the minute he comes over to me, a huge smile breaks out on his face. I'll look at him and comment on something amazing he did, and will just smile at me, happy with the way he played. And even on bad days (because we all have bad days, no matter what sport), he still usually has a good attitude. Sometimes all I have to say is, "Dude...." and he will just shake his head and laugh. The game is important to him. He wants to win. But I like how he leaves the game on the field. He remembers the accomplishments and learns from the mistakes. If on the off chance Spencer misses a fly ball, I tell the stands to shut up. I know my brother. He will learn and redeem his mistake at the first chance possible. And 9 times out of 10, the next ball that comes to him is solidly in his mitt. Watching Spencer play makes me so happy, because I get to watch him do something that he loves, and that has made me and my entire family love it. It is a part of our lives. You can't understand how amazing the sound of a baseball connecting with a bat is unless you have seen your brother slam the ball to the outfield. You don't appreciate the sound of baseball cleats unless you have had your brother click towards you after a win. You don't appreciate sun flower seeds unless they are your only source of stress relief during a game. I love baseball. And I love the person it has helped my brother become. He is an amazing example of patience and dedication. He works hard, and the rewards are abundant. I love baseball and the time I spend with my family watching Spencer play. I can't wait to go home and watch Spencer play again! 

So always remember bloggers....

All good things...come to those who are DEDICATED.