baseball

October 13, 1960, the bottom of the ninth, the seventh game of the World Series after 162 regular season games it comes down to one hit - a walk-off homerun.  

They say baseball is a child's game played by adults in their pajamas. Mazeroski rounding the bases was a childlike expression of exuberance, innocence, and joy. Seeing that homerun brings back vivid memories of my childhood. As a young boy in the 1960s my grandfather used to take my brother and me to Forbes Field to see the Pirates. Bill Mazeroski and the Pirates of the 1960s played great baseball, but I hardly remember a play and I did not attend that World Series.  I remember the excitement and awe of just being there with my brother and grandfather. If I could play a highlight film of my childhood memories going to the Pirate games would be one of the clips. I am thankful to have my grandfather take me there and be a part of it.

Baseball fans love numbers. They love to swirl them around their mouths like Bordeaux wine. ~Pat Conroy

Baseball fans are junkies, and their heroin is the statistic. ~Robert S. Wieder

Baseball is an island of activity amidst a sea of statistics. ~Author Unknown

When it comes down to it ML baseball is a child's game played by men in pajamas. There was a time when baseball was less of a business. In light of the recent baseball steroid report I thought back to the baseball heroes of my youth in the 1960s. For the most part they played their entire career for one team. They were not coddled millionaires. Few were felons (well, OK Denny McClain). They played for the love of the game, and they did not take steroids. As a young boy they were thrilling to me.