How Sweet Is This!

[Al]

Tonight after umpiring a coach pitch game one of the little girls came up to me and said "I want to thank you for giving me that two dollar bill" > I said: You already did when I gave it to you two years ago on your birthday. (She was on my coach pitch team two years ago, and she was so proud to tell me it was her birthday. I signed the bill and gave it to her. Then she said I mean I want to thank you by giving you this ball. She had a softball with her name on it. I said Ok...and I pulled out a T-ball from my ballbag and said I want to give you this T-Ball...do we have a deal? So I wrote Umpire Al on it and we were both happy. I told her I will keep that softball along side of a signed baseball from Jim Perry I have on my desk in the rec room. Her Mom said she remembers when he played. I got the better deal and that ball is more special to me than that baseball that Jim Perry signed for me. Nothin' like fun at the ole' ball park! ...Al

[DaveASA/FED]

Your right, items like that are the good things about doing this job. And in particular being involved in rec type leagues. As I have started doing high school ball and ASA state and even have my 2nd National scheduled for this year, people ask me "why are you still messing around with that rec league?" Well 2 reasons, #1 I don't ever think I am "too good" to call a rec league game thats where I started it's 10 minutes from my house, but #2 you never get the moments like you have just listed Al, in big tournies. That connection with the kids, you know you have had a positive impact on them and what they might not know is they have had just as big, if not bigger impact on you! Makes you feel good inside and with all the bad stuff in the world we deal with everyday you flat out need that sometimes!!

Like the old saying goes.....Life is not measured by the breaths you take but more by the moments that take your breath away. Life is flat out too short not to have fun!!

[tcblue13]

Originally Posted by Al

Tonight after umpiring a coach pitch game one of the little girls came up to me and said "I want to thank you for giving me that two dollar bill" > I said: You already did when I gave it to you two years ago on your birthday. (She was on my coach pitch team two years ago, and she was so proud to tell me it was her birthday. I signed the bill and gave it to her. Then she said I mean I want to thank you by giving you this ball. She had a softball with her name on it. I said Ok...and I pulled out a T-ball from my ballbag and said I want to give you this T-Ball...do we have a deal? So I wrote Umpire Al on it and we were both happy. I told her I will keep that softball along side of a signed baseball from Jim Perry I have on my desk in the rec room. Her Mom said she remembers when he played. I got the better deal and that ball is more special to me than that baseball that Jim Perry signed for me. Nothin' like fun at the ole' ball park! ...Al

Al,
I used to live on the Outer Banks and coached a Babe Ruth Softball team that was sponsored by Jim Perry. I have an autographed pic of brother Gaylord that I got while I was down there as well. Are you in NC??

[justmom]

Great story, I coached 10U rec for one year, and had the time of my life. Maybe I'll get back into it when my daughter finishes high school, and I'm not watching her games anymore. That's a few years down the road though. Hey, I'll take a 10U or 12U team any day over the older kids! Thanks again, for the great story!!

[Al]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

Your right, items like that are the good things about doing this job. And in particular being involved in rec type leagues. As I have started doing high school ball and ASA state and even have my 2nd National scheduled for this year, people ask me "why are you still messing around with that rec league?" Well 2 reasons, #1 I don't ever think I am "too good" to call a rec league game thats where I started it's 10 minutes from my house, but #2 you never get the moments like you have just listed Al, in big tournies. That connection with the kids, you know you have had a positive impact on them and what they might not know is they have had just as big, if not bigger impact on you! Makes you feel good inside and with all the bad stuff in the world we deal with everyday you flat out need that sometimes!!

Like the old saying goes.....Life is not measured by the breaths you take but more by the moments that take your breath away. Life is flat out too short not to have fun!!

Hey Dave,

I couldn't agree with you more. Just one of those special times more that makes up for those times when I had to deal with someone that didn't like the call, or doesn't understand the rules, etc. Last night before the game I got some nice comments from one of the moms. She said "Last year we had two teen umpires that hardly ever announced how many outs there were. I like when you sometimes let the hind catchers throw the ball back to the coach. They rarely every let the catcher throw the ball to the pitcher and the catcher felt like they were just standing there with nothing to do. She said she likes it when I make comments to the fans about after certain plays.

It seems every game there's something that brings a smile or a laugh. I remember posting how one little boy was batting off the T and missed the ball badly twice in a row, so he went to get a different bat and he didn't care what dugout it came from. His poppa said he needed a different bat cause that one had Two holes in it. And another little boy that told me if his shoes fall off when running to 1st he is still going to keep running cause he wants to win this game. So ya know he probably got called out because he slowed down on the way to 1st and a coach or mom etc. must have told him "you keep running as fast as you can even if your shoes fall off". Of course I got to hear about a 'big ole' frog' that someone stole from her hamster cage unless the frog opened the door and hopped away. ... The best game in the world lends itself to the best moments! Later, ...Al

[coachsara]

It is things like this that make what we do worthwhile. I LOVE coming to the park and having a dozen kids run up to me yelling my name and giving me hugs. I LOVE having parents ask "are you on our field tonight? I sure hope so."

Nothing can be as fun as watching the youngest ones play. Last year I was calling a 6-under slow pitch game. When I would go to my field I always take two softballs (softies) with me in case one gets fouled off I have an extra. Well, on the other fields there’s a place on the fence to put the extra ball but on the little field there’s not so I have to put my extra ball on the ground against the fence behind me.

A girl comes up and hits a ball that rolls to the fence. As she’s rounding 3rd it’s looking like she’s going to get a home run out of it. Well the defense finally gets the ball and now the entire team is chasing behind her going home.

Meanwhile, the catcher is waiting at home, realizes there’s a softball lying on the ground behind her (my extra ball) runs and gets it, and comes to tag the girl out at home.

It was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while. I think I cried I laughed so hard. It also gave the parents a great big laugh.

[Al]

Originally Posted by tcblue13

Al,
I used to live on the Outer Banks and coached a Babe Ruth Softball team that was sponsored by Jim Perry. I have an autographed pic of brother Gaylord that I got while I was down there as well. Are you in NC??

Hey tcblue,

Jim Perry is a really good guy. I first met him a couple years ago. He is a personal friend of a realtor that goes to a church I attend. Jim moved to a town called Fairfield Glade here in TN. (about 10 miles from my home town) When he was just starting to get settled in he came to the church and told the people he would sign a baseball for anyone that wants one. And they didn't have to supply the ball. So several members got a signed ball. The realtor told me the ball would cost over a hundred bucks on E-Bay. Don't know about that, but he was the Cy Young winner in 1970. I got to talk to Jim for a little while and he told me about his brother. He said Gaylord really did throw a lot of spit balls, and was quite a character, but he (Jim) never did that. Take care, ...Al