Another Special Memory

        I've loved the game of baseball for as long as I can remember. Playing it. Watching it. Reading about it. Studying it. Talking about it. It's been a lifelong obsession.

        I take long walks in the early hours on these late spring mornings of 2016. They are not only time for exercise, they're time for thought and reflection.

        Lately those thoughts have been repeatedly drifting to the time I played organized baseball. That time was solely in my youth, up through the age of 17. The passion I had for the game was ever present back then, but athletically I never qualified as a great player. In fact I was nowhere near close, an average ballplayer at best, with flashes of good performances mixed in with many strikeouts and errors along the way.

        One moment in particular from my playing days continues to frequent my mind lately. It's a moment that actually occurred during a inter squad practice game. I was 16 or 17 at the time and in this particular contest, I was playing center field.

        I remember I was shaded a bit to the right field side of center so I could get a better visual angle of the pitcher/batter confrontation. I don't recall the pitcher's name, but the hitter was my teammate Steve. He was known to be a good hitter and I was on my toes out there in center field as a result.

        The memory of the sound made when bat met ball that particular moment is still vivid in my mind. That sound helped me immediately recognize that Steve's blast was headed to the deep left center portion of the outfield. I remember doubting I could get there before it fell to the grass. I remember thinking that wouldn't stop me from trying.

         I recall watching the ball initially come off the bat but then intentionally taking my eyes off it and running as fast as I could toward the spot I felt the ball was headed, glancing up in mid stride a couple of times as I continued to make my way across the outfield grass while trying to get to the spot where the ball would land.

        Gravity was pulling the baseball toward its destination on the deep left center grass while I was closing in, running at full speed, trying to stop it from hitting the ground. As the path of the ball came within 2-3 seconds of crossing my own, I realized for the first time I had a legitimate chance to catch it.

        Just before our paths collided, I raised my left arm as high as I could above and behind my right shoulder. I stretched that limb as far back and above my head as it could go and just after I jumped to get even higher, I heard the thump of ball meeting leather.

        That baseball landed in my glove. While it wasn't a spectacular catch that saw me dive across the grass or anything of the sort, it was in fact a good defensive play.

        Immediately after hearing that thump I brought my arm down and looked in my mitt to verify what I had just heard, felt, and seen. I had just stunned myself. I had caught a fly ball, covering more ground during a ball's flight than I had ever covered before. I was standing in the outfield on a baseball diamond in Aurora, Illinois. The air was warm, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and there were puffy clouds dotting the sky. I was breathing heavily from sprinting. I was now holding a baseball. I was smiling.

        Upon conclusion of the inning I ran back to the dugout where I encountered my teammate Steve. He too was smiling. 'Nice catch!' he said to me. That most simple of compliments. This most simple of memories. They are both like a treasure full of gold to me.

        I'll be 49 years old come this October. I can't really run at all these days, as my knees have been hobbled by osteoarthritis. I miss being able to run. I miss it terribly.

        I'm lucky though. When my mind starts to spiral into feelings of sadness and frustration that osteoarthritis has brought to my life, more times than not I'm able to counteract those negatives with thoughts of a moment in time. A moment in time in which I ran, with healthy and youthful knees, with every ounce of energy I had, and ended up catching a baseball on a hot summer day.

        I may never be able to run again. I really don't know what the future will bring when it comes to the state of my knees. Regardless of how the rest of my days play out in that regard, I hope I'll always be able to draw comfort and happiness from that day I ran across the outfield in pursuit of a white sphere. I'm pretty sure that smile I mentioned earlier will revisit me, each and every time I think about catching that baseball.

       

       

        

25 Years

          In the summer of '91 I was on the hunt for my first teaching job. I had graduated from Northern Illinois University in December of '90 and worked with some Asian children as a classroom aide in the first six months of 1991.

          I received a call from a principal in Warren, Illinois on the first Monday in August and an interview was set two days forward. I had two other interviews earlier that summer, but neither panned out and now, the clock was ticking ever so close to the start of a new school year. I knew this would be my last chance to land my own classroom for the '91-'92 school year.

          The interview went well. Before departing I asked the principal when he'd be making his final decision and he said he would call everyone interviewed with a yay or nay by 5 p.m. that Friday. Fast forward to Friday at 4:00 and there I was in my parents' kitchen, pacing back and forth, hoping and praying the phone would ring with good news.

          Alas, at 4:50 that afternoon I received the call that I was hired. My first teaching job would begin in ten days.

          Earlier today I officially completed my 25th year of teaching. I went through the brief check out procedures with my principal and immediately thereafter, I began walking down the hall toward the parking lot. I was able to keep my emotions in check until I got in the car.

          The tears began when I started thinking about how many incredible people I've worked with over the years. I've been beyond lucky in that regard. I thought about the three I don't work with anymore. All three have moved on from teaching at Riverview and I rarely hear from them anymore. All three touched my life in a special way. Danielle. Heather. Rhonda. I miss seeing you every day.

          The tears intermingled with thoughts of my silver anniversary's arrival, along with remembrances that took me back to that first day of teaching. How nervous yet eager I was in the minutes before the children arrived on that initial day. How I navigated my way through all there is to learn in one's first year of teaching as a whole. How my life inside and outside of the classroom has changed so dramatically since that late August day in 1991.        

          Changes? Oh yes, I've seen aplenty. The amount of testing has skyrocketed. The average child's ability to focus has plummeted. The percentage of parents who support the teacher has taken a nosedive as well. 

          Things that have stayed the same? Certainly there have been some. The enthusiasm for so much in life that so many children carry. The feeling I get when I see the look that indicates the light bulb has gone off in a child's head. The inner reward of knowing I've made a difference in a child's life.

          Regardless of the amount of similarities or change over time, I'm now on the downside of my teaching career. Retirement is likely to arrive 9-10 years from now. The skinny 23 year old me rarely, if ever, thought about the 'R' word. The not so skinny 48 year old me thinks about it often. For now though, this moment in time is a special one, a landmark occasion in my teaching career. Twenty five years. I'm simply stunned at how quickly it's all gone by.

         
         

          

Kev's Fave Athletes of All-Time

#25: Roger Staubach.

Commentary: If you were a child of the 1970's who loved football, there's a strong chance you dreamed of being Roger Staubach when you grew up. Whether you loved the Dallas Cowboys or hated 'em, 'Captain America' was fun to watch...........and one heck of a quarterback as well. Super Bowl 13 (Pittsburgh vs. Dallas) stands as the most vivid and entertaining championship football game from my childhood.

#24: Andre Agassi

Commentary: I'll be the first to admit I wasn't a fan of Agassi's at the start of his career (Remember the vain 'Image is everything' ad campaign?), but as time passed, he won me over. Agassi's baseline game was incomparable, and he produced countless shots over the years that got me jumping out of my chair. His quarterfinal battle vs. Pistol Pete in the 2001 U.S. Open (Sampras won 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 7-6) remains one of the most entertaining matches of my lifetime.

#23: Terry Bradshaw

Commentary: The Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970's were a team for the ages, and I was fascinated by their leader under center. The long bombs to Swann and Stallworth are memories that will be forever etched in my brain, along with Bradshaw coming off the field with his index finger in the air after Pittsburgh beat the Rams in Super Bowl 14. Teaser: The list has a half dozen signal callers in all, with the third of those six upcoming next.

#22: Peyton Manning

Commentary: The combination of his magnificent QB play, the funny commercials ('Cut that meat! Cut that meat!'), and the impression that he was an all-around good guy pushed Peyton from 'Honorable Mention' status into the top 25. I'm not a Colts fan, but I went out of my way to watch their games in the 2000's countless times, simply because I was a fan of Manning. Now go celebrate Peyton's inclusion in the list by having a chicken parm and humming the song. You know you want to.

#21: Pete Rose

Commentary: Charlie Hustle's 44 game hitting streak mesmerized me in the summer of '78, but I of course knew who Pete Rose was before he made his historical run at DiMaggio's mark. His offensive prowess, the all out effort he brought to every contest, the fact he played on the Big Red Machine, and the longevity of his career were the key factors that enabled him to break into the top 25.

#20: Tony Dorsett

Commentary: 'America's Team' was on national t.v. a whole lot in the 70's and 80's, so if you were a football fan you really couldn't miss them or their star running back. I remember being in awe of Dorsett's speed and ability to juke would be tacklers, as well as spending time in the backyard trying to emulate his moves (and failing miserably). Teaser: Dorsett is the first of three running backs on the list, with the second one coming next

.#19: Earl Campbell

Commentary: This man terrorized NFL defenders in the late 70's/early 80's and to say I was in awe of his power and athleticism would be an understatement. Ten year old me was thoroughly convinced Earl could smash through a brick wall if it stood between him and the goal line, and 48 year old me really hasn't wavered much from that belief. Pre injury Bo Jackson and in his prime Earl Campbell were about as good as it gets when it comes to brute strength at the running back position in my book.

#18: Reggie Jackson

Commentary: I'm a bit too young to remember Reggie with the A's, but the memories I have of him with the Yankees and Angels remain vivid in my mind. The three homer performance in game six of the '77 Series was a jaw dropper (literally), and there was high drama when Welch struck him out in game two of the Series the next year as well. In short, I didn't leave the room when Reggie stepped into the batter's box, because I was afraid I'd miss something spectacular.

#17: Jimmy Connors

Commentary: To say this guy had plenty of fight in him would be a vast understatement. Jimmy really won me over when he defeated one of my all-time sports villains (Ivan Lendl) in back to back U.S. Open finals ('82 and '83). Of course his magical run in the '91 Open captivated myself and countless others and one moment from his fourth round match that year remains the single most incredible point I've ever seen on a tennis court (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ubnh3vd5qk). I rooted for him in every match, sans the times he was playing a certain fellow American left-hander. Sidenote: 'Jimmy Connors Saved My Life' by Joel Drucker is a must read for any and all Jimbo fans out there.

#16: Joe Montana

Commentary: 17 year old me felt 'Joe Cool' had the perfect life in 1984: Quarterback of the best team in the league, millions of dollars in the bank, countless adoring fans, and a beautiful wife as well. Montana led San Francisco to four Super Bowl titles and had a remarkable career. I watched the 92 yard drive he led to win his third ring (Super Bowl 23) over the 'Who Dey' Bengals in my college dorm room, and it remains my favorite Montana related memory.

 #15: Dan Marino

Commentary: Marino was an incredibly talented quarterback (and the only one to beat the vaunted '85 Bear defense) who had swag long before the term became a thing. He caught my eye immediately upon joining the league and I followed his career throughout, marveling at his quick release and overall passing proficiency. It's true he never won a ring, but it's also true Miami never provided him with a good enough defense to do so. What I would have given to see #13 under center for *my* team. Sigh.

#14: George Brett

Commentary: His timing really couldn't have been better: Brett's rise to stardom began right at the time I was old enough to understand what I was seeing and his greatness lasted until I graduated from college. 12 year old me followed his run at .400 in the summer of '80, and when he finally got his ring in '85, I was overjoyed for him. Along with the .390 season, my most vivid Brett memories are his playoff heroics vs. the Yankees, his brawl with Nettles in the '77 ALCS, the news of his infamous battle with hemorrhoids during the '80 Series, and his maniacal run from the dugout in the Pine Tar game.

#13: Rod Carew

Commentary: Dude. Could. RAKE. When his Twins (and later, Angels) were on television, I did everything I could to make sure I was watching. His swing was so smooth, so productive, so....................Rodney Cline. Carew won four straight batting titles from '72-'75, then won two more in '77 and '78, a stat I still find astounding. 11 year old me couldn't understand how or why Minnesota let him get away (although I was relieved he landed in California and not in Yankee pinstripes), especially just one year after the man hit .388! I've watched a ton of baseball games over the years and he's one of only a handful of guys that, when he stepped into the batter's box, made me feel a base hit was imminent.

#12: Scottie Pippen

Commentary: Pippen was the jelly to MJ's peanut butter and a wonderful player in his own right. The defensive quickness and how a steal could translate to a fast break score in a blink was my favorite part of Scottie's game. Bulls' games were an *event* in my life from the mid 80's 'til the championship team broke up in '97. Without #33 on the scene over those years, the whole MJ narrative that sports fans know so well could (would?) be a whole lot different than what it is today.

#11: Mike Schmidt

Commentary: Schmidt wreaked havoc on N.L. pitchers throughout his career. In fact, I saw him as the Babe Ruth of the 1970's/80's through my childhood lens. 50 of his homers were hit in Wrigley Field (a pair of which came in the epic 23-22 game) and he had 124 career RBI's in the Friendly Confines as well. The ultimate Cub killer didn't leave me angry though. Rather, he left me full of awe and envy. Schmidt and Brett at the hot corner and in their primes during my childhood = One lucky, spoiled baseball fan in Aurora, Illinois.

#10: Pedro Martinez

Commentary: Over the course of the 1999 and 2000 seasons, Pedro reached an absurd level of excellence on the mound, leaving me in absolute awe. I did my best to watch him as often as possible for approximately 6-7 years of his career because I knew at the time that what I was seeing was beyond special. His performance in the 1999 All-Star game is a personal favorite, along with his 17 strikeout/one hitter against the Yankees that same season. The Red Sox/Yankee rivalry was in full fledged hate mode during that time period and Pedro was an integral part, with the highlight (lowlight?) coming the time a 70 something year old man tried to chase him down on the diamond in 2003. What it was all about more than anything else for me though was the fact I absolutely *loved* watching this man pitch.

 #9: Fran Tarkenton

Commentary: At some point in the mid 70's I became old enough to understand the basics of sports. At that time, there was an average sized man who was the  quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. I witnessed this man running around in circles while being chased by very large, mean looking men who wanted to tackle him, yet time and again he would completely outwit them by eluding their grasp and completing a pass to a teammate or running for a first down. I became infatuated with this man because he was so different from his peers, who were mostly drop back passers. His jersey was also my favorite color, and on top of it all he was very good at what he did for a living. In short, Fran Tarkenton was my very first sports hero.

#8: Magic Johnson

Commentary: I don't recall watching the Magic vs. Bird NCAA title game, thus Showtime's leader first caught my eye when I read about how he led his team to victory over the 76'ers in the 1980 Finals. The Lakers/Celtics rivalry drew me completely into the NBA shortly thereafter, and Magic was my favorite player until #23 arrived in Chicago in '84. Johnson's incomparable passing ability, upbeat personality, and the success his Lakers achieved were the ways he won me over. The shock of his HIV-positive announcement is one of those 'Remember where you were at the moment you heard' snapshots of my life; I was convinced he'd be dead within 3-5 years after hearing it. Magic obviously was an incredible basketball player and again, timing was on my side in that I was old enough to understand what was happening as his whole career unfolded before my eyes.

#7: Tiger Woods

Commentary: I watched very little golf before Tiger Woods; I do have memories of watching a handful of players before his professional career began (Watson, Nicklaus, Norman, Faldo), but other than Jack's '86 Masters win those memories are spotty at best. Tiger's arrival on the scene changed everything for me when it came to golf; that arrival occurred for myself (and countless others) with the stunning Masters win in '97. As with all of the athletes in this top ten, if I knew he'd be on t.v. I would arrange my personal schedule so that I could watch him perform. It's safe to say that if I were a golf nut before Tiger's arrival, he'd be ranked higher. However, the fact an athlete from a sport of only mild personal interest made this top ten list is a testament to the awesomeness of Tiger.

#6: Roger Federer

Commentary: It's good to be the king. The Swiss Maestro was just that for the bulk of the 2000's, to the point where I'd do a double take when he actually lost a match. While it's true he dominated, it was his accompanying silky smooth style of play that drew me and so many others to him. The 2008 Wimbledon final is the greatest match I've ever watched and despite the loss, I classify it as one of Roger's finest performances. His win over Andy Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon final was a great match as well, and when Fed won Wimbledon in 2012 I was overjoyed for him. As his incomparable career winds down I'm cherishing the times I see him on court these days because I most certainly do not expect to ever see another tennis player even remotely like Roger Federer ever again.

#5: Rafael Nadal

Commentary: In 2005 I watched a 19 year old kid win the French Open. I was impressed, but wasn't hooked as a mega fan........yet. A few years later came the 2008 Wimbledon final vs. Federer, a match I never really thought Nadal would win until he actually *did* come out on top, 9-7 in the fifth. My infatuation with him began over the course of that historic final. From that point on, his matches became mega events in my home, with me yelling, 'RAFA!' at the end of big points that went his way. I'd root for him so intensely that tears of joy would fall more often than not when he came out on top at the end of big matches, *especially* those vs. Djokovic. My (un?)healthy obsession with Rafael Nadal tennis matches probably won't last much longer though, as he's nearing the end of his wonderful career. Alas, I'm sure I have a few more 'Vamos!' yells in me before he hangs up his racket for good. Long live the King of Clay, in the tennis world and beyond.

#4: Walter Payton

Commentary: My first memories of Sweetness come from a mid 70's game in which he catapulted over the pile at the goal line to score a touchdown. I also remember him being the Bears' entire offense in the 70's, with the most extreme example coming 11/20/77: Payton carried the ball 40 times for 275 yards that day, while Bob Avellini attempted six passes the entire game. His running style was unique, powerful, and effective; when he would kick those legs up in mid run, it felt like poetry in motion. Sweetness got his Super Bowl ring with the '85 team, but felt cheated because he didn't score a TD in the big game. Two years later there was the famous shot of him on the bench with his head in his hands immediately after the '87 playoff loss to the Redskins, the last game of his career. A dozen years after that he was gone at age 45, which I still find hard to believe. The man could run, block, catch, and even throw.

Walter Jerry Payton is the single greatest football player I've ever seen.

#3: Ryne Sandberg

Commentary: Forget adoration: 16 year old me wanted to *be* Ryne Sandberg when I grew up. The everyday nature of baseball meant I got to watch a whole lot of Ryno in action over the years. It was his defense in particular that amazed me; so smooth, so guile, so................error free (nine Gold Gloves!). I watched 'The Sandberg Game' with my friend Todd Hayden in my parents' living room in June of '84 and I recall both of us yelling, screaming, and running all over the house after he hit each of the two homers to tie the contest. I especially loved how Harry Caray would heap praise on him, day after day, game after game. His 40 homer season in 1990 was something to behold, especially coming from a second baseman.  To me, Sandberg was the real life version of 'The Natural', and he is unquestionably my all-time baseball idol.

 #2: John McEnroe

Commentary: Yes, he had a horrible temper. Yes, he could act like a jerk on the court. I didn't care then and I DON'T. CARE. NOW. McEnroe's talent was what drew me to him. The rocking serve motion, the quick hands at the net, and his overall touch and precision were all mystifying to me. The '80 Wimbledon final was the moment I fell in love with the sport of tennis and the love affair continues to this day. My favorite McEnroe matches (outside of the aforementioned classic) were every time he topped Ivan Lendl, his '81 Wimbledon triumph over Borg, his marathon Davis Cup win over Wilander in '82 (six hours!), and his five set victory over Connors at the U.S. Open in '84, the culmination of the greatest day of tennis of my life (http://2014.usopen.org/en_US/news/articles/2014-09-06/the_most_super_saturday_of_them_all.html?promo=rss). These days I enjoy his insightful commentary during big matches and also watch him play against other retired greats in the Power Share series. Thanks to youtube I'm able to go back in time and enjoy his old matches at my leisure and I must say, it still tickles me every time he beats Lendl!

#1: Michael Jordan

Commentary: I saw MJ hit the winning shot in the '82 NCAA title game, but he fully entered my radar when I saw him throw down a mind blowing dunk in a game vs. Maryland in '84 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMOlqgoHgPE). When he landed on the Bulls in the '84 draft I was tickled, but of course I had no idea just how good he'd turn out to be. By the time '87 or so rolled around Bulls games had become full fledged events in my life and my best guess is I watched about 95% of their games from that point forward. 'The Shot' against Cleveland in the '89 playoffs was a landmark moment, but there were oh so many more. When they finally downed the Pistons in the '91 Eastern Conference Finals I was elated. When they beat the Lakers in the ensuing Finals and showed MJ hugging that trophy, it was the first time I cried tears of joy for a sports related event. The tears flowed again with the ensuing titles, with a special moment that saw exuberant father (my Dad) embrace emotional son (30 year old me) seconds after the '98 Finals were in the books in there as well. The commercials, the incredible athleticism, the dominant performances, the drive to win, the six trophies.........it was all a dream come true for this lifelong sports fan. I've never rooted so passionately, so frequently, or had the ultimate level of emotional investment in an athlete as I had for Michael Jeffrey Jordan.