Can We Play Catch?

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me."

Jim Valvano

You have to love Father's Day. I talked about mom, but now it is dad's chance. Yesterday was the ideal day for a sports watching day with dad. The Mets played an old school doubleheader (one game right after another), the final round of the U.S. Open, Angels v. Braves, and Lakers v. Celtics game five. Man, mom may have been the glue but dad was the professor. He taught how to throw, pass, shoot, catch, hit and be humble. Some people aren't so lucky to have a father in their life. To those people, my heart goes out to you. Man, who remembers when Jordan won the title the year after he retired and his father had just been murdered. He grabbed the ball fell to the floor and cried for moments. Professor Jordan had passed but his best student graduated. Who doesn't remember playing catch or hitting the ball? My dad would come watch me practice when I played high school football. We would breakdown film after games. I loved it, watching film was our thing. Cal Ripken Jr. was coached by his dad. Father's Day is a time to celebrate with dad and watch the game. Me and my dad watched the U.S. Open and saw Tiger blow a 3 stroke lead to have to play in a playoff today, Tiger won. His father was so important to his success, he encouraged him, he gave him strength, he was his will. When his father died he was devastated, but he willed on, fight. Without dad would you have zip on the fastball? How nice is it that Ken Griffey Jr. was able to play on the same field as his father? Wow, that is awesome, imagine that. They are the professor, fathers that is. They, fathers that is, take their children to the game. Can we play catch?

"When I was a kid, I used to imagine animals running under my bed. I told my dad, and he solved the problem quickly. He cut the legs off the bed."

Lou Brock