Tuesday, October 31, 2017

One Win Away

When I was knee-high to a grasshopper and television was broadcast in black and white, I remember joining my dad in the living room of our home to watch the New York Yankees play ball. I fell in love with the game and legendary players like Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Roger Maris, Tony Kubek, Mel Stottlemeyer and Mickey Mantle.  Back in the day, games were called by LA Dodgers HOFer Pee Wee Reese and St. Louis Browns’ HOFer Dizzy Dean on NBC and by Pee Wee and Curt Gowdy on CBS.  My dad would always laugh when ‘ol Dizzy would say, “He slud into third.”
Throughout the 1970’s and 80’s the Braves were pretty much the worst team in baseball, but when Ted Turner decided to buy the team in 1976 he began broadcasting the Braves’ game on TBS and after a while the Braves became known as “America’s Team” garnering fans everywhere as Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, and Joe Simpson called the games. 
I lived in Atlanta for four years when the Braves started their miracle run to the World Series.  The Braves won 14 titles from 1991-2005.  The Braves won the 1995 World Series against the Cleveland Indians.  Their decade of dominance ended shortly thereafter.
Last year, the Chicago Cubs, the team with the longest title drought in baseball history defeated the Cleveland Indians.  This World Series I’m rootin’ for the Astros.
Thousands of people lost their homes and dozens lost their lives when Hurricane Harvey deluged Houston with 52 inches of rain.  The Astros faithful are still picking through their rain-soaked belongings and homes.  The Houston players and coaches say they are on a mission to give their fans something to celebrate.
Some nights you never forget.  After more than 400 pitches and more than five hours, the Houston Astros managed to make one Dodger lead after another disappear.  They emerged with a 13-12 10th-inning victory in front of a Minute Maid Park crowd of more than 43,000 ecstatic fans─a testament to the magic of the World Series and the timeless power of baseball.  
Our national pastime has on more than one occasion helped a nation in need of healing.  For three nights in 2001 in the Bronx, anxiety and gloom momentarily gave way to a unifying moment following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
God, I love the game of baseball.

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