2 words: whiffle ball

so let me tell you about a little thing i like to refer as "going back to my glory days." as many of you may know, i was once a talented young baseball player. i started playing baseball at the wee age of 4 and was immediately hooked. from t-ball to pony leagues, i lived for the game. i was considered a top draft pick during try-outs, proved my worth during the season and usually ended as a key element and clutch performer to my team. with a career high batting average of .720 and having pitched several no-hitters and one nearly perfect game (i beaned a friend), its safe to say that they truly were glory days.

my baseball ended though as i discovered skateboarding. at times i reflect and wonder "what could have been" if i had stuck with the sport that my father taught me. would i be playing for the cougs right now? who would my friends be? would i have ever picked up my true passion today: surfing? so many questions so little time. where would i be?

the answer doesn't matter. WHY? because the glory days are back. thats right. this past friday was introduced to america's past time once again. In a very Sandlot-esque way. Melzer invited me out to play a game with some of his cronies. i use cronies with the utmost respect. Joel Baer, Nate Barnes, Sean Heatherington, Jake Smart to name a few...allowed me to step on that hallowed ground known as a baseball diamond. and boy was it sweet. i started off a little slow. mainly just enjoyed the wisecracks of the people there. than i got into it, and started to come alive.

i don't wanna toot my own horn or anything....ok, maybe just a little. the kids started calling me "automatic" and i was the new force to reckon with. i was put into 3rd base on defense-my old stomping grounds- and loved every second of it. the "hot corner" was in full effect. i reached base on every attempt, and was a homerun short of hitting for the cycle. i help my team come back from a 14-6 deficit and win. (Joel hit for the cycle on saturday. it was awesome.) but the whiffle ball game definitely rekindled an old flame for me. Who knew whiffle ball could be so amazing?