For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.
What, you say spring does not begin until March 20th. Well, I say you are wrong. Spring starts today, February 14th. Baseball season officially starts today, as the Detroit Tiger's pitchers and catchers report to spring training. It is ironic how I have to share St. Valentine's Day with both loves of my life - my lovely wife and the game of baseball. She should be used to it be now, we did visit Cooperstown on our honeymoon.
I want to dedicate this begining of spring 2008 to the three men who helped shape my love of the game. First and foremost, I want to thank my father, Alfred Henry Selich. His love for the game was deep and passionate. He was my first coach. He preached fundamentals, and was always thinking ahead to the next play. He hated to lose, but always won or lose with integrity. He passed his love and passion for the game to his three sons, and we still carry that love and passion today. He has since passed to a better place. This is the time of the year that I think about him the most.
Secondly, I want to thank my great uncle and long time Mt. Pleasant JV Baseball coach, Frank Demski. Uncle Frank, my mother's uncle, is a person that I always wanted to see when we went to Mt. Pleasant to visity my grandfather. He was always willing to play catch or throw BP. Even now, I can go to Frank Demski Field in Mt. Pleasant and tell my kids who he was and what he meant to me and my love of the game.
Lastly, I want to thank Mr. Harry Kern, the long time baseball coach at Millington High School. I first remember meeting Mr. Kern in the spring of 1985 at baseball tryouts. I could not believe that I had finally met someone outside of my family that loved the game as much as we did. It was amazing. The spring seemed to fly by, as I sat and listened and loved all the stories and phliosophies that this man had to share. It was like I had a front row seat with Ernie Harwell. To this day, whenever I see Mr. Kern, I just love to talk baseball with him.
To all three men, thank you. Happy spring to all, and Go Tigerssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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3 comments:
Christian: Thanks for the kind words and thoughts. I'll make sure he has a chance to read your post.
Secondly...the four most beautiful words in the English language: "Pitchers and catchers report!"
Great post Christian.
That video pretty much says it all. Baseball is so many things to so many people.
For me, it's a way to go back to my childhood and remember the first time I ever saw Tiger Stadium. From that moment, I was hooked - and the passion for baseball still burns in me.
I fell in love with the game that day. I fell in love with the Tigers. I don't remember the exact date, but I remember the feeling, it was overwhelming.
The sights, the sounds, the smells, there's nothing like it at any other sporting event than baseball.
The game is going through a rough time right now, but it will survive, it always has and always will.
James Earl Jones had perhaps the best line to describe baseball I've ever heard in Field of Dreams.
"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."
You can have football, for me, baseball is still America's pastime.
I've been to many parks in my quest to see a game at every one of them. This year, I will get to check the biggest off the list as I travel to the cathedral that is Yankee Stadium.
There's almost too much history there to comprehend, but for three or four hours, I'm going to try and take it all in.
The season can't begin quickly enough.
PLAY BALL!!!!
I love that quote by JEJ. Almost brings tears to my eyes every time I hear or read it.
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