"There are more important things in life than baseball"...Life and baseball

The other night I decided to watch a movie I enjoy watching often, and as I was watching it this quote came up "There are more important things in life than baseball" and I saw it I just kept thinking "Really? Seriously? There are more important things in life than baseball. Yeah sure try to tell Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle, Maris, Williams, Biggio or Bagwell that! HA! SURE there are "more important" things than baseball, but not during baseball season!" So then I began to laugh because yes I KNOW there REALLY are more important things in life than baseball, but honestly have you EVER and I do mean EVER thought twice about them? SO keeping that quote in mind I begin this blog post...

Life and baseball what is the difference? Are they the same? Are there REALLY more important things than either of the two? Why should there be? This is my answer.

Life and baseball go together like "ham and cheese" or "mac and cheese" you take cheese away from ham and you have a pretty crappy sandwich. You take the cheese away from the mac and your mac is REALLY going to SUCK! See the difference? Now hold onto those thoughts and take a little trip down memory lane with me.

June 26th 1988 I was 1week and 1/2 away from having my 1st birthday (this is significant for many many reasons so bear with me) and on that day I met a man who would leave a substantial impact on my life for more than one reason. Now keep that date in mind because I am going to move forward to another date and come back to the first date's story. This date was April 8, 1991 and I was months away from turning 4 years of age and on this date I saw a man who would leave a substantial impact on my life as well. Now let us go back to the first day and a story I love to tell even though to some it may be a dream or even a lie but it NEVER was!

On June 26th 1988 a Rookie ballplayer from Smithtown, New York broke into the Big Leagues as a catcher for the Houston Astros. This player wore the number 4 and looked like a teenager in this "Big League" jersey compared to all the other Astros players. Players such as Nolan Ryan, Mike Scott, Billy Doran, and a guy who I LOVED most Larry Andersen (he was a reliever for the 'Stros); and my family (which at the time consisted of my momma, daddy and me) went to the Astrodome like we usually did when I was that small, and as usual I was in Larry Andersen's arms.

Larry and my daddy were talking about the game as usual, and this "Rookie" catcher had already talked signs and pitches with every pitcher except Larry Andersen. So this guy (the teenage looking guy) started to walk over to Larry and me to talk pitches with Larry and saw me, he stopped dead in his tracks maybe 10 feet or less away from both Larry and myself. I was doing what any baby would do trying to get his attention, I was waving and trying to play peek-a-boo, and when this player FINALLY got enough nerve to talk to Larry this is what he said "Mr. Andersen..." somewhat in a hushed tone but loud enough for Larry to hear, and this was Larry "WHAT?" somewhat in a loud harsh non Rookie ballplayer tone, teenage looking player then took a GIANT step back and in the same kind of tone "Could I please hold her? She is just so cute!" Larry cradling me somewhat tight and kissing me said in a more calm tone "Yeah, sure Rook!" and that was it! (The pic in the right is me when I was around the age I spoke of)




The love for this "teenage" looking "Rookie" and a man that would not ONLY change mine and so many other lives with such substantial impact and in my opinion the game of baseball in the City of Houston and perhaps the state of Texas with his partner in crime (in my opinion) began!

Now keep that "teenage" looking "Rookie" player story in your mind as we fast-forward to April 8th, 1991.

As ALWAYS my family was watching baseball. A game that in my short 3 1/2 years had been a constant. Even a "religion" if you want to call it that. I mean it was just our NORMAL family thing to do. I mean when other families were eating dinner at home after saying the prayer, mine was either in front of the T.V. to watch the 'Stros or at the Astrodome to see them play in person. But this date, this game was different because on this day April 8th, 1991 another "Rookie" player came to be an Astro like so many of them do but this time you could tell that it would be different and oh my it was!

On April 8th 1991 a guy from the rural area of Boston, Massachusetts broke into the Big Leagues with the Astros as a 1st baseman. He was the hype of Houston Sports news and he also KNEW he would have to show himself worthy of this Houston baseball team. This man did just as the first man I spoke of did, this man too had a substantial impact on my life.

The Astros played the Reds that game (they lost the battle but they won the war with adding this guy to the lineup) this player went 0-3 his first big league game BUT his 1st Big League at bat he hit a bomb to Center. The roar of the crowd would make you think he hit a Grand-Slam! Something I laugh about now! I remember watching that game and after seeing that "Grand-Slam" out my father said with pride and joy "WE GOT OUR TEAM AN ACQUISITION! YES!" With that one liner by my father and an 0-3 day a "Rookie" became another one of my "Hero's" and he too changed the game of baseball in Houston and perhaps the game period along with having a substantial impact on not only my life but many lives. (Later on in life I met this player at a Rockets/Celtics game a month or so before the 1994 Spring Training season started and I told him a story that I will share at another time.)

Now WHO are these men that changed the game of baseball in Houston, and my life? WHO are these men that made the game of baseball more fun than I had ever known it to be? WHO are these men that dared to be GREAT nay they dared to be the VERY BEST players they could be in Astros history. WHO are these men that built the very team I LOVED the most growing up? Well these men are none other than Craig Alan Biggio and Jeffery Robert Bagwell.

"Bagsy" and "Bidge" or "Bidge" and "Bagsy" as I used to call my 5 and 7 or my 7 and 5, were guys that played the game with heart, soul and for fans that loved the game more than "LIFE" itself. They made the game fun to watch. Every at bat, every walk, every strikeout, EVERYTHING was fun. There was not one thing they did that just was NOT fun. Because they made it fun. They made baseball my life, life was baseball. Neither one was different because they both were the same. Once the season ended for my "boy's" I would start counting days down for the next "Opening Day" and to this day I STILL DO! So here comes that "quote" again "There are more important things in life than baseball."

SO here is a silly yet honest answer and question "What is more important than baseball (other than JESUS) when it is your life" "NOTHING! Not one single thing!" (except Jesus like I said) So now when you hear that silly quote from the movie (did you honestly think I was going to leave you hanging onto figuring it out yourself?) "the Rookie" ask yourself these 2 questions (one is in the movie) "Is it REALLY my life?" and "Do I STILL LOVE it?" I hope you enjoyed my thoughts and until next time. Peace. Love. Baseball!