My son sent me this link.
I realize this should be in the Going Pro section, but it is too good not to share with everyone.
http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/minors/features/264668.html
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Awesome. Now that is baseball.
If that story won't make someone cry, I don't know what will....
Thanks so much for sharing it.
Thanks so much for sharing it.
He had an article a while back about how peaple are always trying to bring up conversations with the players when they travel(bus/plane). The conversations always went a certain way. The article was hilarious. If you can find it, its worth reading. entertaining.
Thanks for the article Frank.
Now I have to shut my office door until I can get the tears out of my eyes.
I am going to go home early today and just hug my kids for an hour or so.
Now I have to shut my office door until I can get the tears out of my eyes.
I am going to go home early today and just hug my kids for an hour or so.
i got a chill reading that, awsome story. ya never know.
Awesome times 100. Wow.
The author definetly has a future in journalism. 
I love reading his stuff, wish he would write more often!
I love reading his stuff, wish he would write more often!
It goes to show there are many things that are bigger than the game itself. Most think that it's only a uniform but to some on the other side of the fence it's Supermans cape and the real heros not only touch bases but also hearts.
This is an article that we should share with our kids and show them that there is more than 1 agenda in life.
This is bigger than baseball as I just returned from the lake watching my daughters work a "Ski for fun" program for disabled kids. It was chaos, screaming, uncontrollable bodies, not from fear, but the opportunity to go outside the box. I had to leave before I got sappy.
A great "life experience" article. In the end it shows that we all have something to give. Make a difference.
This is an article that we should share with our kids and show them that there is more than 1 agenda in life.
This is bigger than baseball as I just returned from the lake watching my daughters work a "Ski for fun" program for disabled kids. It was chaos, screaming, uncontrollable bodies, not from fear, but the opportunity to go outside the box. I had to leave before I got sappy.
A great "life experience" article. In the end it shows that we all have something to give. Make a difference.
nice story
Thank you for sharing that!
That's a great story. What's sad, is the only attention it got was on a website
I thought it would be good to recognize Dirk and his teamates, so I e-mailed him directly.
Tremendous story...and so wonderfully written. Am sending it to my son post haste. Thanks so much, Frank, for bringing it to our attention.
wow, what a story! it's very dramatic & makes for a great emotional read ...
knowing Dirk I'm thinking he pretty much hit it off with the kid w/out a second thought .. & the cold drama stuff was spiced up a bit for the BA piece
jmo, but I'll seek a 2nd opinion from IBystander and/or ask Dirk's Mom
knowing Dirk I'm thinking he pretty much hit it off with the kid w/out a second thought .. & the cold drama stuff was spiced up a bit for the BA piece
jmo, but I'll seek a 2nd opinion from IBystander and/or ask Dirk's Mom
quote:Originally posted by Infield08:
If that story won't make someone cry, I don't know what will....
Thanks so much for sharing it.
I'm a wussy too.
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Thanks for sharing...as I wiped the tears from my eyes, I printed a copy to share with my RHP son who leaves for college in a few days. I can imagine him and his friends sitting in the bullpen with those same feelings. You just can't imagine sometimes how significantly an act of kindness can impact someones life.
What a wonderful, touching story, on several levels. And what a tremendous writer Dirk is.
Great Story, and a great writer
c'mon now, college guys have a dozen pens in their bag & are falling over the fence for autograph attentionquote:by s-k: I printed a copy to share with my RHP son who leaves for college in a few days. I can imagine him and his friends sitting in the bullpen with those same feelings
When my boys were young and we could still get away during spring break, we spent some time in the Florida Grapefruit league.
Took cases of balls with us and they worked all week getting autographs. I knew that had to be a tiring chore for the players. Of course, sometimes the boys were disappointed.
I hope my son is not the only one, but I think he practiced signing his autograph, when he was very young, as much as he did hitting or fielding.
I still remember sitting at a table in a hotel lobby with my family and some young boys coming to him with something to sign.
I still remember seeing him sign for the first time before a college game.
I still remember seeing a BUNCH of young kids around him while he signed after a summer collegiate game.
I will always remember a table in the dressing room with all kinds of things to be signed by the players.
It does still seem strange to me why they ask MY SON to do that, but I still remember how much it meant to my sons.
And, I think he does, because I have never seen him refuse and I know he usually signs until he really has to go.
So, I'll send him the article to remind him, while my mind flashes back to the young boy asking "Pudge" to sign and Pudges' graciousness with a single signature "right in the sweet spot, dad" and then my thoughts turn to next spring when he returns the favor............
Took cases of balls with us and they worked all week getting autographs. I knew that had to be a tiring chore for the players. Of course, sometimes the boys were disappointed.
I hope my son is not the only one, but I think he practiced signing his autograph, when he was very young, as much as he did hitting or fielding.
I still remember sitting at a table in a hotel lobby with my family and some young boys coming to him with something to sign.
I still remember seeing him sign for the first time before a college game.
I still remember seeing a BUNCH of young kids around him while he signed after a summer collegiate game.
I will always remember a table in the dressing room with all kinds of things to be signed by the players.
It does still seem strange to me why they ask MY SON to do that, but I still remember how much it meant to my sons.
And, I think he does, because I have never seen him refuse and I know he usually signs until he really has to go.
So, I'll send him the article to remind him, while my mind flashes back to the young boy asking "Pudge" to sign and Pudges' graciousness with a single signature "right in the sweet spot, dad" and then my thoughts turn to next spring when he returns the favor............
Former Observer, that's a neat story! What awesome memories to treasure!
Great find, Frank. I sent the link to the kid.
Autographs are for kids. There ought to be an age limit.
Autographs are for kids. There ought to be an age limit.
This is a great story. I am so glad that you posted it, Frank F.
Reading that story and the other posts reminds me of a time oh-so-long-ago and oh-so-very-far-away, when my boys were 2 and 4. We happened to out for a really early dinner at kind of an out of the way Italian restaurant near what was formerly known as the Chicago Stadium. It was a Saturday in November.
A group of men walked in and then the hush. And then the buzz. After a while, the waitress gave each of my small boys a page from her order pad and walked them over to the table filled with giant men. I didn't know who they were. They both came back with an autograph. Dan Marino #13. I looked over at the table and caught his eye and mouthed "Thank You". He smiled and waved at me.
Of course he knew that those small boys had no idea who he was, that they had no clue that he was in town to play the Bears the next day. He could not know that his autograph would be the only one that my boys would ever have. I remember thinking that he was very kind to not dismiss those boys or the waitress who were bothering him when he was out to dinner with some buddies.
When my oldest needed to choose a number for his uniform when he was 9, he chose number 13 to remember a man who was very kind to two little boys.
My #13 is reading this as I write it. Sixteen years later, he still remembers that late afternoon vividly, including details like the dark navy blue sweater that the real Number Thirteen was wearing, sitting at that round table. I will never forget the smile in his eyes.
It is amazing what a few letters joined together can signify.
Reading that story and the other posts reminds me of a time oh-so-long-ago and oh-so-very-far-away, when my boys were 2 and 4. We happened to out for a really early dinner at kind of an out of the way Italian restaurant near what was formerly known as the Chicago Stadium. It was a Saturday in November.
A group of men walked in and then the hush. And then the buzz. After a while, the waitress gave each of my small boys a page from her order pad and walked them over to the table filled with giant men. I didn't know who they were. They both came back with an autograph. Dan Marino #13. I looked over at the table and caught his eye and mouthed "Thank You". He smiled and waved at me.
Of course he knew that those small boys had no idea who he was, that they had no clue that he was in town to play the Bears the next day. He could not know that his autograph would be the only one that my boys would ever have. I remember thinking that he was very kind to not dismiss those boys or the waitress who were bothering him when he was out to dinner with some buddies.
When my oldest needed to choose a number for his uniform when he was 9, he chose number 13 to remember a man who was very kind to two little boys.
My #13 is reading this as I write it. Sixteen years later, he still remembers that late afternoon vividly, including details like the dark navy blue sweater that the real Number Thirteen was wearing, sitting at that round table. I will never forget the smile in his eyes.
It is amazing what a few letters joined together can signify.