You brought back memories of my own "pitchback", one of my most treasured childhood possessions. I threw for hours in the late afternoons and early evenings after the summer days cooled off. If I missed it altogether, the ball would sail over the fence that was bracing the base of the pitchback (the original ones tipped over easily with harder throws), and I would have to circle around past the fence to the neighbor's yard to retrieve the ball. Endless amounts of time throwing alone, thinking, and daydreaming. It was like a young boy's version of meditation.
My friends and I played pickup baseball every summer day that we could until we hit high school. "Right field is closed" (not enough players to fill the field) turned me into a pull hitter. "Ghost runners" on base. We came home dirty, tanned, exhausted, and happy.
I still play men's senior baseball at age 59. I love being outside on the summer nights and days, putting on the uniform again, hanging with my teammates, and trying to extend my playing days as long as I can.
I too loved the reference to the “pitchback.” I had several siblings so you had to fight for your time with it. Because of the pitchback, I always had a calm confidence in the field that I never had when hitting. I should’ve practiced with a fungo bat like Adam.
Love this, thank you. Had a similar baseball youth in the city (Riverdale for hs) and through part of college (SUNY-B), also before ‘retiring’ in junior year. Now, my life is watching my two boys build the memories you shared, on ‘travel ball’ teams far more sophisticated and self-serious than anything i ever did. Cycles of life… . Thank you for this very evocative piece.
Enjoyed this! Played baseball through high school. One of the rare players at that level who could hit better than field — which isn’t saying much because I was an atrocious fielder.
Love the reminder of baseball still being the sport that gripped and was part of the fabric of America. It still does in my opinion really speak about growing up here. No other sport has the heroes, villains and stories that baseball does. Enjoyed this very much.
“I like to think I wasn’t the best version of myself for not appreciating the other players for who they were.”
Being judgemental is the life lesson that all of us are guilty of.
So this is what it's like to love to play a sport.
You brought back memories of my own "pitchback", one of my most treasured childhood possessions. I threw for hours in the late afternoons and early evenings after the summer days cooled off. If I missed it altogether, the ball would sail over the fence that was bracing the base of the pitchback (the original ones tipped over easily with harder throws), and I would have to circle around past the fence to the neighbor's yard to retrieve the ball. Endless amounts of time throwing alone, thinking, and daydreaming. It was like a young boy's version of meditation.
My friends and I played pickup baseball every summer day that we could until we hit high school. "Right field is closed" (not enough players to fill the field) turned me into a pull hitter. "Ghost runners" on base. We came home dirty, tanned, exhausted, and happy.
I still play men's senior baseball at age 59. I love being outside on the summer nights and days, putting on the uniform again, hanging with my teammates, and trying to extend my playing days as long as I can.
Baseball has never left me.
Oh yes, ghost runners! “There’s a man on second.”
I too loved the reference to the “pitchback.” I had several siblings so you had to fight for your time with it. Because of the pitchback, I always had a calm confidence in the field that I never had when hitting. I should’ve practiced with a fungo bat like Adam.
Love this, thank you. Had a similar baseball youth in the city (Riverdale for hs) and through part of college (SUNY-B), also before ‘retiring’ in junior year. Now, my life is watching my two boys build the memories you shared, on ‘travel ball’ teams far more sophisticated and self-serious than anything i ever did. Cycles of life… . Thank you for this very evocative piece.
Love it. Dalton here. I think you’re younger than me so maybe we never shared a field.
Enjoyed this! Played baseball through high school. One of the rare players at that level who could hit better than field — which isn’t saying much because I was an atrocious fielder.
Love the reminder of baseball still being the sport that gripped and was part of the fabric of America. It still does in my opinion really speak about growing up here. No other sport has the heroes, villains and stories that baseball does. Enjoyed this very much.