March 04, 2008

I love that Angell quote...and a very nice photo set.

posted by sfts2 at 10:02 AM on March 04, 2008

I read 5 Seasons a few years ago, and I have never forgotten that passage about the baseball. When I'm on the field to umpire a game, one of the first things I do is to get some game balls from the home coach. I'll walk over to his bench, exchange some pleasantries, and then, if he hasn't offered, I'll ask where his supply is. Usually there'll be a couple of boxes of a dozen on the bench, and he'll hand me 3, still in their plastic wrappers. There's nothing quite like pulling a brand new baseball out of its wrapper. I almost feel that I should be on my knees in prayer when I do so. The feel and smell are incomparable. Taking the shine off of them is a task that has to be done with the utmost care. A little dirt and a little spit will do the trick. (No special mud in this league.) Just don't put any scratches on the surface. Two of them go right into the ball bag, and the third goes to the home pitcher as he goes out for his warmup. I'll usually make sure that I'm not too close to the mound, just so I have an excuse to throw him the ball. There's nothing like picking up a ball and throwing it. I loved the pictures. They reminded me of some of the pictures in the history books of wounded veterans home from the wars. They are battered, used up, perhaps no longer able to be of service, but one can be sure that they did their job well and proudly. They deserve our thanks.

posted by Howard_T at 11:00 AM on March 04, 2008

Tuft=Wilson

posted by THX-1138 at 01:03 PM on March 04, 2008