On Deck




My mother came from a family of ten children. Lots of aunts and uncles, and a slew of cousins, made for a holiday madness of mischief and mayhem tailor-made for rambunctious kids. Each Christmas Eve we would all gather at my grandparents house and eat, wrestle, eat, unwrap presents, eat, and watch episodes of Hopalong Cassidy courtesy of my mother’s cousin Louie and his movie projector, shown against a white sheet hung on the wall. It was magic. We kids called him Uncle Louie the Doc, because he attempted medical school when he was younger, and because we had a legitimate Uncle Louie in my Aunt Dottie’s husband. This time in my life was graphically concluded by a Christmas in my early teens when we celebrated in our own home without extended family, on Christmas morning instead of eve, and I unenthusiastically opened presents of jackets, pants, and socks, all earmarked for proper school presentation. It was the end of an era.

Today that family of ten boasts one survivor, a wonderful aunt who feels left behind by her brothers and sisters. My cousins and I are now in the on-deck circle, awaiting our turn in the batters box, kicking dirt off our cleats and taking practice swings. I guess we’ll go down swinging. I’ll accept that. One adage I could never warm up to is, “They’ll have to drag me out kicking and screaming.” I have never seen anyone go out that way. I’ve seen weary, fragile faces preparing for, possibly even welcoming, the Grim Reaper, but not one rebel rouser. I believe we have it backwards in this regard. We come in ‘kicking and screaming’. We go out as best we can, hoping to make some contact and contribute to the game. A walk-off home run is out of the question, unless we are unfortunate enough to be taken violently in the blush of our youth. Yes, fame is indeed fleeting. Just ask Aaron Boone.

No, it is not fame that I’m after. If it were true, I would have pursued it more ardently than history will attest. I suppose I do aspire to be known, but not for a miraculous feat or a series of fiscal accomplishments. I want to be revealed. I don’t fancy bringing my game with me. I want to leave all on the field … here on planet Earth. You don’t have to remember me for what I did, just have an idea of who I was and how I played the game. I’ll do the same for you. I promise.