Really big circles: November 2022

THE SMELL OF A BASEBALL GLOVE

This post is for the young boys in old bodies.

When I was a kid baseball was as popular as video games are to kids today. Boys played baseball endlessly on the school yard, in city parks, cow patty mined pastures or any empty lot we could find with or without permission.

We collected baseball cards, pretended to be our favorite player and played until it was too dark to see the ball. Life was different because we weren't distracted by modern technology. We didn't miss video games or social media because they had not been invented.

The one item that connects me to those days is the smell of a baseball glove, a strange combination of leather, sweat and dirt. There are a few baseball movies that I watch when I have had my fill of politics. Bull Durum, Major League, The Love Of The Game, The Natural, Money Ball, Bad News Bears and Field Of Dreams are just a few. I listen to baseball books on tape and when I have an opportunity, watch a live game.

I love the game of baseball but I have lost interest in the Major League. The egos, BLM, wokeness and endless politics just got old, baseball is to be an escape from all of that crap. I love a well coached little league game, a local softball game, a high school and some college games because they are still immune from most of that BS.

My baseball glove was an old style infield mitt, it's now buried with my Father along with a well worn Rawlings baseball.

I didn't always get along with my Dad but the one place where we never disagreed was while we were having a catch. A catch with my Dad was a very special event, we were just a boy and his Dad and a Dad and his boy. It did not require a conversation just a place, a ball and two gloves.

The game of baseball has many parallels to life, every play has a life lesson. Every play can make you a heel or a hero. You had to learn to endure and thrive in the spotlight.

There is no place to hide in baseball, eventually you are the focus of everyones attention. Everything is clear, you get a hit or you strike out, you make the catch or you miss it and you are either safe or you are out. However an overthrow or a throw to the wrong base will leave a mark.

To stand at the plate with a full count and bases loaded you can't just stand there. Watching your favorite pitch hit the catchers glove while you stand there is a sinking feeling. You learn quickly to at least go down swinging.

Many sayings come from baseball, keep your eye on the ball, just make contact, stay in the inning and it ain't over until it's over. Yogi Berra has coined an encyclopedia of these phrases he is worth a read.

Just talking about the scent of a well used baseball glove brings back strong memories. In fact it has me searching the vintage glove sites to find the Bob Feller glove I inherited from my older brother.

The power of scent marks us forever. One whiff takes us back to a special moment in our lives. These are just a few of mine.