There has been a great deal about life and other stuff posted here lately rather than baseball, mainly because a great deal of life and other stuff has been coming at me lately. I did get out to a Hagerstown Suns game on Saturday night, a belated birthday present from Becky and Jesse. Belated, but most welcomed and enjoyed, nevertheless. In the 8th inning we ventured behind home plate to talk to some friends who are long-time Suns fans and there, taking notes on a yellow legal pad was Pat Corrales.
Corrales, a former big-league catcher with four teams and a former manager of three, now works for Washington and he was in Hagerstown scouting future Nationals, since Hagerstown is a Washington affiliate. Immediately, I thought back to the 1970 World Series. Corrales had not received an at-bat but in the 9th inning of the 5th game, with the Orioles needing only one more run to become World Champions, Sparky Anderson sent Corrales to the plate. He grounded out--to Brooks Robinson appropriately enough--and Baltimore won the World Series . . .
When Saturday night's game ended, he got up and quietly walked past us; limped past us actually, no doubt his knees barking from years of squatting behind the plate, and he left Municipal Stadium. The adult in me let him walk past without a word, respecting his desire to get home and complete his reports. Still, I felt that little-kid-thrill that a major league baseball player had just walked past me; and one who had been in the World Series no less. It was all I could do to keep from saying, "Hey, Pat!" so that I could say a former major leaguer looked at me.
It never ceases to amaze me how rejuvenating the game of baseball can be.
If only that little kid thrill could rejuvenate the knees of us poor old catchers.
Posted by: Al Smith | August 24, 2010 at 03:53 PM