Sometimes I marvel at my kid's memory of games-played. He will pass a kid in another town and recall having struck him out. Then, he'll recall something about the game that stimulates my memory. Kids' games are important and formative. It's ironic that we sometimes don't appreciate that, though we might vividly recall the play-by-play of childhood games from decades past.
Two of my good highschool friends from Chicago, Sean O'Connor and Todd Projansky were shaped by the game too. They recall the setting, the players and the atmosphere from the otherwise forgotten days on anonymous fields where (unbeknownst to their parents) men were tested and legends were crowned. Projo, whose daughter is an All-Star caliber goalie on her all-boy's hockey team, appreciates the formative influence of sports.
O'Connor:
Projo was pretty good at baseball. We both played at Glenbrook South (our highschool) and at Maine Northfield little league.
Those in the Glenview Little League used to strut around like they were the sh#t. But I'm sure our all-star team could have beat them. Projo is all about the baseball....
Projansky:
Glenview vs. Maine Northfield!! Ah yes, the good ole days. The greatest game I ever participated in was as an 11 year old (circa 1978)in this storied rivalry. (Projansky played for Maine Northfield.)
Glenview put Peter Janus on the mound (later played at Rollins in Fla. and was a walk-on at Miss. State prior to that with Palmeiro, Thigpen and Will Clark). Maine Northfield countered with Marc Bartalotta (played at both U. of Houston and New Orleans with Jim Bullinger).
The Glenview (Illinois) lineup had Jim Niemann (a real bastard who beat me (Titus)in a fight in 1981 when we were highschool sophomores), a guy with a beard and mustache named Harris and several other luminaries. The Maine Northfield lineup had a psycho named Rob Orlowski behind the plate who scared the crap out of me, but at least he was on my team.
The 6 inning game is in the top of the 6th. Each team had 1 hit in the game and it was tied 0-0. I come up with a man on 1st and 2 outs. I muscle up and 1 hop one off of the fence. The man on 1st (Mitch Oppenheim who was a druggie and rock and roller from Maine East) didn't realize that there were 2 outs; so he wasn't moving on contact. He held at 3rd. It could have been the game-winner. The next guy popped out.
We head to the bottom of the ninth with the starters STILL on the mound (no pitch counts back then). Janus walked. He then proceeded to steal 2nd and 3rd and come home on a wild pitch.
I feel so much like Al Bundy regaling in my pre-pubescent glory. Good times.
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At the ballpark, boys will be boys. And, some boys will be legends. Legends, baby!
And, most parents think they're just dropping their kids off at the ballpark to pass the time.
