At Least One Angel in the Outfield

"Angels in the Outfield" was a movie filmed in 1951 about the Pittsburgh Pirates who were suffering through a losing streak thought to be caused by the coach's bad attitude. However, thanks to the meddling of a reporter, the prayers of an orphan girl, and some help from above, the Pirates put themselves on the road to a comeback. Evidently, it took a combination of the proper attitude from both coaches and players, a fiery sense of commitment, and a belief in divine guidance to reverse the wheels of fortune. Where do you find such individuals? I am quite sure that I know where you can find at least one person who fits that description.

When I was growing up, baseball was an oft discussed topic at home. We talked about the Red Sox and Yankees but also some of those National league teams too, like the Cubs and Cardinals. Not only did we talk about it, but we were frequently found playing catch or going to the park to take some much needed batting practice. Baseball is a passion of my father's, and he has passed it along to his family, along with many other genetic traits. I recall hearing stories of his playing days in Iowa, both at Calmar High School and in college at the University of Iowa, but it wasn't until recently that I knew which position he played. He loved the outfield and played both center and right, but his favorite was center field. I believe his speed allowed him to cover more ground from center, making him more valuable defensively, but more importantly, I suspect that his natural instinct for the game made him the logical quarterback of the outfield. Yes, he must have had talent, as he earned a Freshman letter at the University of Iowa.

Although "throwing some leather" is frequently associated with superb defensive plays, in the case of my Dad's old glove, we used the term somewhat differently. Years after his career had ended, we'd come across his glove at the bottom of the wooden box in the garage, and instead of using it to play catch, we "threw" his leather to simply get it out of the way. It was one of those "old fashioned" gloves with all the fingers, just like in the movies. I am sure that we didn't recognize then that his glove was responsible for killing more than one rally in its day.

Hollywood made a movie about "angels in the outfield", but, in my opinion, the movie couldn't capture one of life's true angels, my father. One of his professional colleagues once said of him, "he's a saint", and I dare anyone to find a soul who would argue? Angels and saints, now they most assuredly have their place in heaven; so it would seem to me that he has guaranteed himself a lifelong box seat along with them, and no doubt it will be, front and center!