June 10: Sandlot Baseball

There is a Church of Latter Day Saints about a mile away from the home I grew up in. When I was fifteen or sixteen, the church put in a baseball diamond for youth programs and church sponsored family events. I'm not a Mormon, but that didn't stop me from taking advantage of the fenced-in yard.

Since that field was built, I spent countless afternoons shagging fly balls, crushing home runs and playing catch with friends. I've since moved away, but the sandlot kid in me never left. I've convinced coworkers to join me on local fields for years now and no matter who I play with or how many people we get together, the fun factor remains high.

There's just something fantastic about getting out in the sun and tossing a baseball around. I love everything (with the exception of pitching to an invisible target) from warming up with a simple game of catch to running the outfield trying to make that Web Gem catch. It's such a simple activity without rules and everyone is simply at ease. There's a pitcher, a batter, and if we're lucky, an outfielder or two to throw the ball back to the infield. The players rotate positions until everyone's worn out. Nothing else. Beautiful.

Since those days on the LDS field, I've probably lost twice as many balls as I've found, but that never seems to matter. What matters is getting to let that energetic, innocent kid out of me. I could play every day and I only wish I was better so I could have played competitively in high school.