Day 260, 5 miles. Today I ran to a top forty countdown from 1975- I was 14 and life was simple. Elton John, ABBA, and Paul McCartney dominated the charts, The Steelers ruled the NFL, Jaws chewed up the box offices at theatres, and on October 21 of that year I stayed up late to see the most exciting game in baseball history from Fenway Park in Boston. But as I ran I started thinking of my life in 1975 back in West Bend, WI. I caught my first musky that year, had a blast with both middle school and East High School bands, but then, like now, baseball was the center of my life. I don’t think of the organized leagues I played in then- though they were a lot of fun and I made a couple all star teams- no, I think of my sandlot teammates. We would play 3 games a day during the summer, the last after dinner and we’d play until we couldn’t see. Sometimes we’d play other neighborhoods and we almost never lost. We were good. When a team came to Decorah Field near Laurel Drive they’d invariably leave losers. When we’d get on our ten speeds and travel to Ziegler, Silverbrook or some other neighborhood, we’d beat them on their field. All good natured, all the kids having fun. I remember all you guys. I can still see you all there. Jon Stevenson P, Tim Felt C, Rick Heller 1B, Mark Minsky 2B, Chris Seramur SS, Scott Gerritson 3B, Gary Ott LF, Jim Albrecht with that cannon arm in RF, and myself in CF (Back then I didn’t run distance, I ran fast….I know it’s hard to believe, but I was really fast). I also remember the guys who didn’t always play, but hung around if we needed them, the younger kids, Carl Hartmann, Darrell Gerritson, and a kid I always looked out for, Pat Fierek. I hear Pat is no longer with us……sad. I hope the rest of you are doing well in whatever life has brought you. I haven’t seen any of you since we moved in ’77. In another dimension somehow we’re all still at Decorah Field and playing baseball….all day…..and into the night… I bet each of you have seen the film The Sandlot, and like me, it’s a look into your own childhood. I’ve never forgotten you guys and I never will. TC
Posted on: Sun, 13 Apr 2014 15:37:25 +0000
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