Growing up with Baseball

When I grew up baseball was the thing.  My dad was an amazing ball player. He had a chance to go professional but he after getting home from the war he did not want to be away from his family anymore at any cost. The 50's were a time of families, they were appreciated and loved.  We still spent many hours playing baseball. My dad was on the town team and we too the state contest many times. He could play any position. Growing up with him was one of the reasons my red headed monster, as I called him when he threw eggs had such a great arm and throwing skill. I was good at hitting and catching the ball because............

When I was real small around 6 we were playing baseball in the front pasture, my dad, my mom, my two uncles and my brother. We were playing work up. Work up in baseball is when there is not two teams so the when the batter gets out the goes out to play field and works his way back up to batter. It is everyone for yourself but they would be nice to us kids and not hit it hard etc.

My uncle was up to bat and I was the one that was playing field as I had just gone out. He said "watch out I am going to hit a home run" as one of the neighbor hood cute girls was walking by. I did not hear him and I don't think it would have made any difference if I had. Here comes a line drive really fast and hard, I yelled "I got it" and stuck my hands out like a youngster does and that ole ball went right between my hands and hit me in the mouth and knocked my front tooth out.........and darn I swallowed them!!! How was I going to get money from the tooth fairy.  I cried and cried, not because I was hurt but I wanted that money.

I really laid it on my uncle over and over how upset I was about that money. That was the most expensive tooth I ever lost. I made such good money on it I was hoping to get another one knocked out and that sir is how I learned to catch really good. I went after every ball I could but instead of losing teeth I got to be a good catch. I think at the last minute I would remember the pain and forget the money....lol