line drives and shiney cars

The sun was still full in the Texas sky. Arlington Stadium was at the time, my favorite place in the world. I remember stepping from the dugout onto the grass that lined the field. I touched the "No Pepper" sign, because I had seen it on TV, and it was suddenly real. I toed the dirt near first base, smiling, because this was where Pete O'Brien caught pop ups. I walked across the grass smiling, knowing on TV it looked like a green carpet, and from where I was walking, it looked even cooler.

I was 8. My dad's company had been invited to the game by the Rangers, because one of the salesguys won a drawing, and was going to hit for a new car. If memory serves correctly, he got 5 pitches, and if he connected and drove it out of the park, he won the car. Probably not a big challenge for Biff the weightlifter, who may or may not knowingly ingested steroids, but for Mack the salesguy, it was going to be tough.

Here I was, walking across the outfield grass, not because I was special. Not because I was the best damn outfielder on my little league team, but because I was one of the only kids involved with the company to have a glove with me. So my task was to shag flyballs, if any should have come my way. There were 3 guys hitting that day, so I was ready for anything.

It was so fast, I can honestly say those 15 pitches were a blur. I do know that I caught 2 flys in my area.


Walking back, grinning from ear to ear, was my Coca-Cola moment. Pete Incaviglia, outfielder and minor star of YOUR Texas Rangers, offers me a hand. I slap as if I were coming back from a quick 3 up 3 down. He says to me, "Kid, that was a nice catch, way to hustle."