MY BIG LEAGUES

Ladies and Geetles, Faithful Readers, Loyal Patrons;

I am going to tell you something that may surprise you - despite all appearances, opinions, and my own best efforts, I DID NOT PLAY MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL. I know. I know. It can be a lot to take in. For me as well. I dreamed of being a Big Leaguer– still dream, ahem, occasionally and only slightly embarrassingly, at forty-something years old. Picture this, ME IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES in a panic looking for a sock in the clubhouse as the first inning starts, but in the league, no less, sure it’s not a dream this time… until I wake up. The initial relief about the sock gives way to the familiar dull disappointment that it was just a dream. Alas, I am not, and never will be, a Grande Leaguer. They didn’t want me, so I did what any totally-sane and not-at-all-heartbroken person would do, I stood outside for ten years then snuck in the backdoor.

The first time I ever walked in a Major League clubhouse was in 2012 when Israel was invited to qualify for the World Baseball Classic for the first time. At the end of training camp, Ausmus called me into his hotel room and told me I was on the team– sort of, I could catch bullpens and get into a game IF EVERY OTHER PLAYER ON THE TEAM GOT HURT. I was in! Ever since, I have been hanging with legends and superstars. I skipped the INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT AND OFTEN PAINFUL PROCESS of playing Major League Baseball and went straight to being a former major league player.

My high-school teammate, Matty Guerrier, who played ten years in the League, once told me, “When we leave one city, we leave our bags in the room, and when we arrive at the next city, it’s waiting for us there.” Wow. I thought, I will DEFINITELY NEVER EXPERIENCE THAT. But just last week, we left Port St. Lucie for Miami, and when I walked into my new hotel room, there it was, MY VERY OWN BAG, faithfully waiting for me like a golden retriever.

For a kid who dreamed of going to the Major Leagues, Team Israel and the World Baseball Classic have given me a second, third, and fourth chance. Team Israel is MY Big Leagues. To everyone who helped me sneak in the backdoor, thank you.

Maybe now I can stop dreaming. It’s real… I think… wait… where’s my sock?