WHITE SOX VS. ORIOLES
Memories are sometimes made from moments that appear in the blink of an eye. The video below is only 30 seconds long, but it shows 30 seconds that will stay with us for a lifetime. It's a grainy, shaky video of a baseball game played June 29th during the Palatine "World Series" game. Billy, Lukes best friend, had reached first base on a walk and proceeded to steal second, then third!. "Thats a start!" we called...one run was all we needed! It was the bottom of the eighth, extra innings for little leage. A few seconds before the video was shot, I was scrambling to get the phone from my pocket and turn on the recorder. "LUKE HAS ANOTHER CHANCE!" his aunt reminded me. ANOTHER! It suddenly hit me...I turned to reply, and noticed the crowd had doubled. The other baseball games had ended, curious coaches and parents strolled over to see the end of the big game. Some of Luke's past coaches were there, "What's the score? Who's at the plate? Tied? Wow, exciting game!..." Exciting was an understatement. The sox had taken and lost an early lead, and watched the other team steadily add runs. But in the 5th Billy made an awesome double play at third, and in the 6th they started a comeback. With bases loaded and 2 strikes, Luke had plinked one up the middle. Two were in, the score was tied, and I strutted over to Jill..."He did it! He tied the game!" I was beaming. Nothing else could have made me more proud, afterall he had told me he was nervous before he got to the plate. I suppose he had reason to be nervous, his Grandpa was watching, too. Grandpa,or 'Coach' as his kids still call him, had been working with Luke on his swing. He had put what he had learned to good use. If nothing else happened, I couldn't have been happier for him. Now all we hoped for was an extra innings win! LUKE HAS ANOTHER CHANCE!" was ringing in my ears. I scrambled for my cell phone, there at Home plate was my son, watching a kid fire fastballs at him like a pitching machine. "VOOM! BALL ONE! VOOM! STRIKE ONE!" It had become very quiet, I clicked record. 'VOOM..STRIKE TWO!"- "Yer swingin' early Luke! Yer swingin' early! his teammates chanted. "EYE ON THE BALL BUDDY! KEEP YER EYE ON THE BALL...MAYHEM!!!! "THAT'S MY BOY!!!" I called... I don't remember how far the ball went, or where it landed...30 feet, 430 feet...it didn't matter. A sweet "PING" and the ball dropped before it was touched somewhere up the middle... Billy chugged across home plate and turned to mob Luke with the rest of the team. One of Lukes coaches slapped me on the back "GET OUT THERE!" he said... I met him at the fence, wanting to grab him and hug him and squeeze him and embarass him...but settled for a hair ruffle and slap on the butt. His smile said everything, and he saved his big hug for his Grandpa, "Coach", sitting in the front bleachers. A few moments later, the Ump handed Jill the game winning ball. "Mrs. Anderson, this belongs to you." Tears all around. 30 seconds are on the video...but the moments I never captured will stay with us forever. Luke was over it by the next day, there was a summer of fun out there, and he and Billy had plans, and both of them were done answering questions, but I suppose that's how it's supposed to work. Every time I bring up the hit, Luke reminds me of the run...It was Billy who got crossed the plate, afterall. Congrat's to the Palatine 5th grade White Sox! You ALL made us proud!
