Diamonds are forever

I drove by the old ballfields Thursday afternoon, and I must admit I got a lump in my throat.

There are five baseball fields at Vine-Ingle, and I coached all three of my sons on every one of them.

There was a time in my family’s life when our second home was the ballpark. There were afternoons and nights in April and May when we should have pitched a tent there. Our sons played and umpired games. I coached and my wife served as team mother. One year, she even ran the concession stand for every game.

The boys are grown now. Two are in college. Jake stopped playing Little League two years ago and has started pursuing other interests.

But I still think about those days. I remember those afternoons when I rushed from work to make a practice over at Hillcrest, sometimes changing clothes in the car. I remember those Saturday mornings in the dugout and the thrill of a night game under the lights. I remember the bubblegum and sunflower seeds.

All of it is that special feeling that only a baseball season can bring.

My mother told me a baseball story a few days ago. I drove her up to Griffin Saturday morning, where we met my brother, Charles, who lives in Peachtree City. She spent Mother’s Day weekend with Charles and his family, which included a trip to the youth baseball fields Saturday afternoon to watch my nephews, Kyle and Ryan, play in their games.

While she was there, she observed a game being played by some children with special needs. I’m not sure if it was a Miracle League game or a program for physically challenged playersthat was established through the recreation department there.

But she said there were children playing with all kinds of physical disabilities. One boy was blind. Many were in wheelchairs. Each had a partner, or “buddy,’’ who helped them at the plate and in the field.

“It would break your heart to watch them,’’ she said.

She told about one child, who was in a wheelchair, who got a hit and was circling the bases.

When he got to home plate, he stopped the wheelchair and got out.

“He slid into home plate, then got back into the wheelchair,’’ she said.
Now got a lump in your throat, too?

I thought so.

.