Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to blog this week on behalf of the man, the myth, and the legend, John Schmeltzer. My name is Vinnie. You all may remember me from such Mallards seasons as 2004 or 2005 or from State Street Brats and the beer stock exchange.
Anyway, no one cares who I am, but may be interested in what I have to say. This, my friends, is the BEST week of the year. FACT. Spring has sprung and baseball season has arrived! There is something revitalizing about the birth of a new season, the fact that for one day, everyone’s team is in first place and has a chance for THIS year to be THE year. (I feel this more than most being a die-hard Cubs fan).
I think this year is more special and more important than most for a number of reasons. We’re all sick of the make-up, break-up stories of Jay Cutler and Josh McDaniels; and who really cares if a screaming Stephen A. Smith tells us that LeBron makes a better MVP than Kobe? Does anyone even watch the NBA anymore? More importantly though, in a time when so many people are making sacrifices and facing hardship, baseball shows us that there is hope.
In my backyard of Phoenix, Arizona the Diamondbacks have something going on that even caught the attention of Rick Reilly recently and will be featured in ESPN The Magazine in a few weeks. For years now the Diamondbacks have been going against the grain of what is perceived to be a money-hungry MLB, and have been giving back to their fans.
An idea came to D-Backs CEO Derrick Hall after he heard the story of a season-ticket holder who lost EVERYTHING. Another season-ticket holder went out of their way to buy her two tickets and even pick her up and take her to the games every day. After hearing this story Hall asked himself the question, why don’t we do this for our fans? So ever since, the Diamondbacks have been taking applications to put their fans on ‘scholarship.’ Families in need write in with their story, and the D-Backs give back to those most in need.
No, not with a family four-pack. With season-tickets, financial support and having the players meet with the children in these families. (I’d pull quotes from Reilly’s article, but I don’t have a strong desire to be sued anytime soon.) Imagine the joy of a kid who has had a rough go at it being suddenly able to not only go to all the games, but be able to meet and hang out with A MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYER! This is any kid’s dream! It just goes to show you how much of an impact baseball can have one someone, especially a kid. For these fans, baseball gives them so much more than hope of their team making a World Series, but it actually gives them hope that there is a shining light from a world that has been so difficult for them. Maybe baseball can be the thing that helps them get back on their feet, or maybe the conversation a kid has with a pro ball-player will cause them to study hard instead of do what society tells them to do and give up.
I think we can all take a page from the D-Backs play book and lend a hand to our neighbors in need. We don’t need to buy everyone season tickets, but try playing catch with the kid across the street that doesn’t have a dad. Invite someone over to watch the Cubs beat up on the Brewers, or get a kid a ticket to a Mallards game. It may not seem like a lot, but there’s something about being at the ballpark that makes us feel good. It lets us escape reality for a brief moment of time and envision the thoughts of hitting that grand slam in the bottom of the ninth, or strike someone out with bases loaded in game seven of the World Series.
Baseball lets us all be kids again. Baseball lets us dream, hope and in many instances, makes us ‘wait until next year.’ But at least we have the excitement of knowing how good it feels once baseball season is back!
So what do ya think Vern, Mallards scholarships?
PLAY BALL!
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