Diamonds 💎 are a Girls Best Friend : 50 Shades 😎 of Baseball – A life lesson presented by the Father of the Waynesboro Generals closer during their 2007 Championship run.

Photo Credit : John Leonard ( All Things Valley League)

   During the 2007 Valley Baseball League season, my efforts to promote the VBL through our website was in full swing. Lawrence Nesselrodt and his Waynesboro Generals would eventually end the season with the Championship but the night that opened my eyes 👀 took place just before then.

Waynesboro was hosting the Haymarket Senators at Kate Collins Field and per the norm, I was at the park hoping to strike up a conversation about the game of Baseball. Ness had a tough as nails 💅 closer by the name of Jimmy Stanley that season and as luck would have it, I ended up sitting and talking with his Father that night.

  Waynesboro was having its way with Haymarket that night and about halfway through the game, I started cheering for the visiting team, leading Mr Stanley to question my motivation for suddenly switching sides.

Realizing that Dad had driven in from Kentucky to see his Son pitch and knowing that Ness would not use his closer if he had an eight run lead was the reason why I wanted Haymarket to make a game of it.

  Mr Stanley smiled and proceeded to share a thought with me that has stuck like glue for nearly two decades now.

” Jerry, its okay if I don’t get to see my Son pitch tonight, I have been watching him play baseball for most of his life. Tomorrow the team has an off day and they are hosting a Family picnic for all of the players and coaches ➕ anyone related to them that can make it. Now, if you told me that I would miss out on spending the day with my Son and his friends, that would be a disappointment.”

  Remember what the Big Picture looks like in life and it can help bring clarity to your outlook. Your children are the easiest thing to be proud of in life, make sure that you take the time to enjoy the journey.

In a lifetime of criss crossing North America, finding every ballpark that I could find in search for a story, that two hours with Mr Stanley still makes me smile. Take the time to enjoy your Family, not just when they are playing a ball game.

Now, in 2009 the Generals would become my team but I refused to call myself the Owner, instead I went with Caretaker. The search for a new local owner would prove to be vital to the success of the organization.

  Looking back, even today, that conversation was as memorable of a moment as I have from Waynesboro.