Sunday afternoon in Hickory, North Carolina, and the first pitch is set for 2:00 pm

Sharon DeHaven and I had a very nice exchange yesterday afternoon. Here is how that ties to our tagline of encouraging the world, one person at a time. The first time I heard that Mrs DeHaven enjoyed reading my work, I wasn’t sure how she was related to our athletic director. Mom, Sister or Wife, but I knew that it made me smile to hear that.

To show her my appreciation for the kind words, I created a baseball story for the team that her grandson just finished playing for. Every story that I write ✍️ is for roughly 3 to 5 people, and the one about Peyton Spencer being clutch was written for Sharon DeHaven, Mr. Spencer, his family, and secretly for Head Coach Casey Burcham.

Once I pen 🖊 a story, more often than not, I need assistance in getting it to the desired people. If it’s related to Carroll County High School 🏫 Baseball ⚾️, I send it to Deana Burcham and ask her to please 🙏 help me get it to the correct people. I don’t need 5,000 clicks or reads, but I absolutely love for the story to find its intended destination. Hence, trying to encourage the world, one person at a time !

$10.00 gets you a seat 💺 right behind home 🏡 plate. $5.00 gets you a parking spot at LP Frans Stadium 🏟.

There are two things that I believe that a baseball fan should hold onto with all of their might.

First, your favorite baseball team ! My Father 👨 was in the Navy for just shy of 30 years, and I was born south of Oakland, California, on a base in Lemoore. My oldest brother, Wayne, likes to reference the fact that Bob in the Top Gun sequel ( the vanilla but rock solid officer without a call name ) is also from Lemoore.

Charles Finley introduced me to both the sport and the wackiness of sports marketing. If you are old enough to remember the Swinging A’s of the early 1970’s. If not, look him up, and it will explain a few things about me. Finley taught me that you will draw certain fans on the merit of the game, but others need a bonus reason to attend a game.

The Swinging A’s had cool 😎 nicknames, handlebar mustaches, and really loud jerseys to start the list. Jim ” Catfish ” Hunter, Vida ” True ”  Blue and Reggie ( Jackson ) had his own candy bar 🍫. Rollie Fingers, Joe Rudi, and Kenny Holtzman were some more characters. Gene Tennace, Dick Green, and Sal Bando were some more.

Finley was my first hero, and other than the fact that he tried to bribe Vida to legally change his first name to True ( bit of a reach there ), he was a genius !

If not for Pete Rose and the Big Red Machine interrupting their dynasty run, the group that still managed three straight World Series titles.

50 years later, the A’s are now the first homeless MLB team in history. Yes, in the standings, they are just the A’s, and they are playing in an AAA park in Sacramento while their new digs in Las Vegas is being built.

A few years later, the Seattle Mariners were born, and the Pacific Northwest was the dream location / destination for me, so it’s been A’s, Mariners, and Greg Maddux ever since.

Earlier today, I played a round of golf ⛳️ with the friend that I have known the longest (35 years ), Dennis Cerrie. We first met up in Charlotte a lifetime ago and somehow found a way to meet in the middle of the cities in which we live and play 18 holes of golf ⛳️.

There is nothing special about the course, it’s just about the fellowship. The most noteworthy thing about the round was the baby calf 🐄🐮 that came up to our tee box on #7 and started mooing loudly. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to moo back, even louder. In a blink of an eye 👁, Momma showed up to protect her baby.

Insert Kristy Jones or Denise Webb doing  the exact same thing if you moo at their little ones.

Circle back, original baseball teams, and old friends should be treated as priceless possessions. Plus, if you Moo at a youngster, don’t be surprised when Momma comes running !

Oh yeah, if you are given an opportunity to bring a smile to Sharon DeHaven, that is the definition of a No-Brainer !

2:07 – 86° and 1000 % humidity at First Pitch !

Using a rather lopsided baseball ⚾️ game in Asheville, North Carolina, as a backdrop, it’s time to discuss the definition of clutch and how it applies to Peyton Spencer !

The link to the story in question…..

P.S – did I mention that it’s HOT 🔥🥵?

I’m very proud of the fact that I’m still here in the top of the 5th ! Kannapolis 2, Hickory 1, and yes, it’s still very hot 🔥.

3:18 – Halftime, still 2-1

3:36 – Top 6th, Hickory leads 3-2 after a 2-run bomb 💣

3: 55 – 7th inning stretch

4:00- top 8th, still 3-2….