I can point to a moment where I fell for baseball. I was 9. Playing a night game at 3rd. One of those giant 10 yr olds came up. The kind that hit screamers. This time he didn't hit a screamer. He popped it up. To me. It went up over the lights. I lost it. It reappeared after a LONG time. I caught it. Everybody witnessed what I witnessed and they made feel like a hero. What a weird, lovable game. There's nothing basic about it. Right down to the round ball hitting a round bat. You hit a curveball square and it goes over the fence, it feels like its the perfect crime. Like that popup, I got away with it.

So many crimes on the field I wanted to be a part of. I can name two dozen.

for me that moment was when i was playing a little league game at uhhh.... fairchild park? apple-something? anyways i was the pudgy centerfielder for the angels and this one dude up at the plate hit one over my head. as i'm chasing the ball back behind me i look back a couple of times to discern that this asshole is going for a home run on me, so when i get to the ball and assess the situation i see that the only chance to catch this guy before the inevitable home run was airmailing the cutoff man and going all in on that motherfucker. i proceed to do just that, somehow putting my whole body into the throw and one hopping it to the plate just in time to catch the guy sliding in.

as that was the third out of the inning, as i'm trotting back into the dugout my manager comes up to me and says "schaefer in 10 years of coaching little league baseball that was the most badass play i've ever seen.... do it again and you're benched!"

that's the essence of baseball to me.

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Dozens of these through the years. Hidden ball trick a few times, most notably Freshman year high school. When I was in my early 20s, we had a group of guys that would play pickup ball at Durkin Park on the southside. Full 90' bases, all 9 positions, 'regular' pitches that were probably ~60mph. I played 2nd usually, and helped turn a 5-4-3 triple play.


Just this past Saturday, my kid had his final TBall game of the year 'under the lights.' He was the last batter of the season, and wanted me to pitch to him. First one he whiffed, second one tipped, and third he ripped for a line drive to RF that nearly took my head off. Great success.

I've also come to enjoy the convenience and affordability of attending Windy City Thunderbolts games more so even than the White Sox.

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last two posts didn't happen

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

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Frank isn't allowed within 3 blocks or anywhere children play.

Merkle's Boner may be the greatest baseball thing ever to happen. Yeah, that's right. Merkel made a huge boner. Look it up. Great book, by the way, is Crazy '08. Bunch of thieves, whoremongers, drunks, and gamblers.

Because we can't allow the kids to win

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

You can keep playing baseball, if you want.

Something something Father Time.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Don't have time. Too many star wars series to watch and dissect.

have had a few this season alone. after getting cut by the team id been with for 3 years, got picked up by another club and had a solid outing vs the former team.

2-3 with a couple runs scored. and just last night we won against the league's reigning champion that has pretty much won each year, and we hadnt beat them in a few years. couple more hits, RBI and run scored and had a solid pick out of the dirt in the last inning to get the first out and keep it a 1-2-3 inning.

Even at 36 yrs old, theres few things better than having people cheer you on for a great play. Especially when one is my dad who still comes to watch our games.

Baseball is great for many reasons.

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'Your AT&T Universal Card has arrived'? Oh God, Kick-fucking-ass, I got a Master Card! I don't believe it, man. Life is kinda cool sometimes.

Coaching my son's travel team back in 2011 and I walked into the dugout and almost all of his team were arguing over who was going to play their college baseball where. I was so proud of the goofy 12-13 year olds arguing about college.

And several of them are still playing at very high levels. CWS and MLB this month.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.