On the TunneySide of Sports October 26, 2020 #819 Up next… The 2020 World Series
After further review… It is and always has been an exciting time for me to watch the MLB World Series — now for some 80 years. Well, can’t say I watched 80 times but listened in during my years as a youth. Then, again, I must hedge, since in my youth the World Series games were played in the daytime and I was in grammar school classes trying to listen to them being broadcast on radio, and well, the nuns would have none of that.
This 2020 novel “bubble-in” World Series is being confined to the Globe Life Stadium in Arlington, Texas with the first 2 games being home games for the Los Angeles Dodgers since they had the better season record. The Tampa Bay Rays are home team for the next three and then the Dodgers return as home team for the last two, if needed. Looks like it will.
With my dad having been a stellar baseball player in college and a brief career at the professional level with the then Oakland franchise, I have always been a baseball fan. In my early years, it would listen on NYC radio with Marty Glickman or perhaps Red Barber (Brooklyn Dodgers). My all-time favorite was the NY Yankees with a dream to pitch for the Yankees. Although I never achieved that I did stand on that mound and imitated throwing a strike (what did you expect?) after P.A. announcer, Bob Sheppard announced me as “starting pitcher.”
My baseball playing-career was shortened by a dislocated right shoulder (college football) but highlighted by a coaching career that included an OXY College freshman T*E*A*M that won the conference championship (1951) and two high school league championships. My real interest in baseball taught me “to think ahead” and to believe in myself. Standing at the plate, you are all alone, and playing your fielding position is “you and only you.” Let me explain.
Although I played high school baseball all 4 years, I was the starting second baseman only in my senior year. We were playing our rival school at their field – it was Friday afternoon – the bottom of the ninth – we were ahead 3-2 – two outs – bases loaded. At 2nd base position, I was thinking “don’t hit the ball to me.” They didn’t. It was hit to 3rd, who tagged the bag — we won.
The next year as the starting first baseman on the OXY freshman team, I’m now thinking on every pitch, “hit the ball to me, I know I can make the play.”
Will you believe in your ability to “make the play” every time?
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Thank you!
Jim Tunney
