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My High School Tryout
My High School Tryout
The winter thaw was in full bloom. All I thought about from the
fall of 1963 to the winter of 1964 was playing baseball.
Weequahic High School's baseball season started in the middle of
March. March 15, 1964 could not arrive fast enough. Even if
tryouts started outside in the snow, I would have been there.
But they started in the gym, because it was so cold outside.
I remember walking through the halls of school on that first day
of tryouts in a baseball daze. I kept thinking about how I was
going to do. Would I hit? After school was where the phase of
the daze turned into hits and mitts. "Okay start throwing the
ball around." I heard Mr Ginsburg say, as he strolled out of his
office. The coach had spoken. Time to get moving. So I started
playing catch. I was so excited to have a glove on and playing
ball. The winter is always too long when you yearn to be playing
baseball.
After tossing the pill around for a while it was time to hit. We
had no pitching machine so we improvised. Now get this. The gym
at Weequahic High had a regular sized basketball court. On both
sides of the court there were two more basketball baskets. From
each basket a rope was tied that hung to a height of my stomach.
Attached to the end of the rope was a baseball. Yes the rope
went through the middle of the ball and out the other side of
the ball. It was my job to hit the baseball into the mat that
was positioned up against the wall, under the basket. The ball
hung about two feet from the mat. I was nervous as I heard the
coach tell us what to do. So simple a concept. Hit a ball into a
mat. What if I messed up? Would I be cut in less than an hour of
tryouts?
Batting was it for me. If I couldn't hit this somewhat
stationary ball - I should rest my bat in the bat rack for good.
Fat chance. I hit the ball so hard the sound it made hitting the
mat had everyone in the gym looking at me. Boom. I can still
hear the echoes in the gym.
My buddies patted me on the back. I was relieved. I passed my
first test.
About the author:
Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 45 years. You
will love his honesty and his passion.. You will be touched by
the heartwarming stories. The unusual statistics will amaze you
and the quotes will make you laugh..
Go here right now to join his ezine
http://www.baseballsprideandjoy.com/index.php?tag=goart
Contact Aron - The Baseball Networking Guy at
aron@baseballsprideandjoy.com
Aron Wallad
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