Spring is the time of year when the world is reborn. The long cold grey winter months fade away to the natural beauty of green sprinkled with a kaleidoscope of Earthly hues that reinvigorate the human spirit. Accompanying the rebirth of the natural world every year is the greatest game ever invented. Yes, I’m referring to baseball. The one game that is not measured by an unforgiving clock yet we mark the passing of the seasons by its very existence.
We call the moment pitchers and catchers report to their teams in February the beginning of “Spring Training”. The moment every team has the same hopes and dreams of reaching the World Series. Several weeks later, the best day of the year occurs and we call it “Opening Day”. The wonderful day when the long arduous season begins and we mark it by first pitches, fly-overs, and fireworks.
Opening day doesn’t just occur at the Major League level. It happens across the nation from big cities to small town America. Grown men who make millions of dollars place their hand over their hearts the same way a little boy or girl does as their Mom and Dad look on with pride and joy. They all watch Ole’ Glory waving in the breeze as the anthem brings a tear to the eyes. It happens in New York City, Chicago, Boston and in the small towns of Waxhaw, North Carolina and Chapin, South Carolina.
Baseball is America. It represents the essence of who we are as a people and it means more to us as a nation than we even realize. It is America’s pastime because it represents life in a simple every day existence that the every day person can relate to. As James Earl Jones’ character in Field of Dreams says, “baseball is the one constant through all the years and it reminds us all of what was once good and can be again”.
I love this game. It defined who I was for decades. Nothing else mattered. Now, at the age of 49, I finally had to hang-up my glove for good due to a medical condition that could not be overcome. It turns out, retiring from the game has been a blessing in disguise. You see, since I am no longer playing or coaching, I now have the time to watch my son play his senior collegiate season.
As I mentioned a moment ago, baseball stretches across the nation from big league clubs to small little leagues in every state. One of those places is a town in Northfield, Vermont. The small town is home to Norwich University which is the nation’s oldest private military institution. It is also the home of the Norwich University Cadets baseball team which my son has played for the last four years.
As you can imagine, playing baseball in Vermont is not an easy task. As college teams across the nation begin to play on clear, sun-filled skies, the Cadets are hoping they can plow the snow off their field in time for it to dry enough so they can play. Unfortunately, many times, it doesn’t happen. But these players don’t mind. They are a different breed of ball player.
I have traveled four thousand one hundred and eighty three miles since March 5th to watch this team play and I have several more weekends to go. Every one of those miles was behind the wheel traversing America’s highways dealing with traffic, rain, snow, fog. I have driven through the night. I have slept in rest areas, parking lots, and hotels. It has not been easy but I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.
I get to watch my son play his final collegiate season. It is bitter sweet for sure. He was born and bred to play baseball. From the moment he could talk when his first words were “ball” and “Yankees suck” (okay, I taught him that one), the game has been as much a part of him as breathing. He’s endured a lot during his baseball career. Moving several times and having to prove himself each time to playing for a cruel and vindictive coach, he’s come through it all and found his place at Norwich.
As the season rapidly approaches the final few games, I have come to realize it’s not just my son I’m getting to watch. I’m getting to watch a special group of young men that the University and their parents should be extremely proud of. Each one of them chose Norwich for their own individual reasons. They may have chosen a military academy where they can play baseball or chosen it because the school has the academic program they were looking for. Everyone of them has a different reason for attending.
While, I don’t know the reason they chose the school, I am fairly certain not a single one decided to go there because they wanted to shovel snow off the base-paths before a game or play the outfield shivering in the cold rain. But, nonetheless, they still do it. They spend the previous nights in FTX without much sleep only to play in the morning. They do it because they love this game and they wanted to continue playing throughout their college careers knowing they aren’t moving on to the professional ranks. Unfortunately, many of them don’t know where they’ll be upon graduation and that is terrifying as a parent but it’s comforting to know, they will be prepared.
After watching this weekend’s games, I have no doubt, these young men will be successful in leading the next generation of soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen. If they aren’t entering the military upon graduation, there is no doubt the law enforcement world, the nursing field or the education system and business world can use their leadership abilities right now.
I say that because the season has been an unbelievable roller coaster of a ride. One that I have not seen in forty plus years of playing this game and that’s coming from a Red Sox fan that lived through 1978, 1986 and 2003.
The team got off to its best start ever. After returning from Florida, they had the best record the team has had in my time watching them. But, playing baseball in New England quickly brought the momentum crashing to a halt.
The team quickly found themselves facing a wave of adversity from bad weather, long hours of bus travel to mounting injuries. An 11-3 record quickly vanished and before they knew it, they were staring at a seventh loss in a row bringing their record to 11-10.
Sunday’s first game rolled around with darkening skies, cold temperatures and falling snow but they had the ace on the mound to stop the losing streak. However, baseball Gods are cruel and they didn’t let up. A throwing injury that we all hope is not as serious as it looked and an inexplicable bad call left the team without their ace on the mound and their senior catcher for game two.
After dropping game one and standing at an even five-hundred (11-11) record, things didn’t look good for the Cadets. Falling under five-hundred was a very real possibility and would have been crushing. But the game of baseball is a funny game and nothing ever goes according to plan.
The first game had been “chippy” and it was clear there was tension between the teams due a dirty play early on by the visitors. As the second game began, the feeling on the field began to change. The Cadets got off to an early lead and some more questionable plays by the visiting team led to more chirpiness between the two teams.
The Cadets lost the lead and it was a tie score heading into the last frame but their confidence was not shaken. Despite their big lefty fighting through the pain and swelling as he looked on from the dugout and their starting catcher watching from an undisclosed location, the Cadets were determined to break the streak.
A few moments later, with the bases loaded, freshman shortstop drilled a single up the middle through the infield to win the game in walk-off fashion and broke the losing streak. As the team all came out to celebrate in typical walk-off style, the sight that caught Norwich fans’ attention was the sprinting form of a player dressed in street clothes behind the outfield fence. The silhouette of their senior catcher running behind the advertising signs may have been one of the oddest and yet inspiring things I have seen in my baseball career.
As he turned the corner of the fence and came onto the field full of emotion, the team all ran to him to celebrate their victory together. In that moment, it became clear, this group of young men clearly loves one another. A team this size inevitably has personality differences but the Norwich Cadets of 2022 don’t appear to. They have played through the ups and downs of the season and have endured a lot already and games like Sunday’s walk-off win can propel teams to championship runs. Selfishly, I want to see my son’s career extended as long as possible but I want to see this lovable and scrappy Cadet team continue their fight for the conference title and beyond.
If you ever decide to come out and watch the Cadets play, you'll get a unique experience. It may be cold. It is Vermont. Despite the cold, you'll see young men and women moving around campus in uniform. You speak to any of them and you get the refreshing "Yes M'am, Yes sir" response which is so nice to hear. You'll also get the civilian side of the campus which is also very respectful and polite. Its amazing.
The campus is beautiful. A good mix of old and new with a charming small town just outside the gates of the campus. This is all wonderful but what is very unique and very much appreciated is the presence of President Anarumo walking around the fields. He and his wife come out and watch the various teams play. They may be walking their fur babies but he is always willing to stop and talk with parents and in some rare moments a player who has to..."watch" from a distance. This past Sunday, the retiring Athletic Director Tony Mariano was out there watching the boys play as well. Both took time to talk with parents and that can't be easy to do. You don't see that at..well...anywhere.
As the season comes to a close, even though gas is through the roof (ouch), I will drive another five thousand three hundred and eighty-two miles over the next three weeks to watch these boys of summer play their hearts out in the small towns of New England for Norwich University!