Sunday, August 31, 2008

Was this what Cousy had to deal with on the playground?

As a 10 year old playing organized baseball, it was pretty easy to identify the really talented ballplayers. Everyone knew that kids with nicknames like "Bunkie" and "Moose" had that something extra that the rest of us -- try as we might -- couldn't duplicate. The kids, the coaches and the parents paid particular attention when B and/or M were on the field. With each succeeding year, B and M distinguished themselves on the diamond. The talent they displayed at the age of 10, 11 and 12 manifested itself over the next half dozen years to the point where Bunkie was drafted by the Boston Red Sox and Moose made it to the major leagues with the California Angels.

I wonder how the turbulence surrounding the young phenom in Connecticut who was banned from playing with his peers will pan out. http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/08/31/news/a1youthball.txt

How many kids will miss the opportunity to play on the team with this special player? I had a hard time matching my skills with Bunkie and Moose when we played against one another. But I look back and remember the benefits that I obtained simply by being able to play the game -- even though they were in a league of their own.

Care to share a similar experience?