They’re looking out for me.
Even if Baseball America doesn’t have a job available for me, I now know that they are thinking about me and my future endeavours.
When we headed out for lunch today, Editor 1 started talking about Baseball Canada and all the things they have going on and what they do for the sport, and he mentioned that he knows someone at the organization. He said he would send him a note with the resume I submitted to BA and mention that I am heading back to Toronto soon and see if there is anything I could do for Baseball Canada. Editor 1 did say that the organization’s biggest downfall is probably lack of funding, meaning they might not have enough money to take on someone like me, or anyone at all, but it’s nice that he thinks it is worth a try, and that he is willing to put in the effort to make the contact.
Even if Baseball Canada doesn’t have a job now, they might at some point in the future, and a recommendation from Editor 1 couldn’t hurt my chances. So that was nice to hear, even if BA doesn’t have anything available for me, or anything that might be suited to me. I’m sure it would be a big hassle to go through the immigration stuff anyway.
Hopefully I will find someone who will deal with that for me and bring me back to the US eventually. It’s where all the sports are, and the food and TV are also much better. Plus, I would probably have a better chance of working for one of American teams out of the 29 in the major leagues, as opposed to getting the job I want with the one and only team at home in Canada. Or maybe I can help the Blue Jays see my potential.
I worked on four bios today, and didn’t get through them until tonight. But I couldn’t send them to anyone for lack of the Internet in my apartment. I will have to sort that out tomorrow. I got through both of the Blue Jays on our portion of the list, Dave Winfield and Paul Molitor.
It seems that the highlight of Winfield’s career was when he was fighting with the Yankees organization and competing against his own teammates. I didn’t want to include that stuff in his bio though, and it took out a lot of information. Instead I directed the importance of his career toward his time with the Blue Jays, and not just because that is what stands out in my mind. It’s where he won his only championship in 1992, and I am sure it stands out to everyone, despite him only being there for that one season.
Molitor was with the Jays for three years, but his most important was also when he won a World Series ring for them, even though he also had one from his time with the Brewers. He was the MVP of the Fall Classic in 1993, and put up great numbers for Toronto. He was also the winning run of Game 6 when Joe Carter hit his homer in the bottom of the ninth to take the series.
Willie Stargell was my next story. He was a great player and led the Pirates to two World Series. It seems like forever ago that Pittsburgh had a good team, but I guess it hasn’t been that long. Stargell was a part of it though, and I learned something that I didn’t already know about him. He gave his teammates little yellow stars when they performed well on the field, so they could sew them into their hats. They were “Stargell stars” and I guess they boosted morale and camaraderie amongst team members.
Kirby Puckett was the last one I worked on today. His story is more tragic, because his career was cut short because of damage to his retina that I believe was from glaucoma. He was an All-Star ten times, right up to his final year in the game. And his .318 lifetime average is the best for a right-handed hitter in a long, long time. I put the actual numbers and years in my article, but cannot recall them now. He also had two World Series wins, his with the Twins.
What struck me the most about Stargell and Puckett were that they spent their whole careers with one team. Winfield split his time between six different ball clubs. But Stargell was with the Pirates for 21 seasons and Puckett with Minnesota for all of his 12 years in the game. I think it’s great to have franchise guys representing a team in every great thing they’ve done, and it also seems to be something that is quite rare now.
Unfortunately, Toronto’s latest franchise guy was Roy Halladay, and we all know where he is now. They really don’t have anyone left to represent the team, if guys like Wells and Hill and Lind keep sucking. Maybe they’ll turn it around this year, or perhaps someone else will step up. Here’s hoping, because I would like to see someone go into the Hall of Fame as a Blue Jay someday.
My work was only interrupted by lunch, and the wonderful conversation about the possibilities at Baseball Canada. We went to a Mexican place, the same one we went to for Nathan’s birthday. It was good once again, and I think it probably always would be. We met up with a guy who used to work for BA and is now a scout for the St. Louis Cardinals.
He was nice, and everyone talked about what he’s been up to, and where he will be working and how the planning for his upcoming nuptials is going. I didn’t really join in on the conversation since I don’t know him, but I am sure he is a lovely person.
I wasn’t feeling very well at the end of the work day. I don’t think I have fully recovered from my sickness because I have been getting dizzy a lot, and it’s been preventing me from getting to sleep and also from getting a good night’s sleep once I am out. But my plans to head to the gym were once again put on hold because of my illness and I headed straight to my apartment from the office for the first time since I have been in North Carolina.
Usually I have some stop to make, and I would have to go to UPS or the grocery store, or tanning or gymming, but not today. I wasn’t feeling it, and I headed right to my bed. I couldn’t sleep because I was still feeling dizzy, so I made a smoothie and then decided to work on some thank you cards to give to people when I leave.
I also finished the Hall of Fame bios at home, but without the Internet I couldn’t do anything with them. I was kind of curious about what was happening with our access, but I didn’t bother to ask anyone or trying anything other than what I was doing, which was ultimately nothing.
My night was interrupted by a knock at my door. Thing 2 had gone to the mailbox and there was something for me! It was a combination birthday/Christmas card from Rosa! I was pretty happy to get a piece of mail, and hope that when everyone receives all the things I have been sending them, they feel the same way.
And with that excitement, I went back to my card-making until heading to bed for the night, hoping to be able to fall asleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment