No Hitter . . . A son’s gift on his dad’s birthday

I wrote last night about my best friend’s birthday and today I found out about what his son’s birthday present was to him.

The day for Scott really began after work with the short drive out to Fort Richardson to see a baseball game. Scott loves baseball so much so that while on our vacations he is always taking (making) everyone go see a major league game in whatever city we may happen to be traveling through. That is not so bad and breaks up the travel time when we leave the far north to visit the world Outside.

The weather the last few days have been turning toward those wondrous days of summer. With temperatures around 60 degrees and few clouds in the afternoon sky the children of summer enjoy that all American game called baseball. Whether it is the majors, college, high school, or little league there is nothing like a baseball game. The beauty of the field from the grandstands with the grass cut in patterns . . . the bases all white against the red dirt of the infield.

Scott’s son, Bob plays on one of the local little league teams here in Anchorage and yesterday they played against a team out on base . . . our home of the Arctic Warriors in the U.S. Army on Ft. Rich. Now these are just kids . . . much like you and me . . . but with that sense of wonder and magic still in their eyes not jaded yet by life and all that can be thrown at you.

If you're a baseball fan or not, it's hard not to smile about what happened Monday night in Anchorage, Alaska on a small field of dreams. There were no cornfields surrounding the bases . . . maybe a Blackhawk helicopter was close-by or soldiers marching to the mess hall around the corner. And if you're a Hollywood producer, you're optioning the movie rights as we speak.

In baseball, a no-hitter (also known as a no-hit game) refers to a game in which one of the teams prevented the other from getting a hit. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter or a no-no". Throwing a no-hitter is rare and considered an extraordinary accomplishment for a pitcher or pitching staff regardless of the age of the pitcher. In most cases in the professional game, no-hitters are accomplished by a single pitcher who throws a complete game. As in any no-hitter, there were plenty of close calls and a bit of luck. Listen, and make no mistake . . . any time a guy throws a no hitter it's a pretty big deal and an accomplishment and in this case it's difficult not to label Bob's performance as inspiring or feel good because of his overcoming all of the pains of youth. Bob is only eleven (11) years old . . . that crooked smile with a boyish laugh and in his young life can now add No-Hitter to his list of accomplishments in a young and promising successful life.

Congrats Bob . . . you made your Dad proud and the present of the ‘game ball’ on his birthday was truly magical. It was all he talked about all day. He won 11-0 with seven (7) strike out’s (KO’s) an amazing.

When the pictures and stats are given to me I will add that to this wonderful story in the life of a young man seeking his place in a unique roll call of baseball lore . . . the no hitter.

Oh yeah . . . there was another no hitter thrown Monday night by Jon Lester (Boston Red Sox) against Kansas City, 7-0 in the majors.

Ice

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