“THE BAT”
It bunts, squeezes, swings, flails and chops.
It’s shattered, splintered, cracked and choked.
It’s kissed, cursed, corked, taped and tarred.
It’s 32 ounces of white ash.
It lays down a 12 foot bunt. It launches a 450 foot rocket.
It churns like a windmill in anticipation.
If it’s propped in the corner of a room you can’t resist picking it up and taking a few practice swings.
It’s what you swing in your den when you’re 45 while you tell your friends about your glory days.
The difference between an aluminum one and a wooden one is the difference between a ping and a thwack.
Honus Wagner was the first player to have his signature branded on one.
Shoeless Joe called his “Black Betsy.”
When you heard it make a certain noise over the radio, you knew what it meant before the announcer said a word.
When a hitter’s in a slump, he’ll change it more often than his underwear.
When he’s hot, he’ll guard it with his life.
It doesn’t come with a set of instructions.
The first thing you learned was to hold it with the label facing you so you wouldn’t crack it.
If your only athletic skill is using it well, they’ll find a place for you.
It’s memories of a game, or a season, or a career.
Try to imagine Clemente wearing batting gloves to hold it.
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YOU-TUBE:
This is 2 minutes 32 seconds in length. Since it's NCAA time, We're sure to have at least "One Shining Moment." This video is the 1992 version. That is the year of the Christian Laettner miracle shot vs. Kentucky. But watch closely at about 17 seconds in. You'll see Robert Morris College play-by-play announcer Chris Shovlin getting his head shaved by the team. His reward for the Colonials making the Dance in March of 1992.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfPmF9bK9hs
