No. 8

Saturday, August 16, 2008

I’ve got to be a little selfish on this one, and I hope you’ll forgive me. Wenatchee AppleSox owner Jim Corcoran gave me the incredible honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before Game 1 of the WCCBL Championship series against the Corvallis Knights. Apparently Carrot Top and the guy from the Verizon commercials weren’t available. I was copying down the starting lineups like I always do, when Corcoran’s lieutenant Ken Osborne approached me out of the blue. The conversation went something like this.

Ken: Do you want to throw out the first pitch tonight?

Me: Qdkapfrkjpeaireuparte???!!!

I was gushing like a popped zit. I was so nervous that I made WSU quarterback Marshall Lobbestael look like Joe Montana. Alright, I’ll stop.

Waiting next to the Sox dugout before my big moment, I had to rub dirt on my hands to keep the sweat quotient down. The worst thing I could possibly do was bounce it to the plate. It’s just so unmanly.

I toed the rubber and let it fly. When I tell the story to other people, I say it was a high strike. That’s garbage. It might have been a high strike for Manute Bol, but I got it there, and the catcher didn’t have to reach that high out of his crouch to catch it.

It was an absolute dream come true for me and I am equal parts thankful and bewildered that the team let me do it. I have the commemorative photo and the ball, autographed by Sox manager Ed Knaggs, sitting on my desk as I type this. Every time I look at them, I smile.

We’ll be back to the real countdown tomorrow.