Day 6:
In the Well:
The well is the place where the alternate sits while the game is going on to have a spare guy just in case one of the field umpires goes down. A few years ago one of the umpires had to drop out of the game because they suffered from heat exhaustion. In order for the game to continue on with 4 umpires, a fifth is in the well with his gear bag, plate shoes, base shoes, plate pants, base pants, and anything else he needs to take anyone else's place on the field.
Today's game at 9:00 am was the coolest game we've had all week with temperatures reaching a balmy 81 degrees with a great cloud covering. Nope, I'm not taking anyone's place - thank goodness.
So on the plate is Ernie. Ernie is from District 72, a neighboring district to 28 (my new district). I got to work with him at the state tournament as well as get to know him a little bit from the D28 umpire clinic and the invitational we did up at Regionals in May. He is a great guy and I look forward to working with him in the future because he really has become a friend.
Ernie had a problem pre-game. His pants were split and the dry cleaner who was supposed to redo the hems and sew up the crotch didn't sew up the crotch. So he pulls out his pants and you can see right through them. Not cool. Look for a sewing machine on campus and no sewing machine exist. He has another pair of pants, combo pants, to work on the plate.
A couple of things seem to conspire against him. I have a feeling that he was starting to feel like me at the beginning of my game. His pre-game jitters turned into a great game behind the plate. I was so glad my friend did his thing, even when he was wearing the wrong pants.
Lunch:
About 11;50 am, I receive a text from my wife. She just had to leave her mom at the hospital because her mom was having a heart attack. See, she had a normal physical scheduled. In the process of the physical, the doctor told my mother-in-law to go to the ER right now because she was in the middle of a heart attack.
I called my wife. Twice. She answered the phone crying. I asked her if she needed me to go home. I don't think she wanted me to come home fully because she knew how much being at this tournament means. She means more to me so I told her that my next game was at 7:30 so if she needed me, I could be there and back before my next game. She needed me.
I don't think anyone likes hearing their spouse hurting. I had to go talk to Doug who was eating in the cafeteria about having to go home. I'm in tears, choked up, barely able to talk.
Dianne, my mother-in-law, is a steady pillar in our family. She was first my best friend's mom. She was our voice of calm when we were rambunctious kids trying to run a puppet ministry. She was my trainer when I first started teaching pre-school. Now she is my mother-in-law, something which I am sure isn't easy but we get along.
Hearing that she was admitted to the hospital would usually be enough to get me concerned. Learning that she was having a heart attack is devastating. This not only is my wife's mother, but my kids grandmother whom they live with and love very much.
So I try talking to Doug and the words aren't coming out. I can't get through the tears. Finally I get enough words out to get the point across. The Western Region is very good about putting family first in these kind of situations. There was no, well, we need you so don't go or else you can't come back. There was only support. In fact, Gary, one of our evaluators, didn't let me drive home but took me in his car all the way down to Menifee and then waited around to find out what was going to happen. Thank you Gary. Your support means the world to me.
While on the way down, I contact my dad who graciously comes over to hang out with my children while Trina was able to go be with her mom.
I got home, my girls immediately run up to me and hug me like they haven't seen me all week or something. Trina is taking care of her grandma at this point so I'm waiting for her. She comes out of the room and immediately we hug. Nothing else. Hug. Cry. Hug. Cry some more. I wasn't sure what she had told the kids yet so Zoe brought up mom mentioned it was a heart attack. I knew my home base there now.
My dad shows up. Other help is starting to talk about coming out. My wife gave me her blessing to head back up to San Bernardino to continue this tournament. While I'm excited to continue to work games, if Dianne was worse off in the hospital, I would leave knowing I had one great plate and now I have a fraternity of brothers who care what is happening.
Dianne is still in the hospital. She is taking care of tests tonight and they should know more tomorrow. If you are in the area that could help Trina, we could use the help.
7:30 pm - 3rd base
I have now made it around the rotation. 3rd base was my final spot on the rotation around the bases and my last prescheduled game as now all 9 umpires have made the rotation also. Game 9, last game of pool play. 9 games, 9 umpires, 9 teams. It's like fate smiled down on us and said, hey, 9. I like that.
Today, all 3 crews wore pink. It was pink Monday. I liked it. Pre-game, we're doing equipment inspections and after doing the home team, we're trying to walk back to the umpire area but there's an apparent party going on down in the well by the announcers - like 10 people down there milling around, including the boss, Dave Bonham, Brian Pickering, April Meehleder, and a little girl who everyone is gushing over. In the first game of the day, 9;00 am, someone comes down and asks if we had a softball for a little girl up in the stands who is ill. Sure, at that point we've done 6 games so Doug gives the gentleman the ball. Now I see this little girl in the well and put 2 and 2 together. They invited her back to throw out the first pitch. I just happened to be carrying a few of my pins in my pocket so out one comes. A bunch of people had given her pins at this point but she looked and excitedly said, "It's a Doctor Who pin! I have to show my dad! Dad, look! Doctor Who!" I also gave one to the other young lady down there, a former softball player and student at Loma Linda earning her medical degree.
So opening ceremonies for the game come up and I'm already emotional from the early part of the day. The girls are announced and each one gives this girl a hug. They call out the umpires and I'm last, being at 3rd base. I shake the Washington's coach's hand, then kneel down and look this girl in the eyes. "Can I hug you?" "Yes." "Thank you so much for being here." See below.
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| Such a sweet, excited girl. I gave her one of my pins and she was so excited because it was Doctor Who. That made my day. |
I don't know if there was anything better in the world at that very moment than that hug. Illness doesn't define who we are. I'm sitting here crying now. God has a way of bringing comfort to the most dire of situations in the oddest of ways. I needed Caitlin Simpson in my life at that very moment. I didn't cry on the field.
Go to shake the hand of the other young lady and she says, 'You can hug me too.' so I did. Shake the other coach's hand and then out to our lineup. Caitlin threw out her first pitch, then threw it again.
During the Little League pledge, I stood there next to my brothers in... pink... and looked at this beautiful stadium. My wife and my mother-in-law floated through my mind and I fought back tears. I had to get it under control or this was going to be a really, really hard game.
Got it under control with the tear ducts at least. The event of this all kept going through my head throughout the game. I would go out to our mid-inning point and stare out at the stadium. The sunset had just happened, there was an amazing design of clouds hanging out over Mt. Baldy, the stadium was full of hopes and dreams and an amazing amount of people for this tournament (we don't get baseball crowds... yet. Give it 5 years.) I stood there and took it all in as if this could be my last game here. I have such an appreciation for this tournament, for the people who are here. Every year I can't wait to get up here and be a part of the tournament, whether it is announcing softball games, picking up trash at 6 am, or having the incredible opportunity to umpire. I get so much more back from this game than I give to it.
To top it off, my buddy Steve Bailey showed up at the 9 am game and is back helping on the grounds crew. Then in the stands is Dave Burt and his wife Kelly. Then about the 2nd inning Randy Robbins shows up to make his presence known after a 16 hour work day just to come by and see me work a few pitches and support me while I'm out there. I have the most incredible group of friends I have made through umpiring who would come out on a 85 degree, 70% humidity Monday night and watch me on the pineapple (third base. I'll tell you later.)
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| We've got a deal on third base bags. You may say they are a steal. |
Did I work a perfect game last night? No,but the game was perfect. Softball therapy.
If last night was the last night I was here, I worked every base. I worked hard. I hustled. I was part of an amazing crew that I will never forget. I made some new lifelong friends who I know if I ever get to their neck of the woods, I'll have a place on the field to work with them once again.
Tomorrow's assignments:
Game #10, 9:00 am, Montana vs. Alaska - In the stands watching
Game #11, 5:00 pm, Oregon vs. Hawaii - 1st Base
Game #12, 7:30 pm, Utah vs. Arizona - In the well
I love you, Trina Escarzaga.
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