Posted by Mike Mason on 7/23/2009, 4:53 am
Message modified by board administrator 7/23/2009, 4:54 am
Thursday July 23rd. 2009
Dear Rebels,
I do feel the need to publicly address the subject. I'd asked a couple of times for you guys to call me and we could talk. Chance I understand your need for a public statement. This open letter will serve as my public statement. I need to admit something to you publicly. I love the passion and pride with which you play the game of softball. I'm just as passionate about what I do. I promote the game as hard as you play and with the same pride and intentisy. I did not disappear in to the scorers area to hide, I was checking with my head scorekeeper, who happened to be scoring your game. I got all the info I could as quick as I could. People fuss at me a lot about favoring one team or another....and I think back to my mother Sue Ann Geer Mason, she raised 6 children, 5 alone after my fathers death. Mama used to say, when asked by us or others, "Sue Ann which one of those younguns you love the most" her answer was always the same. Thats easy she would say,,,,it's the one that needs me the most right now. I'm often asked by other sports officials why I spend so much time promoting a dying sport. I've been offered job after job to promote other activities in sports. I just feel boys softball needs me most right now.
I quit playing all sports in 1959 after my fathers death at my age 11. I was never the MVP all star player, fact is I struggled to even be a starter. My dad was my inspiration, once when I needed a new glove I asked him about it...he was just starting a new business and things were very tight money wise with us. He told me if would work to become a regular starter instead of just every once in a while starter he would get me a new glove. I played in tennis shoes instead of cleats, I hated to ask him for a pair of those, we had other needs. I set out to earn a starters job. I also was always one of the smaller guys on our baseball team, baseball was hard for me. I'm lefthanded and bat left, I have very poor vision in my right eye, 20/200, I never saw the ball until it was right at the plate and if it had any movement at all I missed it, I was the KO kid. I worked and worked,I studied pitchers, watched to see any hint that they would throw a curve or slider, see if they gave them selves away. Any different way they moved the ball in their glove before delivery, set their feet, anything I could do I did to give me an advantage. I improved my average, still not a starter. Then it happened, a guy was struggling at second base, coach wanted to make a change, but a lefthanded second baseman he was not looking for, specailly a left handed second baseman that struggled at the plate and played in tennis shoes with a worn out and pieced together glove. I tried so hard in practice he could not deny me the chance. After the last practice before our next game he told me Mason you will start at second for the rest of the season.
I ran home...this was well before cell phones and emails, I had to wait until Daddy got home to give him the news, Mama warned me, your Daddy has had a hard day, yet I could not hold the news in any longer...Daddy I'm starting at second Saturday....he nodded....nodded...nothing else just nodded. Mama told me to let Daddy rest, he was tired. He was working so much to get his new business going.
I went off to bed, thinking I can't remind him of his promise...the promise of a new glove if I was a starter, times were too tough and their were other needs. The next day I practied more and more with some other guys that lived close, we always hit each other grounders for hours at a time. Daddy got home early that night, he came outside where I was throwing a ball against the side of an old shed and said Hey professor, (that was his name for me because I had worn glasses since I was 5) you want to throw a while.
He tossed a new glove my way, I was shocked, and then he said you better try these on also, it was a new pair of cleats. I have no idea where he got the money, but he kept his promise.
I was the one that needed him the most then I guess. Daddy died with colon cancer just before my 12th birthday, I never played organized sports after that. One of the reasons I work tirelessly to promote boys softball is because there just might be a player that needs this sport most right now.
All boys softball guys are special to me, I hurt when you hurt, I laugh when you laugh.
Baseball players have lots of chances and opportunities to play tournaments. Boys Softball players do not, they need me the most right now.
You guys want a public announcement, here it is, I admit to being human...I admit I love boys softball, and I admit I'll do all I can to see it survive. I also admit I will always respond to the one that needs me the most right now.
Mike
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