After 28 years of use, when the laces finally snapped on my George Brett glove, I tagged Wilson on Twitter and posted the picture. I didn’t actually expect to hear anything. In the past 88 days I’ve reached out to dozens of people via Twitter. Bo Jackson. Sean Astin. Former presidents and Big Slick KC and every late night talk show host. The vast majority have done an excellent job of paying no attention whatsoever to my catch-playing requests.
I was completely surprised when, early Monday morning, Wilson reached out to me.
“We’re really sorry to hear about the glove. It happens, unfortunately. We’d be happy to help if we can. We can re-lace it for you or we’d be happy to send you a new model.”
When I got home from playing catch with Tammy, I noticed there was a package in the front door.
The new glove came in time for Opening Day.
I am still fully convinced that Opening Day should be a national holiday. I pulled the girls out of school early and took them to lunch with their grandparents and then asked for their assistance at a poetry reading and story-telling.
Josh (Day #16) invited me to come to his school to celebrate Opening Day with a reading of Casey at the Bat and my KC at the Bat followed by a playing of catch. In two sessions, we read baseball poetry to some 200-plus fifth graders. That’s a mind-boggling amount of fifth graders.
Even the gray skies and damp weather couldn’t contain the excitement of the kids. After the second session, several students gathered under the overhang at the front of the school and lined up. I tossed the ball up and down the line; the new glove felt fantastic.
As soon as school let out, we followed Josh to his house to watch the game full of the hope that only comes on Opening Day.
Prediction (made from the heart):
Royals 82 – 80.
