Just another day at the park...

Getting up at 5:15 was kind of tough for me, but made easier with the knowledge I was about to have a very special day with my kids. I had no idea how special. Even though Home Plate didn't start till 9:30, I wanted to get there at 8:00 when the gates opened. We pulled into Dennis' driveway at 6:12. "What happened to 6:30?", he says as he grabs his jersey out of his van.

We had checked the weather before we left and there was a 100% chance of rain between 9:00-11:00. By the time we get onto I-75, it's a steady downpour. I kept my eyes on the road, but couldn't help but catch glimpses of lightning that were lighting up the sky. The kids and I thought it was a pretty awesome show. We pull into my usual parking spot at 7:45 and it's still coming down pretty good. There was no one around to take our money for parking so I grabbed my umbrella and everything else I had brought and we started walking. We made our way to the gate just in time...to wait. After a short wait, they let us in and we found a seat under the awning which was as far as we could go until the lightning passed. It finally did, but we were comfortable, could see everything quite nicely and decided not to move. Then I thought out loud: "When are we ever going to get a chance to sit in the front row again?" I took the kids down and we took a seat in the front row.

It was still raining when Mary and Allison showed up, but they found us and Allison got to sit in the front row as well. We looked around, took some pictures until, for the 6000 believers there, God made his presence known. It stopped raining. Just as Home Plate was to begin, the rain just stopped. I don't mean it slowed to a steady sprinkle, it stopped. It would not rain the rest of the day.

Jeff Totten walked out, said a prayer, and introduced Adam Everett, the Tiger's shortstop. Next was Ramon Santiago, then Willie Horton. After Willie came a surprise: Jason Hanson, the Detroit Lions kicker who expressed his faith beautifully. Donnie Kelly spoke next and last was Frank Tanana, a former Tigers pitcher. Everyone of these men had some wonderful ways to convey their love of God, and they were doing it right in front of us. My kids were hearing every word and seemed to be as enthralled as I was. When Frank finished speaking, Jeff walked out again, said a closing prayer and told us that the on the field clinic would not be on the field today because of the rain. I was really looking forward to walking around on the field with my kids and close family, but it was not to be; He had other plans.

As Jeff was asking us stay in our seats until they dismissed us, he also told us there would be certain sections where the clinics would be held. The players would speak from the field and would rotate to each of the four sections before they were done. As we were waiting to be dismissed, they began setting up the speakers, and set the microphone directly in front of us. We just happened to be in one of those four sections. We saved our seats, went to get some food, and came back to see several thousand more people eagerly awaiting the clinic. When it was ready to go, Tiger's catcher Alex Avila walked almost directly up to us and starting taking questions on the finer points of catching. He had a wry smile on his face like he had not had the chance to do something like this before, but it looked like he was having fun. After Alex, Tigers rookie and current second baseman, Scott Sizemore, walked up to us, having just hit his first home run last night. Scott talked about fielding and took questions until it was Austin Jackson's turn. Austin, the Tiger's centerfielder who had just hit 5 hits last night, and has more hits than any other rookie in the Majors, talked about, what else? Hitting. The guy is always smiling and looks like he's having a great time.

Once he left, and after I had taken a ton of pictures by this time, I thought "All they have left is pitching." Right on cue walked up Rick Porcello, the Tiger's pitcher who had just won last night's game. As he and the Tiger's pitching coach talked and answered questions, I realized this would be the last player that would come around. I spotted the ball in his hand and told Colton he should ask for the baseball. Colton didn't want to, so I forgot about it for a minute till the two minute mark was broadcast by the announcer. "Ya gonna ask him?", I said. "Nah, I don't want to." Again, I thought when would I ever get this chance again. Once the hitting coach had finished talking, I spoke up: "Hey, Rick!" He glanced at us sitting in the first row. "Can he have your ball?", pointing at Colton. A fan behind me who had asked a good question earlier remarked "He didn't say please!" Rick made the motion to toss him the ball, but the hitting coach started talking again. I suppose just in case another question was asked, he wanted to have the ball still in his hand. The announcer came over the loud speaker again, telling us and the players that the clinic was over. Rick walked right up to us, and gave Colton the ball. His face lit up like a Christmas tree and both of smiled all the way up to the third deck.

It's a long way away from the players up there, but the view is amazing. I got to talk to Dave Ledbetter and his family for a few minutes and Pastor Bob sat right next to us. For me, the game flew by, but I got to explain the first pitch and the seventh inning stretch to Gabrielle. When they asked for frozen lemonade, they got frozen lemonade. When they wanted a pretzel, we went and grabbed a couple pretzels. We put our arms around each other for "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and swayed to the beat. We tried to get the wave going to no avail, but got to participate in one later. We got to see the catcher throw out a would be stealer twice and we got to see Johnny Damon throw someone out at home from the outfield, which almost never happens for him. The game was full of spectacular moments.

It seems every time I go to a game, there's a late inning homer, and I mentioned that to the kids before the game. The chances of it happening again I knew were slim, but it was 2 to 2 in the bottom of the ninth and the Tigers came to bat. "Someone's hitting a home run to end it", I told Colton. "Yep", he says, and after thinking about it a moment he says "and it's going to be Johnny Damon." Austin Jackson comes up first and put up a good fight till he finally gets out. The next hitter is Johnny Damon, who had zero homers for the Tigers coming into today, and Colton and I exchange glances. From our vantage point every pop fly looked like a home run and Johnny Damon looked like he hit a pop fly that was going to land harmlessly in the outfield, but the ball kept going. It kept going until it landed in the first row behind the wall, and the crowd goes nuts. "I called it!", he says to everyone who will listen. Our smiles as we left our seats were almost as big as the ones when we had walked to our seats. What an amazing day.

Thank you, God, for blessings like rain when we want the sun to shine. Thank you for a wonderful immediate and extended family. Thank you for touching the players' lives the way you have and allowing them to speak to all of us. Thank you for allowing us to hear what they had to say, and thank you for changing our lives the way you have. Amen