Essay #1

Cooperstown, a place where some of the greatest players of baseball have been and I had the chance to play there when I was twelve years old. The entire experience on and off the field is something I will cherish and never forget as it was possibly the greatest moment of my life. Imagine the place of your dreams where you would do whatever it took to be there. For me, I was there. Cooperstown, New York.

            Of course, nothing happens how you plan it. My story begins on the 101 freeway going to LAX. Our flight leaves at 9:30 AM on a bright and sunny summer day. Since my parents always expect the best but plan for the worst, we were awake and driving out of Camarillo by 6:15 AM. Normally you’d expect to see a clear path early in the morning on a Saturday morning. Most of the people are asleep with the day off from their job. It’s a good thing my parents planned for the worst. We hit traffic right out the gate once we got over the hill into Thousand Oaks. Bumper to bumper seems like an understatement. Turns out someone in a SUV got in a minor accident about 10 miles south of Westlake. Needless to say, what is normally an hour drive became a two and a half hour journey. I remember thinking of it as a way to practice patience since the plane ride was going to be a five hour flight. Finally, against all the odds, we made it to LAX.

            “We made it.” My dad said with a sense of relief in his voice.                                      The check-in went smoothly and we were on the plane literally minutes from taking off. It was nearly impossible for me to stay in my seat. I was so excited. Then it went from excitement to sadness. Our flight was delayed due to bad weather in Albany, New York. Two hours went by and it looked like our flight would be cancelled. I couldn’t believe that it could be bright and sunny in California, but cloudy and raining in New York. I was beginning to think that the baseball gods didn’t want me to play in Cooperstown. Minutes after I thought the worst, we were boarding our flight and speeding down the runway. The visibility became good enough for us to fly into Albany. I regret not sleeping on the flight like my sister. Five hours seemed to be five years. To my sister, five hours was five seconds. Her exact words I still remember for some odd reason were, “I blinked and we were here.” The rest of that day was smooth sailing. We got to a hotel in Cooperstown at 8:30 PM eastern time. I tried to sleep but I couldn’t. I knew what was in store for me the next day.

            Tomorrow finally came and I couldn’t have been happier.  Part of this baseball tournament has the players sleep in dorms on a college campus five minutes away from the baseball fields.  My teammate Tyler and I were going to be roommates for the next week.  There were points where hanging out at the college away from our parents was more fun than the actual games we were there to play in.  Our first night was probably the funniest out of all of them.  We both slept on the floor of our dorm because we were too small to climb onto the actual beds.  I wasn’t even 5’0” at the time.  To make things worse we left our window open and three or four moths flew into our room to escape the rain and hail.  We both cowered under our blankets for the rest of the night.

            “If these moths kill me, tell my mom I love her”, Tyler said from underneath his blanket.

            We survived the night drenched in sweat.  Who knew that it could be so hot and humid while it’s hailing at the same time?  It was almost 85 degrees with hail.  My team was scheduled to be the first game to kick off the tournament.  We were supposed to start at 8:30 AM but delay seemed to be a reoccurring topic on this trip.  Since the ball fields were at a higher elevation than the dorms, fog was an issue.  I was barely able to see my hand extended out in front of me.  It was 9:30 and the umpires started the game.  We ended up winning 9-4.  It was such a great feeling. For that slight moment, it seemed like we were all professional baseball players who just won the World Series. In that week we played two games. I can’t remember how every game turned out except we finished with a record of 8-3. Other than the first game, our sixth game was just as memorable. Not for a good reason however. It was a night game. The lights were shining down as if we were the stars. With my team hitting, I was on first base in the middle of the game. The pitcher picks off and bam. The ball hits me in the eye. I remember just rolling in the dirt holding my left eye. I was more shocked that I was hit rather than being in pain. My eye was slightly swollen but I was still able to play. I came up to bat in the last inning and got a double. The next batter scored me and we won the game. My coach gave me the game ball because he thought of me as a fighter that day.

             We didn’t win the tournament but we did finish in seventh out of one hundred and sixteen teams from all over the country. Out of the top ten teams, eight were from California so I felt we represented our home state pretty well. Even though we didn’t get a trophy or medal, I thought that my team was champions after that tournament. My coach’s speech after our last game is something I will never forget.

            “The way you played in this tournament was incredible. You guys represented California with class and respect. We might have finished short of first place, but you are all winners. We got to be a part of something a handful of people can say they did. You guys played on a field that hall of famers began their career on. You’re all like my sons and I couldn’t be more proud. I speak for myself and all of your parents and siblings.”

            I got to live my dream for an entire week. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I met players from Maine to Oregon. On top of that I got to live in a dorm with my team and play in the biggest youth baseball tournament. Do I wish I could go back? Yes and no. yes because it was the greatest time of my life. No, because it wouldn’t seem as special considering what we accomplished. Cooperstown gave me the highlight of my entire baseball career.