I love rookies! There is something innately special and precious about watching someone perform in their first real major league baseball game. Knowing that this young man has finally realized the dream he has had as long as he can remember, and being allowed to share in that experience with him, is one of my favorite parts of being a fan.
We all have had that dream. We come up to the plate in the bottom of the 9th with two outs in a tie game. We blast a game winning hit to win the game as our team mobs us in celebration. Jose Morales has done that for real. Jeff Manship struck out the first major league hitter he faced. Brian Duensing has put up four impressive starts to lead our team into a surge for a playoff bid. A few years ago a fresh faced Boof Bonser stunned the Milwaukee Brewers in their own house for his debut victory.
It always makes me feel privileged to be a part of something so precious, and so long in the making. Every time I watch a player get his first major league hit, and the opposing fielder rolls the ball to the dugout so that he can keep that ball forever I think about where they are going to display it, and how much their families will appreciate seeing that evidence of hard work paying off.
The vast majority of us never get the chance to live out a childhood dream, but I know that I personally feel like I get to get a small taste of what it would feel like when I watch the boys on my team celebrate. The joy on Jose Morales' face after knocking in the winning run with a walk of single this past Tuesday night is something that I will never forget, and wish someday to come close to feeling myself.
I feel so lucky to live in a place where each member of my team is someone I can respect and root for, knowing that they appreciate what they have as much as they should.
Go Twins!
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