The World Series was wonderful this year.
Something I noticed that sounds a little crazy to even say is that kids were catching heat for celebrating home runs.
Honestly, pro players hear it too.
I would consider myself old school when it comes to baseball. Respect the game. Hustle. Play the right way. Don’t show someone up.
But I also think you should be allowed to celebrate a home run.
Hitting a baseball is one of the hardest things to do in sports, and hitting one over the fence is even harder. So why not enjoy it?
So I thought it would be fun, maybe just for me, to look back at a few of the most meaningful home runs I hit and why I celebrated them.
Hopefully it makes you think about something. Sometimes you have no idea what is behind someone’s celebration. Maybe they are celebrating a lot more than just a home run.
We’ll start with the first in-game home run I ever hit.
I was 10 years old, and hitting one over the fence was something I wanted so badly. My dad would always tell me, “You’re only 10. You have plenty of time.”
No 10-year-old wants to hear that. I wanted one now.
One summer night at Brandon Park against Ed’s Market, I connected on a pitch in the sixth inning and sent it onto the hill in center field.
They always say, “Act like you’ve been there before.”
Well, I hadn’t.
So somewhere around second base, I jumped and screamed, “Yeah!”
All I could think about was the rounds of batting practice my dad and I had taken trying to get me strong enough to put one over the fence.
I wasn’t showing anyone up. I was a 10-year-old kid who had just accomplished something he had worked hard for.
Two years later came another one I’ll never forget.
We were playing in the state tournament, trying to keep our dream alive of eventually making it to the Little League World Series. It was our first game, and it felt like the whole town of Loyalsock was there supporting us.
We were facing a great pitcher who would eventually be drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals.
In the first inning, I connected on a fastball and sent it over the right-field fence.
Coach Chris Haefner caught it.
That made the moment even better. During youth baseball seasons, he and I always had a little good-luck bro hug before my at-bats. Then Little League got stricter about how many coaches could be in the dugout, so he was outside the fence that day.
As I rounded first, I looked in the outfield and we celebrated together. That was special.
Fast forward to high school.
We were playing in the state semifinal.
For the first time in my high school career, our head coach, Coach Eck, wasn’t there. He was home listening to the game on the radio with his mom, who was battling cancer.
In the bottom of the sixth, I got ahold of one and drove it out to left-center.
As I rounded third, I saw Coach Hill, who was filling in for Coach Eck.
I can still remember the look on his face.
I couldn’t help it. I went nuts and let out a scream.
There was a lot more emotion behind that home run than simply watching a baseball go over a fence.
The last one I’ll share happened in Olean, New York.
I had recently had a special conversation with my mom about Proverbs 16:9. That verse meant a lot to me, so I ordered a bat with Proverbs 16:9 engraved on it. My dad drove the bat all the way up to me and got it into my hands five minutes before the game. I hadn’t taken one swing with it. Didn’t matter. I stepped to the plate, took my first swing with that bat and…
CRACK.
Moon shot over the left-field fence.
You can sure bet I flipped that bat and gave a big, “LET’S GO!”
So why am I telling you all of this?
Because sometimes it isn’t just a home run to that young player.
There can be a whole story behind one swing of the bat.
Make sure to respect the opponent. Respect the game. Don’t show people up.
But don’t ever hide joy.
And I think that goes beyond baseball.
If there is something in your life you have been working your butt off to accomplish, don’t be a robot when it finally happens.
Enjoy the moment.
“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” – Psalm 20:4
