Baseball is Back

Opening Day 2009. It took me a while to figure out where the Ranger broadcast was. Finally found it on 105.3FM. (What is this station? It seems to have been stocked with the B-team from The Ticket. It was nice to pick the game up on FM though.) Eric Nadel’s voice is like a relaxing drug for me. Even though he seemingly has a different 2nd guy every other year, it is good to always hear Nadel. During the 3rd inning, President George W. Bush joined the booth as the Rangers batted. (They scored 4 runs in the inning.) Anyway, Bush seemed so happy to no longer be president: relaxed, funny, warm. He reminisced with Nadel about his days with the Rangers, throwing out names like Kunkel, Henke, Burkett, and others. The booth chatter was great to listen to, as the President would at times interrupt his story to cheer on a hit. A couple of the exchanges:

On throwing out the first pitch: He told the story of throwing out the first pitch of the 2001 World Series in Yankee Stadium, just a month after 9/11. As he was warming up prior to the game, Derek Jeter asked him if he was going to throw from the mound or the grass. Bush asked Jeter what he thought, and Jeter replied: “Be a man and throw it from the mound… Don’t bounce it or they’ll boo.” Bush said that the adrenaline and nerves of that pitch were stronger than any other moment in his presidency. He said the ball felt like a shot put, the emotion was overwhelming, but he did throw a strike.

On meeting Elvis Andrus: Elvis Andrus is the 20 year old shortstop for the Rangers this year. Bush said he met him and was shocked to learn how young he was. Nadel mentioned that Bush may have thought he would need an interpreter with Andrus, but that he speaks really good English. Bush replied: “It’s better than mine!”

I can only imagine what it must be like to go from the President of the United States for eight years to citizen again, able to joke around in the radio booth. I was disappointed that he said he would never want to be commissioner of baseball. He loves the game, but he said he has had enough exposure in his life and wants to enjoy private life now. Anyway, a great moment in the booth to start the season. I love baseball on the radio. It works unlike any other sport.

World Autism Awareness Day

We've got to figure this out. I pray we do. Amazing kids. In need of a key to unlock what's inside. Amazing kids. Who have to work 2, 3, 4, 100x as hard. But who never give up. Amazing people. Who have so much to offer. My life's been changed. For that I am thankful.