For Family in Charleston

It was the third inning, I think, when Keenan Wiley, the centerfielder for the Rome Braves, flew for half a second before hitting the ground and catching the ball that could have put the RiverDogs up by two and given my younger brother, Kramer, a shot at earning his first win of the season. 

He left the game after a darn solid outing, going 5.1 innings, striking out five, giving up nine hits, three runs (two earned), and looking darn studly doing it. 

We were bummed because it seemed like he'd get the loss again. And in full disclosure, yes, Katie and I left in the seventh inning, after "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The Braves had scored three runs in the top of the inning, and the game had become slow, and we were sleepy. Also, we had a puppy back in the hotel room who hadn't peed in 12 hours because he's too well trained and thinks the only place he's allowed to pee is our backyard, so we were worried about him.* 

That was okay, though, because the RiverDogs somehow came back in the bottom of the ninth, in classic hero team fashion. 

I started getting the text messages and seeing the Twitter updates around 10:30 p.m.

The RiverDogs were coming back. Two runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Braves scored two to answer in the top of the ninth. Then the RiverDogs scored three in the bottom of the ninth. Then Rob Segedin hit a solo bomb and the game was tied. 

They won it in the bottom of the tenth, and a few thousand from Charleston celebrated beneath the fireworks. The RiverDogs had won their 2011 home opener.

It was a heck of a way for the birthday weekend to start. Not just for me. For my grandfather, my dad's father, who made the five-and-a-half hour ride from Greenville with my grandmother and aunt. We all converged from all over in Charleston yesterday afternoon to see Kramer, a.k.a. "The Professional," pitch for the RiverDogs home opener. The grandfather was celebrating his 75th birthday, and no, there is no better way to do that than driving five and a half hours to watch your 6-foot-4, 200-pound grandson start the first home game of the season for the New York Yankees' single-A affiliate. 

My parents put the whole trip together for my birthday, too, which was a couple days ago. A genius move on their part, I must say. 

The grandfather and his crew are heading back today. We're staying until Sunday afternoon. But the magic of it all came this morning, when I turned on SportsCenter. The number one play of the day: Keenan Wiley, diving across the outfield grass. It wasn't in our favor, but it was us, and we'd been there for it. All for each other, for each other's birthdays and baseball glory, we'd been there, together.

* And yes, Jack the Puppy learned how to pee in strangers' grass. Go team Sneed.

Comments

[Heidi]

Hahaha my tweets are honored to be on your page.. Except the one to Holly about "Friday"... embarrassing haha