The Natural

This has been a whirlwind, wild and wonderful weekend in Nevada County. Topped quite triumphantly by the sports news that today, Ken Griffey, Jr. is only the sixth baseball player to reach the milestone of 600 home runs.

This is my boy. I have been a fan since the beginning because I made the easy crossover from The Big Red Machine's Ken Griffey, Sr. to Junior; and I have been wearing Red ever since. (Oh, even when Jr. and his dad were in Seattle, too).

For several years now, many of my friends who know me and my passion for Junior, began to waiver in their belief that the kid could do it. After all, he had so many injuries and so much time off from the game and those other guys got there before him. I never doubted him for a second. In fact, he even hit #599 for me while he was playing in San Diego.

And he is a honest-to-goodness natural.
There will be no asterisks next to his name or milestones when he reaches Cooperstown.
His humility and grace jogged around the bases today as he touched home plate. No big displays of egoic bravado. Simply high-fiving his teammates and his son, Trey; and a simple cap wave to the crowd coming out from the dugout.
Oh, how I had been there in support. Oh, how I would love to have that baseball. And then I would gift the ball back to where it belongs, Mr. Junior.

It's good to know that there are still baseball heroes such as Ken Griffey, Jr. playing and honoring the game these days. It's once again, a happy time in Mudville.