Every player has their own motive as to why they play the game of baseball, whether it be for the love of the game, for their teammates or maybe even for themselves. My motive, however, roots from a whole different source.
Each time I touch a ball field I have one thing in mind: My family.
I come from a family filled with baseball fanatics. Mets, Red Sox, Reds, A's and die hard Yankee fans (except for me, I'm a Cubs fan....rough life). Now you are probably thinking, "You have a family full of baseball fans, so what?" Well beside playing the game for my family members who I see on a regular basis, I play for those who are no longer with me. The ones who left an unforgettable impact on my life.
My grandfather was a die-hard Yankees fan. There wasn't a day when he wasn't tuning in to see his beloved "Bronx Bombers" play but he never could stand to watch because he was so nervous they would lose if he watched. He would always tell me stories of Mickey Mantle and how someday, if I kept working, I could be just as great as him. Meanwhile my grandmother would be chanting from the other room, "Yankees stink! Go Sox!" It was a love-hate relationship in their house when it came to sports but it always through good spirits.
I would never forget those words my grandfather said to me, "If you keep working, you can be as great as them." I would keep these words with me throughout the rest of my career and I still keep them close to my heart. Through one little sentence, he made me want to go out and be the best that I could be. I wanted to make him and all my other family members proud.
It was during my junior of high school, however, when I was crushed with the devastating news that my grandfather had passed away. He would never get the chance to see me play college ball, which was my dream at the time because there was nothing more my grandparents would have loved to see.
It was right then and there that I decided that I no longer had a choice but the obligation to reach the collegiate level no matter what it took. For the next year and a half, I dedicated all of my time to improving my game and not a moment passed when I wasn't thinking about what he told me so many years ago..."If you keep working, you can be the best."
That day finally came. I was a senior in high school when I received a letter from the Fredonia baseball program informing me that they were interested in me. I felt a huge sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulder. I finally reached my goal.
For the last four years I have carried the weight of every person who I have lost throughout my life. I truly give credit to them for how I have turned out as a ball player and a person. They are the ones who always push me to reach for my full potential because I know if I take a moment off they will know. I believe they are always watching over me.
So ask yourself each day, "What's my purpose and why am I truly here?"
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