He Stilled the Rising Tumult

Well it finally happened. The torch was eloquently passed, and a new link was added to the Thornton baseball chain. Yep, you guessed it, Aidan had his first official baseball game tonight, and we could not be anymore proud of our little ball player. He looked the part, he played the part, and it was every bit as satisfying for me to watch as I thought it would be.

There is a very special bond that is shared between fathers and sons when it comes to baseball. It is hard to describe, and to be perfectly honest, I find myself getting choked up a bit while typing this. I cannot set foot on a baseball diamond, or attend any baseball game without thinking about dad, and all of the countless hours he spent teaching me the game. He loved the game of baseball, and his love, enthusiasm, and respect for the game was always apparent and appreciated. I hope I can instill that same type of love for the game in Aidan. If tonight was any indication, I am well on my way. Just seeing Aidan dressed in his uniform, with his hat pulled low, was enough to bring a tear to my eye. I know his Grandpa would have been very proud of Aidan tonight, and he would have seen just a little bit of me in him. Knowing that makes me very happy.

As for the game, the kids had a lot of fun, and smiles were abundant. Aidan singled in all three of his at bats, and played very well in the field. Everybody had a wonderful time, and Aidan was very lucky to also have his Nana and PawPaw and his cousins Wyatt and Jackson at his first game. It was a great start to what will hopefully be a great career in baseball. I am looking forward to many years of excitement and lots of reminiscing.

Below are some of the pictures and video that I took at the game. I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed watching them live.

Aidan in his uniform
Aidan warming up, glove on, looking the part.
Who's on first?.....nobody with Aidan covering the bag.
SAFE! Aidan's first hit.
Aidan the pitcher.
This first video shows Aidan fielding a ball and making a throw to first. Unfortunately, the first basemen did not catch the throw, but Aidan looked good doing it. Warning: Very loud father screaming in the background.

This second video shows Aidan's first hit. Warning: Again, a very loud father screaming in the background.