Game of Life: A Writing Experiment
For today’s installment of the 30 Day Writing Challenge, I teamed up with my writing comrades @Shane.EliasCalles @Roberto_Johnshon for a unique experiment. Rather than write our own articles, we collaborated on one joint piece centered around a single topic. As former college teammates and longtime athletes, we decided to write about the game of baseball and the life lessons it taught us. Each paragraph serves as a response to the one preceding it. We had a lot of fun cranking this one out — enjoy!
Paul: Popped out the womb, and boom, a baseball bat was in my hands. Some of my first baseball memories come with me watching the Padres play ball in my living room and I would carry around my plastic bat and imitate the swings. I’d actually pretend that I was hitting and would be so mad if the player didn’t swing at a perfect pitch — I’d say, “I would’ve just hit a home wun!” Let’s just say my curiosity for baseball peaked early and I don’t know who I’d be without it today.
Berto: I’d be lying if I said baseball wasn’t my first true love. If anything, my adoration for it established my very concept of love as a whole. Even when I was young, there was just something about it, though looking back, I can’t pinpoint exactly what. The craziest part? I still feel the same way about it today. My earliest memories consist of hitting doubles and triples around my living room and backyard, memorizing the Padres lineup — probably before I could even write my name in a sentence — and asking my dad a billion questions about this game that I just had to understand. It was love from the beginning. All because of a glove, a bat and a ball. I hardly knew how much it would come to teach me.
Shane: Despite all of the love, baseball had a funny way of teaching me invaluable life lessons that stick with me today. You see, the thing about baseball is that although it is a team sport, it has a way of putting you in a position of complete isolation. It is the only sport where you are a part of a team but are counted on to perform solely on your own. When you are in the batter’s box, it’s just you and the pitcher, no one to help you but yourself. If you succeed, you are the hero, but on the often occasion that you fail, you really have no one to blame but yourself.
Paul: Looking back at the evolution of myself as a player is interesting. I never thought of failure until I got a little older. In the beginning, absolutely nothing mattered except for my pure, unfiltered, child-like stoke for the game. I always had a ball, glove, or bat in my hand. It’s just what felt so right and true for me. There was never any thinking. I was out there just to enjoy my craft, move around, throw objects, and swing a stick. As I developed, I started thinking more about the fundamentals and positions and actually putting some thought to it. The thought didn’t take any real effort though. It was something I actually loved to do. I would watch these videos, on a VHS back then, and then beg a parent or grandparent to go drill me outback. I loved to practice! What a concept. I loved the process.
Berto: When I think of things that furthered my infatuation of baseball, a big component was definitely my immediate family. I don’t know anyone who loves baseball more than my dad. I think it made him pretty excited that he was able to share his passion for it with my brothers and I. Subsequently, having two brothers to play with in the backyard amplified that times 100. Wiffle ball matches weren’t just our daily routine, they were our life. Many of those games didn’t make it to the end — they usually got postponed in light of a fist fight or someone crying. But we always came back to play the next day. That’s one of the best things about it. You win games, you lose games, you get hits, you strikeout, but there’s always another day. I suppose there’s a bigger life lesson in that. There’s always an opportunity to bounce back and do it again. Until there isn’t.
Shane: I remember that day like it was yesterday. The fresh cut green grass (brown at Vanguard), the morning dew on the outfield, and the sound of balls flying off the bat. It was just like any other day at the yard. All the boys were in the locker room, and my parents were in the stands, but that day carried an ominous undertone. It was the last day I would get to lace up the cleats and competitively play the game that I spent 20 years falling in love with. Growing up you never truly realize that some of your dreams may not come to fruition. I was going to be a professional baseball player, there was no question about it. I was going to play college ball, get drafted, play for the hometown team, and be a hero to the next generation of young ballplayers. At least that’s what I thought, but when the final out was made in my last game I was faced with a harsh reality that I was done. How do I move on from something I spend my whole life chasing? Over the last couple of years, although I miss the game, I have realized that things it taught me were applicable not only to baseball but to everyday life.
Paul: I can’t remember a thing about my last baseball game. I don’t know if I got a hit or made a good play. I don’t remember the score. Nothing. I’ve got the worst baseball memory ever. Here’s what I do remember.
After my last college game, we finally got to whip out our polished impressions of our coach. Sam Carillo, by far the funniest guy on the squad, whipped out his impression in front of the team and that might have been the hardest I have ever laughed in my life. The inside jokes and camaraderie of that team, in particular, made for a great time every time we stepped on the field. I made friends and memories that will last a lifetime. This is by far more meaningful than the score on that final day.
Berto: Okay, this is getting pretty sentimental (understandable). I’m trying to think of a story to share to break up the heart-tugging memories but it’s all jumbled together. What I can say for sure is that I never had as much fun as I did with all the teammates I became friends with over the years. Hell, just being around the diamond — no matter who nor where — always made for a great time. Reminiscing makes me grin on the brink of laughter. There’s the time I watched a 15-year old nicknamed “Lefty” walk up to the plate and accidentally step into the right-handed batter’s box for his at-bat or the time where the shortstop on a 10u team I was coaching threw the ball to our left fielder on a relay play. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention all the hilarious bus rides throughout college. Guys from all different parts of the country, hanging out, traveling around to play some ball. There were lots of good times, which still make me smile.
Shane: In addition to all of the smiles, there were hard times as well. There is an old saying that goes, “In baseball, failing seven out of ten times gets you in the Hall of Fame.” Naturally, baseball is a game of failure. Over those twenty years of failing consistently, I learned that failure is never final, there is always someone behind you to pick you up, and life is better when done with people you care about. I cannot tell you the number of times that I struck out in a big situation, only to have the next hitter behind me drive in the winning run. I went from utter frustration to pure joy in a matter of minutes, because at the end of the day the only thing that mattered was that the team had won. I think that is what I miss the most. The sense of belonging to something bigger than myself. Being in that environment taught me that life isn’t always about me or about what I can accomplish on my own. It taught me that true happiness comes from contributing to the success of others around you.
Paul: I was a cryer around age 10–12ish off and on. I was the kid who would cry if I failed in the big situation. I specifically remember pitching as a ten-year-old and someone hitting a grand slam off of me. It was the first time I had ever seen the ball go over the fence and I couldn’t stop crying on the mound. I cringe thinking about it. I was always one of the best on the team in my crying years. The rare times I would fail, it was too much for me to handle. I didn’t get it back then. I thought the whole world was centered on me. Looking back this is kind of embarrassing, but I eventually learned how to deal with such failure, and to lean on my teammates during tough (slumping) times. Success is helping others succeed, and the sense of belonging to something bigger than myself is also what I miss most about being on a baseball team.
Berto: Success is a funny concept within the game of baseball. I too used to get overly upset as a kid when I would strike out or do poorly. Now that I’m a former player and can look back on all my experiences, I see it’s all part of the growing process. I see the same things in my 10 and 11-year olds on the team I currently coach. They get worked up by the result of their performance to the point of getting emotional. Eventually, like every player before them, they will grow out of this and learn to deal with failure. One day, they will look back on their own formative years as a ballplayer and think something along the lines of how young they were and how much they had to learn. In this passing of the torch lies the evergreen truth about this game: baseball is forever. It gets passed down from player to player, coach to coach, fan to fan and lives on. Rules change, players come and go, but the spirit of the game stays the same.
Shane: “Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world.” — Babe Ruth. The legacy of the game and the lessons it has taught us will live in our hearts forever. Once a baseball player, always a baseball player. Though I may never play in a competitive game again, there is nothing I look forward to more than passing on my love for the game to my children. I have this idea in my head that there will be this moment when they too get overtaken by the unmistakable joy that is baseball. That day will lead to hours of batting practice, days of struggle and days of triumph, and in spite of the inevitable achy arm, those will become the best days of my life.
Well, thanks baseball. If it wasn’t for you, these three narps wouldn’t be writing together today.
With eternal love,
Paul, Shane & Berto
Here is some commentary from our collaborative writing session in Google Docs, for your own personal enjoyment (or confusion).
Hi berto This is cool
For sure writing a letter to baseball for one of my final articles YA that’s a good idea. Same format as the country one? Kinda just copied you on the last paragraph haha oops
Thought for the post — should we add our name at the front of each blurb for context? Example on my first paragraph below. It might help since we’re all talking in first person- Ya
Damn I’m so fat now-hahaha
Bring it home Shane — I feel like you just did hahaha
Lol I was gonna keep going but I stopped. Alley oop
Dude this is rad lol. Go technology ya for real
I’m trippin at watching happen — yee. Pauly get On and I’ll get you over. Shane drive em in
So we decided to make the theme what we learned from baseball. 5 min each back and forth. Who wants to start us!!!!! Scared, but i got it.Alrighty i’m gonna go… time starts now. Wait any more rules? OR just see what happens ey?
Berto you go 2 hole? 👍🏼 And then ill clean up. No rules just flow Flowing about to commence. HAHAHA batter up. BERTO. Comin in hot — — Pad squad haha Eric Owens was my favorite — SHANE! — dude yes- why I wore number 3. Also always had a dirty jersey. — love that. Klesko and Nevin were my guys. Also, I would love taken a bullet for Jake Peavy lol Yessssss klesko and nevin the big boppers. Such steeze and jake peavy ya.. Sexy in so many ways. — I watched the games pretty much every day but always tuned out when the Pads were on D except when Peavy was pitching. Locked in. HE was locked in with that fatty chaw
Youre in pauly
Don’t edit me :hahahaha) hahah 😂 this is getting hard ahhaha I’m up? Yeet kinda rambled there
You’re good. Got me inspired.
Oh snap! Peggy! I’ll figure out this picture thing after haha crap. Berto, you see tim tebow go oppo taco today? Haha ya I saw that. DUDE no I didn’t. Gonna watch when I get home
GO head berto. My article tomorrow is going to be how to work as a team with creative minds haha
Kinda wanna keep this commentary somehow lol. It’s gold.
We should post it at the end as like a PS or bloopers. Its funny though becasue this is triggering so many things i want to say its hard to narrow it down. Ya for real. Triggering a ton of stuff. — for real. There’s so many memories and thoughts flipping through my head it’s hard to hone in on a clear thought
Haha lefties/ rare bread — one of a kind
DRIVE EM IN SHANER!!! HAHAHAHA brown grass
Done. Sorry I’m driving home, had to pull over to write ha — HAha savage. You on a phone? Yeah. Short drive, I’m back already. But I knew I was gonna have to make one stop
One more round after shane is done then maybe a last little comment or two if so inspired. Dont know how you can go off of that but thats what i got haha
HIt it Berto :)
Alrighty. Your parents drilled you out back? Oh ya, And my mom was a goat with the glove on one hand bat in the other. I specifically remember doing bucket drills in my grandparents yard out in valley center haha so fun. I’d watch this video and just study, study, study.
B
A
M
This is chaos #30DayWritingChallenge!
Uncharted territory lol
Someone copy and paste the commentary into another document
What is going on lol — well currently i have writers block paul is laughing out loud and our article will be “complete” when you type your name above
Im rattled
hahaha
Hahahaha
I’ve laughed out loud a few times writing this
SHINE your chicken is ready mmmmmmmmmmm I could use some of them
Can anyone help me here? I think you all know what im trying to say
Ahhh i cant wait for that too
HAHA
I give up
Lol nah i like that about the dying arm I woulda said yips
Alright i got this
Simultaneous clsoing thoughts? Or how should we end ths. Shane’s doing a good job tho talking about kids. I’m probably distracting him writing write now. Whoops
Okay thats all i got for that section
Cool. Thoughts on how to wrap it all up?
Ummmmmm
