COLUMN: How about an old-timers' game?

     Someone asked me the other day if I missed coaching baseball. I’ve been asked this question several times. I answered that I really do not miss competing in games but I do miss spending time practicing with the kids. That is what I miss the most.

     What’s odd about my answer is I loved competing against teams and sometimes found myself wishing I didn’t have to run a practice on certain days.

     After that conversation, I thought about it some more and came to the conclusion that I really missed throwing batting practice and having a glove on and a baseball in my hand.

     I also miss picking up a bat and taking a few swings or even getting in the batter’s box and hitting a few off my pitchers. On occasion when we would scrimmage my assistants and myself would fill in a position if we were short of players.

     I miss going out to the outfield and shagging balls during hitting practice or fielding grounders.

     In other words, I really miss playing the game. I miss playing catch.

     A couple days after that conversation I noticed an old Monticello Cubs photo on social media that had run in the Express quite a few years ago. It was a team photo from an Monti Cubs old-timers game.

     That also got me thinking how fun would it be to be involved in an old-timers game again. One year when I coached the Monticello Cubs I put together an old-timers game.

     It was well received. I got to play against some former teammates and coaches. We all had a great time, and best of all, no one got hurt!

     Maybe one of these days I will talk the current Monticello Cubs hierarchy into hosting another old-timers game. I would be more than happy to help organize an old-timers team of former Monticello Cubs.

     And this former player would get to continue his dream of once again lacing up his cleats and throwing around a baseball with some of his former teammates!