John Lackey and the Angels fought back to Send the ALCS back to New York defeating the Yankess 7-6 in Anaheim
Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
I’m a bit reflective today after a long on-call duty in the medical center that lasted from about 0615 on Wednesday until 1630 today. About 34 hours in house with about 4 hours of fitful sleep as I left my sleep meds at home. It was a busy night and once again it seemed that I was dealing with patients and families similar to mine. The patients were retired Navy Chief Petty Officers about the age of my father and of course their children, who like me are “Navy Brats.” I’m pretty tired as the day has been very full complete with me being the acting department head for much of the day and having to deal with a number of situations outside the clinical setting. It’s kind of funny how “Company Commander Steve” can show back up, and thankfully not in a bad or asshole kind of way. I guess that the Deity Herself has given me a bit of grace to only allow the best of the old company commander to show up. Thankfully I work with a lot of really great people.
Last night was very intense and there were no easy cases, all took a long time and the work went deep into the night. I did not even get a chance to catch any of the Phillies game against the Evil Dodgers. I only found out the Phillies had won before I trundled off to the call room about 0200. Of course for me there was cause for rejoicing as my “anti-Dodgers” wear did not go the waste, which is of course my San Francisco Giants apparel. What I find interesting is just how many of the players in both the NLCS and ALCS that I have seen play in the minors to include Shane Victorino who I saw a lot in Kinston North Carolina when he played for the Kinston Indians, and Ryan Howard who I saw the first time playing for the Reading Phillies in Harrisburg back on our wedding anniversary in 2004.
It is humbling to be with people who have similar histories to me and my family and to be with them as they “walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.” Of course what goes through my mind is that I would hope that there would be someone there for my parents, especially my dad who still lingers in a nursing facility with end stage Alzheimer’s disease. My mother seems more introspective and reflective than she has been in a long time. She seems to be preparing for the inevitable with my dad, trying to visit him within the limits of her physical condition and letting him know that she loves him and even tries to be with him when one of their Lutheran pastors when he brings Communion to my father. Likewise she seems to be preparing just in case something happens to her, asking me to help her decide the disposition of various belongings. This is a first. So I wonder what is going on.
Since my dad has held on for many months longer than his physicians expected I will be travelling to California to visit my parents to see them as well as well as take care of more administrative, banking and other matters with my brother and mother. I’ll be out there about a week.
It is funny too that all of this is taking place during the MLB playoffs and in particular as the Angels are playing the Yankees in Anaheim. Our time in Long Beach California was probably one of the most magical couple of years in my childhood, and much was due to the time that my dad took in teaching me the game of baseball and taking me to game after game at Anaheim Stadium.
Memories at Anaheim Stadium, Me with Manager Lefty Phillips in 1970
As I looked at the stadium I can see the areas that we would sit when we attended the games. Since dad always got us there as soon as the gates opened we would get to see batting practice, shag fly balls and meet players before the game. That really was a special time and really did make a lasting impression on me, so as I watch the game tonight I am more reflective than usual, not in a morose way but in a way that somehow blends appreciation for those that I am honored to serve with in their life crisis, my own family situation as well as baseball and wonderful memories from the “Big A.”
Tonight’s game was full of drama and for the most part free of the egregious bad calls. The Angels went up 4-0 in the first inning and then in the top of the 7th the Yankees scored 6 runs. The Angles came right back in the bottom of the 7th scoring three of their own to go back up 7-6. The drama continued in the 8th and finally with the bases loaded after an intentional walk, a walk and a hit batsman Nick Swisher popped up to end the game. The series goes back to New York with the Angels resurgent after being clobbered by the Yankees in game 4.
Well, I’m tired and it’s time to go to bed.
Peace, Padre Steve+
The Inglorius Padre Steve's World 