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The baseball field at Marine Park in Santa Monica, where I had my best day (with the bat, at least) as an official baseball player. Photo courtesy of apm.activecommunities.com

One In A Series

REMINISCING ABOUT THE ONLY TIME I EVER GOT MOTE THAN TWO HITS IN A OFFICIAL BASEBALL GAME – WHICH HAPPENED ON MY 16TH BIRTHDAY

Three days from this writing, it will be my birthday.

As for how old I’ll be, outside of revealing that I’m fifty-something and I’ll be advancing in that age category, I don’t think it’s that important as to exactly how old I’ll be.

I’m just thankful to God that I’ll get to add another year to my age and another trip around the sun.

The other day I was thinking about the various notable events that happened to me personally on June 18th, besides being born.

One thing in particular came to mind, this event happening on the day I turned sixteen – “Sweet Sixteen” if I were a female.

Let me just describe it…

Saturday, June 18th, 1983.

The day I turned sixteen years old.

I was finishing a sophomore year at Santa Monica High School that, both academically and socially, was a year to forget as I was, for lack of a better way to put it, a “lost soul” who was quite clueless about more or less everything, the rigors of “Samohi” rendering me as being way in over my head, that 1982-83 school year going about as bad as a school year can go for me.

I detailed many of these struggles in my book, WALKING ON EGGSHELLS: Having Asperger’s Syndrome in a Non-Asperger’s World” , which I published a year ago.

But being that this is a sports blog, I’ll forgo any recalls of that trauma and focus on this particular sports experience.

Having been cut from Samohi’s baseball program during tryouts in January, which I deserved due to my lack of a good throwing arm,

I signed up to play in Santa Monica’s Colt League, a progression of Pony League (now defunct) geared toward 15 and 16-year olds which was essentially an outlet for kids who were deemed as not good enough for the high school programs, but wanted to continue to play.

Which described me perfectly as I joined the Pirates that spring.

As far as how I fared, I think it could be best described as erratic as while my hitting was generally okay, as was said I couldn’t throw and my fielding was inconsistent at best, the only difference between being on the Pirates and being on the Pony League A’s two and three years before was that I was allowed to play first base once in a while along with right field, with a bit of center field.

The baseball field at Santa Monica High School, where I wanted to play but my lack of ability to throw hard or accurately deemed me unworthy. Photo courtesy of samohibaseball.com

So anyhow,

My birthday comes along, which I remember was a nice, clear-skied day in Santa Monica as I made my way down the steep hill on 16th Street south of Ocean Park Blvd. toward Marine Park.

Unfortunately, I don’t remember what position I played that day, or whether I started or not (I think I did start).

But I do remember how I did with the bat…

It was apparent that I was in the zone, as I got hits in all three of my at-bats, including a double.

Which was the only time, besides that home run I hit on the A’s two years before, that I ever got an extra base hit in an official organized baseball game.

More significantly, it was the only time that I ever got more than two hits in a game.

And even more significantly, it happened on my birthday, which I think made it special as for some reason,

In subsequent years playing pick-up softball, I have tended to have good games when playing on June 18th as I remember getting bunches of hits and extra base knocks on the day that I get cake with candles on it and have “Happy Birthday” being sung to me.

Which incidentally was what the other players were singing on that day in 1983 every time I got on base, my reputation as a sub-par player being entrenched to the point where I’m sure my three-for-three day was seen by many as luck.

I was able to play on the Pirates one more year after that, but being that my major league prospects was the same as 99.999% of the aspiring ballplayers out there,

And even more, considering my throwing ability or lack thereof,

Deep down in the back of my mind, I knew that Colt League would be the end of the line as far as my playing baseball; like those 99.999% of guys whose dream was to play for the Dodgers, or the Angels, or whatever team in “The Show”,  I switched to pick-up softball in the spring of my senior year and never looked back.

To sum up…

That 3-for-3 day was a pleasant memory, one of the few pleasant memories of my high school-age days.

And it happened on the day I turned sixteen, which served to enhance that memory.

Being that I will add another year to my fifty-something years on Earth this Thursday,

I think that this sports memory was a good one to share.

The softball field at Marine Park in Santa Monica, CA, where I had my best day in baseball as a high school kid. Photo courtesy of apartments.com