Tim Ellsworth

10 Responses to “Dear Daniel: Copycatting the right person”

1. Bob M. says:
   April 27th, 2006 at 9:01 am
   

   As much as I enjoy your blog, Tim, I think that your letters to your son represent some of your best writing. The past few days on your blog have seen some, may I say, “spirited” conversations about many topics. Just when we all need some perspective, along comes the latest “Dear Daniel” letter.

2. Tim says:
   April 27th, 2006 at 9:10 am
   

   Thanks, Bob. I enjoy writing my “Dear Daniel” letters more than anything else I write.

3. Cameron Cloud says:
   April 27th, 2006 at 9:41 am
   

   Amen to Bob’s comment! With two sons who “copy” me, this article was especially meaningful. Thanks, Tim.

4. Gordon Cloud says:
   April 27th, 2006 at 11:54 am
   

   Great article, Tim. This reminds me of that song that says, “Lord I want to be just like you, ’cause he wants to be like me.”

5. Scott Gladin says:
   April 27th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
   

   Good column Tim. I think all of our first professional games and ones that follow stick in our minds. There is a special difference between seeing the hometown Minor League team and sitting in the big Major League ballpark.
   I remember my first professional game. In the summer of 1994, at four years old, my 19 year old Aunt and her boyfriend took me to a Savannah Cardinals game at the historic Grayson Stadium. To be honest, I have no idea what the outcome of the game was - all I remember is that it forever instilled a love of baseball in my heart.
   It didn’t matter that I was just becoming a fan of baseball and the Braves were my team - all others were hated. I still rooted for the Savannah Cardinals. The next season, the Cardinals packed up and the Dodgers rolled into town changing the name to the Savannah Sand Gnats, the class A affiliate. Even though they were in essence the Dodgers, I still went to some of the games ove the next few years, watching and meeting Eric Gagne, cheering the Gnats on - unless the Braves were in town, of course.
   Later, I would watch as the team went to the Rangers A farm team, then change hands once more to the Expos, who are now the Nationals. I have seen and met many now-Major League players and coaches, including being in attendance for Jeff Francoeur’s first professional game.
   It is humorous, however that I have hung around old Grayson Stadium through the years. I would always sit in the grandstands, wondering if I would ever be able to play on that field, be a part of that history. The original park, Municipal Stadium, was built in 1926 and was used until a hurricane destroyed the grandstand in 1940. After rebuilding the grandstand, the only original parts of the old park were the field itself and concrete bleacher seating in left field.
   I finally got that opportunity to play in Grayson Stadium in November of 2004 when I coached for a yearly baseball clinic my church puts on. The coaches had the opportunity to take batting practice before it began. It was such a surreal feeeling to step into the same right handed batter’s box that players such as Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Curt Flood, and Dale Murphy; and stand opposite the batter’s box where men like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Yogi Berra stepped up to the plate.
   Finally, after a few grounders, my dream came true when using an old Louisville Slugger used in games by Wade Rowdon (who was actually the one throwing to me), a backup third baseman for the Reds, Cubs, and Orioles, I connected for a line drive home run that landed about 330 feet away from home plate in the left field bleachers - hitting a bench close to where Mickey Mantle homered in the 8th inning of a 1957 exhibition game between the Savannah Redlegs and the New York Yankees.
   I do apologize for the length of this comment, I tend to never shut up when I’m talking about the greatest game. The point of this story, Tim, is who knows who Daniel will be able to copy cat one day. When you take him to the Diamond Jaxx games, he may be sitting there, dreaming of playing on that field (much to your dismay, them being the Cubbies and all). I hope that if that is his dream, he be able to not just take batting practice on that field but be able to take the field of his first professional game of his love - Baseball.

6. Scott Gladin says:
   April 27th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
   

   Wow, I just realized how long that really was - sorry!

7. Bob M. says:
   April 28th, 2006 at 4:35 am
   

   It may have been long, Scott, but well worth reading.
   Thanks for sharing.

8. Tony Foeller says:
   April 28th, 2006 at 5:43 am
   

   Scott….you were born in 1990?

   My oldest son was born in 1990!

   That makes me old enough to be your blog buddy.

9. Chuck says:
   May 17th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
   

   Great article Tim! It just reminded me how we will fail our children and no matter how much we it bothers us it should be expected, because we are not Jesus. Tyler and Dillan do everything I do from cheering for the same teams to spitting on the ground at the ballfield. I absolutely love it, but your letter to Daniel has prompted me to talk to them about copying Jesus in the big scheme of life. Thanks Tim. By the way Dillan accepted the Lord as his Savior two weeks ago - one down and two to go.

10. Tim says:
    May 18th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
    

    Thanks, Chuck. That’s great news about Dillan.