Circus Catch

A Boldbrush Contest Fav15 Nov 2021
The year before the great pandemic, 2019, for my birthday, I was given outfield tickets for the Astros game in Houston. The seat was row 1 in right field at the HEB ad. I had my raggedy baseball glove on - just in case - and my backpack was full of peanuts and cracker jacks.

Turned out it was an old-timers game. It was awesome to see my old favorite players playing again. There was The Chicken Man on third, Shortstop- The Wizard of Oz, Second base- The Jackie Robinson, First- The Mick. The Rocket was throwing to Yogi behind the plate. Outfielders, The Babe, Say Hey Kid, and Stan The Man.

So it was the top of the 7th, 2 outs, bases loaded and reliever The Big Unit was pitching to The Splendid Splinter at the plate. Hammerin’ Hank was on deck.

I heard the bat hit the ball and could tell that ball was outta here. The ball was hit a mile high! As I watched the high arc, it appeared to be curving towards right field - where I was sitting. It came closer and closer. I stood up. The ball was there!

Brickhouse, the announcer was saying, “There's a long drive... way back at right field... way back, back, it is a... “

I reached out to catch it and, and, and, BOOM! With a tremendous leap, Willie Mays shoved his glove almost in my face and the ball thwacked into his glove, just before it would have hit my glove. The crowd roared. Ted was out! I yelled over the noise of the crowd at Mays, “Say Hey!”

The announcer continued, “Oh my! Caught by Mays! Willie Mays just made the catch of the day.”

And the image of Willie’s glove right in front of my face stuck and I just had to paint it - and hence comes “Circus Catch.”