The First Pitch

Are you baseball fan?  If so, have you ever wanted to throw out the first pitch?  There are two things I have always wished for when attending a baseball game.  The first is to have the opportunity to throw out the first pitch.  The second wish is to catch a foul ball.  Lets just say only one of these are left on my bucket list.

I have been fortunate to have thrown out the first pitch twice in my life.  The first opportunity came in Toledo, Ohio when I was asked to represent my community college and throw out the first pitch.  I was thrilled because the Toledo Mud Hens are the triple A team for my favorite MLB team, the Detroit Tigers.  After throwing out the first pitch I was even able to get the ball autographed by Brent Clevlen who caught my pitch.  Muddy, the mascot, even tracked me down for a picture. 

The second opportunity I have had to throw out the first pitch came today in El Paso, Texas.  I was honored to represent New Mexico State University by throwing out the first pitch at the El Paso Chihuahuas game. The Chihuahuas are the triple A affiliate to the San Diego Padres.  The Chihuahuas play at Southwest University Park, a stadium that has similar characteristics to Fifth-Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens. 

So, what is it like to throw out the first pitch?  The experience begins when you first learn that you will have the opportunity.   I would say in both cases I "worried" about whether or not I could throw the ball to the plate.  This might sound "normal" to those of you reading this, but for those who know me, they would be puzzled; after all I played college softball.  However, I was still worried. After all, playing college softball was a long time ago and since then I have torn my rotator cuff and throwing is a bit of a challenge.  So, naturally, you might think that I would practice. I would think that too.  But, I didn't practice.  Time and practical logistics didn't allow time for me to practice. 

So tonight as I'm walking out to the mound to throw the first pitch I begin to feel the nerves.  After a deep breath, I begin to just take in the moment.  While you might think "everyone" is watching you - in reality; very few people are watching you.  So, I stepped on the mound.  Looked to the person catching and I throw the ball.  Straight down the middle to the right and a little short.  Actually, I was pretty pleased given no practice and a bum shoulder. 

I am very happy that I have had the opportunity to throw out the first pitch.  I have always loved playing baseball and watching baseball - both minor and major league teams.  Because of this experience, whenever I attend a game in person I make sure I'm watching the person who is throwing out the first pitch.

Day 2: Lexington to Maggie Valley

Today was absolutely a perfect fall day to ride. We left Lexington at 11:00 and arrived in Maggie Valley around 5:00 pm. We stopped in London, KY for lunch. The day was sunny low of seventy. No clouds. We took I-75 south. Very little traffic. Therefor we could set our cruise and just go. The very best part of the ride was after we got through Knoxville on 640 and split off on 40 east. The stretch became more winding with mountains as we got closer to North Carolina. When we crossed into North Carolina we were surrounded by beautiful green mountains dotted with some yellowing trees. the road became more curved as we progressed. The series of curves were scuttle and made the ride absolutely amazing. As we exited 40 toward Maggie Valley the road flatted, but we were surrounded by mountains, clearly in a valley. We arrived at the Holiday Hotel, where we met a number of other riders to share the stories of our days.

Day 1: Toledo to Lexington

Today we set out on a trip to Maggie Valley, NC to meet several friends we have met on a Harley forum. September is a rare opportunity for us to get away. We are hoping to eke out every last once of riding weather we can. While I had to work until noon, we still had plenty of day light left to log 320 miles down I-75 from Toledo to Lexington, KY. Our first dilemma was the route to Maggie Valley. Because we wanted to avoid Cincinnati because of our accident in 2011, we picked a route through Columbus to Marietta. The night before it became clear that Tuesday was going to be rainy and we needed a back up plan. That plan included using a more westward route rather than crossing Ohio to the east. By this morning it was clear that the best way around the tai. Line was to head down I-75. So we either had to confront our Cincinnati memories or cut toward Indianapolis on I-70. We decided to face Cincinnati, but by going around the accident site by taking I275. The route was perfect. We made great time. We road the first 220 miles without stopping. We stopped for gas south of Dayton to ensure we had enough gas to take 175 around Cincinnati. It was clear to us that 275 had recently been rebuilt. The road was smooth and far fewer cars than heading straight through Cincinnati on 75. The day was mostly cloudy, but more sun appeared as we road on. After 5.5 hours on the road we found a great hotel south of Lexington. We completed 320 miles and we believe we have another 330 miles to Maggie Valley tomorrow. Day one in the books. Beautiful day, great ride. More to come.