Evening, gang.
And welcome to Day 9.
Not sure how many baseball fans are out there among our throng, but for those who live and die with their respective teams, somehow baseball fandom is different than all other sports.
Maybe it’s the number of games (for those not well versed, a Major League Baseball [MLB] season features a 162-game scheudule for all 30 teams), or that ever-expanding TV coverage allows you to watch all of your team’s games, or even the simple fact that the players don’t wear helmets – at least not those that cover their faces. (Except for catchers, of course. (-:)
Given that, maybe it makes us feel like we know each player, almost like we identify with them and somehow know what they’re like – even who they are.
For my fellow New York Mets diehards, we had to say “goodbye” to one of the great ones just last month. We’ve made similar comparisons during our time together, but this guy was – and is – something of the anti-Leo Durocher.
Again, for those not familiar, Leo Durocher (1905-1991) was a baseball player, coach and manager who spent nearly 50 years in Baseball. For all his success on the field, he’s likely best known for his famous catchphrase “Nice guys finish last.” The thing is, though, he wasn’t around to see this guy.
Brandon T. Nimmo of Cheywnne, Wyoming was drafted in the first round (#13 overall) of the 2011 MLB Draft by The New York Mets.
My older daughter, Alex, and I saw his MLB debut in 2016 that included a sprawling, diving catch and two hits and a smile that won over the Citi Field faithful instantly. Not bad for a guy whose high school didn’t even have a baseball team, huh?
I try never to think that I know people when I really don’t, but somehow, as the father of daughters, this is the guy you want to show up at the door to take your little girl out on a date.
Sure, I don’t really know Brandon Nimmo. But he always made me feel like a did.
The Big Apple’s loss is the American Dream City’s gain.
Don’t lose that smile, Nims’. We’re already missing you.
Hold on to your sport’s heroes, gang. Somehow rooting for the teams you love matters more than ever.
See you tomorrow for Day 8.
JFish
@Copyright 2025 by John L. Fischer