Well, it’s been almost a month since The Bash. Verdugo is the only Team in the history of Legion (probably) to ever even have a Bash, and it was well-deserved. To see everyone again was incredible. I just want to take the time here to thank everyone for attending and making the long trips to be there. To Hack and Gabe….that is so incredible that you guys actually FLEW IN to be there. Turner actually flew in as well, and I got to see him TWICE while he was here in L.A. And let me tell you all out there…Turner is still TURNER!!!! Ahhhh!!!!
“B” Cowsill would have been there as well. He is now playing in the Band “The Cowsills” and unfortunately their first gig of the 2011 season was in Ohio on 7-9-11. Dan Bir would have been there as well….he had made plans for a trip in the Bahamas somewhere BEFORE we announced the Official Date. Kasey would have been there as well….and he ended up going over to BullOxen’s house the day after The Bash for some whiffle-ball with Hank, Thunder, and HACK. By the way, HANK is “claiming” that his Team defeated Hack and Bull….but you never know with Hank.
Lance Evans had to stay in Vegas to help his mother move in and kind of get settled in. “Tex” Martin had something come up 11th hour as well. “Tex” was packed and ready to go….
All-in-All…..I think we had a great turnout. We invited 29 guys and 22 were there. Think about that. For some guys it had been over 20 years since they had even heard from me and they dropped whatever they were doing to be there. Just incredible. And the guys who didn’t make it had actual “reasons” they could not attend. No one had any “excuses” (and there IS a difference between “reasons” and “excuses”). It was quite humbling, the whole thing.
I have been asked many times in the months leading up to The Bash and just here over the last four weeks the question “Why?”
People who have no knowledge of us and what we did have asked me so many times “Why would you put all of this time and energy into something like this?”
I just look at them and say “You’d never understand.”
And it’s true. HACK (so far) is the only one who has commented on the Bash here at The Blog and said something to the effect of “it’s hard to make people understand how great it was” playing for Verdugo. I agree.
From my perspective, no one could ever understand either.
No one would ever know the feeling I had when you guys took the field. And how it developed and where it led us to.
No one could ever understand the feeling of starting a game with you guys on the field. And someone from the other team hits a routine ground ball. And everyone knows it will be an out. And as soon as the ball is hit…..you hear our guys barking out “QUICK.” And when our infielder comes up with it cleanly and fires a perfect throw to first….you hear our guys barking “PANTHERLIKE!!!” And after the out is recorded and we’re throwing it around….you can hear our guys on the bench and in the outfield barking out “Ahhh!!!!”
THAT….my friends, is the greatest feeling in the world.
Yeah….NO ONE could ever understand that feeling except for myself.
No one could ever understand the feeling I had seeing all the bodies flying around on the field when we played defense. Guys giving it up…picking each other up. Guys battling like they had never battled before. Guys playing hurt. Guys diving. Hustling. Catchers taking a beating behind the plate blocking shit in the dirt. Silence on three….
No one could ever understand the feeling of the dogpiles we had. The come from behind victories. The games we stole. The hearts we broke. The jubilation of reaching the playoffs for the very first time when guys like Turner and Canale had been telling me all season that it WAS going to happen. They were right. No one would ever understand it. Except for myself and the rest of you.
No one could ever understand how happy I was to see each and every one of you guys again. I know I will never forget all that each of you gave to our Team. It may not have meant anything to anyone else….but it meant the world to me. It really did….
Gabe kind of summed it up at The Bash. He said….”Even though we didn’t win it all, we DID win it all.”
Yeah, Gabe….you’re right. We did.
I am the luckiest guy in the world. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: “Verdugo had the greatest players who played in the greatest games ever played.”
It’s true. No one could possibly understand. But WE do.
And at the end of the day….that’s all that really matters.
I am….without a doubt….the luckiest man to ever live on the face of this planet.
Thanks to every one of you. From the bottom of my heart. Even the guys who couldn’t make it….I know you were there with us that night.
We WILL have another one. I forgot to tell you….7-9-11 was just an “icebreaker.”
Now….I want to get back to writing about what I have always called “The Thunder Years” (the 92 and 93 seasons). Yeah buddy, 38-5 coming up. Here we go!!!!
verdugo288 