Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Milestones and Memories

Today is Sid Bream's 50th birthday. The reason I know this is because I just saw it in an article from our local newspaper. If you're not from Atlanta or have never cheered for the Atlanta Braves, then you'll wonder who this man is. If you know, the same two words unite us all as we remember his importance to Braves history - "The Slide".

And this brings me to another reason why I love baseball and sports in general, I suppose. Every once in a while, things come together in such a way that a family, a community, a city, and sometimes a region are joined together by a common thread and for a little while we forget how hard life really is.

That happened to Atlanta in 1991 when the Atlanta Braves went from worst to first in their division. They won again in 1992 and 1993...and well, for 14 consecutive years. But in the early years, it was sometimes not decided until the last game or the last out or with a fateful slide home.

And Sid Bream, in the twilight of his career and slowed by bad knees, catapulted to fame in Atlanta with a breathtaking slide home to send the Braves to the World Series in 1992.

For those who'd like a trip down memory lane, here's a link to what might be one of Skip Caray's most famous calls ever made as a broadcaster.

I have a friend whose daughter has three children in various stages of life and they recently enjoyed a Rome Braves baseball game together as a family.  When I saw the pictures she had posted on her blog about their trip, I just had to borrow them to further illustrate my point.  Sometimes it's fishing or hunting or building something together that joins the hearts of the young to their daddies.  But sometimes it's sports and I'll close with these shots of memories being made and traditions begun through the wonder of baseball.



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