Baseball and Veterans Day!

The Gods of baseball rekindled my love for baseball. I got a bit soured a few months ago when a weak commissioner couldn’t stand up to the wokes. He should have told the wokes to go to an “expletive deleted” place or he’d have Bob Feller threw a fastball at their neck. Trust me. A Bob Feller inside pitch is probably scarier than to hear that there is a drone with a missile looking for you.

In the end, the Gods of Baseball put the commissioner in his place and we can enjoy the game we love. As a kid, I grew up playing baseball in Cuba. My love affair got stronger when we came here and go to play ball in the US. A few weeks ago, we all became Braves fans just to see Atlanta get the trophy and stick it in the eyes of the wokish commissioner.

Baseball is back and so is its rich history to recall on this day that we remember the men and women who wore the uniform of the US.

Bob Feller, the Hall of Fame pitcher, died in 2010. He was one of many professional athletes who served in World War II. We remember Feller, what he accomplished on the field, and his sense of patriotism:

Just days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Feller put aside his 3-C draft deferment status and enlisted in the US Navy. With this selfless act, he gave up nearly four seasons of baseball in the prime of his career. But Feller had no regrets.

“I’m proud of that decision to enlist,” Feller said. “It was important to serve your country. I didn’t worry about losing my baseball career. We needed to win the war. I wanted to do my part.”

At the conclusion of the war, Feller returned to the game and picked up right where he left off, averaging more than 19 wins a season over the next six years. Bobby Doerr recalled: “Bob was just a regular, solid person. He was the same guy, all the time. He gave his opinions and he said what he thought. He didn’t hedge around anything. He was one of the top pitchers I saw in my time. He was timed at 100 miles per hour and he had a real good curve ball. You had to always be alert with him. He was a real competitor.”

At the time of his passing on Dec. 15, 2010, Feller had been a Hall of Famer for more years than anyone in history – having earned election in 1962.

Dennis Eckersley summed it up best when he said: “Bob was truly a great American and a great ambassador for the game of baseball.”

Like so many of you, I say “thanks” to all of the veterans on Veterans Day. It is the day that we salute the millions of fellow citizens who serve or served in the US Armed Forces.

It is a day to salute and say thanks. It is also a good day to remember who has fought and continues to fight, to defend our way of life.

Happy Veterans Day!