All of the incoming freshman class was required to read the novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. One of the first assignments I gave in English I was for the students to write about the things they carried to Wentworth. Many of the papers were very good. Here is one of the papers worth sharing.
-Michael Greene

It was the bottom of the ninth inning. The Greenwich All-Star team was losing 7-5 to Stamford who was their number 1 rival and runner up at the Senior Babe Ruth World Series the year before. The Senior Babe Ruth World Series game was so big and important it was televised on ESPN.

There were 2 outs and I was up to bat. I was scared and didn’t think I could hit the pitcher because he was throwing gas. Everyone on my team knew I was the guy who could put it out of the park onto the street so the pressure was on me. However, I also led the team in strike outs so the pressure was also on my coach and every teammate.

I was down in the count with 1 ball and 2 strikes with men on the corners. The next pitch was an up and in fastball and I turned on it quickly and got my hands through the zone. I creamed ball and off the bat I knew it was crushed and it was bringing them both in. The ball soared through the air like a whistling bottle rocket and the entire crowd looked in awe as I started to run to 1st base. I was able to watch it fly over the fence in left field at Cubetta stadium.

Everyone in Greenwich and their mothers remember me for that moment. Every coach across the state and every teacher and parent was proud of me. I was the man.

I went home to my house that night to tell my father what I had done. He was dying of bladder cancer, which spread, to his bones and he was suffering horrible pains and was unable to come to my game. He was lying in the hospital bed in our living room.

The Yankee game was on that night and I remember my father eating a hot dog in memory of the Scooter Phil Rizutto. It was the Scooter’s birthday and that was the theme in Yankee stadium. When he heard the story his face lit up and I have never seen him so happy in my life. Although it hurt him, he gave me a big hug and kiss.

The next day in school I was called to my guidance counselor during lunchtime. I thought I was in trouble for skipping a class and forging a cut slip the day before and I was really scared of going. When I went into her little box of an office she told me that my mother told her that my father had died about 30 minutes ago in his bed and he looked very peaceful when the whole thing happened.

I slammed the wall of the guidance counselor’s office and her degrees fell down to the floor and I rushed out crying and upset. I was followed by the head master but I didn’t give a damn and I walked through the short cut in the woods back to my house. I threw my baseball bag in my closet in the basement and have never stepped foot in another organized baseball game since.

My father was the most loving, energetic man I have ever met in my life. He taught me what was right and wrong. He told me how to do mathematics and spreadsheets and how to invest well and be successful in my life. He taught me how to take pride and care of my possessions and take nothing for granted ever. He also taught me how to kick the shit out of someone if I were ever in need and taught me street smarts and common sense.

My mother is an angel. She has had more loss and hardships in her life than anyone I know. She carries a cross everyday and lives life happily and excited every moment of every day. My mother taught me what love is. She taught me all the tricks and trades of the household and she prepared me for my big trip to college. I packed my bags and came to college with everything in the world.

The things I carried were my father’s wisdom and my mother’s love, skills and craftsmanship. I came to college already knowing how to survive on my own and I had an advantage over my buddies and peers.

Although I have had to deal with some extremely hard things that most teens and young men do not have to in their lifetime, I was able to learn to try my best and know I can overcome any challenge that awaits me. Although I am still remembered as the kid who crushed the ball when they thought all was lost to win the game, I put that behind me and started a flesh clean slate and now everyone knows me as the person who can do anything and succeed. The things I carried were priceless. Not everyone has unconditional love and wisdom and knows how to handle themselves in the most extreme of situations.

By the way, Greenwich played in the New England finals the next game and was murdered by 9 runs. None of my friends are mad at me for not playing and I think my retirement from baseball was pretty damn cool.