Baseball & Football

From age six, I loved playing baseball. The problem is, now I am far too old. As for football, I use it for napping. Fifteen minutes, and I’m out like a light. I suppose I could record games for the summer, but so far, it just takes a bit longer for me to fall asleep.

My passion for ping pong remains strong, though opportunities to play have become increasingly rare. The sport demands a controlled environment, as even a slight wind can disrupt the delicate balance of the game. While I’m confident in my initial skills and believe I could hold my own against casual players, my age suggests that sustained, intense play might challenge my endurance. I’m eager to find a suitable venue and a worthy opponent to reignite my love for table tennis.

Baseball

I was actually pretty good at it. At 12 I was scaring 6 ft so I had an advantage at first base. I guess my biggest problem was speed. It is an adage. A coach can teach catching, hitting and throwing. Just can’t teach speed.

At any rate, it all got interrupted with a broken wrist a few weeks into the season. Bummer.

I did watch Dodgers, later Angels and Lakers. Big fan of Drysdale, Koufax, Steve Garvey and Maury Wills. I guess cause he had the speed I lacked. For basketball, I was a big fan of Jerry West. I suspect many others liked to watch him too.

I did like playing basketball too. I was excellent on defense. Not so much at shooting. I think they kept moving the basket. What else would explain it. All my basketball playing was pickup, hours at a time. Kept me in good shape.

Never had much interest in football. Not only was I skinny, but I never could get used to the strange shape.

As an aside, I got good at ping pong while in the Marines. I had a lot of practice and I could put a lot of spin on the ball. Strange, not all that many that interested in ping pong after I left the Marines.

Bloganuary writing prompt
What are your favorite sports to watch and play?