Texas Baseball
The Texas Story Project.
I step on the baseball field and feel right at home. The hot muggy air, the smooth dirt and grass, and the super intense dads just makes me feel right at home. When I get on the field, I transform. I transform into a more serious, excited and tense person. I get on the field and feel the Texas heat and hear the umpire call, "Play ball!"
Because baseball in Texas has such a big impact on the Texas community, people from all around the state come to see their teams play. The Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers are the two teams in Texas that everyone loves.
Because of my Dad, baseball has also had an impact on me. I remember when I was little, once a week my dad and I went to the front yard and played catch. I was always so happy because it gave me something to do rather than sit around and watch television all day. I cherished these memories because in the future it would help me get better at the sport I loved.
When I was little, I played little league, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. One year I was the worst on my team. I struck out every at bat, and I dropped four fly balls. It was not a good year. The next year I was way better, I hit two home runs, barely ever struck out, made easy plays in the outfield for once, and I made the All-Star team. Little league is a very big part of Texas because kids from all over the state love to play the game of baseball. I grew up in Houston so there was plenty of baseball.
Because baseball is such a big deal in Texas many people in the state pursue their dreams to become pro baseball players. I remember seeing quite a few players from Texas making it to the big leagues. Let me take Nolan Ryan for example. He started out in the dead center of Texas. The town's name was Refugio and its population was a couple thousand. Well, he's in the hall of fame and owns a beef company right in his hometown, still staying true to the Texas name.
After Hurricane Harvey, the Astros did so much to help get our city of Houston back up on its feet. They have held fundraisers, done community service, and the biggest one of all — won the World Series. If you saw the interviews after they won the World Series, every single person said that they did it for Houston. That just shows how much they care about their families and their city. What brought the community closer together was seeing their team show so much support to all the victims of the flood. Instead of thinking about themselves they thought about others. That's what brought Texas closer to baseball.
While the Astros were making it to the playoffs, Houston was trying to wrap its head around everything that happened. Though I personally did not flood, unfortunately, some of my friends were not as lucky as I was. After the rain stopped, my family and tons of others went right to work aiding those in need and getting families back on their feet. Although Harvey was devastating to all of us it brought the Houston community closer together than ever before.
Although baseball is something all Texans can relate to, it brings us together as a community during tough times. That's the true meaning of any sport, is to bring the community together. I just hope that the future generations can keep Texas baseball alive.
Ethan Vinson attends St. Catherine's Montessori in Houston. He loves the sport of baseball and is an only child.
Posted December 21, 2017
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