The game of baseball has played a significant role in our lives for all of us here at Major League University. Whether it was playing, working, or just being a fan of the game. For many of us, baseball has meant more to us than it just being a game. It carries a more significant meaning whether it is amazing memories with your parents at the ballpark, times on the field where you had a game winning hit, or even moments where baseball was able to take you out of the craziness of life. For all of us at Major League University, baseball provides us an opportunity to impact the next generation of athletes not just on the field, but off. The chance to provide them the mental skills needed to navigate life’s challenges. As we approach opening day for Major League Baseball, we wanted to share with all of you what baseball means to each one of us individually.
Austin Byler: Baseball, America’s pastime, a game that brings different cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds and personal beliefs altogether for a common cause. This is more than a game. Baseball teaches us the ways of life by learning to handle failure, communicate in a group setting, work together with a team, and grind for something you believe in but may not achieve. It is a safe place for men and women alike to compete for something bigger than themselves, for a cause, a mission, that pulls them in the direction of their dreams. Baseball is more than America’s past time, it is a sanctuary for human beings to uniquely express themselves doing something they love to do.
Ray McIntire: Baseball has always been a way to even the playing field. I have never been the biggest, strongest, or fastest player on any of my teams, but baseball taught me that didn’t always matter. Sometimes, the effort and cohesion of a group beats talent and it can happen any day of the week. Baseball taught me to have that chip in every area of my life. There are no limits to what you can accomplish. At the same time, baseball has a way of humbling those who think too highly of themselves. One week you can be Babe Ruth and the next week you can be 0-15 with 12 lineouts. But that’s baseball, as is life. C’est la vie.
Jared Perkins: Baseball meant so much to me growing up. It was never just a game. It was memories at the ballpark with my dad and grandfather that I will never forget. Having the opportunity at a young age to work as a batboy during spring training and the Arizona Fall League also gave me a chance to be somewhere I always felt accepted. Baseball was a way for me to get away from the constant bullying in elementary and middle school. It was a community where I could go and feel like I could just be myself. I’ll always be grateful for the game of baseball. It is a game of failure, but that is what makes it so beautiful. It can often reflect many of the good and bad things that life can present us with.
Nick Viola: Baseball has always been much more than just a game to me. To me it means family. When I look back over my time in the game there are great memories of on field play but the main memories that come to mind are the people I was surrounded by. The friendships that you form while playing this game will last a lifetime. Having my family come to games to support and just talk about baseball for hours and hours is what it is all about. A beautiful game that brings people close together and can give anyone hope and purpose. It does not matter if you are the biggest, strongest, or fastest but instead it levels the playing field and opens the door for anyone. This game has taught me a lot about life and how to handle all the ups and downs. Continue to push forward and surround yourself with the people you love because that is what it is about, family.
