A very touching tale about Family and Baseball.

chriscantwell:

My uncle’s dad, Lefty, died today. He was in his late 80’s.

When I think of Lefty, I will always think of baseball. When I think of baseball, I will always think of Lefty. He earned the nickname Lefty because he was a southpaw pitcher. He could’ve gone pro, but like many guys, he decided to pay attention to his family and job instead.

Lefty spent 50 years of his life getting the best season tickets I have ever seen in baseball: two seats right behind the Cubs dugout in Wrigley Field. Row 1. It took him 50 years to get those seats. The used to be owned by the Tribune, and before that, the Wrigleys.

I first got to go to a game when I was 8 years old. It changed me. I’ve been six times, and those days are have been some of the best days of my existence. I got to share those games with some very special people in my life, including Lefty himself.

When my uncle was a kid, three older kids kicked him through the gate during a game and sent him tumbling onto the field. He picked up a grounded out ball that happened to land right by him at that moment, said “thank you” to the umpire, and scurried back to his seat. The guards came and took him away, and held him in the basement under Wrigley until after the game. They made him give the ball back. Lefty watched the rest of the game before retrieving his son.

In the 80’s, Lefty showed up for batting practice, stood in Row 1, and shook hands with the fellow fans he knew really well by then. An errant ball off a bat smashed into his face, and carried him back three rows. Even though he could’ve easily been killed, it only swelled his face up to the size of a giant purple eggplant. He returned to the games after getting out of the hospital. A picture of his swollen face sat above the bar at Bernie’s across the street, next to his straw hat full of ticket stubs, which he would pick up, along with a beer, before every game.

In 2003, he and his son, my uncle, were at the NLCS game when the Cubs were five outs away from a World Series. Lefty had been waiting his whole life for that moment. When the heartbreak happened, the announcer pointed out that there were a lot of “sad Cubs fans here tonight.” The first two people they showed on national television were Lefty and my uncle, sitting in their seats. It was one of the last games Lefty was able to go to, due to his failing health.

Oh well, they got close, and that’s a lot for the Cubs.

Today, the Cubs and the city of Chicago lost someone who in my opinion was as important as Harry Caray. Lefty was a mainstay, a staple for the team, and more than just a fan. He was a great guy, one hell of a pitcher, and gave me some of the best memories of my life.

Thanks, Lefty.