By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
It was as pretty a March day as you'll ever want to see. The sun was warming and a stiff breeze blowing in from across the valley did nothing cool the shirt sleeve weather.
The field was well manicured and painted with the only imperfections the dead leaves that were blowing in from the tall timbers beyond the outfield fence. Teams dressed in red and blue took turns holding infield practice leading up to the game. It was Opening Day and all was right in the world. At least for the 200 or so people in attendance.
Baseball is at times a slow game and that's a good thing because it give you a chance to talk, watch, grab some peanuts and Cracker Jacks (there were no peanuts or Cracker Jacks for sale at the park, unfortunately) or just think and maybe reflect on the history of America's Pastime.
Reflecting is what I did.
While the players were tossing the ball about and making with the typical baseball chatter -- "atta baby" ... :good eye" ... etc. etc. -- one couldn't help but to think about opening days of year gone past: Jackie Robinson's first opener; Babe Ruth coming to the mend of baseball after the Black Sox scandal of 1919; soldiers, maybe of the 7th Cavalry in 1876 mere months before the Battle of the Little Big Horn: maybe even President Abraham Lincoln looking on in 1864 as a game resembling rounders took place. Baseball has been around that long and is as much a part of the fabric of America as anything.
But this was March 25, 2015, and this was Calhoun County's Opening Day against old nemesis Gilmer County.
Things did not start well for the red-clad home team as Gilmer County scored four times in the first despite the inspired pitching of Red Devil freshman Caden Hicks, who started the game out by fanning the first Titan he faced.
But Calhoun was not deterred as Sam Brady became the Red Devils' first base runner of the year as he worked the pitcher for a walk and Michael Fulks got the team's first hit of the year with a ringing single. Both would have outstanding plays later on as Fulks made a heckuva catch in the outfield and Brady turned an unassisted double play. But their first inning heroics went for naught as Calhoun failed to score.
Calhoun got on the board in the fourth when Justin "Jazz" Holcomb smashed a hit that scored Cole Ritchie. Lucas Wilson, who had an exciting catch in left field, also scored and at 4-2 in appeared as if it was "game on".
But that was the high water mark for the home team as Gilmer, annually a Class A power, pulled away at the end for the 14-2 win.
Today the Red Devils are host to Clay County in a game every bit as important as Opening Day ... a win and Calhoun is .500. It's just as important.
But it is not Opening Day. In the 150 or so years there has been baseball in America there only have been 150 or so Opening Days. The rest of the games are to enjoy. The Opening Days are to treasure.
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