LandryFieldsDad
All Star
Bumped into this kid Julio just now and it reminded me of two stories from when I was younger.
So Julio came to America from Nicaragua when I was in 7th grade and we clicked.
His mother was OD protective of him. He was the only child. She used to call him "my treasure" have pictures of him surrounded by candles in the crib...hard to get him out of the house to come chill. He'd have to take me inside and have me answer a thousand
Questions.
So we get him outside. It's right around Christmas were on break from school. So we go to this little patch of grass where we play football. We had this little game we played when we were waiting for enough kids to show up to start a game. We called it Amazing Catches.
Basically amazing catches was one kid throwing a ball way off course and the receiver trying to make a running or diving catch.
So I take the ball point at Julio then point to the right. Letting him know where the ball is going.
So he is running after this ball. He was fast but I really launched this ball. He's getting closer and closer I'm like
is he really gonna catch this ball?!
He stretches out. Full extension. The ball grazed off his left hand. Almost in one motion when he realizes he's not catching the ball..he tries to shift his body weight and brace his fall with his right hand. The most awkward thing I've ever seen.
Screaming. Crying. His arm looks like a
Letter S. Broken.
Didn't have a cell phone so I'm leading this kid around the neighborhood trying to find a payphone. Finally we find one and we call his mom. Explained the situation. She curses me out and hangs up.
She shows up like ten minutes later. With a cup of milk?
Talking about drink this mijo while hysterically crying like the milk was an elixir or health potion 
So fast forward. He had a cast on and is told in no uncertain terms he's not to see me or hang out with me. He's on complete lockdown. We'd be walking out of school and he'd say bye to me like ten feet from the door step outside and start sprinting to his house.
His mom eases up and he's able to come out here and there but I still get the look of death from her.
So one summer day I go and try to free him. Luckily his uncle's were there and they were like come on let the kid go and play.
We're walking back to the patch of grass but this time we are going to play baseball.
Now this game we invented "Double Play" was one of my favorites.
You'd need four players. One guy stands at home. A runner on first. A guy with a glove on first. And a guy with a glove standing near third.
The kid at home rolls the ball to first and then he runs to first.
At that time the runner on first runs to second. Whoever is on third runs to second.
When the first baseman gets the ball he throws to second. The guy running from third tries to catch the ball step on second avoid the runner from first trying to take him out then throw to first...trying to complete the double play.
So we do a couple rounds. I'm at home now. Julio is on third or deep short. I throw a grounder to first and start running. The first baseman gets the ball whips it over to second.
Julio catches the ball just as the kid running from first goes into his slide.
Crying. Screaming. Broken collarbone.
I run over to Julio. Trying to see where it hurts and all that. Out of the corner of my eye I see the other two kids running away from us.
So. I had the pleasure of calling Julios mom again.
Didn't see him for almost 5 years after that.
Back to amazing catches though. I swear this kid Gary made the odell Beckham catch when we were twelve years old.
So Julio came to America from Nicaragua when I was in 7th grade and we clicked.
His mother was OD protective of him. He was the only child. She used to call him "my treasure" have pictures of him surrounded by candles in the crib...hard to get him out of the house to come chill. He'd have to take me inside and have me answer a thousand
Questions.
So we get him outside. It's right around Christmas were on break from school. So we go to this little patch of grass where we play football. We had this little game we played when we were waiting for enough kids to show up to start a game. We called it Amazing Catches.
Basically amazing catches was one kid throwing a ball way off course and the receiver trying to make a running or diving catch.
So I take the ball point at Julio then point to the right. Letting him know where the ball is going.
So he is running after this ball. He was fast but I really launched this ball. He's getting closer and closer I'm like
is he really gonna catch this ball?!He stretches out. Full extension. The ball grazed off his left hand. Almost in one motion when he realizes he's not catching the ball..he tries to shift his body weight and brace his fall with his right hand. The most awkward thing I've ever seen.
Screaming. Crying. His arm looks like a
Letter S. Broken.
Didn't have a cell phone so I'm leading this kid around the neighborhood trying to find a payphone. Finally we find one and we call his mom. Explained the situation. She curses me out and hangs up.
She shows up like ten minutes later. With a cup of milk?
Talking about drink this mijo while hysterically crying like the milk was an elixir or health potion So fast forward. He had a cast on and is told in no uncertain terms he's not to see me or hang out with me. He's on complete lockdown. We'd be walking out of school and he'd say bye to me like ten feet from the door step outside and start sprinting to his house.
His mom eases up and he's able to come out here and there but I still get the look of death from her.
So one summer day I go and try to free him. Luckily his uncle's were there and they were like come on let the kid go and play.
We're walking back to the patch of grass but this time we are going to play baseball.
Now this game we invented "Double Play" was one of my favorites.
You'd need four players. One guy stands at home. A runner on first. A guy with a glove on first. And a guy with a glove standing near third.
The kid at home rolls the ball to first and then he runs to first.
At that time the runner on first runs to second. Whoever is on third runs to second.
When the first baseman gets the ball he throws to second. The guy running from third tries to catch the ball step on second avoid the runner from first trying to take him out then throw to first...trying to complete the double play.
So we do a couple rounds. I'm at home now. Julio is on third or deep short. I throw a grounder to first and start running. The first baseman gets the ball whips it over to second.
Julio catches the ball just as the kid running from first goes into his slide.
Crying. Screaming. Broken collarbone.
I run over to Julio. Trying to see where it hurts and all that. Out of the corner of my eye I see the other two kids running away from us.
So. I had the pleasure of calling Julios mom again.
Didn't see him for almost 5 years after that.
Back to amazing catches though. I swear this kid Gary made the odell Beckham catch when we were twelve years old.
