The Writer's Pen

A triple play in baseball or softball is a very rare occurrence. Though I don’t have the statistics to prove it, I believe it is more likely for a punt to be returned 90 yards for a touchdown in a football game, or for a 75-foot shot to go through the net in a basketball game. None of these things happen very often, so when they do, I remember them for a long time.

I like to think of my children as a triple play since there are three of them. Justin is our oldest child, and only son. Our middle child is Melanie and our youngest is Hillary. My wife, Rita, told me that if we were going to have more than three children, it would be my turn to experience the joy of childbirth. Three sounded like a good number to me.

As a young father, I tried to spend as much time as I could with my wife and kids. At times, however, earning a living got in the way. When Justin was 2 years old, I was working long hours on a construction crew. One evening Rita brought Justin to a house where another worker and I were hanging drywall. She needed to get groceries, and Justin needed to see his dad. She was gone about an hour, but it seemed longer. Construction sites are not child-proof and young boys have short attention spans. I learned it was harder work to watch a 2-year-old than it was to hang drywall!

As a little girl, Melanie was always helping me with projects around the house and garage. She liked to work in the garden and would go fishing with me whenever she could. Once, I backed the car into the garage to unload some things from one vehicle to the other. I heard the engine start when I was between the two cars. The car lunged backward, and I barely jumped out of the way in time! Melanie had started the car, put it in reverse, shut the car off and set the emergency brake all in a matter of seconds. I didn’t know whether to be mad at her for starting the car, or be thankful that she was cool under pressure.

Our youngest daughter, Hillary, was our most sociable child. She would follow her siblings around trying to do everything they did. When they would grow tired of her being around, she would go find someone else to play with. She liked fishing, playing sports, doing crafts and reading – not necessarily in that order. She was a picky eater and would often put food in her pockets to dispose of outdoors, something we didn’t find out until years later. But, I have to admit that I don’t like Brussel sprouts and beets either.

When our kids were old enough, they all signed up for Little League. I enjoyed watching the kids develop their skills over the years. Rita coached softball for one season and promptly decided she would rather be a fan. I coached softball teams for eight seasons, and baseball for one season. We all had fun, even though I never witnessed a triple play in any of those games.

The kids’ grandparents, Merle and Jeannette Noble, attended several of their games. They usually bought treats for the kids afterwards. The last time they were able to attend was a tournament game for Hillary’s team. She was pitching, and being a hard-throwing pitcher, didn’t always have the best control. In the bottom of the seventh, she was replaced and sent to center field, a position she had never played. A ball was hit to her, and when she ran to catch it, she realized it was over her head. She spun around, caught the ball, and threw it to second base to complete a double play! Time for that treat from Grandpa!

Melanie also had a game-winning catch in a tournament game. She played pitcher as well, but had been playing outfield until the bottom of the seventh. They needed two outs to win the game. Her first pitch was hit to the outfield and caught. Her second pitch was a line-drive hit right back to her. Melanie put both hands in front of her face, the ball hit her glove and she held on. Game over! Did I mention she was cool under pressure?

Justin, not to be outdone, also had a game-winning catch in a tournament game. He normally played left field, but was moved to third base because of a couple of team injuries. They were hanging on to a lead in the bottom of the seventh, but their opponent had the bases loaded. Their best hitter stepped up and hit a high ball to the left side. Justin raised his glove, backed up several steps, and caught the ball right in front of the left fielder. He calmly tossed the ball to the pitcher and headed to the dugout with a large grin on his face.

Recently I have become the grandpa that buys treats for the kids after their games. The grandkids don’t live close, but Grandma and I attend as many games as we can. Win or lose, the memories are worth the trip, and the cost of the treats.

Roger Brockshus is retired and lives in Spirit Lake. Besides writing, he keeps himself busy with a small lawn business and also volunteers in his church and community. Roger and his wife, Rita, enjoy spending whatever time they can with their children and grandchildren.