April 22, 2014

23

Twenty-three

I don't know if it's normal to have a favorite number. Some people do. Some don't.


Ever since I was a t-ball player, I wanted to wear number 23. My favorite player as a kid was Kirk Gibson. He played right field in old Tiger Stadium when I was a kid. He hit the ball hard. Ran hard. Played the game with an intensity that I emulated.

Sparky Anderson deemed him the next Mickey Mantle as a youngster in the Tigers organization and it took him some time to overcome that hype. But he was quick. And strong. And always fun to watch. I remember him seeming to care about winning and not much else. He has two of the biggest at bats that I've witnessed in my lifetime. They're so big I don't even have to mention them.



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