July 3rd, 1996

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I'll never forget the moment.

We were playing a softball game at Renaldo Park.

The Lions versus Fox's Den.

It was a huge game as we were 1-2 in the standings, and we honestly didn't care for each other. The games were always hotly contested.

It kinda' wasn't that night.

Renaldo hit a couple of long home runs, and we were up big. I had also had a few hits...my patented single over the second baseman's head.

When I arrived at the plate in the 4th inning, I noticed that the centerfielder had moved in to try and take that single away.

I never hit a ball further.

It went straight over the centerfielder's head and I blazed my way around the bases. When I reached second, I caught a glimpse of the centerfielder and he was still trying to get the ball.

"I hit a homer!" I thought to myself.

As I passed the shortstop, I felt a pain in my left lower leg. I looked to the shortstop. I thought he had kicked me. He was a long ways away.

"What did you throw?" I asked, as I started hobbling.

"What?" He asked.

I tried to take another step, and it wasn't there. Something was seriously wrong!

I fell into third and my coach was waiting for me.

"Stay on the bag!" He said.

I was near tears.

"I tore a tendon!" I was rolling around.

Thankfully, it was a school teacher who'd been trained in first-aid.

"It's just strained," J.C. said. "It's intact."

Long story short, they rolled me to the bench, put me on ice, and gave me beer.

When the game ended, I tried to stand.

No go.

Somehow I made it to my parent's home.

"Dad, I'm hurt," I said. "I need to go to the hospital."

"Bah! The Yankees are on. Get Kathy to take you."

He didn't take me!

I had torn the tendon. It was separated at the top and bottom. I had surgery on the 4th of July and didn't put that foot on the floor again until October.

I bring all of this up because I saw the scar yesterday and immediately thought about July 3rd.

I hate that day!

Didn't even get a homer out of it...

...and my team voted Renaldo as the Polly-O String Cheese player of the game.

Bastards!

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