Can't Wait to See

I want to tell you about my friend.  The name Hunter is an adaption of the last name Hunt, and has the meaning of one who hunts or seeks.  It's an appropriate name for my friend.  He hunts and seeks with passion.

He is 14 years old, and like me, loves baseball.  He more than loves baseball, it is his passion.  He talks about it with intelligence and knowledge.  He sees things before they happen on the field.  He is a Coach's kid, so he understands the game pretty well, too.  Batted cleanup on his Junior All Star team, was their number 1A pitcher.  He is a pretty good teammate in the dugout, too.

Even at his tender age, he has inspired one adult, a teacher and leader, to do something he hates to do because this young man needed to be honored.  One coach he faced in All Stars would love to have him on his team, and his team is playing for the District Championship tomorrow night.

Sounds like homage to an exceptional athlete or a future Major Leaguer?  You are only right on both accounts.

It starts with mom and dad, Nicole and Matt.  I didn't know them then, but I imagine they were excited to welcome their first child, Hunter, into ther home.  They received the news that their first born had sustained a stroke in utero.  It would be difficult to assess what damage had been done until the child arrived.  Sometimes, the damage is quite extensive.  I know.  I've seen it in my work at the hospital.

Physically, his left hand has limited mobility, and he wears a brace on his left ankle.  He can still run, it just isn't lightning fast.  God had a plan, and Nicole and Matt moved with it.  Hunter has been raised to believe he can do things, he will have to hunt for a way sometimes.

So it was with baseball.  The limited mobility of the left hand means a glove doesn't fit on it.  Hunter catches and throws with is right hand.  Like other one handed players, like Jim Abbott and Pete Gray, Hunter transfers the ball with his left arm back to his right hand.  It happens pretty quickly most of the time, and it is quite impressive to watch.  Hunter can hit, too.  Home runs aren't his style, yet, but contact is important.  After all, we're talking about the most difficult athletic feat out there: hitting a baseball.

It's enough to talk about what I've talked about so far, but he is a positive teammate, too.  Mom and dad have done a great job instilling this in him.  He is respectful, and looks adults in the eye.   I've worked with him around the Little League, and it is a wonder to watch him do zip ties one handed.  Old guys like me just can't keep up sometimes.

Two years ago, I wrote a piece about Andy Bailey, who had coached my son and made a difference in his experience (Andy: Teacher and Leader).  Andy got to coach Hunter while he was in minors, and was so impressed with him.  Andy was so impressed that he faced a deep fear: public speaking.  Andy had to make a speech to present the Tilford Award, Cleveland Little League's award for an ideal Little Leaguer.  I've never seen Andy shake so much as he steadied his voice and I've seen some pretty tight situations with Andy on the field.  He belived in Hunter so much, he put aside his own comfort to honor him.

As coaches, we always say we'd like to have that player from the other team.  We mean it, but we still love the kids on our team.  It's a sign of respect when we say it. It's for real.  To have a coach say that about Hunter is more real than ever.

Homage to an exceptional athlete?  Exceptional doesn't mean you hit home runs and are everybody's All-American.  It means you do things others of equal ability can not do.  Not many have equal ability to Hunter.  He does extraordinary things with it.

A future Major Leaguer?  The numbers say most likely not.  But major league people are hard to come by, and Hunter will definitely qualify.  Not sure what he will do or who he will inspire, but I can't wait to see what it is.

-Side note-As a golfer, I was taught by my father. I have mentioned playing at the Division I level and being a club professional.  However, these days I play once a year, with my family in an outing we call "The Dad Koehl Hole-in-Three Open."  Thirty years ago today, the Hole in three happened.  First ball out of bounds on the 210 yard par 3 second hole at Garrett Country Club, next shot in the hole.