You can’t play the game without a glove

Christmas is a day past now and I’m wondering how many future Bulldawg baseball stars opened a big square box and found a spanking new Rawlings (my brand), or a Wilson, or a Nocona, or a Spalding (a Rawlings subsidiary), or whichever, mitt, wrapped in tissue paper, with a tube of leather dressing included?
When I graduated from Little League to PONY League in 1960, I finally convinced my Dad a new glove was necessary with the step up, so, as the holidays approached, he said “Which one?”  My answer was a lot quicker than my speed down the first base line.
“It’s GOT to be a Spalding Whitey Ford ‘Trapeze’ Model 1105. They sell them at Garrigan’s (a Galveston sporting goods store),” I said. 
Of course, Dad, who caught for the Wilburton OK semipro team in the 1920’s, wanted to know why I, an outfielder, wanted a pitcher’s glove.  The answer was easy.
“Because that’s the mitt Roger Maris uses,” said I, the No. 1 fan of that legendary New York Yankee right fielder and 1961 home run king.
Yes, Santa and Dad came through.  Did it make me a better player? No, but whenever I trotted out to right field at PONY-Colt Stadium, I felt Roger was with me.
Meanwhile, there’s a group of ballplayers in Copperas Cove I’ll enjoy watching just as much.
The Copperas Cove Bulldawgs are preparing to open training camp at the end of January, then they’ll begin the 2017 season at the Bulldawg Varsity Tournament on Feb. 22 with Gatesville, Lampasas, Luling, Academy, Tyler Bishop Gorman and China Spring all in town.  I’m ready now.
Take me out to the ball game!