2013 Season in Review: Part 6 The Big Swing

I don’t think many folks would think getting hit in the head, breaking a expensive 500 mm lens, and stopping a game a season highlight, but the way the Frederick Keys medics, fans, and team officials responded to aid me that day stands out in my mind as very special.At Camp Day at Frederick MD on July 18th, I was sitting behind the Salem Red Sox dugout on the 3B side, focusing on Keys RHB, Allan De San Miquel, when he swung ferociously, the bat slipped out of his hands, and unbeknowst to me, headed in my direction.I found out where the bat went, when it hit the end of my lens, richocheted down my chin, neck, onto my chest, buckling me over in distress.The game was stopped, the medics came to my aid immediately, They stuck to my side until I was able to tell them what day it was, who I was, talk intelligently and convince them I was all right.When the relief left my side, Salem players and coaches outside the dugout looking up at me, the Frederick players looking over from the other side of the field, and the fans in the stands gave a roar of applause happy that me, the Old Photographer, was all right.Several nice ladies, probably the mothers or camp leaders of the large number of children in attendance, came over to me during the game offered their good feelings, aspirin, and water, all of which made me feel very good about the Frederick folks.Later in the press box, Keys media relations manager, Adam Pohl, counted all of my teeth and made sure I was all right.And to prove that out of everything that is bad, comes some good, I had to buy a new, faster 500 mm lens, and 60D camera body, which improved my photography, increased the interest editors had in my baseball photos, and the number they published.