In April 2000, I was fortunate enough to purchase a 100 year-old, wooden baseball bat at a bargain price. When the old Spalding® bat arrived, I immediately displayed it on the wall in our family room. I never imagined the bat would generate a story. Here's what happened:
The bat's unique, old-fashioned shape and brown patina mesmerized me. I noticed there were initials - RM - carved on the bottom of the bat. I wondered who RM was. How old was he when he received the bat? Did he hit any homeruns with it? What if RM became a major league player later in life and this was his bat when he was a kid?
That last question hit me like a line drive between the eyes. I imagined that the bat once belonged to Lou Gehrig when he was a kid. I then imagined what would happen if a child had the bat today and started using it in his games.
The result of all this imagining is HITTING GLORY - A BASEBALL BAT ADVENTURE.
Hey… Suddenly, I feel the urge to obtain a vintage fishing reel or American Revolution document. Who knows -- maybe a story will come from it!
