of
Glen Burnie, MarylandHilltop Elementary School is in the of
Glen Burnie, Maryland
WHY I BECAME
A BASEBALL WRITER
by Ms. Hughes
(pictured here with Elrod Hendricks)
I fell in love with Orioles baseball listening to Chuck Thompson's play by play on my transistor radio. One night, I was listening to a game long after lights out at the Hughes house, when my favorite player, Boog Powell, hit a home run. I must have let out a cheer, because not long after Boog's blast cleared the fence, I suddenly lost all sound from the ballgame. As soon as I opened my eyes, I found out why. My father was now standing beside my top bunk with the small, white earplug from my transistor radio dangling from his hand. He wanted to know what I was doing listening to rock and roll so late at night.
After I explained to Dad that the Orioles had been losing when it was time for bed, but that Boog had just now tied up the game -- and we might even win -- my father shook his head. He was smiling, but I could tell he didn't want me waking up my sisters, Jody and Jenny. He suggested that I get some sleep and told me we'd talk about this later.
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To tell you the truth, I thought my dad had forgotten all about it. But then one day Dad introduced me to a friend of his who owned a bus company that ran chartered bus trips to Memorial Stadium. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! Because whenever Miss Edith, one of the secretaries from Dad's law office, went on the trips, I was going to be allowed to tag along with the groups that rented buses to go to the ballpark!
It was at this point in my young life, that I entered my religious period. I went to the ballpark with all sorts of church groups.
It didn't matter to me if the other people on the bus were Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists or any other denomination -- I was going to see the Baltimore Orioles play baseball!
As you can see,
getting to see Boog Powell hit a home run
at Memorial Stadium was a real thrill for me.
Years later, when I showed Boog this photograph,
I told him it was a picture of one of his home runs.
He got a big kick out of that!
I have to admit, I don't usually get nervous interviewing ballplayers.
That is my job.
I have talked with Kirby Puckett, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and of course, many, many Orioles like Cal Ripken, Jr., and I haven't been the least bit nervous.
But, whenever I talk to Boog Powell, I get nervous.
It's kind of funny.
I guess it is because Boog was my hero when I was growing up.
If you look closely, you can see Boog's autograph scrawled in blue ink across the picture.
I learned a lot going on those ballgame bus trips. Even though I didn't really know anyone besides Miss Edith, I felt completely at ease. I was surrounded my baseball fans. We all spoke the language of baseball. I never felt alone, or lonely. (Of course, I did usually fall asleep on the bus ride home, in my reserved seat right behind the bus driver.)
These days, the Orioles play at beautiful Camden Yards. But when I ride to the new ballpark on the Light Rail, things aren't really that different than they were on those bus trips of 30 years ago. I still love talking baseball with the other fans and stadium workers enroute to the ballpark. And once I get there, being able to work with wonderful people like Orioles coach Elrod Hendricks just ices the cake!
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Our webpage visitors may contact our Computer Lab Tech, Ms. Hughes, at: hilltopel@hotmail.com
LAST UPDATED 1/05
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