The Healing Power of a Game

I was sitting in Citizens Bank Park on Friday night, and when my phone rang from my sister, I knew it was bad news. She was calling me to let me know that my uncle had passed on a few minutes earlier. It was the sixth inning of the game, and perhaps I would have been better off not knowing yet, and perhaps I would have been mad if no one told me. Either way, the game after that was an absolute blur. I remember it, but I wasn't really present after that. I was off in another world. I wasn't distraught and crying, or even talkative and deflecting, I was just sitting there. I was watching a baseball game, but my mind was in a million other places.

I love the Phillies, games in that park, and the players who have given me many great memories there. Particularly, Ryan Howard is one of my favorites ever. Yes, a lot of fans have slammed "the Big Piece" as being over-paid, declining, and any other insult they throw at him. Some criticisms are true, but that doesn't change my opinion of a player who I've watched win home run titles, MVP's, and even a World Series on my favorite team. I will forever be a fan of one of the best players we've had man first base in Philadelphia.

Of all the great Ryan Howard moments for me though, Friday night was one of the best. On a night where my mind was a million other places, Howard sent an 11th inning missile into the right-field bleachers to walk off a victory over the Cleveland Indians. On a night where I needed something positive, one of my favorite players delivered just that for me.

This is, in the simplest form, what makes sports great. Even on a down day, they offer an escape that a fan can drown themselves in, to forget about their problems for a minute. On Friday night, Ryan Howard and the Phillies did just that for me. The best thing I can say back is, thanks.