Photo Credit: © Mrsash174 | Dreamstime.com
I slid open the glass slider leading to the parking lot of my Castle Rock, Colo., apartment complex. My wife was right beside me—baseball cleats clacking on the cement sidewalk. We crossed the lot, walked between two apartment buildings and through the chain-link fence to the small baseball field adjacent the playground of the neighboring elementary school.
The year was 1995 and like a lot of other teams dealing with the Major League Baseball player strike, the Colorado Rockies were holding open tryouts. My wife and I were going to try out—for fun.
To get ready, we hit and fielded balls for an hour after work each day. Then, we took a hike through the hill and canyons next to the field before heading back home for dinner.