Sometimes getting ready for baseball takes a little more than a rake, a mower, and a few willing hands.
With our October 10 pop-up baseball clinic approaching, we had some work to do at Tippy. And when we say work, we mean old-fashioned, hoe-in-hand, back-breaking work.
Getting Tippy Ready
Drake, Wade, and Kent put in some serious work Thursday getting the field back into shape. The infield had become overgrown, and they spent most of the day working out weeds with hoes, hauling them away, and cleaning up the field.
Ironically, they did it all in dry, dusty conditions.
By the time they came home, they were exhausted and felt like they had breathed half the infield. But they were excited to spend the day on the diamond with everyone, so it was well worth it.
For 11 years, this kind of work has been part of HC Baseball.
Coach Clay spent countless hours doing the work that happens long before anyone sees a lineup card, a practice, or a game. Drake, Wade, and Kent worked alongside him through the years, and they continue putting in that same kind of time and effort today. For that, I am grateful.
We are also grateful for those who have come out over the years to help us clean and prepare the field. A baseball field is a continuous labor of love, but it is well worth it for the greatest game ever played!
What people see on the field during practices and games is only a small part of what it takes to keep HC Baseball going. So much of it happens quietly, when nobody is watching, with willing hearts coming together for the love of the game.
And Then There Was the Mower
After all that hand work, Drake used our personal lawn mower to cut the field.
Naturally, because apparently Thursday needed one more challenge, the part of the mower that actually does the mowing broke.
So Drake drove to Huntsville on Friday to borrow a mower from the Meisner family.
We are incredibly grateful to the Meisner family for generously allowing HC to use their mower, and to Abbie and Drake for making the Huntsville haul so the field could be finished.
Their kindness is also a reminder of how much it means when someone chooses to step in and help. Through the years, HC Baseball has truly been blessed with some treasures along the way — people who have given their time, resources, encouragement, or simply a helping hand when one was needed.
We couldn’t do it without them!
Somewhere Along the Way, a Rainbow
And somewhere along the return trip from Huntsville, as Drake was heading into Birmingham with the borrowed mower, he spotted something that had absolutely nothing to do with the work waiting at Tippy.
A rainbow.
Not just a little patch of color, either. A beautiful rainbow stretching across the sky above the road.
And a rainbow along the way.
There was still plenty to do. The field needed to be finished, the clinic was getting closer, and the weather forecast wasn’t exactly making promises.
But in the middle of the errands, the equipment troubles, and the preparation, there was a beautiful moment along the way.
We’re glad Drake captured it.
The Work Behind the Game
Baseball has always required more than what happens between the lines. It takes time. It takes work. It takes sacrifice. And more often than not, it takes people willing to do jobs that very few people ever see.
For HC Baseball, it has always been a labor of love.
A Heartfelt Thank You
We are incredibly grateful for Drake, Wade, and Kent and for the many hours they continue to give to HC Baseball. We are grateful for friends like the Meisner family who step in when we need a hand, and for the special people who have stepped in at different moments throughout our history.
Whether the help came years ago, comes today, or comes as we move forward, it matters — and we do not take it for granted.
To those who have helped in the past, those who help us today, and those who will help as we move forward: please know that your contribution matters. It is seen, remembered, and deeply appreciated. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for being a blessing to HC!
We don’t yet know what Saturday’s weather will bring. We’re certainly hoping for an afternoon of baseball!
But whatever the skies have in store, the work, the kindness, and even that rainbow are already part of our story.
And they’re worth remembering.
Building HERITAGE
Honor • Effort • Respect • Integrity • Trust • Accountability • Growth • Excellence
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