Most of you know I am a huge Red Sox fan. Tonight before the game started, there was a little clip/story about Paul Byrd. Paul is a pitcher who has played for a bunch of different teams (including the Red Sox) over a 13+ year career in the major leagues. He ended the 2008 season with the Red Sox, but he was not re-signed and became a free agent at the end of the year. Long story short, no other team really wanted him, so he ended up taking some time off. He hasn't played at all during the 2009 season, until a couple of weeks ago, when the the Red Sox re-signed him in early August.
He pitched his first major league game of the 2009 season last week, winning a 7-0 game against the Blue Jays. He pitched a great game, going six innings and only giving up three hits. That's pretty impressive, considering he hadn't faced major league hitters in almost a year!
After the game, Byrd was interviewed by the media. Naturally, everyone was buzzing about his return to baseball. I saw clips of the interview before tonight's game, but after seeing a little bit, I went on the NESN website because I really wanted to see more.
What I loved about the interview was the sincere enthusiasm and passion for the game that Byrd showed. He seemed very humbled by the opportunity to return to baseball, and spent most of the time thanking others for his second chance. The best part of the interview was when Byrd explained how he prepared for his return to the major leagues--by throwing batting practice to his sons' 13-and-under baseball team. He thanked the team for helping him stay active and even wore the team's hat in the interview. I am not really doing the interview justice, so if you want to see it for yourself, check it out here:
http://www.nesn.com/2009/08/paul-byrd-makes-most-of-return-to-red-sox.html
Watching the interview was pretty inspiring for a couple of different reasons. First of all, as a baseball fan, it's pretty cool to watch a 38-year old pitcher make a comeback like that (38 is considered pretty elderly in baseball years). Second of all, as an athlete, I really appreciate watching someone who has such passion for the game. Watching Byrd talk about his return to the mound gave me goosebumps, because I know how much I love stepping on the field and playing the game I love. I can't imagine what it will feel like when I can't play anymore...I'm sure it will be incredibly heartbreaking, so I can only imagine what Byrd felt like last season when he wasn't picked up by any teams. Getting another shot at playing must have been such a thrill for him.
I didn't know too much about Paul Byrd before tonight, but I really liked him after watching the interview. It really touched me and left me with a few thoughts...
1. Appreciate every day! You never know if or when you will get another opportunity to do what you love.
2. You typically don't accomplish big things all by yourself, so always remember to acknowledge and thank the people who help you along the way.
3. Don't accept no for an answer. If you love something enough, anything is possible with a little hard work and determination.
4. Take good care of your glove...you never know when you'll need it again! :)
PS--The Red Sox are winning 3-2 as I write this...Paul Byrd started the game and pitched five full innings. He is done for the night but can get the win if the bullpen holds on to it for him. Awesome!
QUESTIONS FOR YOU: Sports are a huge passion for me. What is your passion? Is there something in your life (sport, hobby, craft, etc) that really makes you feel your best? Tell us about it!
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