I bought tickets to Sunday’s North Shore Spirit game yesterday. I’ve been to a couple of the Spirit’s games and they’re always fun to watch. It’s a different sport, almost, when you’re watching guys play who know they’ll probably never come close to the big leagues. They play because they want to play. Because they love the game. Not because they make the big bucks.
The team playing the Spirit on Sunday is the Nashua Pride. Best-known, right now, because Rich "El Guapo" Garces plays for them. But when I looked at the roster, yesterday, I found another interesting name: Tim Bausher.
In 2005, I took my first trip to Ft Myers for Spring Training. Tim was with the Sox and was on the field the first time I arrived. We went down to the dugout level to see the players and take some pictures and, almost by accident, I took this picture of Tim:
This was taken while he was signing, what seemed to be, a hundred autographs for all the kids hanging around at the dugout.
His
Wikipedia page hasn’t been updated and information about him is stingy, but he’s out there. Playing ball in the
CanAm League for the Nashua Pride. Along side El Guapo and under the managing of Butch Hobson. Bausher is 28 years old and the Pride is probably his best chance of staying in the game. For not much except being able to play.
Ironically, another pitcher on the Pride is Jim Mann. Also in 2005, I took a shine to Mann when I saw him playing in Portland. When I first saw him, I thought he was a coach. The Pride’s website has him at 22 years old, but he’s really 33. I have his rookie card on my desk. Bought it in 2005 and have kept it ever since as a sort of reminder to myself that not every ball player is a money-hungry egomaniac.
There are players in MLB who I think fit that description. And, yes, I think Mike Timlin is one of them. He isn’t the best pitcher the Sox have in their bullpen right now, but he’s probably one of the best guys on the team. And after his career-year in 2005, a year he should have been at the All Star game, when he could have tested the waters and taken a big pay day resting on that year, he fired his agent, and banged out a new contract with the Sox on his own…taking a pay cut and only a one year deal. This guy just wants to play and he just wants to play in Boston. He’s been iffy on the mound this year thanks to injuries and, according to half the free world, because he’s ‘old’, but
I don’t care.
I have nothing profound to say about Mike. I like him and I want him to do well. And if bringing him in during games we’re losing helps him build back his strength and (if it’s an issue) confidence, I think he’s earned that.
The Tim Baushers and Jim Manns of the world will never be at a level that Mike Timlin is, yet they all have a passion for the game that I admire. So if you don’t want to support Timlin, I have no beef with that. To each his own. How about you go to a minor league game, or CanAm game and give some guys who’ll never hear their name chanted at Fenway a little love?
I’m going to do both.
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