Grief – Page 2 – Ol Abner

On grief, and playing ball

Posted by olabner on April 28, 2015April 28, 2015 in Grief

When the sun slips into a dusky grey, one gathers gloves with some reluctance. One picks up bats that lean against a backstop, and searches for baseballs in the tall grass somewhere in left center. Of course, there is a…

Oscar Taveras

Posted by olabner on April 14, 2015April 15, 2015 in Grief, NL

The Cardinals in solemn silence stood. They watched clips of a young man on a screen until years glowed. 22 years old. Oscar Taveras wore 18, and Carlos Martinez wears the number now to honor his teammate. That number is…

Limits of Baseball

Posted by olabner on April 11, 2015April 13, 2015 in Grief

I left Cardinal country and flew back to the Northwest. I emptied my schedule, and turned to baseball. For my grandfather had died. I had gone home, but now I was back. I thought ballgames would bring me comfort. I…

On death and wiffle ball

Posted by olabner on April 10, 2015April 13, 2015 in Grief

I found three yellow wiffle bats in a garage. I found some comfort there. I took only one, and Frisbees to call home and each base. I left several wiffle balls in a net, in a box, in case we…

Time away.

Posted by olabner on April 3, 2015April 13, 2015 in Grief

Taking a short hiatus from Ol’ Abner in the immediate aftermath of the death of a relative. by

Home field.

Posted by olabner on April 2, 2015April 13, 2015 in Grief

There was a field. Towering black netting and PVC pipe – kept in place with wooden boards – guarded home. Foul poles, some 250 feet away, kept the games fair. Every Fourth of July my uncle would mark out the…

Taveras column

Posted by olabner on November 4, 2014April 13, 2015 in Grief

I wrote this for my hometown newspaper after Oscar Taveras died. http://www.news-leader.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/11/04/fear-derail-taveras/18479259/ by

Hiatus

Posted by olabner on April 4, 2014April 13, 2015 in Grief

I am on hiatus while I recover from a concussion. by