David Vantress
At the top of the page was our story on Richmond Senior product Kyle Roller being drafted in the eighth round by the New York Yankees — the fulfillment of a lifetime dream.
And at the bottom of the page — our story on the Rockingham Pinto League championship game.
The 7--8 year-old division for some of the youngest baseball players in our area. It’s a step up from the Shetland division, where the littlest ballplayers learn the basics of the game without the score being kept.
Wednesday night, as I arrived at the Pinto League field at the Bynum Park complex, it was hard to find a parking spot, and it was sitting-room only, with a big crowd in attendance.
And from the cheers of the crowd for these young ballplayers, you would have thought the seventh game of the World Series was being contested right here in Rockingham.
It was really special to see: The cheering was loud, supportive and respectful — just as it should be at this rudimentary level of baseball.
It’s here where the kids learn what baseball is all about, and begin to absorb one of the hardest lessons of all: That sometimes, you give it your all and still come out on the short end of the scoreboard.
That’s what I was thinking of Wednesday night as I laid out the pages: This set of baseball bookends.
On the one hand: A young man whose own baseball journey started about the same age as these youngsters on the field, finally realizing a dream that was born about the same time.
On the other hand: Several dozen young ballplayers, their eyes wide as saucers, taking to their own field of dreams.
Do some of these young ballplayers have similar goals of big-league glory?
Probably. I know I did at that age. It didn’t work out for me, but it has for countless others.
And that’s part of the magic of baseball. With more professional leagues than most of the other sports, the odds of getting to play in the pros are better.
Of course, the odds of getting to the big time are just as long in baseball.
But being able to say you played professional baseball is a pretty special thing, in my opinion.
And sometime in the next few weeks, Rockingham’s own Kyle Roller will be able to say that.
It will be fun for us back here in Richmond County to follow Roller’s ascent through the ranks of professional baseball.
He’s excelled at every level of baseball so far: High school, NCAA Division 1 college ball at East Carolina University; and last summer, tearing up the Cape Cod League, one of the most prestigious summer collegiate leagues in the country.
There’s no reason to believe Roller won’t be successful at the next level, too.
No pressure though, Kyle. Seriously.
And to all those youngsters on Richmond County’s fields of dreams: Keep at it, kids.
Work hard, play fair, be a good sport and dreams sometimes do come true.
Contact sports editor David Vantress at 997-3111, ext. 14 or via email at dvantress@yourdailyjournal.com.
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