Al's Big Red Machine Blog

Welcome to Al's Big Red Machine Blog and follow my journey as I fulfill a lifelong bucket list experience at age 60 to play baseball as a Cincinnati Reds player.


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Living The Dream

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After a few years of contemplating then talking myself out of pursuing, the arrival of my 60th birth year provided clarity, reflection on the experiences in life than can truly bring deep satisfaction to the soul. All of my life, I've been a passionate lover of the game of baseball as a player, coach and fan. While I wasn't blessed with sufficient enough talent to play beyond the college level, the game has defined who I am, how I've overcome obstacles and accomplished personal and business goals. "Field of Dreams" with Kevin Costner is my Notebook tearjerker.  I grew up idolizing the "The Big Red Machine" and names like Rose, Bench, Morgan, Perez held the same sacred status as those in my school history books like Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln. Throughout Little League, I often daydreamed about what it would be like to debut in the Big Leagues in a crisp red and white Cincinnati Reds uniform. Fifty years later, I'm finally going to get that cha...
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Yesterday's Experiences Inspire Tomorrow's Achievements

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I've always been a believer in that your future is often shaped by the people, interactions and experiences that personally inspired you at different points in your life. As such, I asked and received confirmation from camp administrators that I could affix personal photos on the inside panel of my assigned locker for the week. It's hard to pick a few photos from a 50-year reservoir of treasured baseball images, but I'll travel with a slice of childhood and adult memories that will make up my "vision board". Unlike traditional vision boards which focus on what you want the future to look like, my goal is to have the memories that my images invoke inspire me to relish, enjoy and play the game I love with the passion of a little boy who dreamed of some day playing for The Big Red Machine.
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A Little Bit Reds Country

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We took a break from our practice ritual this weekend and I surprised my wife with Brad Paisley concert tickets at the IThink Amphitheater in West Palm Beach. Not only did we take in a great concert by Paisley, who is also a staunch American Patriot, but the crowd got an unexpected surprise when Paisley brought on stage one of the greatest Cincinnati Reds players to ever the play the game. Hall of Famer Johnny Bench graced the stage. It was the last thing I expected, but a great "value add" to an already terrific experience.
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