At one point in my life, I actually did fun things. I went out at night. I met up with friends. We talked and laughed. It was nice. It was nice having friends.
I made some ... questionable ... decisions my first year working in Memphis, so the next year I had resolved to really buckle down and work hard and make it back to the big leagues. But that same year I made a lifelong friend, let's call her Sarah, and one night when we didn't have a game, she asked me to come out drinking with her.
We ran into some ballplayers. One of them, let's call him Mike, said this year he just found everything funny. He never used to, but this year it was just funny. He said to one of the other players, let's call him Chris, "You're the only one who laughs with me. Like when [second baseman] didn't call you off and you had to keep running and running. Or when you tripped rounding third base. I almost did that, too. I couldn't believe I was out there running. I mean, I'm retired, and suddenly I'm out there pinch-running."
This was news to me. Apparently Mike had retired.
Eventually, Chris, Mike, Mike's brother, Sarah, and I went back to Mike's apartment. He put on some music, and Paint Me a Birmingham came on. I like and identify with sad, sad country songs, so this became a Moment. "Country music makes me want to do it," said Chris, who at that time was wearing only a cock sock and making out with Sarah on the couch.
I asked Mike if he was really retiring.
"Yeah," he said. "I guess I'm going to go watch the game at the park tomorrow. I don't know what I'm going to do. ... It's the first time in 25 years that I won't be playing baseball. It's kind of weird. ... I'm a little nervous, but it's exciting."
He walked me back to my car in the parking garage. Sarah and Chris ... went elsewhere.
The next day, he was at the park in street clothes. He watched the game, and then he left.
After that, every time I heard Paint Me a Birmingham, I would think of that night. Occasionally I would look up these guys, see what they're up to now. Well, it turns out they died. Cancer sucks.
Life is short. I miss my friends. Rest easy, guys.
