Trip up to the Big Leagues
Hello everyone. I hope all is well. I am terribly sorry for not doing a blog sooner but the last month happened so fast.
The call up:
Our Columbus Clippers team was in Durham North Carolina playing the Bulls. I had been having a couple of bad games so that week so I was pretty sure that they wouldn’t call me up right now because I was not doing so well. The game before I got called up our Manager asked me to play first base which I thought was a little out of the ordinary considering I had been playing left or right field for the majority of the season. I had to borrow one of my teammates glove because I just left my first base glove stashed away back in Columbus at our locker room. I played the game with no errors thankfully. Ha-ha.
After the game I did my normal routine which was of course to eat. Then I got into the cold tub to ice down to make sure I take care of my body because 140 some odd games can take a toll on you. Apparently one of our coaches told me to wait around the locker room for awhile but I must not have heard him and I walked back to our hotel. Well by the time I got back I had about three messages asking where I was and that the manager need to see me. I went back to the stadium and walked in to the manager’s office and he told me the news that I had been waiting my whole life to hear.
“You are getting called up to the Major Leagues. Get your stuff packed because you are leaving in the morning.”
I couldn’t believe it. I was in shock because I had been praying and working so hard for this my whole life. The first thing I did when I walked out of there was just to thank God for how amazing he is because we don’t deserve anything. God blesses us with things and he surely blessed me. I couldn’t praise him enough.
After I settled down I called my wife, who was in Florida and supposed to be going to a wedding on Saturday, but I told her she had to change her plans because I was going up to the Big Leagues and wanted her there with me. I called my mom and dad and the first thing I did was thank them for always being there for me. They sacrificed so much in their lives to help me succeed and be the best that I could be. My parents have always been there for me and I cannot thank them enough for that. My wife helped get everyone tickets to come up and see my first start in the big leagues.
I met the team in Detroit which is very ironic because that was the first place that I had ever watched a Major League Baseball game. My aunt and uncle who lived in Michigan when I was growing up would take me to the old Tigers stadium, and it was pretty cool to go back there.
I got my first start against Justin Verlander and went 0-4. It happens. Then we went to Toronto where I got my first big league hit which was a home run. Again I just thought how awesome God is that He would allow for something like that to happen to me. I continued to play here and there for about the next three weeks and did not do as well as I hoped for, but I realized that God had a plan for my life. I learned a lot up there that is going to help me become a much better baseball player in the end.
I can’t remember what game it was when they sent me down but they basically called me into the office and said that I was going to go back down to the minors so you can get some more at bats as well as begin to play some more games at first base. It was painful to know that I had to go back down but I have no control over that and I was thankful for the opportunity that I was given with the Indians. All I can continue to do is trust in Jesus my Lord and Savior who guides my way. Like the Bible says, “Consider it all joy when hardships come your way because through that it will test your perseverance.”
Again everyone I can’t thank you enough for checking out the website. I know that there are other things in your life that you can be doing. I will continue to pray for all of the readers and remember that Jesus died on the cross for us so that we can be free from our sins.
Matt LaPorta
