Thanks Kid by J. Kyle

Coach Joe Kyle shares what he knows about the game of baseball with the kids he coaches, helps his assistant coaches, and writes poems as gifts for his team —his coaches —and Baseball Almanac.

"Thanks kid for being the reason, I get to coach another season. Who was more nervous that very first day? You just learning, or me who must teach you to play." - J. Kyle in Thanks Kid (2001)
Thanks Kid

by J. Kyle (2001) ©

Published: Baseball Almanac (2003)

Thanks kid for being the reason,
I get to coach another season.
Who was more nervous that very first day?
You just learning, or me who must teach you to play.

Out on the diamond I feel like a kid again,
Yet after each practice and game my age settles back in.
My muscles would ache and bones feel sore,
A little ice and some ointment and I’m better than before.

A few moments each game I would steal far away,
Back to a time when I could still play.
The boyhood memories came rushing back in,
Just like a good slider complete with the spin.

That ol’ team was a rough and tumble bunch,
We would play all day and never eat lunch.
We would play anyone, anytime, anywhere,
But no other team could give us a scare.

That old sandlot is still there today,
Now sadly the boys no longer come to play.
The grass grows tall where home plate once stood,
A long forgotten landmark in the old neighborhood.

“Coach, hey Coach” I hear from a place far, far away,
“Are you going to pitch to me sometime today?”
Suddenly, I am standing back on the mound,
Surrounded by my players just milling around.

I am back to the game, with you at last,
My boyhood memories tucked back in the past.
“Hey Coach, everything alright” I am asked with a grin,
“Just perfect kid. Hey, thanks again.”

Thanks Kid by J. Kyle ©



Did you know that Coach Joe Kyle had one of his poems read by legendary broadcaster Marty Brennaman on air during the 2002 season?

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Teamwork is a coaching constant regardless of the sport. Basketball coach Pat Riley once said, "When a gifted team dedicates itself to unselfish trust and combines instinct with boldness and effort — it is ready to climb."

     

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