Police Activities League-SF

This review is based on my earliest recollections of playing baseball in San Francisco's Police Activities League.

The fog rose above the blades of fresh cut green grass~

Nostalgic, the feeling, it always bring me back to when the morning dew kicked off the little cleats, where the raked dirt and crisp white chalk lines meet. In the end what remains are the impressions in the dirt of all the tiny running feet, where we gathered to compete.

We ran to bases, all around the City in so many places, we played many Teams on fields full of dreams, with so many different faces.

One face stands out that my heart embraces, SF PAL Commissioner Mrs. Williams, for all of her love and good grace's.

She showed me how to run and make it to first, later I rounded the base, into second and dove in head first~ "Safe!!!"
The next batter got a pitch in his zone and got a base hit, I ran past third third and I slid into home. The winning run!!!
Glory days, shinning like diamonds in the Sun.

We won a lot of Championships, but thinking back who was the real hero??? It was The Police Activities League, that changed the game for me.

I'm not perfect~ The game is not easy, some times you lose~ some times you win. However, sometimes worse than losing, is getting rained out~ "Ahh Humbug!!!" Better to play than not to play at all.
"Play Ball!!!"

But the hardest thing for me was the day I realized I was not going to the big leagues~ It is when you must look back and reconcile, how fortunate you were to have been able to play one of the greatest games ever played.

Blessed to have rallied to Champion the day, yet to have learned dignity and through the tears and the agony of defeat, still shake hands in good sportsmanship.

Another day and we'll play again and next time we'll not get beat.

We must be grateful to those who sacrificed, to those that behind the scenes had the vision, will and the most generous of hearts to have made it even possible and they did for us.

I learned discipline and the fundamentals of life, to play to the best of my ability, to play fair and by the rules.

I have the Police Activities League to give so much of my Respect and Gratitude, for without the San Francisco Police Activities League "SFPAL", I know my life could've been a losing game.

Thank you PAL and Mrs. William's, that at her age, when the Coach was late, pitched the balls to us and told us where to run, forever your spirit is in my Heart.

In Loving Memory of Police Activities League Commissioner Mrs. Williams.

Respectfully,
Randy Chavez