This great photo was sent to me by my friend, John Quinlan. The caption on it reads: “Someday, I’ll…”

OK, it was probably staged, but I really don’t care.

The photo was taken at Tiger Stadium in the early 1960s. I don’t have any more information on who the kid is or why he’s there, sitting alone in the bleachers. But there’s something about the photo that conjures up that wonderful quality of baseball where kids are allowed to dream big dreams. I think all of us who love baseball have experienced that at one time or another in our youth. Every kid wants to be a major leaguer. Some make it…but, as we know, most don’t. But all kids can dream, and baseball gives every one of them a chance to dream big. I like to think that’s what this kid was thinking as he sat there, staged or not.

John says the photo has special meaning for him, as it brings him back to his childhood. He didn’t make it as a major league ballplayer, but he was fortunate to spend his career associated with the game he loved differently:

“From the time the memory bank/ dreamscape started (about age 6), I always wanted to be a baseball announcer. People back then in the day said, ‘Oh, that’s too difficult, few jobs, and you had to know someone in the business.’ After years of persistence, I made it. Dreams don’t always come true but thank God (and others) mine did. It’s not as glamorous as some think, a lot of hard work, but who could ask for a better workplace to paint a word portrait of the game you love on a green canvas.”

Aah…Baseball, kids, and dreams…what a great combination!

If you’d like to share any thoughts that come to mind while gazing at this photo, please share them in the comments section below.