Rounding Third (35 page)

And this book is dedicated to the
memory of my high school crush.

Some thank yous…

Although writing is a solitary
task it is made infinitely easier by the support and input of others. For their
help on this project I would like to thank, in no particular order for reading
the manuscript or providing background information, or suggestions: my friend
and mentor, Martin J. Smith; Bob Frick; Moises Ventura; Margie Mingione; Ann
Smolen; Dan, Joe and Debbie Cybulski, Ethan and Ray Meyer, Dan Manes, Jennifer Schumaker,
Bryan Munson and Brent Hartinger.

And thank you to
my parents. Phil Reed, another writer friend, after reading the first few
chapters of the book said, “I’m learning a lot about your dad.” As a good
writer himself, Phil knows writers often borrow from their own lives for their
books. And I would be lying to say that there are not elements of my father in
Bob Wardell, but not the ones that Phil assumed. The main part of Bob that I
preserved from my father is his confusion of how to handle a rather eccentric son.
Give a shepherd a goldfish and he’s likely to be a little confused of how best
to handle it. Even if he is the best shepherd in the world, he’s going to be a
bit out of his element. The reflection Bobby has that “His father was like
that. Quietly doing his duty” is an accurate description of my father.

I often felt sorry for my parents,
who were clearly puzzled as to what to make of their son, and how to handle his
rather strange mood swings, but I was in no position to help them with their
own confusion; my confusion was even greater. I thank them for their patience
and understanding, because like the Wardells, when the chips were down, they
came through.