If there was one play that summed up my baseball career, it was when I was 11 years old, playing third base, when I went to catch a pop fly — but instead of catching it — I missed and the ball hit me directly in the face. I was taken out of the game and left with two black eyes for a couple weeks.
Whether it was breaking my wrist on the first play of the season or getting tagged out trying to steal home — it seemed every time I took the field, I found a new way to embarrass myself.
When I was 15, I decided I had enough and stopped playing baseball. I picked up track and cross country shortly afterwards, but was never quite good at those either.
For years, I was constantly hearing stories from my peers about how they hit the game winning shot or they were traveling across the country for their sport. This always frustrated me because I always wanted to have stories of my own where I came up clutch. It felt like I was constantly waiting for my time to be the star athlete — but the time never came.
For a while, I felt as if there was something missing. I wanted to be involved with sports and had a deep passion for baseball — but it was clear I was not meant for the playing field. I was unsure of what to do with my passion.
That was until I joined the sports section of the Graphic in the Fall ’22 semester.
My four semesters as a part of the sports section — including two as the sports editor — were nothing short of fulfilling. With each new opportunity I get to cover sports at Pepperdine, I’m reminded I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.
While I’ll never be able to tell people about the time I had a walk-off hit or made a diving catch — I can tell people about the time I interviewed former MLB All Star pitcher Dan Haren or Max Lewis, former Pepperdine Men’s Basketball forward, a few days after he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now, I’m in the process of creating a sports magazine that will come out in late October.
The summer before I came to Pepperdine, I remember sitting in traffic in Boston on my way to Fenway Park, listening to 98.5 the Sports Hub and the Section 10 Podcast talk about the Red Sox. I remember thinking it would be awesome to be able to cover sports. A few years later, I’m doing that very thing.
I’m not an athlete, and because of sports journalism, I’m OK with that.
__________________
Follow the Graphic on Twitter @PeppGraphic
Contact Tony Gleason on Twitter (@tony__gleason) or via email: anthony.gleason@pepperdine.edu
