Page 55 - Fully Equipped Playbook

SUPPORT SYSTEM
I started in left field and batted 6th in my major league debut. Lefty Zach Britton threw me a fastball on a 3-1 count and I sent it into the seats in left center for a 2-run homerun. I had just made history becoming the first Rays player to hit a homer in his first Major League plate
appearance and the 108th player ever to do so in MLB
history. I rounded the bases so fast, I hardly remember touching them. But I do recall, seeing my support system in the family section going nuts, as I crossed home plate. I had about a dozen people I loved there jumping out of their socks at that moment, and the fact that they were there to witness it, made it that much better. I still enjoy re-watching the hit and seeing everyone’s reaction as the ball kept carrying, eventually landing in the seats.
My wife Lindsay had a different view that night. While I was grinding away on a minor league salary, she was working as a sports reporter in Washington, DC. She had to anchor the 6pm show that evening, and was busting her tail to get to the game on time. She ALMOST made it too! Lindsay was pulling into the players parking lot with the radio on when I hit the homer. It was the biggest moment in my career at that point, one she and I had dreamed of, and she just missed it. We can now look back and laugh at the circumstances of that night, and she still tears up everytime she watches the highlight, as if she's seeing it for the first time.
Speaking of the support system, when I got into the dugout not a single teammate looked at me. I walked past the guys on the bench, tapping their legs, looking for a high-five. They gave me the best silent treatment ever, then mobbed me in celebration. I will forever be grateful for May 6, 2011 at Camden Yards.
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