Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs RHP Aaron Barrett posted on his Twitter feed that July 4th will be his last appearance as a professional pitcher. Aaron wrote “I went into this year thinking this could be my last run. I gave it EVERYTHING I had. It didn’t go the way I thought it could. That’s life! It’s time for me to start the next chapter of my life. On July 4th I’ll be pitching in my last game as a Professional Baseball Player!”
Baseball is a tough profession but it’s often also reflective of life. The perseverance and will that Aaron displayed in his comeback from a devastating injury is an example of what many folks push thru in their lives to reach goals. I often write about the players who have been injured and are rehabbing on the back fields of the Complex here in Clearwater simply because I admire their strength and passion to never give up until they have given their all.
Folks like Aaron Barrett are special as they inspire us to pursue what may perhaps seem impossible. Often times it doesn’t end up as we hoped or planned but we are indeed the better for at the least trying, as we celebrate the birth of our country tomorrow it’s that unwavering spirit of pursuit that was embedded in the struggle to overcome that defined those folks back in the day. It’s something to celebrate and something to be proud of and stand for.
Best wishes to Aaron ( 34 yrs old ) as he ventures into the next chapter of his life. He made one of the greatest comebacks from injury on 9/7/19 by pitching in the major leagues after fracturing the humerus bone in his right arm on July 23rd, 2016. An incredible moment. Just sayin, we have it in us all to be incredible in our own way - self belief and the passion of pursuit is the fire inside that burns if we let it. God I love baseball and I love the portrait of possibilities it helps us peer into.
Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️
Photo by Cheryl Pursell