After most games in the Broadway Show League I went to Kodama Sushi as reward before I got on the Decamp 33 to Bloomfield, NJ
Dirty
Nasty
Hungry me
Years
Sitting at the bar
Avoiding customers
"Broadway Box
Spicy Tuna, Salmon Miso
Asahi Dry"
Only those words
Always tipping
Always a polite smile
8 Years
The week before I move away from NYC and back to the PNW an aged Japanese man approaches me indicating to my bat bag and showing a batting stance
I pull my muddy softball bat from the bag
He indicates that he wishes to see my stance
I oblige
A young man whispers, "He is a hitting instructor from Japan."
I nod
I bow
He makes no adjustment to my stance only that my grip on the bat would be from my two middle fingers alone
That was it
Grip the bat loosely with your two middle fingers
He never spoke
I understood him
I respect this as a special gift
In all those years I didn't notice him but he noticed me
Messy, dirty, sweaty me
8 years silent
In my final game of the Broadway Show League I hit two home runs with the grip this man gave me
It was a wonderful goodbye
Course I went there
"Broadway Box
Spicy Tuna, Salmon Miso
Asahi Dry."
I saw him
I pointed up, lifted two fingers and bowed
He smiled
Thank you Mr. Kodama
Arigato
