Classy Lane

Published in the Desert Valley Times
June 28, 2005

To be honest, I’m not much of a Major League Baseball fan any more.
When I was younger, and the game was more pure, I was a huge fan.
I grew up watching the best pitching rotation in the history of the game, with Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson each booking 20 wins in the 1971 World Series season of the Baltimore Orioles.
I remember sitting in a fifth-grade classroom watching the O’s and the Pittsburgh Pirates battling it out for the pennant, with the Pirates winning in a heart-breaking seventh game.
A teacher would get fired for allowing students to watch a baseball game in class today, although I claim it should be a legitimate part of the curriculum, since it’s such an important part of American history.
Of course, it’s a moot point, since World Series games are no longer played in the daytime.
But you have to go over 30 years down memory lane to find that bright spot, as the lane has now become obscured and shadowed by overgrown egos and steroid-juiced animals in the underbrush.
Last Tuesday night, a brief glimpse of honor and sportsmanship was exposed in a ghastly mental error that made me pine for the long-forgotten days of athletic heroes.
In the sixth inning of the National League game between the Houston Astros and the Colorado Rockies, a Colorado player hit a deep fly to Astros right fielder Jason Lane.
With runners on second and third, Lane made the catch, then turned and tossed the ball to fans in the stands.
By itself, that’s a classy move.
The problem is, the catch was only the second out.
A runner scored on his gaffe, and also paved the way for the tying run to knot the game.
With seemingly the whole world watching, and serenaded by a lusty chorus of boos, Lane realized his mistake.
Fortunately, the Astros went on to win the game, but it didn’t stop Lane from beating himself up.
This is what has elevated him to hero status in my book.
Instead of trying desperately to find someone, anyone, to blame, which is the new MLB way, or taking it out on inquisitive sports reporters who would dare to question the play in post-game interviews, Lane stood up and took it like a man.
"I just missed an out somewhere," Lane said. "There's not a lot you can say. You just certainly can't make mental errors like that."
According to the Associated Press writer, Lane went on to offer an apology to Astros fans instead of ripping them for their boos.
"The fans paid good money to see major league players," he said. "Stuff like this shouldn't happen."
Wow.
A ball player who actually cares about the fans.
This is only his second year in the bigs, and his first year as a starter, but I want to nominate him right now for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In this age of cheaters and whiners and blame-dodgers, here is a player who actually owns up to his shortcomings.
Like guys who can hit 60 homers a year or book 300 career wins from the mound, Jason Lane is extremely rare.
And when you find someone this rare, he deserves the recognition, if only to balance the attention received by so many other players for their visits to the police station or the grand jury.
So while most don’t even know his name, you might want to write down Jason “Memory” Lane in your heart.
He is a reminder of when baseball truly was America’s game.