By: Brison Celek-September 16, 2008 It seems to me that every kid when growing up wants to be something amazing, like be a professional athlete, life-saving doctor, or something big like an astronaut. Well, for me it was and still is, wanting to become a professional baseball player. There is always talk on our Diamond Devils team and among most baseball players about how cool it would be to play in a pro stadium, and is the field really that nice? Or is it just like any nice ballpark but with a lot bigger fan area surrounding it? Well, this past weekend of September 6-7, I found out first hand what one of the most storied ballparks was like to play on and be in. Yes, is the answer to all those questions about whether or not the field is really that nice and is it better than any other ballpark in the country. It was an awesome experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. My Wrigley experience started long before we actually got to step foot onto the field as a team. While our Diamond Devils 17U team was playing in Atlanta for the Perfect Game Wood Bat World Series in July, which we won, Coach John Rhodes explained to us one night after we had been rained out for the day that he had received an invitation to play at Wrigley Field with his 18U team in the fall. As that chance might be a once in a lifetime thing, we all agreed to accept the invite and eventually go to Chicago to play in one of the most historic ballparks ever. As the fall season started for our 18-year old team, we were all anticipating the second weekend in September to fly to Chicago and play. As luck would have it, Mother Nature gave all of us players from Charleston a good scare by sending Hurricane Hanna towards our city and threaten our departure. But Coach Rhodes was not having any of that he got in contact with our parents and informed them of an earlier flight on Friday the 5th so we didn’t get stuck in Charleston after the airport closed at 2:00 p.m. in preparation for the storm. After all the stress of the storm, we all boarded the plane and were Chicago bound for the weekend. Upon arriving in Chicago, I was fortunate enough to have my parents and sister make the trip with me and see me play. It was a big deal for me because my dad and I have put countless hours into the cage and drills to get me where I am today, and my two biggest fans, my mom and sister, all could watch me play on a pro field for the first time in my life. That first night in the hotel was kind of surreal for me because in the morning, I was going to be getting up and playing on a Major League field where all the Cub greats have made there mark on baseball history. As we had been assigned the second game on Wrigley, our wake up call would come bright and early for all of us to get dressed and get to the stadium for pictures and self-tours. Just walking into the stadium and seeing the ivy that has been the trademark of Wrigley for so long, and seeing the old time scoreboard and knowing what has taken place in this stadium gave me goose bumps and reminded me why my teammates and I play everyday. I don’t think I have ever been photographed more in a 4-hour time frame than during that Saturday morning. Our game was delayed for a while because of a late start to the game before ours but no one seemed to mind we were all just taking in the moment. So when the preceding game ended our turn to take the field began, we all were amped up and ready to play. As for playing on the field, it was the best field I have ever played on so far in my life. Stepping into the batters box where all the Cub greats like Ernie Banks, Roger Hornsby and Mark Grace have batted before was an overwhelming experience during the first at bat. Just knowing that many Hall of Famers and other pros like Pete Rose, Albert Pujols and Johnny Bench hit in that very same rectangle I was standing in made me sort of nervous. As the game went on, our coaching staff did a heck of a job getting everyone on the roster playing time and throwing seven different pitchers, and to top it off we came out on top with a 4-2 win and did it with everyone getting to play on Wrigley. After our first game of the weekend was at Wrigley, we went and played at Northwestern University, which is in the Big Ten Conference, and went 3-0-1 for the weekend. For me the weekend was probably one of the coolest life experiences I have ever been through because I got to play the sport I love the most on one of the most historic, famous ballparks in the world. I would like to thank Coach John Rhodes for giving our team the opportunity to play at Wrigley and believing we could represent his program well enough to go play. I would also like to thank my parents for putting up with the countless hours of driving and hotel nights and weekends away from home for me to be able to play this great game at the level the Diamond Devils play at. This was an experience I will never forget for the rest of my days and thank all who have gotten my teammates and I this far along in the game.

By: Butch & Sharon Forrester-September 5, 2008 Plans began to be made back in July for a unique trip to Chicago for the Diamond Devils 18U Baseball Team, which had won the Perfect Game 17U World Wood Bat World Series in Atlanta and the CABA 18U Wood Bat World Series in Charleston this summer. Coach John Rhodes had received an invitation for the team to play in a tournament in Chicago due to the excellent performance of this team and his program. Through hectic school, baseball, and work schedules, along with hurricane preparations for the coastal families, a sense of anticipation and excitement continued to build for all as the team, our sons, would be playing their first game at Wrigley Field. The members of this team have worked remarkably hard for years to reach this level of play. The coaches have sacrificed a great deal of time with their families season after season traveling with the teams. The parents have done all they could to provide the best opportunities and experiences possible for their sons since each boy first picked up a bat and glove. Now a dream for all was coming true! They were playing a game on the hallowed grounds of one of the most famous fields of professional baseball. On the fall morning of September 6th, the Diamond Devils team, coaches, and families arrived at the home of the Cubs. Although the outside of the stadium showed its many decades of existence, the history of all those who have traveled through the great iron gates was quickly felt. The tunnel around the stadium lacked the many booths and activities that the new stadiums offer. However, once up the stairs and into the bright sunshine, the splendor of the rich, green field and the ivy covered fence was breathtaking for any baseball fan. While sitting in the stands, you could easily remember all of the great ball players, from the past and the present, who have played here. You could easily see various landmarks around the stadium including the great scoreboard and seats on the rooftops lining the outfield. Most importantly, you could easily see what this experience meant to each player, coach, and family member by simply looking at their faces. The thrill and honor of being at this field to play was apparent. Each player, as all fathers and sons in the world of baseball, dream of one day playing at the professional level and at a great field such as Wrigley.  Finally, the time had arrived for the Diamond Devils to take the field. The magic of this moment was felt with a lump in the throat, a chill up the spine, or a tear in the eyes. All of the hard work, dedication and sacrifices became worth it in this special moment. Each player seemed to run a little faster, throw a little harder and give more of himself with each play. The Diamond Devils, our sons, were playing on Wrigley Field. The sense of pride and joy was overwhelming. The players in this baseball program have had the opportunity of playing on many major college fields around the country, but none can compare to playing on Wrigley Field. The experience of watching our sons playing, and winning, on this field is one all of us will cherish. It is a lifetime memory that each player will be able to share with their children and grandchildren. No matter what happens in each of the player’s future baseball careers, they had the opportunity of playing on one of the most renowned professional fields while still in high school. In the well-known baseball movie Field of Dreams, there is the famous line, "If you build it, they will come."  This has been true since 1914 at Wrigley Field, and was true on this memorable day for the Diamond Devils.

By: Austin Alexander-September 3-7, 2008 There are moments in a person’s life that become unforgettable snapshots for a lifetime. It may be one’s first homerun, graduation day, their wedding or the birth of a child. Whatever the case, it’s a moment that is etched into the memory bank of an individual amid all of the other mundane days and events during their time in this world. This past week, my family, my players, fellow coaches and I had one of those moments as our South Carolina Diamond Devil club was slated to play on Saturday at the Chicago Cubs’ cathedral, the one and only Wrigley Field. When confirmation of the big weekend came down the pike, my family scurried to make plans to land in the Windy City for this very special opportunity. After quite a bit of string-pulling, we were able to secure entrance to the Cubs game on Wednesday. After the tickets were rounded up, my family of three and parents locked in plans to fly up that morning, see the game that night, and remain in town through Sunday for the four games that we had scheduled to play on the weekend. You see, Wrigley Field shares a very dear place in the hearts of my family. Many an afternoon over the years have been spent watching our beloved Cubbies on WGN. This time my two-year old fanatic of the Lovable Losers and my father, along with my wife and mother, would go to Wrigley for the first time together. Not only that, the pinnacle of this trip would come three days later. I’ll get to that part shortly. Upon arriving in Chicago, the approaching remains of Hurricane Gustav made for a very windy and overcast welcome. We rushed to the ballpark and got the first glimpse of the stadium from a city bus and my son was completely beside himself! We exited the bus, grabbed a quick bite and began searching for a brick that my late grandfather had left for my son Nolan; it was embedded under the big red sign at Wrigley’s entrance. It was a fairly emotional moment for each of us, as we saw it for the first time and while my ‘diapered dandy’ cleaned it to make the brick appear new again. Within two minutes, we were inside the park and a ball had been flipped from the field by coach Ivan DeJesus to us in the stands. My little guy already had a souvenir and he’d just passed through the turnstile! We had the chance to get some pictures in the infamous Steve Bartman seat. Much to my pleasure, Nolan cried like a madman when I sat him down in it! The game versus the visiting Astros eventually got underway and it was a quicky as Randy Wolf dialed up a 3-0, complete game shutout to finish off the Houston sweep. The highlight on this night was the 7th inning stretch, which is a near religious experience on this hallowed ground. Again, to be able to share this moment with family was one I’ll cherish forever. Gustav finally arrived later that night and made for a very wet Thursday. A day filled with fun for a two-year old saw stops at Legoland, the Disney Store and of course, the Cubs Clubhouse, to name a few. With the team set to fly in later that afternoon on Friday, concerns over some of the their departures became questionable due to the approaching Tropical Storm Hanna. Thankfully all of our coaches and players were able to board their planes and make their way to join us in Chicago. Before they touched down, my family and I trekked it back over to Wrigleyville for a morning of fun around the Friendly Confines. Pictures in front of statues and way too much time in the various shops around the ballpark made for an enjoyable (and expensive) time, even with the Cubs on the road. Later that night we attended a White Sox game against the Angels at US Cellular Field, an eventual 10-2 route for the home team. Finally it was time to play baseball though! Our kids were up and moving around early on Saturday in anticipation of our game at Wrigley. We were set to play a team representing four different states out of the Midwest at 11:30 and got to the park early to take in the atmosphere. After a series of group pictures, we had a great deal of time to move about the park with free reign in one of baseball’s royal cathedrals. Due to a delay in the game before us, we were about an hour behind schedule…strangely, no one seemed to mind! When the final out of the preceding game was made, our kids and coaches flooded onto the field with youthful enthusiasm! Much to our dismay, we were only allotted 15 minutes to prepare for the first pitch. It forced us to really hustle through the pictures and sight-seeing, but it sure was better than nothing. Most of our player’s parents were able to enter the field and my family did too. Nolan slid into home plate a half dozen times, we were able to play catch in the bullpen area and some very nice photographs of us were taken that will eventually line the walls of our home. Believe it or not, we actually participated in a baseball game that day and things could not have played out better! We won the game 4-2, we were able to throw seven different pitchers and every primary position player was able to get multiple plate appearances. The coaching staff even got into the mix as we rotated manning the bases every inning! If we had drawn up the perfect scenario before the game, the way it actually went down would have been far better than anything we could have master-minded. At game’s end, I allowed my little guy to sit in Lou Piniella’s reserved area of the dugout for the final three …

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