When I hear the other fathers in the neighborhood talking about how kids have no shot at playing sports at a high level unless they’re on expensive travelling teams and go to specialized camps and clinics, I roll my eyes. Partially because, damn, don’t you hope your kids pick what they want to do with their lives rather than live vicariously through your frustrated athletic dreams? But also because, while those things may make it easier to excel at sports, a privileged upbringing is not a requirement. Just ask Jonny Gomes:
Good story by Paul Daugherty about the rough road Gomes took to and the good attitude Gomes has about his path to the majors.
“I didn’t sleep in a car,’’ Gomes explained. “But if a car had a mailing address, that’s where I was going to get my mail.’’
“You were homeless?’’ I wondered.
“Never more than seven or 10 days,’’ Gomes said. “We’d live in a house two or three months, couldn’t pay rent, we’d get the eviction notice.’’ But friends were generous, as were some of his mother’s patients. “Awesome people took us in,’’ Gomes said.
Good story by Paul Daugherty about the rough road Gomes took to and the good attitude Gomes has about his path to the majors.
