Is that Ken Griffey, Jr. out there?

Background: My whole life (well, maybe like the last year of it) I've heard stories about Andrea playing softball in high school and how she was really good. Her grandparents always say it, but there's one story I hear over and over from Jeff: all about the time Andrea gunned a girl down at home plate from left field. I think it might have been against an undefeated team, or in the state championship, or against the Orioles or something. Well, I think that would've been a wonderful piece of Andrea folklore to witness, since it is Whitaker Legend.

Aside: Now, let me say that we have been having weird weather in Utah. It's seriously rained for almost 3 weeks straight, everyday. And we've had lightning; tons of lightning. It feel a lot more like back home in Illinois than Utah. Basically my point is that strange things are afoot, and tonight the planets aligned and took me back in time so I could see Andrea in her heyday just for a moment.

Story: So as we've all heard a million times (maybe she's only told me a million times) she was a BYU Intramural Softball Champion last year (upper division mind you). And this year she didn't get on a team, until a friend called saying they needed extra players. Tonight was her first game, though it was the team's third of the season. She went and played left field, and in the second inning it was like a Field of Dreams/The Natural moment. She was playing deep and this boy hit a pretty good one to left, but short of Andrea. She runs up on the ball and gloves it on a short hop (which was impressive). The runner on second, who apparently didn't think she would catch it anyway, had already taken off and was rounding third when she got to it. He keeps chugging home thinking there is no way Andrea has the kind of arm to get him out. Big Mistake! Because my Honey has a cannon! She scooped it up and threw a strike to the catcher, gunning the guy down at home plate!!! The throw couldn't have been any more on the money! And I swear I'm not exaggerating, but the catcher didn't even have to move to apply the tag. He was right off the baseline and the ball just dropped into his glove perfectly in time for the runner just to run right into his glove. It was subliminal, glorious, magnanimous.

Happy early birthday, honey, you are the best!

Ps. Also, they won.