David LeVine has learned more from baseball than anything else, and he's rubbed elbows with some of the game's most colorful personalities as a broadcaster, businessman, and fan. This series of vignettes highlight his eight innings of life observing the game, beginning with his boyhood in the 1940s. He still recalls the 1946 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals, when the Cardinals' Enos Slaughter slid across home plate with the winning run, scoring from first. The next day on the playground, all anyone cared about was running the bases. The author never did play for his high school team, but he would have been its best outfielder. The problem was, he couldn't hit - but his love for the game went beyond wearing a uniform. As a broadcaster, he had the chance to meet (and become friends with) some of the game's most interesting characters, including Yankee icon Billy Martin. Join the author as he celebrates his love for the game and reveals glimpses of players that fans have rarely seen.