Full Circle Moments

Thirty-two years ago, I was a senior at the University of Wisconsin, working as an intern at the NBC station in Madison. My job during the 1993 World Series was to log every play, which sounded fun until the night Joe Carter hit a walk-off home run to beat my beloved Phillies. I remember filling out that final entry and then sitting there in a trance, staring at the screen for twenty minutes. Some wounds never quite heal. 

Fast forward to this fall. I co-hosted the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum’s annual Hall of Game gala and found myself sitting next to none other than Joe Carter.  I took a selfie and sent it to my brother. True to form, I got a an immediate reply of a thumbs-down emoji.

1993 World Series hero Joe Carter at the NLBM Hall of Game Gala

I told that story to the audience, laughing as I pointed toward Joe and shared my brother’s reaction, just as we welcomed Carter’s former manager Cito Gaston to the stage.

1992 and 1993 World Champion Manager Cito Gaston with NLBM President Bob Kendrick and me.

Now, the Toronto Blue Jays are back in the World Series for the first time since that season. My son, now a senior in college just like I was in 1993, pointed that out to me with pride. And while this year’s Jays team didn’t win on a walk-off, George Springer’s dramatic Game 7 homer to send them to the Series felt like history’s echo and a new generation’s Carter moment.

It’s funny how life circles back. I now find myself wanting to celebrate the big plays, whether they are mine or someone else’s. The moments that once stung can later become reminders of growth, gratitude, and connection. You never know when the next full-circle moment will arrive or what perspective it might bring.

That’s Small Ball.

Question: What moment from your past might look different if you viewed it through the lens of growth today?

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