It's game time, where's my dad?

My dad never made it to any of my Little League games that I can remember, and I can only recollect him being at one of my high school baseball games. Since Sunday is Father's Day, it seems like a good time to thank him.

Fathers across the world have spent countless hours at various ball fields and in gymnasiums, as well as behind the wheel driving their sons and daughters to different types of sporting contests.

But not mine.

Some dads have passed on great athletic genes to their offspring, and their children have excelled in just about every sport they have picked up.

Not here.

A few very lucky fathers have even played professional sports themselves, and then gotten to relax in the bleachers as their sons or daughters carried on the great sporting tradition. Bobby Bonds was an above-average professional baseball player, whose son Barry went on to set the all-time Major League record for career home runs with 762. Archie Manning enjoyed an NFL career with three different teams, and has beamed with pride as sons Peyton and Eli have both earned Super Bowl MVP honors. Muhammad Ali has even gotten to watch daughter Laila climb through the ropes as a professional boxer.

Sorry dad, I didn't quite make it to the pinnacle of my profession.

No, my father was not at more than a handful of games I ever played in, but don't think this is going to be some "poor me" diatribe where I get even with an absent dad. No, I seriously want to thank him.

My father was a policeman and father of four in a single-income household. He went to games alright, but he was there in uniform, working as extra security after having worked a full day in the office. His unselfishness and strong work ethic was what put the Pumas on my feet and the Wilson A2000 glove on my left hand.

His was not the type of job where he could go to the chief and say, "I'm going to take a couple hours off and go watch my kid play" while he was on the day shift. It was also important he get a good day's sleep before working the evening or overnight shift, and baseball diamonds are not exactly conducive to achieving that.

I do, however, remember him taking my brother and I to our first game at Wrigley Field. That made such an impression that I can remember it almost 40 years later as if it happened yesterday.

So let's see, I took my two kids to Wrigley Field for their first time back in 1995, and work a lot of games after spending a full day in the office.

Hmmm, I guess I learned a few things from him after all and I am following in his footsteps - he's just got big shoes to fill.

Contact Craig Purcell at 824-1036 or cpurcell@tcnpress.com