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FPF: The Simple Reason Why I Love Z

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Here's an awesome response to today's prompt from long time LLer occasional first pitch thrower, Brittney Bush.

I knew I loved Mike Zunino the moment I saw him hit a home run into my season ticket seat.

I wasn't in the seat at the time. I wasn't even at the game that day, for reasons long forgotten. But as I watched an unsuspecting baseball follow its final trajectory far across the Safeco outfield and into the bleachers above the Mariners bullpen, I was filled less with regret than with simple awe. Not many people can hit a ball that far, past the wall in nearly-center field and then some. Mike Zunino could.

There are a lot of things to love about Mike. His pitch framing, his lightning throws to second, his goofy smile, all of the cute Instagram photos of him and his niece. But through all the frustrating at bats, all of the overeager strikeouts, the one thing I always hoped for the most was for Mike to take me back to that childlike feeling of wonder as I watched one of the simplest, yet most challenging athletic feats: to hit a round ball with a round stick really, really far.

For Mike to take me home.