Winning a World Series ring is the feat that all pro baseball players chase. Rod Barajas won one in 2001 as part of the Arizona Diamondbacks team that beat the New York Yankees.
Four years ago, Barajas went to retrieve his ring. He wanted to wear it. But it was missing. As was a World Series pendant he had made for his wife, Stacie. Losing a World Series ring? That's not as painful as losing an actual World Series, but it's gotta be close.
Fast forward to last week. Barajas, now 37 and with Diamondbacks again, competing for a back-up catching job, was reunited with his missing ring. As MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports, it happened in a most unusual way.
The tale begins with another loss. Stacie's 93-year-old grandmother died. Rod and Stacie traveled to the funeral. And that's when the mystery of the missing World Series ring was solved:
Before leaving the couple's home in San Diego, Stacie tried on a pair of shoes she had not worn in years. She tried one foot on, determined it matched her outfit and packed both shoes for the trip.
While getting ready at the hotel just before the funeral, Stacie put on both shoes for the first time. Only there was a problem with the one she hadn't tried on before she left. There was something in the toe blocking her foot.
"I was getting ready and my wife yelled out, 'Guess what I just found?'" Barajas said. "We're in a hotel room and I'm like, what could you find in a hotel room?"
As it turns out, you can find a 2001 World Series ring and pendant.
We all know how it feels to dig into the closet, pull out a jacket you haven't worn in a while and find $5 in the pocket. It's one of life's most serendipitous triumphs.
Imagine that times a thousand.
Spring training is here. Stretch out with us.
Follow @MikeOz and @bigleaguestew, on Twitter, along with the BLS Facebook page.
No comments:
Post a Comment