I sat in bed working while Josh was still sleeping. He always looks a million times more peaceful than he even should while he is knocked out and dreaming.
I heard his phone ringing, well it was on vibrate so I heard it vibrating, I jumped up to get it. Typically, I will answer if I know the number but today there was no caller ID just an unknown number. I shook him awake and said, "Hey Josh, the phone is ringing wake up!" His response..."ughhhhhhhhhhh" He popped up and in the fakest,oh-yeah-I-haven't-been-sleeping-all-day voice, he answers the phone.
It didn't take me but a couple of muffled words to recognize the voice of Wally Backman, Josh's coach in Buffalo. I saw Josh's face turn into a shocked, scared, fully involved emotional look. I immediately realized what this was. Josh Edgin was being called up to the New York Mets Major League Team.
He got off the phone, stood up, and put his arms around me. I have seen that look and felt that sort of hug once before...the day he was drafted by the Mets back in 2010. There wasn't much time to sit around and chit-chat about it because he had to pack his bags and get ready to board a plane to NYC.
There is no one more deserving of this role. People may say I am biased and of course I am but he is amazing. He is the sweetest most hard-working man I know. He was a 30th round draft pick and in two short years has earned himself a spot on the 40-man roster for the New York Mets.
There it was. Our lives were changing again. I packed a small suitcase and all of the necessities and left early the next morning to head south to Atlanta, GA where the Mets would be opening their second half.
I sat in the stands shaking and barely breathing when he hustled out to the mound from the bullpen last Friday night. He came in with the bases loaded and one out. What did he do?? He struck two guys out!!A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! They brought him back in the next inning and he struck a couple more out then it was time to face Chipper Jones. Chipper Jones, twice our age and I am certain we have all idolized him at some point in our youth. Just one strike away and Josh left one hanging...Chipper didn't waste one second and cleared the fence in left-center. But who cares?!?!?! This was his debut and he did so wonderful. I was crying joyous tears in the stands at Turner Field while everyone probably thought I was a nut case. My guy, standing right there, big on the mound at Turner Field, doing what he has dreamed of doing since he was old enough to hold a baseball.
Saturday night, he jogged out to the mound once again and he didn't disappoint. THREE strikeouts. At least this time I didn't cry. Just smiled and smiled almost feeling the joy and overwhelming pride that he must have been feeling.
That picture was Josh pitching to Chipper Jones right before the big hit. It was the only picture I could snap through all of my anxiousness. He was incredible.
I always wondered what Josh would be like when he got to do this one day. What the day would feel like when all of his baseball dreams came true? God has truly blessed us with knowing what it feels like now. There have been times when our faith has probably ran just a little low but we held on and Joshua kept working his hardest to get where he is.
I am so proud of my Major League New York Mets Pitcher, and I am more than thrilled that I get to stand by his side through it all.
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