Love or duty

Good hitting requires good timing. Here's a story about the timeliest hit I have ever witnessed.

My little sister was married on NFL jerseys Saturday near Port Colborne, Ontario. The city sits on the northeast shore of Lake Erie, a two-hour drive from downtown Toronto..
Early on, starting pitchers David Purcey and Ian Snell were working at a pretty good pace, and this made my frequent glances at the Rogers Centre clock less concerning. But things slowly changed; Purcey started to leave some pitches up, and his control began to wane. Soon, the bullpen was called in to action, and we all know pitching changes take time.
On the opposing side, Snell was moving through the order efficiently, until Jose Bautista hit a sixth-inning home run that brought Toronto to within a run. By the seventh, the Mariners increased the lead to two and, this being another non-playoff year, I felt content with the situation if it meant seeing my only sister married.
But then the eighth inning arrived. Aaron Hill hit a double, and Adam Lind stepped to the plate.
Funny things can happen when the love of family and devotion to a team intersect. So when Lind hit his game-tying shot over the left-field wall, I became a bundle of confliction. Extra-innings appeared likely.
When the Blue Jays needed to shut down Seattle in the ninth, they brought in the right man for the job. I admire Jason Frasor in every sense; as a person and as a pitcher. And I don't mind his habit of taking long strolls around the mound when contemplating his next pitch.
Except, of course, on the day my sister is getting married.
That day, I was scheduled to broadcast the afternoon game between the Blue Jays and Mariners, knowing the average ballgame lasts about three hours. The exchange of vows was scheduled for 6:30pm, so if Saturday was destined to be an average game, I'd roll in to Port Colborne with about a half-hour to spare
Fortunately, Frasor was exceptional in the ninth. Unfortunately, he was about to throw another inning. The Blue Jays went down in order in the bottom half, and my greatest fear was realized: they're going to play at least 10.
Now, it's easy to suggest a wedding could simply be delayed to accommodate a late-arriving brother, but you must understand this: the reception hall was stocked with about 600 beers. My family likes beer. My soon-to-be brother-in-laws' family likes beer. The congregation wasn't going to let the absence of one person impede their plans for a good party.
I knew this as I watched the Rogers Centre clock hit 4:10 pm. It was the bottom of the tenth.
None more than me.
After a replay of the game-winner, and a quick sign-off (that's TV-speak for saying goodbye), I was out of the broadcast booth quicker than Carl Crawford. My car was parked so strategically that by the time I got to the highway, radio announcer Jerry Howarth was still engrossed in his game recap.

The drive was relatively smooth, save for a smoldering car outside St. Catherines that caused a minor delay.

By the time I finally rolled in to the church parking lot, the pews were full and the bride was moments from making her entrance.

Dedication to the job is extremely important, but in my world, family comes first. Thanks to Adam Lind for ensuring this on Saturday.