It was an uplifting day today in spite of all the negative news that seems to dominate the headlines today pertaining to baseball, the game we all love and owe so much to for bringing us a lot of joy and enabling many to earn a nice living. I received two of the most heartwarming and yet heart wrenching emails; stories that brought memories back from 25-40 years ago about youngsters who were touched by the charm of the game.

Here is an excerpt from one of them: 
“….I wasn't into baseball very much at 6 yrs old when I met you.  But, after spending time at your farm and my dad spending that very brief time with you, I just fell in love with the game. That is only the beginning, however.  When I was 12 yrs old, I was diagnosed with leukemia and not given much of a chance to make it. The treatments were painful and intense, as you might imagine.  But, I believe along with the help of God and my family, baseball was instrumental in beating the cancer. Every day I sat in that hospital just waiting for the treatments to end so I could get outside and play on my little league team and then later on, my high school team.  So, Jim, thank you for being so kind to my dad and to me as well.  I don't know what I would have done without baseball to focus on while I was fighting through that time in my life.” Chuck from Leola, PA

If you have a chance, please go to my website, JimKaat.com, and click on Fan Letters to read these wonderful letters written by real baseball fans. Wow!  They are stories that brought tears to my eyes because I remember both events like they happened yesterday. I hope today’s players never lose sight of the fact that the fans and their love of baseball keeps the game alive.

On a personal note, I’d like to thank all of those who have written me over the past 40 years. The letters I’ve received are inspirational, touching, and chicken soup for the soul. For those who I’ve been blessed to meet at the stadiums, on the street, and during scheduled appearances, it was an honor to meet you. Thank you for taking the time to visit with me.

Speaking of appearances, I'm getting ready to launch my 'summer tour' next week.  If I’m coming to your town (I’m covering a lot of ground this summer!) and you have the time, come out and say hello! My summer schedule can be found here:  Jim’s Schedule. To start my journey, I plan to watch my 11 year old grandson, Brendan, play a couple games in Ridgewood, NJ, and then head to New England to announce the NY Yankees v. Boston Red Sox game on June 11th at Fenway Park.  It’s always an exciting opportunity to cover those games; it’s 4-5 hours of trauma and drama for the players and managers,  and usually a roller coaster ride for the fans as well! 

 Shortly after that, I'm heading to Cooperstown, NY, to participate in the National Baseball Hall of Fame game on Father's Day, June 21. The game was originally played between current major league teams but this year it will be played by former star players. Even Bob Feller, at age 90, is hoping to throw a few pitches-- I can't wait to see that! 

Then I'll head to Fargo, ND, to play in the Roger Maris Celebrity Golf Tournament . Billy Crystal will be there to show the film he did, '61', about the great battle for the home run record between Roger and Mickey Mantle.  Then I’m off to sign autographs at the Bob Feller Museum in Bob's hometown of Van Meter, Iowa.  In early July, I’m heading to Hannibal, Missouri, to work with the pitchers on the Hannibal Cavemen baseball team and attend the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame induction ceremonies; Brad Radke, one of the Twins stalwart pitchers for many years will be inducted along with George Brophy, a friend and baseball executive who was a part of the Twins player development department that produced a lot of good major leaguers.  Then I’m off to the MLB’s All Star game in St. Louis on July 14th.

Some of you may know, I started a memorial fund in memory of my late wife, MaryAnn Kaat, after she succumbed to cancer last year. The funds were used to erect lights at the Jim Kaat Baseball Park in Zeeland, Michigan. We are proud to announce that the lights are up and the first game under them was last week! In honor of MaryAnn, I will unveil and erect a plaque with her name on it at the baseball park when I am there in late July for the Jim Kaat Invitational Little League Tournament. Whew! I'm getting tired just thinking about all the miles I'll be logging in my new Roadtrek RV!
In August, I will attend the Philadelphia Phillies Alumni Weekend from August 7 – 10th, and on the 22nd , deliver a speech at the Jockey Club Chairmen's Dinner in Saratoga during racing week. As an avid horse fan, this is one of my favorite summer stops.  

October 18 - 19, I will finally get back to my home in Florida and on the golf course to play in the 14th Annual Tim Mara Celebrity Golf Classic at the PGA National Resort & Spa, in West Palm Beach, Florida, to benefit The Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope.

As you can see, semi-retirement is keeping me active and I've enjoyed every minute of it ---I’m looking forward to an exciting summer and I’d love to see you on one of my many stops! Thanks for your continued interest and valued comments on my website and Kaat’s Korner blog.