I am Michael Pauldine
living with ALS
New York
One of the first signs of ALS came as I was playing baseball. I hit a weak grounder to third and as I was trying to dig it out and run to first as hard as I could, I tripped and fell. It was the first sign of foot drop caused by ALS.
Some parents get to brag to the other when a child’s first word is mama or dada. Mine had no such luck because my first word was ball. I have no memories of a time when baseball wasn’t a part of my life. Sure, I remember my first wiffleball bat and my first glove. Baseball is how I made friends.
When my elementary music teacher would take requests for the group sing a long, I without fail would ask for Take Me Out to the Ballgame. I played some sort of organized ball every summer. When I got my learner’s permit, my first long stretch of driving was to Montreal to see my San Francisco Giants play the Expos.
The only three summers I didn’t play organized ball were the three summers getting my master’s degree in teaching. Teaching is one of two things that baseball ever took a back seat to.
My first airplane trip was to San Francisco to see the Giants play at home for the first time. My love of baseball would bring me to the love of my life. I met my wife on the airplane ride home. We were married on a day my adult league baseball team was scheduled to play. She is the other reason baseball will take a back seat. Rest assured, I did wear my baseball socks with my tux for the occasion.
One of the first signs of ALS came as I was playing baseball. I hit a weak grounder to third and as I was trying to dig it out and run to first as hard as I could, I tripped and fell. It was the first sign of foot drop caused by ALS.
In the past year as my physical abilities have disappeared, I’ve tried to find mental activities. One of them is stratomatic baseball that I play over zoom with a dear friend of mine. He was the best man at my wedding and is still living up to that title. Baseball has been the backdrop to my whole life.
