To the Best Game in the World…

 

This is it.

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For the past twenty-two years, I have been fortunate enough to have a belonging. A true belonging to you.  You have frustrated, angered, and saddened me…but you have also brought me the greatest joy and happiness I have experienced to this point in my life.  You have taught me life lessons that will far extend past my playing days.  You have taught me that no matter how many times I fall, I must get back up. Always.  Thank you for teaching me the importance of teamwork.  Thank you for teaching me that failure is absolutely necessary to be successful at anything.  Thank you for teaching me how to take criticism, and use it as fuel to become better.  Thank you for teaching me the importance of hard work, for without it, I had absolutely no chance.  Thank you for teaching me that success is impossible to achieve without sacrifice.  Thank you for teaching me how to control my emotions, both the good and the bad.  Thank you for testing my commitment and dedication through many injuries I endured throughout my career.  Finally, thank you for giving me lifelong friends.  I am forever grateful for the friendship and brotherhood I have developed with hundreds of former teammates.  You have allowed me to create lasting relationships with many coaches and mentors.  You have forced me to grow up; encouraged me to become a man.

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I am thankful for the opportunity to play college baseball.  I am appreciative of Coach Black for always giving me the best chance to be successful, both on and off the field.  In addition, I was blessed to have a mentor throughout my career in Coach Kincaid.  Without his guidance and influx of knowledge, I would not have been as successful in the game.  I have been lucky to grow as a player around a minor-league clubhouse.  Spending five years around the Carolina Mudcats with guys like Francisco Lindor, Tyler Naquin, Danny Salazar, and Tony Wolters has given me an opportunity to watch & learn from some of the best the game has to offer.  I have greatly benefited from playing with guys who are now in all levels of professional baseball- The Bigs, AAA, AA, A, Rookie, Indy, you name it.  I have been fortunate in wearing ‘USA’ across my chest for brief stints in the National Team Identification Series & the Breakthrough Series.  I say all of these things not to boast, but to acknowledge that I will forever be indebted to the game of baseball.  I could never do anything to repay you for all the experiences you have provided me over the past twenty-two years of my life.

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To my Teammates & Coaches…

 

Thank you for showing up to the ballpark every day with a true desire to get better.  Thank you for pushing me, encouraging me, and fighting for me even on my worst days.  Thank you for giving me something to hang onto for the rest of my life - the experiences; something far more valuable than anything tangible.  The wins and losses do not compare in importance to the relationships built.  The imperfection of the game of baseball is what made it fun and enjoyable for me.

 

A piece of me will always be the child who fell in love with the game at age four.  I will always carry inside me a passion for the game of baseball, and a true desire to help other people achieve the level of success I have been able to achieve and beyond.  As with all things, I would not be where I am today, writing this letter, if it weren’t for the countless coaches, teammates and mentors who always had faith in my abilities and supported me every day in pursuing my dream.

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To my Mom and my Dad…

 

Thank you for believing in me even when no one else did, including myself.  Thank you for funding all my baseball endeavors regardless of whether it made sense to you or not.  Thank you for the time commitment, and the thousands of hours in cars driving up and down the east coast to watch me play.  But most of all, thank you for giving me your unconditional love and support throughout my playing career.  I love you.

 

In saying this, it is true that all good things must come to an end.  It pains me to walk away, at least as a player, from something that has transformed me into who I am today.  I do have other goals and aspirations.  I have other dreams.  And I will undoubtedly set out to achieve those at all costs.  But nothing…nothing in the world can come close to giving me what the game of baseball has.  I will forever be thankful for that.

 

 

 

With deep love & compassion,

 

Logan Jones

Guilford College Baseball #5