Becoming a Baseball Wife

If you had told me more than 10 years ago that I would marry into baseball, I wouldn’t have given it much thought. My husband, FF, and I have been together for 9 years… 2 of those as a married couple. We are now entering our 6th baseball season together and I have to say, it is definitely not an easy thing to get used to. FF is an amateur baseball scout, which means he goes to high schools and colleges searching for potential professional talent. This wasn’t what he thought he’d end up doing in life, but when the recession hit back in 2008, his Masters in Religious Studies and Asian Philosophy wasn’t working for him… so he decided to go back to the sport that was ingrained in him and that lived in his blood since he was born: Baseball.

By a little stroke of good luck, hard work, and the vision of a kind man, FF got a job as a scout and moved to Louisville, KY in 2009. During those times, everyone was being laid off, so accepting the job in another state was an absolute no-brainer. That’s when it all started. He packed up some of his stuff, found a place to live, and left. I was all alone. I became a baseball girlfriend overnight.

We ended up being able to see each other once about every two months, and it was usually me flying to see him, because as I eventually was forced to learn, he was never in the same place for too long. He was constantly traveling, following teams, players, tournaments, practices, etc. So I flew in and out of Louisville, Nashville, Detroit, you name it. I visited Lexington, Knoxville and other cool cities…but I also went to many other middle-of-nowhere towns with nothing to see but ballparks and gas stations. We were always on the road for at least 3 hours a day. Then I would fly back home and cry because I would miss him so much, and it wasn’t like I was going home to an amazingly wonderful, “can’t-wait-to-get-to-my-work” type of job. I had nothing to look forward to at home.

It made me sad and a little depressed. I would work longer hours at my job, not because they were required or because I wanted to prove something,  but because it just took my mind off of FF. During this time, I got two promotions with raises. You’d think I would feel good about that, but I felt indifferent. In the evenings I would get home to watch TV and numb the saddening feeling. I did go out with my friends, worked on my album and for a while there I joined a band and sang occasionally, but it was evident that my main source of happiness was not there with me. By the end of the 2010 baseball season I was weighing 100lbs and looking at houses online in Louisville, KY.

Luckily, after two years of being apart, our prayers got answered and FF got transferred to the South Florida and Puerto Rico area. We were over-the-moon excited! Not only was he going to come home, but he was now going to be traveling to Puerto Rico (our native home) quite often! Months after that, he proposed on a rooftop in candle light, with our song playing in the background, some bubbly, a gorgeous ring that he picked out himself (brownie points) and flowers. The man didn’t skip a beat. I also didn’t miss the opportunity to yell “I’m engaged!” from the rooftop á la Monica Geller from Friends. :-) Those two years apart made us stronger and now we couldn’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together.

Now he travels all over South Florida, Puerto Rico, other domestic areas, as well as the occasional international locations. He’s gone a lot between the months of January and June. He works every day of the week, and is busiest during the weekends. It’s difficult to deal with a sporadic and ever-changing schedule, but ultimately, you get used to it and appreciate the benefits it brings. We vacation during the off-season, which for FF is November-December and during this time the amount of work decreases so we pretty much enjoy our time together. The most difficult thing for him/us has been not being able to attend some of our friends’ weddings, or other family gatherings, due to his schedule. Some people don’t get it, but that’s just how it is for us.

My husband loves his job, and he’s part of my inspiration in finding a career that fits me like a glove. What man wouldn’t want to work in sports? One thing that I do consider a perk about his job is that once he’s home, he doesn’t really watch sports unless it’s the Superbowl, playoffs, or a big event like the Olympics. That’s pretty cool. That doesn’t mean, however, that he’s not constantly reading about it on his phone, or watching videos on ESPN.com. Ha!

Well, this is a pretty short and general account of how I became a baseball wife. I am so proud of my husband. This life is so rewarding, but also so frustrating at times. I will be sharing more anecdotes and moments as the season starts. Maybe it can help some other baseball wives out there too. You never know.

Thanks for reading and be sure to kiss your spouse everyday! Lucky you if you get to see him/her everyday! Kiss them twice!!
Did you see my Music Video for “No te Necesito”? Watch it HERE and enter to win a free download of my EP, “Dulce”. Giveaway ends on February 13th 2014, 11:59pm.

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