Boys of Summer book Entry #56

INTERVIEWING JEFF SHINHOLT & SONS

Our Baltimore friend/contact (who has Parkinson's Disease)

Bob:
How has Parkinson’s Disease affected you as a father?

JS: It’s caused me to think a little bit more about the long term effects of Parkinson’s. But right now I’m just living day to day...you don’t just sit here and count the days as they go by you make every day count. 

Bob:
Can you tell me about the best play you ever made in little league?

JS:
Best play I ever made in little league was when I was 12 years old. I played third base. There was a left handed hitter and the last time he was up I know he came my way. So I shied over toward the line a little bit and he lined one right down the line. And I dove for it, got airborne, snagged the ball. It was the last out of the game and my teammates came out and put me on my shoulders. That was probably the best experience I can remember growing up with little league.

Bob:
What was your feeling when you heard about your dad having Parkinson’s Disease?

Michael Shinholt(MS):
Well, at that point, I didn’t really know what it was so, I thought, what’s this going to be like? Is anything really going to change?  Now with this whole running thing it’s really part of his life now.

Bob:
Have things changed for you in your perception of your dad?

MS:
I don’t really think of him that much different because it doesn’t seem to affect him that much. He ‘s just...he’s always been the same dad to me.

Bob: (TO YS)
What did you think when you heard about your dad having Parkinson’s?

YOUNGER SON:
I didn’t know what it was either so I didn’t really care.

Bob:
Did it scare you?

YS:
Not really.

Bob:
You’ve seen your dad has had some changes since then.

YS:
Yeah.

Bob:
How does that make you feel?

YS:
It doesn’t make me feel bad like...it doesn’t make me feel any different.

Bob:
You still love your dad the same?

YS:
Yeah.

Bob: Why is baseball important for fathers and sons?

JS:
We’ve built memories together. We’ve gone to baseball games for birthday parties and things like that where 10 years down from now we’ll be able to look back, look at the pictures and say, remember that? You were 10 years old and we brought your buddies out to the ball game and we almost caught a couple of foul balls. I remember one time during the All-Star practice, my son and I came out and we caught a foul ball. We had to wrestle for it with a couple of other guys but we came up with it and it was our ball. That was a fun thing to do and a memory I’ll always have.

Bob: (to MS):
Do you remember that one?

MS:
No.

JS:
(laughs) ‘Cause I got the ball.

Park Number Seven (of 30) at Camden Yards

Tampa Bay 3, Baltimore 1 Park #7
WP: M. Hendrickson (6-6)   LP: R. Lopez (6-5)

A’s were SLAMMED by Boston, 11-0 -- ewwwwwww...