Dirk Hayhurst's Blog

Words and thoughts still trying to make it to the big leagues...

Hang Up Your Cleats, 4. Finding Your Next Passion

When you go to your first career-level job interview after baseball, you’ll most likely get asked this question:“What’s your passion.”You could say baseball. You wouldn’t be lying.But, look, unless this is a baseball related job, the interviewer will most...

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Hang Up Your Cleats, 3. Run Back To Baseball

Right now, a lot is changing for you. That driving, all-consuming force that propelled you is gone. The sun is gone. The seasons don’t change. You have no sense of direction. Where are you? What are you? Your first instinct will be a fear reaction. Flight....

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Hang Up Your Cleats, 2. Job Skills: Baseball

The day of the interview, you may feel a slight sting. That’s just pride, fucking with you. Fuck pride. It only hurts. It never helps. You interview through that shit. Because a year from now, when you’re kicking yourself in a cubicle, you’re going to say...

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Hang Up Your Cleats, 1. The Long Out

If you want to play at the Major League level, you’ll need to start specializing early.We’ll be generous and say 10 years old is when you started.At 10 you realized you could throw thunderbolts. Pills. Ched. Heat. Smoke. Fuzz. Gas.You could throw...

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Stop Exploiting Minor League Players

No player, in all my time in baseball, has ever said to me that they play because they simply can't wait to get fat off their sweet minor league paychecks, and coast.When I started writing about the minor leagues so many years ago, I was often told—among...

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Half Man. Half Cow. All Baseball.

**Unedited Proof**“I need some ice.” I said, tapping myself in the arm and leaving The Panther to search for it. When I arrived at the locker room, an athletic assistant serving the team as part of a college sports internship said that we could get it for...

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Broad Strokes

I’m going to regret writing this... I voted for Obama. I voted for him twice. I voted for Hillary. I voted for her because— “You’re a liberal! You want minorities to rule the country! You want handouts. You don’t want to work. You want...

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Adoption Quest, 10. The Newlyweds

My grandfather is getting married Saturday. He’s 89. I’ve not met the woman. I know her name, Barbara, but I don’t know her. My mom’s spent all of 4 hours with her. Some of my mom’s siblings have not met her. She’s got kids and her kids have kids, but we’ve not met...

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Adoption Quest, 9. The Advantage

Bon and I moved recently. A short trip. The next town over. Uncle Rico could throw a football and hit it. They say it’s a downgrade for us. Lower quality school district from that whence we came. Bigger house, but dated. Lower taxes and bigger yard, but fewer white...

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Adoption Quest, 8. The Baseline

“It’s okay. The baseline is rejection, right?” Says Bonnie, updating me on the latest adoption “scenario” result. The baseline is rejection. God—so much of life summed up in one phrase. Bonnie got the email that morning. New mom, just had the baby. No plan. Looking...

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Adoption Quest, 7. The if and Whens

2017 and still no baby. Bonnie and I have been matched with mothers 7 times now, nothing has panned out. Sucks, but there it is The holidays were a trial. Christmas is for kids to get presents and for adults to practice their conflict management skills. It’s  about...

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Adoption Quest, 6. The Wrong Kind of Honest.

White shirts or blue Shirts? Or black shirts? Black turtlenecks like Steve Jobs—American legend, innovator, and insanely rich white guy. Wait. Steve Jobs or Bruce Springsteen? Successful or relatable? Wrap your arms around these engines or get your thumbs on this...

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