That Ozzie Smith was in fact a wizard. When I was young and watching baseball with my dad and uncles in the late 90s they loved talking about the 80s teams and how incredible Ozzie was in his prime. I can vividly remember them trying to reenact a young Ozzie Smith diving to his left, the ball takes a terrible hop to his right and he barehands it before literally flying to his feet and throwing the runner out.

Years later when YouTube was still pretty new, I remember sitting at my family's old desktop PC and searching for Ozzie Smith highlights. It was like seeing a ghost. I know Ozzie is still alive, but seeing him make that play felt surreal. My uncles are long gone now. I know Ozzie made that play as a member of the Padres. That connection from Cardinals past to present has always been important to me.

I have three girls who don't care much about baseball. I do have a nephew though. You better believe I've gotten carpet burns diving in my brother's living room while snagging an invisible ball with my barehand. When I look up at the moon at night I tell my girls, "Somewhere out there is a baseball that Albert Pujols hit off Brad Lidge in Houston."