On the Bench with Byron Higgin

Very touching tributes. Donnie Schuelke was honored at the Minneota Mudhens game on Friday. Both the Mudhens and Appleton players lined up on the baseline for moments of silence to honor Schuelke, who died in a car accident. It was a somber, but touching moment.

Another moment will come Thursday during the Minneota vs. Dawson American Legion doubleheader. In between games, Coach Keven Larson will retire the No. 11 of Schuelke, never to be worn again, unless one of his brothers chooses to wear it when they become varsity players.

These are very nice tributes to a kid who touched so many lives. But there was another moment, almost not noticed during the Appleton game.

With Minneota leading 1-0 in the sixth inning, two out and one one, Appleton’s Jay Schreck sent the ball hurtling high and far toward the bleachers or the football pressbox in centerfield. It appeared to all to be a long home run and would have made the score 2-1, Appleton. But Mudhen manager and centerfielder Tyson Sonnenburg went high into the air, his cap came off, then he came down and nearly buckled his knees, but stayed standing up. Nobody was sure where the ball was. But Sonnenburg straightened up, thrust his arm into the air and showed he’d caught the ball.

The ironic part was the way he ran into the infield and dugout — not heroically, not with a loud smile on his face — but with a kinda of “glow” about him ... or maybe, with an expression of awe and wonder. Teammate Austin Buysse stretched out his arms to greet him, but Sonnenburg ran past, not changing his expression.

As he came to the dugout, he was told, “Great catch Tyson!” He looked at the person doing the greeting and said, “I had help out there!” They he looked up. It was obvious Sonnenburg felt as though he’d received help from somewhere — and he looked like he knew from where it came.

He’d been very close to Donnie Schuelke, helping him learn the game of baseball through the years. He was stricken so hard by Schuelke’s death he nearly didn’t play the games the previous Sunday.

But his obligation as manager forced him onto the field. Now, with Schuelke’s memory deep in his heart, Tyson Sonnenburg had one of those moments — one that makes you suddenly KNOW there is help on this earth from above.

Although not much more needs to be said than that, one more thing occurred to me after Tyson made his statement about getting help in centerfield.

Oh, yes ... Donnie Schuelke was a centerfielder. And he most certainly would have also made that catch.

Angels in the Outfield??