Snail mail

Thanks again to the alumni donations, which continue to come in on a regular basis since my mailing of a few weeks ago. I am humbled by everyone's generosity.

More than the donations, which we will put to good use (THAT'S A GUARANTEE!), what warms my heart are the very nice and thoughtful letters I have received from alumni -- especially the men who graduated in the late 1990s. They are far enough removed from the program to certainly not know any current team members. But their college careers are not so far in the rearview mirror. As a result, they have recalled "some of the best years of their lives," as many have written.

One of the things Phil and I were always proud of -- perhaps more so than the actual trophies and school records -- were the close-knit bonds that team members had and continue to maintain through the years. We travel and practice together on an almost daily basis for the better part of nine months. It's an added bonus when you love each other's company. Chuck and I strive to continue the warm atmosphere, all the while trying to field faster and faster teams. A delicate balance.

Anyway: In this age of email, texts, Twitter and Facebook, how nice it is to receive short, handwritten notes from long-ago friends. Please keep them coming. I'm saving them all.