Wow, some pretty interesting life histories here. And the vast majorityhave rural upbringings with very few city slickers thrown in.

I'm one of the exceptions. I grew up in a big city and didn't escape until I was about 24. It was relatively mild in those days and at one time I even delivered newspapers for a large daily that had to be done starting at 4:30 in the morning. I think now you'd get mugged half a dozen times a round.

By good fortune, I chose a profession that got me out of there - the mining industry. Also by a bit of a fluke and somewhat of a whim, my wife and I bought a farm in 1974. I was a terrible farmer to start with but we had great neighbors who helped us get smarter, and only laughed when we weren't nearby. We put up a bunch of hay every year, always had a few cows (both beef and dairy), and raised and showed Quarter horses. Sold the farm in 1995 and still have enough acres to run a 3D course throught the woods.

So now I've lived rurally a good bit longer than I spent in the city, and glad of it. Once in a blue moon, I go back for whatever reason and the traffic about drives me nuts. Where we are, there's great whitetail, mule deer, elk, moose, and bear hunting, as well as a bunch of smaller game. Fishing is pretty good too.

As for you ball players, the nearby town hosts a big invitational tournament every September. We've had the likes of Larry Walker and John Olerud play here before they became stars.