A sports miracle, if you will, as Washougal’s John Scukanec plays catch with Ken Griffey Jr at Seattle T-Mobile Park
Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com
John Scukanek, a baseball romanticist and Seattle Mariners fan from Washougal, who set out to play catch with someone every day for a year completed journey Wednesday morning.
In Seattle.
At T-Mobile Park.
A Journey with Junior.
That’s right. Day 365 of Catch 365 was John Scukanek playing catch with Ken Griffey Jr.
Seriously.
Clark County Today’s Paul Valencia was Day 348, and he wrote about Scukanek and the origins of Catch 365. For that story, see: Catch 365: One man’s quest to play catch every day for a year
Scukanek had hoped for something special for Day 365.
Then a sports miracle happened. Miracle? Well, yes. That’s the way Scukanek described it on social media.
“I’ve done the match. It doesn’t add up. There’s just now way. How did this happen?” Scukanec wrote.
“One year ago, I went out into my backyard at night, in the rain and I played catch with my son. I haven’t missed a day since.
“365 days later, somehow, I walked out onto the field at T-Mobile Park and played catch again. With Ken Griffey Jr.
“Baseball Hall of Famer. The greatest Mariners of all time. My favorite player.”
He noted how if someone had said a year ago that this could happen, he would have said no chance.
“But sports are filled with miracles, Hail Mary’s, and buzzer beaters. Dreams come true all the time. That’s why we watch. Yet I still don’t really believe what just happened.”
Oh, it happened. He took pictures and video.
To see more of Scukanek’s message, go to his Twitter page at: @jsukanec
Also read:
- Former Vancouver sports administrator, now working in Nevada, predicts big things for girls flag football
Albert Alcantar, now in Las Vegas, says Washington’s new WIAA-sanctioned girls flag football program could mirror the success Nevada has already seen. - Vancouver selected for National Million Coaches Challenge
Vancouver Parks and Recreation has been chosen to participate in the Million Coaches Challenge, a national initiative to train youth sports coaches in inclusive, developmentally focused practices. - WDFW approves eight days of coastal razor clam digs beginning April 26WDFW has approved eight days of razor clam digs beginning April 26, with tentative final digs set for May 10–15, pending marine toxin test results.
- WIAA sanctions girls flag football; advisory vote on girls sports eligibility fails to gain 60 percent approvalThe WIAA has officially sanctioned girls flag football as a high school sport in Washington and updated several eligibility rules, while a controversial advisory vote narrowly failed.
- Clark County begins construction on Harmony Sports Complex improvementsClark County has begun parking lot and safety improvements at Harmony Sports Complex, including 200 new paved stalls and a new access point.
