Part 1: Dad The Sportsman
My father, the Rev. Dr. Thomas P. Batong, joined his Creator on August 16 at the age of 76 and laid to rest on August 20.
He was an accomplished and humble man especially in the Lutheran ministry where he served as translator, educator, pastor, missionary, professor, dean and as a church leader in many ways. Throughout the years, what I remembered most was his solid patience mindless of all the problems that hounded the church. He stuck to his plan, never challenging those who tried to douse him with negatives, but prayed for them while never ever showing a hint of anger. The success he had locally and abroad was something he always downplayed at home or outside, preferring to keep things in his stoic and low key manner. There are countless experiences I'd like to write about my old man but for now I'd like to share something that bound us together outside of his ministry - sports.
Dad was a fan of the Minnesota Twins (U.S. pro baseball), Minnesota Vikings and the Greenbay Packers (U.S. pro football). He started being a fan while studying in the U.S. shortly before Martial Law was declared in 1972. I guess it was his visits in Minnesota and Wisconsin that got him hooked with pro baseball and football. Last year, he was so happy to have finally watched a Super Bowl won by the Greenbay Packers after a long SB drought.
It was through sports, especially baseball and football, that my brother and I would relate to him in a different level. He loved to predict the plays before they're executed. In contrast, I was more into player stats and records while he would be more into the overall game analysis. Somewhere in the middle of a game, he'd be like a normal person rooting hard especially after a homerun or a touchdown - whooping it up. He developed a style, never having a favorite player, but always having a favorite team. These I would later read as his personality for teamplay and to look at games as a long-term effort. Sometimes, I'd pique on him for some unwanted plays or calls, but he never took the bait. I guess he almost always knew it would go nowhere but must have considered those moments as a way of getting in touch with you rather than discussing other serious matters. )
Anyway, thanks 'lakay' for bringing us to the Baguio Athletic Bowl in 1976 to watch the Ilocos Region Athletic Association (IRAA) games, for taking us to a baseball game at Cominsky Park in 1979, for the old golf clubs, for watching my football games and track games in grade school, and until two weeks ago when we watched a bit of the Yankees game on ESPN. We'll miss you.
Overall, you won the game dad. Requiescat in pace...
He was an accomplished and humble man especially in the Lutheran ministry where he served as translator, educator, pastor, missionary, professor, dean and as a church leader in many ways. Throughout the years, what I remembered most was his solid patience mindless of all the problems that hounded the church. He stuck to his plan, never challenging those who tried to douse him with negatives, but prayed for them while never ever showing a hint of anger. The success he had locally and abroad was something he always downplayed at home or outside, preferring to keep things in his stoic and low key manner. There are countless experiences I'd like to write about my old man but for now I'd like to share something that bound us together outside of his ministry - sports.
Dad was a fan of the Minnesota Twins (U.S. pro baseball), Minnesota Vikings and the Greenbay Packers (U.S. pro football). He started being a fan while studying in the U.S. shortly before Martial Law was declared in 1972. I guess it was his visits in Minnesota and Wisconsin that got him hooked with pro baseball and football. Last year, he was so happy to have finally watched a Super Bowl won by the Greenbay Packers after a long SB drought.
It was through sports, especially baseball and football, that my brother and I would relate to him in a different level. He loved to predict the plays before they're executed. In contrast, I was more into player stats and records while he would be more into the overall game analysis. Somewhere in the middle of a game, he'd be like a normal person rooting hard especially after a homerun or a touchdown - whooping it up. He developed a style, never having a favorite player, but always having a favorite team. These I would later read as his personality for teamplay and to look at games as a long-term effort. Sometimes, I'd pique on him for some unwanted plays or calls, but he never took the bait. I guess he almost always knew it would go nowhere but must have considered those moments as a way of getting in touch with you rather than discussing other serious matters. )
Anyway, thanks 'lakay' for bringing us to the Baguio Athletic Bowl in 1976 to watch the Ilocos Region Athletic Association (IRAA) games, for taking us to a baseball game at Cominsky Park in 1979, for the old golf clubs, for watching my football games and track games in grade school, and until two weeks ago when we watched a bit of the Yankees game on ESPN. We'll miss you.
Overall, you won the game dad. Requiescat in pace...
