BONDING OVER FAMILY

I’ve known the Hensley family since Ty Hensley signed with the New York Yankees in 2012.  They are wonderful people.  I'm not gonna lie though, I never really knew how Bleeding Yankee blue would be persecived by a new comer to the Yankee family.  Luckily, the Hensleys realized I was a family man like them and so, a few years later, BYB and me personally stand with Ty Hensley as he powers through obstacle after obstacle to get to his goal… standing on the mound at Yankee stadium.

Marci Hensley is a truly sweet woman and I got to know just how the Hensley family thinks through her.  She often tells me about the struggles of a ballplayer.  She lived it with her husband Mike Hensley, a minor leaguer for the Savannah Cardinals. 

Back then, it was much different. No big payouts or major bonuses. It was about signing a deal and getting a check and making ends meet and hopefully making it to the Major Leagues.  Minor League baseball life is tough, but if you love baseball, you stick with it.  I appreciated Mike’s struggle to make it and admire him very much.  I admire Marci for holding the family together.

Something happened with the Hensley’s though… in their journey, they raised 2 incredible kids.  Kids with a ton of heart and determination to do great things in their lives.

I speak to Ty’s brother Jake once in a while too.  The kid’s pretty amazing.  He plays football in Hawaii and we actually featured him here on BYB because I was so taken with not only him, but with the close bond Ty and Jake have. They are wonderful people.  Hardworking, determined, incredible.

Family is important here at BYB and Marci and I will catch up on Ty’s progress and I’ll tell her of my own son’s triumphs and failures on the baseball field.  We have a bond and that bond is family.

My son has a picture of Ty Hensley hanging in his room.  While he doesn’t ask me recently about Ty's progress, mainly because his school work has consumed him, he knows the picture's still there. Ty’s picture is a reminder of grinding it out no matter what.  My son has never been the greatest baseball player, but my son has never walked away from the game when it got hard either.   Ty’s picture is a reminder of that work ethic.  Many of my son's friends stopped playing baseball when the “field got big”as they’ll say.  Not my kid.  My kid saw it as a challenge.  See the similarities? It’s pretty neat actually.

Bonding over Family.  It’s what the Caseys and the Hensleys do. That’s because we have very similar values, we raise our kids very much alike, and we understand that sometimes winning means working hard to get there, no matter how hard it is… no matter how complicated or frustrating it is.  It’s about getting passed your obstacles and climbing that mountain.

That’s why I appreciate Ty, Jake and the Hensley family so much.  They get it… and I appreciate it.
Thanks for being such great folks. I appreciate you guys very much.

By the way, be sure to check out the other stories we've put together here as part of our BYB "Bonding over" series.  It's a way to say 'Thanks' for certain folks who has helped Bleeding Yankee Blue develop into an important Yankees / Family site.

Check these out:

BONDING OVER A PINT 
BONDING OVER STRENGTH 
BONDING OVER MUSIC













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