Two Home Runs, and A Front Row Seat to the Miracle in Between

Straight out of the sky, a baseball landed right in front me as I stood at the edge of the first base dugout on Field #1 at the Stewart Park Softball fields. It was 1989 or 1990, (I can’t remember which) and I was around 8-9 years old and helping out at our Men’s church league softball game. Back then, getting a foul ball was lucrative as you could turn them in for a ticket to get free soda at the concession stand. But as I raced out to pick up the ball, I remembered someone saying it wasn’t a foul ball, but a home run ball! That was very rare and a treasure for a 9 year old. ​​ ​​I believe it was my Dad who encouraged me to go return the baseball to the player who hit the home run, reminding me that I would want someone to do the same for me. So I walked over to Legion Field and up to the gate by the Dr Stewarts dugout and told one of the coaches I wanted to give the home run ball back. I had no idea who had even hit the home run. ​​ ​​“Lynn, come here. Kid’s got your home run ball,” the coach called into the dugout. ​​ ​​Lynn came out of the dugout and up to the fence. I told him I had collected his home run ball from the softball field over the left field fence and handed him the ball. Then to my astonishment, Lynn signed the ball and gave it right back to me and told me to keep it. He wanted me to keep the ball! This was like winning the lottery to a little boy that loved baseball. ​​ ​​I took that ball straight home and stashed it away in a tote for safe keeping. I had to keep it, and who knows I thought, maybe he will become a professional baseball player some day. Then, over the years, through all our moves, that home run ball always made the cut. I just always felt like I was supposed to keep it, so I did, for over 34 years. ​​At the end of October 2023, I was sitting in Jacoby Auditorium with my family for our church service at Covenant Life Fellowship. After the sermon by our pastor Dave York, Bill Heard came up on stage to pray before the congregation was dismissed. Towards the end of his prayer, he paused then prayed earnestly the following prayer. ​​ ​​“Father, I plead with you also, for a young man by the name of Lynn. Would you be with him in the hospital today, and his family.” ​​ ​​In the moment, I didn’t catch the name, but I remember hearing the brokenness in Bill’s voice as he prayed, and the mention of his family stirred our hearts to join him in praying for this man and his family. Little did we know, Lynn’s heart had stopped 3 times that day. (70 minutes total) But each time, the amazing ICU nurses and doctors at Mercy Hospital were able to revive him and bring him back. ​​ ​​A few weeks later (mid to late November) at our men’s Thursday morning Bible study, Bill was sharing an update on Lynn about how he had miraculously survived but was barely holding on. He was on/off a ventilator, he had infections within his body, dialysis, full organ shut down and had received blood transfusions. I then asked him what Lynn’s last name was. Withers, he said. ​​ ​​Lynn Withers was the man we were praying for. I couldn’t believe it. I told Bill the story about the home run ball 34 years earlier and how I had kept that ball in pristine condition. I told him I might even still have the ball. ​​ ​​I went home that morning and started digging through my old totes of memorabilia and I found the ball! I brought it out into our living room and put it on a shelf and told our family the story and encouraged them to let the ball be a reminder to pray for Lynn and his family when they see it. ​​ ​​A few months later, Lynn left Mercy hospital and was transferred to another hospital where he immediately got very sick again. This led to his transfer to Providence hospital in Portland. This was a very challenging time for Lynn’s family, his wife Kirstan and two sons Blake (21) and Daniel (17). Kirstan found herself driving to Portland 1-3 times per week while still trying to work. The Withers two boys held things down on the home front and were able to get themselves to work, school and practices, which was a huge blessing for the family. ​​ ​​After a month and half at Providence hospital, Lynn was doing well enough to be transferred to a skilled nursing facility down in Medford where he would spend another month rehabilitating. Meanwhile, friends in the community stepped up big time and helped remodel the Withers home to be more accessible for Lynn when he was able to come home. Phil Hu, Curtis Frable, Yeager’s Plumbing, Umpqua Stone, Bobby Geyer & many others helped in the huge project. ​​ ​​Lynn finally made it home after almost 7 months in hospitals and care facilities. On May 12th, the day before his son Daniel Wither’s senior night baseball game. Lynn then made it to the last three games of the regular season. But UVC’s season wasn’t over, because they won their final 19 games and landed themselves in the State Championship game against top seeded Knappa at Volcanoes Stadium in Salem Oregon on Saturday June 1st. ​​ ​​Which brings me to the top of the 5th inning. I was sitting in the first row on the first base side and UVC had two runners on base leading 8-4. Daniel Withers walked to the plate. As I sat there watching Daniel work the count to 1 ball and 2 strikes, out of nowhere, this thought blazed into my mind about how amazing would it be to witness Daniel hit a home run after everything the family had gone through this past year. So I quickly turned on my phone, put it up to the net and hit record. The very next pitch Daniel belted the ball to deep left field for a home run to give UVC a 11-4 lead! I couldn’t believe it. I immediately got goosebumps as I was very clearly being reminded that I was watching a story unfold that only God could script. ​​ ​​Daniel was then called to come in and pitch with Knappa rallying back in the bottom of the 5th inning down by only two runs. Withers finished off Knappa in the 6th with two strikeouts to end the inning and then struck out the side in the 7th to end the game and set off UVC’s celebration. UVC had just won the 2A/1A State Championship! ​​ ​​A few moments later, with UVC players in a pile celebrating on the field, a man slowly walked down the stadium steps to the front row just a few seats over from me. It was Lynn Withers, coming down to congratulate his son, with Kirstan joining him shortly after. Lynn finally got Daniel’s attention and he came over and they locked hands through the net in a moment much more significant than the state baseball championship.