BD Wong

BD Wong Instagram – This is one of my favorite pics of my dad, who died in 2005. One of the most memorable times I spent with him was once when he and Mom came out to New York to visit and he asked me, in his quiet but unmistakingly meaningful way, to take him to the National @baseballhall Of Fame in Cooperstown. I’ll admit I dragged my feet, cause it took some planning, I even rented a car and it’s a three hour drive. But Dad was a huge baseball fan. And I always knew this but I didn’t fully understand the depth of his love for the sport and its star players whom he idolized until we finally got there, and my opinion of his relationship to all of it changed instantly. He wept openly as he wandered the museum and took in each of the tributes to his favorite athletes, choking up whenever he spoke the entire time. He said something that I heard him say several times in the latter part of his life; when he came with me as my ” 1″ to the Kentucky Derby, when we sailed into the port of his birthplace, Hong Kong, on a cruise, and on this day at the Baseball museum: “I never thought I’d ever be here…I never thought I’d see this.” It was so moving to watch him pay his quiet respect to his heroes, I was a bit ashamed I hadn’t fully grasped how deep the well of his feelings for them plumbed until this moment. Dad’s Favorite Baseball Player of All Time was Willie Mays. He grew up during the Golden Era of Willie Mays’ career in San Francisco. Dad marvelled (as so many did) not only at his accomplishments, but at his remarkable, trademark humanity. Willie Mays served as such a role model to my father; Dad often spoke of what a good soul he thought this great icon to be. It’s the news of Mr. Mays’ passing that serves as the impetus for this post – and for me to find this photo. Thanks, Willie, for the lifetime of joy and inspiration you gave my dad. You were deeply loved by him, and, as he is, you will always be very missed. | Posted on 23/Jun/2024 11:03:15