On The Lowest Rungs, And Not Giving Up

Todd C. Frankel: SAUGET � Charlie Lisk walked out onto the field, pushing aside the long years and longer odds, content to chase his dream through another humid day.

Sweat stained his gray training shirt. Sunglasses and a Gateway Grizzlies ball cap shielded his eyes against the late August sun. A bag bulging with catching gear and bats was slung over one broad shoulder. There was a deep familiarity to it all, from having done this so many times before.

He's 27 now. The oldest player on the field. Second-oldest in the entire Frontier League. He's married. He owns a house in Wentzville. On road trips, he likes to do the newspaper crossword. But he still plays with an intensity that can spook teammates, some of whom call him "Pops."

Lisk is playing on the lowest rung of professional ball, in an independent league that favors youth, in a place that has no formal ties to the majors or any minor-league farm system. Independent ball is free of frills, no perks, little pay. You can see the shimmering lights of Busch Stadium from the right field bleachers of the Grizzlies' home GCS Ballpark. But it might as well be on another planet. The path out of here can be hard to find.