With football fast approaching, this story might be somewhat out of left field.
Yet it's a feel-good story. It's one about a man, an umpire, visiting the Kanawha Valley who seems to feel safe at home.
Or, at the very least, he used to.
See, longtime Major League Baseball umpire Larry Barnett is coming home this weekend. And he's coming home to Nitro.
You read correctly. Folks in the Mountain State know there's a long list of professional sports stars that hail from here, yet who knew one of the most famous American League umpires of all time was born in Nitro?
Well, Greg Tidd, an insurance man and, more importantly here, a member of the Nitro Historical Committee, did. (OK. Go ahead if you must. Call it a Tidd-bit.) He called Barnett, asked for mementos for the small museum by the fire station on 20th Street - and then invited the former ump down.
So on Friday, Barnett is driving from his home in Prospect, Ohio, to the Kanawha Valley. He's set to visit the museum, hit the West Virginia Power game, take in the Mardi Gras casino and visit with veterans.
He's back to his roots. His deep roots.
"I think I was born in a home [in Nitro]," Barnett said. "Back on January 3rd some 70 years ago [in 1945]. I think it was in one of my aunt and uncle's house. My dad worked at the chemical plant there and I was one of eight children. My parents [Orville and Freida] are buried in a Red House hill cemetery."
Barnett's family left for Ohio when he was young, and at 18 years of age he was umpiring. At the age of 24, he was in the big leagues. He stayed for 31 years.
"So I never had a real job," Barnett cracked.
At one time, Barnett held the record for the longest tenure in the American League, when he surpassed the mark set by Tommy Connolly way back in 1931. In 2006, Barnett was passed by Joe Brinkman.
You get the idea though. Barnett was a MLB staple. He officiated in four World Series and served as the crew chief in 1981. He umpired in seven American League Championship Series and four All-Star games.
Old-timers might remember Barnett's most controversial moment. In the 10th inning of Game 3 of the 1975 World Series, he was working behind the plate. Cincinnati Reds hitter Ed Armbrister laid down a sacrifice bunt - and then collided with Boston Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk, who was trying to field the ball. Fisk committed a throwing error after the collision, which led to the winning run.
Barnett didn't call interference on Armbrister, despite the pleas of Red Sox manager Darrell Johnson. TV announcer Curt Gowdy was so critical he was eventually dropped from NBC's baseball coverage.
"To this day they blame me in Boston," Barnett said. "I have a whole box of death threats. We had to have protection for my family.
"I got the play right, but you could never convince the people in Boston."
Barnett was also behind the plate for what's known as the "Jeffrey Maier game" in the 1996 ALCS between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles held the lead late in Game 1 when Derek Jeter hit a drive to the opposite field. Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco went back to the wall and was set to catch the ball when Maier, a young fan, reached over with his glove and pulled the ball in over the fence. Umpire Richie Garcia, working the right-field line, ruled the drive a home run and the Yankees went on to win the game and, decisively, the series.
"That's where replay would have been good," Barnett said. "[Baltimore manager at the time] Davey Johnson told me we needed to change the call, but Richie was right there in right field."
It was the last playoff series Barnett would call, but he went on to supervise all umpires for a year and a half. Oh, and by the way, he likes the use of replays.
"I think it's better for the game," Barnett said. "The technology is there. Why not use it?"
The former ump is good at using what's at his disposal. See his upbringing.
"My mother and father had a large family," Barnett said. "Mom stayed home, while Dad went to work. We weren't wealthy, but the house was always clean. Dad was in charge of the discipline.
"I've tried to pass on the way we were raised. My parents were always very good to us. We always went to church and I still go."
The upbringing shows. Barnett's work with war veterans earned him a Point of Light honor from President George H.W. Bush.
"I'm one of only two people that's ever been to every [Veterans Affairs] hospital in the nation," Barnett said. "Last week I was in North Carolina. It's one of the best things I've ever done in my life. I have true respect and admiration for those guys."
Likewise, Barnett has respect for his roots.
"It's an honor to come back," he said. "I was talking to my sister and she said my mom and dad would be proud of me coming back. She always remembers how they took care of us."
It should be quite a visit. For Barnett. For the folks that meet him.
"I'm one of the most fortunate people in the world," Barnett said. "I've had my work with the VA. I've had my family. I've had my career.
"There's a lot I've checked off of my bucket list."