STORY

MIKE SHARP

Welcome to my dream! Baseball has always been a big part of my life. I remember in tee-ball I would hit the ball and not stop running until I "Touched 'Em All". I grew up in Ironton, Ohio two houses down from the little league field. I coached my first tee-ball team in 1972 at the age of 12. That same year, my father took me to Cincinnati and Riverfront Stadium for my first major league baseball game. I walked down close to the dugout and Johnny Bench signed my ball! From that moment on, Johnny Bench was my favorite ballplayer. Now I get the joy of passing on my love of the game to my two daughters, Maria and Hannah. 

It was after a tee-ball game that I sat down and wrote the lyrics to "Touch 'Em All" while watching a Reds game. I wanted to write a feel good story about how even major league players once played tee-ball and even they were once a child that needed help to get to where they are today. I started thinking about my dad, grandpa, uncle, coaches, and teachers. We ALL have been helped by so many people along the way. We've all struck out many times in life, but we grab the bat the next time up and swing again. You never know, you just might hit a home run!

A big thanks goes out to Karen Forgus and Phil Castellini of the Cincinnati Reds and Rick Walls of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame who have had nothing but kind words and encouragement. Also thanks to the band One Horse (Pete Adams, Ryan Hawkins, Matt Ahrens, Nick Allen) for recording an INCREDIBLE song and giving a voice to my story. Thanks to the legendary music producer Erwin Musper for directing the song where it needed to go. Thank you also to his wife Danielle for the hospitality during the recording sessions. Thanks to Cam Miller for guiding me through the entire process and giving  a visual life to the story. Thanks to all of my family and the kids who helped put the magic in the video. Thank you to my parents for the love and guidance. Last but certainly not least, thank you to my daughters and my wife Pam who inspire me every single day. 

Don't give up on your dreams. They just may come true. Keep the faith. Dream big. Touch 'Em All.

Mike Sharp graduated from Ironton St. Joseph High School. He was a Sports Writer for his hometown Ironton Tribune from 1973-1982 and attended Ohio University in Journalism. He graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Huntington WV School of Radiology in 1982 and has worked as a X-Ray/Cat Scan Technologist at various hospitals in 4 states over the last 30 years. Mike currently resides in Meigs County Ohio with his wife Pam and his daughters Maria and Hannah who he has coached in softball for many years. Mike currently works in the Radiology Department at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, OH where he has been for the past 15 years.