By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The poets will tell you about the symmetry of baseball. How the right field foul line at Comerica Park goes on and on forever.

How third base coach Cal Ripken can shake hands with Cal Ripken, Jr. during the Baltimore Orioles infielder’s home run trot.

And how the game is not far away from teammates closely connected: like Ken Griffey, Jr. being joined in the Seattle Mariners lineup by his father, also named Ken.

Or Texas Rangers reliever Jeff Zimmerman (Kelowna, BC) pitching against the Seattle Mariners and his brother, reliever Jordan Zimmerman (Kelowna, BC).

And future MVP Justin Morneau (New Westminster, BC) making his debut with the Minnesota Twins against the Colorado Rockies and former MVP Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, BC) sending him over an autographed bat with the message “Make Canada proud.”

Lefty reliever Graeme Lloyd of Geelong, Australia pitched with the class-A Dunedin Blue Jays in 1991. One of his catchers was Greg O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.). And the next year both were together at double-A Knoxville.

Lloyd went on to pitch parts of 10 seasons in the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers, the New York Yankees, Montreal Expos, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Florida Marlins and the Blue Jays.

A two-time World Series champion with the Yankees, Lloyd is now the pitching coach with the Australian Junior National Team.

O’Halloran played 12 games with 1994 Florida Marlins. He and his wife, Sheryl, have three children: INF Ryan O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.), who just finished his freshman year with Orange Coast College, winners of the California Community College Association; younger son Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.), who is headed for the University of Michigan Wolverines next fall; and daughter Maggie, who is in her second year at Western University in London, Ont.

Right now, however, Connor is with the Canadian Junior National Team which is in Australia for a week of tune up games before the 2019 WSBC 18U World Cup in South Korea.

Lloyd met Connor this week, arranged for a picture and emailed papa O’Halloran a picture and a “Just met your young man.”

The symmetry of baseball.

Or maybe just what goes around comes around.

Whatever, it can make a father burst with pride.