Baseball, Education, and Stories That Teach・A Life Well Lived: Stories from Provincetown to the World

If fishing taught patience, baseball taught perspective. And for Tom Dirsa, both became vehicles for storytelling.

“I’ve always loved baseball,” he says. “Fenway Park—that’s my place.” That love eventually found its way into his writing.

One moment in particular—simple, almost humorous—became the seed for one of his books. “I took my grandson to a game at Fenway,” Tom recalls. “A runner stole second base, and I said, ‘He stole second.’” BJ looked at the field. “No, Grandpa,” he said. “It’s still there.”

That moment—innocent, literal, and insightful—became the inspiration for BJ and the Big Green Monstah. Because to Tom, children don’t misunderstand the world. “They just see it differently.”

That philosophy is rooted in his career as an educator. “Teaching is storytelling,” he says. “You’re taking something and making it meaningful.”

Over the years, Tom worked as a teacher, vice principal, and athletic director—guiding students not just academically, but personally.

He recalls a period in New Hampshire, where he helped lead a high school athletic program to multiple state championships. But what stood out wasn’t just the wins. It was the recognition of shared effort.

“One time, after a big season, we were invited onto a lake cruise,” he says. “Players, coaches, everyone.” It was a moment of celebration—and reflection. It was also where Tom discovered a surprising connection.

“A former student from that town—Steven Tyler of Aerosmith fame—had a house on the lake,” he says as the boat passed by the home.

A small detail, but one that captures something essential about Tom’s stories: they are always grounded in place but connected to something larger.

From classrooms to ballfields, Tom’s life has been about translation—turning experience into understanding. And in retirement, that translation became writing. Children’s books. Local history. Personal stories. All connected by a single thread: Helping others see what might otherwise be overlooked.

Coming Next Week | Part 4: A Life Well Lived