Play Ball!
Child's Play x2 | April 7I am a Major League Baseball Player trapped in a softball-playing body. Well, that’s not quite true. I don’t even play softball any more. But, I am a baseball fan. In a world of fast-pace, I-want-it-now, NFL-is-king and NASCAR is the hip sport of choice sports fans, I choose the slow afternoon stroll of a baseball game. To me, a baseball game is one of the few sports that allows you to talk. What girl does JT like in his 2nd grade class? What’s Bri’s favorite song? What values does Daddy feel is important for his kids to learn? All of this can be intertwined into an afternoon watching baseball.
Aaaaaaaaah. The smell of freshly cut grass. A swirl of cool and warm air inhaled deeply through the nose as spring and summer collide in the atmosphere. The peanut vendor yelling PEA—NUTS HERE! GET YOUR PEAAAA-NUTTTTTS HERE! It’s a magical time that still takes me back to the day when I would sit along the right-field line in old Candlestick Park and watch Giants slugger Jack Clark’s every move. I still remember the hot dogs - they tasted better than any thing I could get at home. And I remember my grandfather would always spring for a chocolate malt as we got closer to the ninth inning. I remember the excitement that reverberated through the stadium when a clutch hit was produced or a great defensive play was turned in the field.
As I got older, I began to pay attention to the nuances of the game and this is what still draws me to the game today. The pace allows the knowledgeable fan to think strategy along with the manager. Should they bunt the runnner over to second with one out? Should the pitcher intentionally walk the bases loaded to get to the pitcher?
All of this is why I’m excited for this baseball season. This is the year I will be able to take my children to their first baseball game. I realize they won’t remember this day but July 2nd, when the San Diego Padres take on my beloved San Francisco Giants I will be there with my son on one knee and my daughter on another (all decked out in their Giants gear, of course). They won’t be able to have a hot dog, Cracker Jacks or even a chocolate malt quite yet, but I’ll be planting a seed that will hopefully blossom in the years to come.
A father with his son and daughter, enjoying a game together. I can hardly wait.
I hear ya Matthew.
I took The PB and The J to their first ball game last year at Old Busch Stadium (and we already have tickets to see the Cardinals play in New Busch this season) and they sat still the entire game (3+ hours) and had a blast.
They are only 4, but they love watching baseball with their daddy, especially the Cardinals (I have taught them well, despite thier Uncle’s, my brother-in-law, attempts to poison their mind with Cubs nonsense).
Could this comment be any longer?
And btw, Clark was better when he was with the Cardinals…
Las Vegas needs to get some pro-sports. All this bonding stuff sounds kind of fun.
I have three boys, and I can’t wait until that day in the ballpark when I can watch the 6-4-3 double play starring all three.
What are you doing on the 21st? I’ll get us some seats.
We took the Munchkin to her first Mariners game when she was 4 months old. This weekend, we are taking Baby Boy to his first game (the Munchkin gets a babysitter). I even bought him a infant ballcap! The other thing that we love to do (since MLB games can get pricey and the Munchkin doesn’t like to sit still) is go to our local single-A team’s games - cheaper tickets, free parking, plenty of room for the kids to run around if they get bored, and we get to see the baseball players of the future.
The Bean learned “Take me out to the Ballgame” this week.
She skips a couple of verses and it sounds like “tame me ut to da billgum, buy me sooom peeeenuttts an cacajacks, cuz is un, doo, tree sikes you up”
Close enough for daddy to get all choked up.
I grew up watching Will Clark at first for the Giants and the vendors chanting “Get your malts, freeze your butt off. Malts”… on the 4th of July. Ahhhhh, Candlestick.
I’ve taken my 7 month old son to 2 Arizona State baseball games already. There’d be a ton more if I had the time and the rest of the family enjoyed baseball more, but I love the time I do get to share the game with him. And even better…we’re 2-0 with him there, too!
I took Lucas to his first game at Petco Park last year; we had great seats along the first base line, and his first foray into Padre fandom was successful. Think we’ll go to at least one of the Padres-Giants games. Should be even more fun now that he’s two - old enough to sing along to “Take Me Out To The Ballgame’, and strong enough to lob a couple of syringes at Bonds.
Best part of the ball game… watching the wee ones with their daddys, and how excited everyone is that they’re at the game.
Ok. Maybe not the BEST part… but it’s amazing to see.
Although we’re five hours away from the nearest MLB team, we do have a very nice minor league stadium that was just built last year, complete with a massive playground for the kids. I went to a lot of games last year without the kids, but this year we’re planning on taking them both to a couple of games. If you get there early enough, the kids are allowed to run the bases and meet the mascots.
And on Thursday nights, they have $1 beer! So it’s not all kidcentric.
Busy Mom FAQ…
I was lamenting to my friend Mocha Momma how she was interesting enough to have a FAQ (frequently asked questions), but, that I wasn’t interesting enough to have one, since, no one ever asks me anything frequently. So, bless her……
We took our older daughter to her first game at the old Busch Stadium last year on Mother’s Day while the little one stayed with her favorite babysitter, Punk Sarah. She had watched the Cardinals with me on TV a number of times but at I don’t think she had a concept of the scale of a MLB stadium. We stepped through the opening into the air of the stadium proper and the sea of red and white in the stand unfolded before us… the grass as lush and green as any golf course and the bases gleaming white. The look on her face was priceless, trying to wrap her little brain around everything that was around her. Later in the season I took her to a weekday game that she enjoyed just as much esp. since by then she knew the words to “Take me out to the Ballgame”
This year all four of us are going to a game in May. I have a feeling that our little one is still a bit too young, but I hate to leave her at home. I also have tickets for another game later in the season to take our older girl. Since My wife isn’t a big sports fan, I think baseball games are going to end up being one of my things to do with the girls… which suits me just fine. :)
We took out boy to the park when he was tiny and he slept through most of it….then we took him when he was nearer to a year and he bawled whenever everyone stood up and cheered….
It was then that I figured I was being selfish and basically torturing the poor thing so that I could “be at the game with my son”….who was getting scared to death and wasn’t enjoying it in the least. My first memories of the ballpark is at 7 years old and that is when I am going to take him again….I remember it being the biggest, greenest place I ever saw….
Of course - I also took our tiny daughter when she was a few months old (since she would just sleep - and mom and dad could sneak away to a day game :). I will never forget that day - Big Papi crushes a 2 out pitch over the dead centerfield wall off of BJ Ryan to win the game in the bottom of the ninth - all while our tiny girl slept :)
I wanna go! I have to say I was not much of a fan of the game until about two years ago. I always thought it was boring unless you were actually playing in the game. Now I find myself paying attention to it when my husband has it on all six tv’s in the house! He’s into fantasy baseball….I’m talking really into it….I’m talking not sex until it’s over into it! I try to read at night while the games is on and I find myself lowering the book and checking out a replay or watching a batter who the announcer says can’t get a base hit if his life depended on it. I have even thought of suggesting to my husband, who is a sports writer, that he take me with him next time he goes to cover a game, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself, baby steps, baby steps! Your blog post only inspires me to want to go. I can smell the grass and stadium food. It is an American pasttime I’m getting more proud of by the day.
Today is Opening Day for the mighty Boston Red Sox.
Go You BoSox!
My dad took me to my first game the summer I turned seven. I will never forget it. We sat in the cheap seats in right field (which was our favorite location over the years), I got to see Dave Parker hit a home run, John Candelaria pitched a one hitter, and there was even a rain delay. The only bad thing is that it turned me into a life-long Pirates fan.
If I ever have kids, I can’t wait to share the experience.