4.18.2009

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks...

About a week ago or thereabouts Kyle gave me a call and asked if I wanted tickets to a D-Backs game in the big ball park. It was a pre-season game, but who cares, I love a ball game. I don't think I've ever turned down a baseball game. AAA, AA, A, Little League, Big Leagues, Pre-season, regular season - it doesn't matter to me, I'll go...

Now comes decision time...Who to take...And yes this is a big decision in our house. For some reason our kids like spending time with us? I don't know why, we're the worst parents ever, depending on who you ask and on what day. But everytime a "special" occasion comes up it seems to turn in to a fight. So Megan got to go...Not mad Sammy...Sam was the last one to do something special with dad (See hunting with Sammy post).

I have very fond memories of baseball as a kid. I have very fond memories of going to games at Dirk's field in SLC and then Franklin Covey field after that, which BTW is a great AAA park. Dad would remind me to bring my glove, or mitt, depending on which part of the country you're from apparently. My Dad would tell me why the players were doing what they're doing, why they would position themselves like they did. He taught me that infielders put their feet side-by-side, spread apart so they could move left or right quickly. He taught me that outfielders put their feet front-to-back spread apart so they could move forward or back quickly. This is where I learned what pine tar is, this is where I learned what a donut is, this is where I learned what a farm team is, this is where I learned what chew was.

So now it's my turn to pass these things along to my posterity, except the chew, I'll wait till she's older for that :->. Megan and I had a great time. We were on the third base side (home team side) kinda behind the foul pole, front row for the bull pen. As a baseball lover this was a great seat. I got such a charge out of watching the guys warm-up, and see how hard they throw. We sat there for the whole game, minus the first 2 pitches. I showed her how every player in unison gets ready just before the pitcher throws the ball. I explained why the bats break when a player hits the ball wrong. I explained why a player comes out of the bull pen to warm-up the left fielder. I felt like a baseball genius to be honest.

I hope the game of baseball continues to be passed along generation to generation. I hope the game continues to be affordable for families to go (Free in my case). I hope the grass will always be super green and mowed like a cable knit sweater. I hope if reincarnation exists I get to come back as a major league relief pitcher...

Thanks for the great day Meg!

1 comment:

Kristy said...

You are such a good daddy. Sounds like the two of you had a super time. Did you have a bag of salted peanuts in the shell? A ball game isn't complete unless your dad had a bag of peanuts.