When I was a kid, my Mama used to reward me for behaving myself by taking me to the Dome. It was pretty hard to earn enough points to go and I couldn’t stop talking and thinking about it all day. I first got to go the year I turned 4 and I was so excited to FINALLY get to go to a real, live ballgame that I could hardly sit down and watch even though the team wasn’t that good.
It didn’t matter. My Mama taught me baseball rules and basic strategy and how to keep score. And I learned that things somehow look very different when you watch the field and it’s hard to keep up with everything that goes on at the same time and my favorite players were seldom the “best” players. I just liked the way they looked or ran or stole bases or just seemed to be having a good time, especially the little guys because I used to imagine/pretend that if little guys could play, then little girls could play. I pitched like Mike Scott, ran like Rickey and fielded like Ozzie…..
I’m a grownup now. I think. I know that girls aren’t allowed to play ball and like Trix, pretending is for kids. So I don’t pretend that I’m Juan Pierre or David Eckstein or Paul LoDuca anymore.
But, you know, last night I took 2 of my cousins, age 7 and 9 to the park. They had never seen a ball game live before and after we walked inside, their eyes got wide and everything was WOW and COOL and LOOKIT LOOKIT.
And we sat down in the stands and I started teaching them the same way my Mama taught me. And suddenly I was a kid again, really thrilled to be there and watching the game. I forgot all about my scorecard and stat book. And how much money each guy makes and dollars per hit or pitch or whatever. I even forgot that we were supposed to Go All The Way this year and we aint a-gonna.
This time I didn’t get upset when Roger gave up 3 homers by the 6th or count runners left on base and I enjoyed watching the guys trying to come back instead of giving up. This year is the only year I will be able to have season tickets and go to all the games and watch real live major leaguers play and you know, I feel blessed. Cuz comparing the real live ballgame to TV and stats is like comparing my husband (who worked most of his Saturdays last year to save money to buy us season and all-star game and playoff/series tickets) to a vibrator and a quart of ice-cream. Too many people don’t know what they’ve got till it’s gone.
Tags: Houston Astros, MLB
I took my 7-year old to that game. And she was happy to see the Rocket pitch “for real instead of on TV!” She loved the sixth inning when the Astros scored four runs and the seventh, when they tied it. And, since her favorite player is Lance Berkman, she was sad when Berkman flied out to center to end the eighth and stranded Carlos Beltran. She said, “Mom, if that ball would have gone into the Crawford boxes instead of over there, the Astros could win.” And, when the Brewers went ahead in the top of the ninth, she said, “See, now *they* can win.” And they did. But she wants to come again. And we didn’t even visit that silly Minutem Maid Squeeze Play.
I only have a mini-plan, so I only see a third of the games. But only this year, too. And only two, so I can only bring one child at a time. Next time it’s the 15-year old who idolizes Andy Pettitte. She doesn’t know much about baseball, but she’s learning.
Re: the thrill of the The ballgame
while there’s no question going to a ballgame is a lot, lot better than watching it on tv, there are certain advantages to watching a ballgame on tv; (1) in August, on the east coast, it’s 90+ degrees out, even at night, whereast it’s air-conditioned in your house where you ahve the tv on, or even better, down at the shore if you listen on the radio, it’s even cooler; (2) it can’t rain on you if it’s a cloudy, overcast day if you watch it on tv at home; (3) you don’t have to sit around in the stadium during a rain delay wondering if they’ll call the game or not; (4) no line for food at home; (5) no line at the bathroom at home; (6) you can watch the game while fully reclined on your sofa at home; (7) while the quart of ice cream is off my diet, and the rest of your metaphor is inappropos for the male of the species, there’s always home cooking and an inexhausitible supply of cold water and diet coke while watching the game at home; (8) you don’t have to go thru that Alzheimer’s moment of trying to remember where you parked your car when you come out of the game; (9) you don’t have to sit in traffice for about 20 minutes listening to the “star of the game show” waiting for the dumbest fan in the park to figure out how to pull into the lane to get into the street to get onto the expressway who’s holding up the line from the parking lot.
–Art Kyriazis
P.S. to comment above
Also, if you’re watching on TV, and your team is like losing by five runs or more, you can just turn it off. If you’re at the game, you’re stuck there watching your team get blown out for the next 7 innings.
–AJK
Beautiful piece Lisa. I loved how you explained feeling like a kid again. Your last sentence must have been inspired by Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi. I kinda used that phrase in one of my earlier Expo diatribe.
Cheers.
J.P.
1) Annie, I am So glad you’re teaching your girls to love baseball as much as we do.
2) Art – I eat BEFORE I go to the ballpark cuz I can’t afford their food, and besides, it isn’t any good!
Sorry I didn’t also include the right male metaphor about what you guys do to make yourselves feel better
but I’m trying to keep this site G-rated.
3) Jean-Pierre – I guess I first heard Joni Mitchell lyrics from Janet Jackson and I’ve listened to her Miles of
Aisles album since then. She was really something. One of these days I’ll have to listen to more. I wonder
why she stopped recording.
Lisa,
I’ve just recently renewed acquaintance with Joni’s music and I picked up her Ladies of the Canyon and Court and Apark discs. But I used to own the Miles vinyl and you have just piqued my curiosity and think I will go and buy it soon. That and her follow-up, Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter.
She likely stopped cause she striking mad at the recording industry.
J.P.
Lisa:
Love this column! I have had a twenty game plan for the Pads for about seven years now and we have added two seats during that time as we added my two children to the household. My four year old daughter is head over heels in love with Khalil Greene and my son just adores baseball period. Thank you for sharing a personal side of why we all love this game so much. – Rich, San Diego Spotlight