Let’s Go Out to the Ball Game!
If you were to ask just about any adult over the age of, I don’t know, let’s just say 40 – “What’s the National Pastime of America?” Inevitably one of the first descriptors would be Baseball. There must be some reason why Baseball captured the attention of a nation – I know other countries celebrate Cricket, Soccer, Golf, etc. But here in America, it was, and perhaps still is Baseball.
As a kid I have no memory of the first time I picked up a bat or a ball, nor do I remember any desire to run out into the backyard and play. If we ever got a baseball card, then that along with a clothespin made for great motorcycle sounds on our bikes. During that same time I have no memory of professional baseball teams or games, for the most part, because it wasn’t something we watched on a screen…it was what we did in our yard! It was, after all, in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Life included many national things, but baseball was not necessarily on my young radar.
When we lived in Seabrook, I remember dad going to Baseball games with my Uncle Walter. He would rotate the experience between us kids, and by kids, I probably mean just the boys, of which there must have been an age limit on who could really enjoy the experience. Ask my sister, she was just “two and cute”! (Her words! Not mine!)
Back then it was the Colt 45’s, the precursor to the Astro’s, and they played in an open-air stadium close to downtown Houston, not the first grand ‘dome that opened a few years later (April 1965). I remember both places! I remember sharing experiences with family, and by that, I mean as a child, and later as an adult.
Backyard baseball was the best pastime. Where we lived in Seabrook, well, we had our own backstop just 100 feet from our house, but in Channelview, it was shared between 2 or 3 backyards.
In fact, my brothers and I were reminiscing last week about the backyard baseball experience where First Base required you to climb a chain-link fence just to reach! Trees. Barns. Animals. All just obstacles you played “through” (like Golf!). Neighborhood boys would rally in that backyard, the outfield was over the fence in the Miller’s pasture if there were no animals using it. The 3rd base was dangerously close to Mr. Fowler’s pond, and we did have problems with balls getting waterlogged! Several of those kids went on to play MLB (Major League Baseball) and I’m proud to have great memories playing with these guys! Home plate was in the Cleveland’s back yard. Randy? Cary? Great memories, unh?
In the late ’80s and early ’90s, I worked in downtown Houston for Texas Commerce Bank. My technology shift was generally 7 am to 4 pm – I loved missing the traffic! Several times and I cannot say how many, Jason would hop on the bus in Northshore and ride downtown. Listen, he was young, but the times were different. I would meet him at the bus stop near my job, we would hop in the car and drive out of downtown and through the Medical Center on the way to the Astrodome. A quick stop for dinner at a fast food place, a run into the grocery store for a big bag of M&M’s, $3.00 for parking, $4.00 for an adult ticket, $1.00 for a youth ticket, and then a big soda we shared in the stadium.
For less than $20 we would have a father-son night, somewhat similar to those earlier memories I had with my dad, but back then it must have cost a whopping $4!
We would arrive at the Astrodome as early as possible, sit in the outfield with a host of other families, and watch batting and fielding practice. Kids would attach their baseball cards to a long string, and dangle them over the outfield walls hoping a player would saunter over and sign their card. Balls were tossed up into the stands. It was somewhat a giddy experience and a great memory.
It was a grand ol’ time, enjoying our national past-time with my son.
Fast forward to the present. It’s nearly 60 years since I first remembered seeing the Colt 45’s play. A steady succession of teams and ballparks swim through my memories. In Anchorage, it was Triple-A Ball where players got their chance to shine, all the while hoping to get called up to the big leagues. In Washington, it’s the Mariners and their farm team, Tacoma Rainier’s. I hear Oregon’s trying to get an expansion MLB team. Go Pacific Northwest!
During the past decade, I have enjoyed local baseball with my kids. We’ve gone to a number of games, paid the price of sitting where we wanted to sit, maybe even eat before at a local bistro before the temptations of “Popcorn! Get your Cotton Candy! Peanuts!” only now they add all kinds of new delicacies that include fruit!
I’m a fan of a cold weather experience – maybe it keeps all but the die-hard fans at home! Blankets. Jackets. Hot drinks! They even sell good coffee these days! Well. They should! It’s Seattle! Let’s shiver a little as we enjoy the time together! Go, Team!
One of these days I’ll get to experience the same thing with the next generation!
Last night, there was a family with 4 kids rooting for the opposing team. A little loud and shrill, were those little voices, but it’s part of the mystique of the National Pastime. Teach your kids to enjoy Baseball! The next generation will remember it so well and will spread the experience forward!
The experience has changed. Technology. Sound system. Big Screens. Roaming cameras capture the sights and sounds of fans. Lots of lights and distractions. Retracting roofs. Protecting nets. Groomed fields that look like artwork. Even though available, food is no longer just a hotdog with mustard, relish, onions and maybe some chili. Parking is expensive. Tickets are expensive. But you are paying for all the glitz, glamor and salaries! Mobile phones are everywhere as patrons watch the game online! Why? Replays. Stats. Commentary. Personalities.
Still. The game is more enjoyable to me than any other stadium sport. You get to sit with your family and friends for nearly 3 hours and discuss what you’re experiencing and simply enjoy each other away from the struggles of life.
Let’s play ball!
Audio Version: https://www.spreaker.com/user/cmgurley/episode-179-america-s-pastime?autoplay=true