The Old Ball Game

Now I'm a Rockies fan. A Colorado Rockies fan. I went to several games their opening season. That was 1993. They were terrible. In fact, they were terrible until last season when they went to the World Series only to be destroyed by the Red Sox. I think they are pretty much terrible again this season.

I always enjoyed playing baseball. I was terrible too. Perhaps that is why the game never meant much to me. It was always about the experience. The time of year was perfect to be outside. I remember getting Taco Bell from mom every third inning. I remember buying Big League Chew and not liking it at all. I remember the batting cages with dad. Two tokens for 25 pitches. He would tell me to bunt the first ten...then swing away. I would hit maybe 10 balls. In all my seasons I hit one home run and made All-Stars one year (the year my dad was Coach.)

My dad would take me to Rockies Games. Depending on the ticket, my hopes for catching a foul ball would be high. We would wait for autographs and buy foot-long hot dogs. He would make fun of me for putting ketchup on the dog because in New York that would never happen. Around the fourth inning I would get ice cream, dippin dots, another hot dog, or a soda. The rest of the game would be relaxing. We wouldn't even talk much. Just sit and watch the game. I never did catch a ball.