Hot dogs! Peanuts! Cold drinks here!

Ahhh! The boys of summer. Baseball.

I have been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember.

I think it started with Little League. Both of my brothers played and we went to a LOT of games. When I got big enough, I was the bat girl for my oldest brother’s team. I got to wear a uniform shirt and get my picture taken with the team. I was deathly afraid of the ball and this was the next best thing. I LOVED it! Later we would go to the “city” and see the OKC 49ers play minor league ball. We were always excited to go. That was a BIG deal for country kids.

Then I married a very sports oriented man (fanatic in a good way). Our first date was guess where? BASEBALL GAME. At Texas Rangers Arlington Stadium before the new ballpark was built. We were in the outfield on the old silver benches. There was a great catch against the outfield wall that played on ESPN as play of the day. We could see ourselves on the benches jumping up every time it aired. It was my first major league baseball game. I think it only increased my love of baseball.

I saw many games  INCLUDING Nolan Ryan’s no Hitter May 1, 1991; the last he would ever throw. I was pregnant with Sydney when the new ballpark was built. The  opening night game was the first week in April 1994. I was 9 months pregnant due at the end of the month. My belly was  HUMONGOUS. It was soooo big I could set snacks on it like a table. The fireworks at the end scared Sydney. I felt her JUMP in my belly from the loud sound which was really weird. Great fireworks though and now I always know the ballpark is the same age as Syd. *Seriously Syd you were AT the game before you were born no wonder you love baseball too*

My most memorable game besides the no hitter? Last year, watching Josh Hamilton hit a grand slam bottom of the 9th to win the game for the Rangers. Awesome!

The Texas Rangers Ballpark built April 1994

Now mind you, baseball is not something I can watch on TV. Nor can I keep up with the stats, the trades, the managers, etc. I just love to watch it in person. To be there in all the excitement.  The green of the field, the diamond of the bases, the players, the dug outs, the rowdy fans, the concessions, THE WAVE, come on ya gotta love the wave and all the other fans cheering with all their heart. Being there and soaking it all up to  experience the thrill firsthand.  *greatness*

Taking Jason’s two young girls to their first baseball game was  just icing on the cake for me. Even better, going to a game where their mom’s favorite team is playing, the Red Sox, against our favorite team the Rangers. I doubted they would understand the game but I figured they would love pigging on some snacks and seeing us all excited.

My mom, the preschool teacher, advised me that kids learn from going places. They mimic our actions in public and how will they learn how to act in public if they are never taken anywhere? *this really explains my Syd who went EVERYWHERE including an Astros baseball game in Houston at 3mos old in a car carrier hey Syd remember that?? haha*

It was a good deal all around. Our two favorite teams of the family playing, a nice ballpark, a GREAT rivalry game.

We had the tickets! *literally ha*

Jason’s two girls age 3 and 5 , Sydney 15, and Jason head to the game.

At the corner ready to cross over to the game.

The beautiful ballpark now 15years old and still amazing.

The girls were a little quiet at first. I figured they’d be deathly afraid so to just be a little quiet was incredible! It did NOT take long at all for them to really get into it. Soda, cotton candy, popcorn, cheering and at the end we had a 5 year old cat caller who actually understood the game really well.

We got a lot of looks from Red Sox fans as she cattled  “Strike em out.Strike em out. Strike em out” as loud as her little voice would carry over and over. People would look up and see her and just laugh. She really believed this chant would win the game (we needed ONE more strike top of the 9th ONE).

She actually came to the game wearing a Red Sox shirt and cheering for her mom’s team.  Eventually she switched sides and begged for a Rangers shirt.  Maybe she caved to the pressure of her Dad, me, & Sydney cheering on our Texas team. *surely it wasn’t because the Red Sox were losing most of the game right? That kid is smart!  Who knows?

Here was the scoreboard most of the game.

Or should I say up til the TOP OF THE 9TH INNING.

The last ONE strike never happened and quite simply they blew it. *sigh* I still love ya team!

Even so, we danced. We ate. We cheered. We saw a home run and loads of fans for both teams. We got pink foam number one hands we waved all around.  It was epic. A FIRST major league game for the girls. A cool breeze so it wasn’t  miserably hot.  They seem to really enjoy it. I hope a seed was planted.

I hope baseball continues to grow in these childrens hearts. I hope they find a future with their families going to baseball games and loving it.

And if not , no matter, I will carry the memory inside and guess what? I will still love baseball.

PLAY BALL!