Take me out to the ballgame!

About a month ago, my daughter’s school was selling tickets to a Rockies baseball game. I know as well as anyone that April weather is difficult to predict, but I love going to baseball games. My father used to take me to Giants games back in the days of Willie Mays, and I was so fond of these outings that I sported a Giants baseball cap as a kid and had a poster of Mays on my bedroom wall. Something about the slow pace of a baseball game and the traditions that go so far back is attractive to me and it is something I want to share with my daughter. Colorado has a beautiful stadium – Coors Field – that my father has gone to with me when he used to visit. I bought tickets to last Saturday’s game for my daughter and myself and hoped for the best.
Last week the weather turned foul, and Friday night the winds were so wild that I really wasn’t surprised when the rain turned to snow. I despaired, though, at the chances of even going to the stadium on Saturday. My friend Frank alerted me to the possibility of being able to attend an early game on Saturday when it turned out that they’d play a double header on Saturday to make up for the rainout on Friday. Saturday started out foggy and grey and it wasn’t until after noon that I was sure that we’d be able to go.

Miraculously, the sun came out and the day grew warm. M and I walked from our parking spot downtown toward the stadium and tapped into the excitement of the crowd as we got closer. We had put on our matching purple turtlenecks and jeans, not knowing how cold it would turn out to be. M’s eyes were big and she took in all the concessions and crowd and the big expanse of green field as we walked along the perimeter of the stadium to find our seats. We stopped to listen to the children’s choir sing the National Anthem, and quietly took in the rest of the crowd being respectful. I am proud of Colorado in times like this; folks here are staunchly independent, but also show respect for the time-honored traditions like respect for the ceremony of the flag.

Our seats – firmly in the “cheap stands” – were in the sunniest spot in the stadium, and due to all the confusion of the weather and the rescheduling, we had the row almost to ourselves. We got some cotton candy for M and some beer for me, and we settled in for our first baseball game. We clapped and cheered and followed the prompts to participate. M was happy and excited, especially when a second grader from her school and his family took their seats next to us and he recognized her. They chattered happily throughout the game.

I was able to relax and enjoy myself in a way that I haven't really had the opportunity to do in a while.  It all seemed to come together for me that afternoon, like the new job that starts on Monday, and the other signs that we're back, we're here, and all is well.  The sun was shining, (although we woke up to snow this morning) and we were sitting in the baseball stadium together, and we were happy. 

By the time the game was finished, the Rockies had lost, we had consumed hotdogs and soda and beer and cotton candy, and the sun had slowly moved across the sky to the point where our seats were no longer in the sunshine. We could have stayed for the second game, but we decided that we’d had a good time and we were ready to leave, full and content.