Monday, August 15, 2016
Take Me Out To The Ball Game 2016
The refrain from that
great song can be heard across North America
on most sunny weekend days, throughout the summer.
A couple of weeks ago,
Hunter whispered to his grandmother that he would like to go to a Blue Jays
game. He gets to go to at least one game a year, and it is an exciting day for
him. There are baseball traditions, and he holds steadfast to those traditions.
He loves to sit behind the
bullpen. In Toronto Rogers
I received a note from my
friend Eric Chapman after I posted the photograph of Hunter and me, and he
reiterated my feelings about taking family to the game. He was at the same game
with his son Chris, and grandsons Adanai, Nate and Carter.
There are some baseball
traditions not to be trifled with: hot dogs, (at least one jumbo dog, maybe
two!), Cracker Jacks, cold beverage, and a keen eye on the catcher in the bullpen.
Hunter often is the catcher on his team in Belleville, and he has always
enjoyed the bullpen experience. They scurry around when the manager puts the
call into the bullpen to get a pitcher ready when necessary.
We both love to hear the
smack of the ball into the catcher’s mitt-“The Decker”- when the pitcher begins
to throw smoke. He notices the arm movements the pitches uses to indicate to
the bullpen catcher that he is throwing pitches that will move to one side or
the other at the plate.
Occasionally, he pays
attention to the game. He likes to sit in the first couple of rows in section
105 so that he can see the big scoreboard as well. He likes to see the count,
and follow each “at bat” carefully. He knows the ebb and flow of the game, and
the scoreboard helps to keep the focus. He likes all of the little games played
with the fans between the innings, all part of the modern game.
Some of those “new
traditions” are barely tolerable, to my eyes. On one occasion, I watched Blue
Jay players on the big screen doing lip synching! Likely a stretch for Whitey
Ford and Mickey Mantle. I can just hear Casey Stengel when he might have been
approached with that suggestion. Every player on the Jays comes to the plate,
accompanied by his own special song. Casey would have vetoed that as well.
But it is all part of
today’s game, and it is enjoyed by the fans. Toronto leads the Major Leagues in
attendance, with good reason. They are at the top, or near the top of the
American League East standings. They will be in that position for the rest of
the season. But there are tickets available for their games.|
The icing on the cake for
Hunter comes at the end of the game, when the pitchers from the bullpen head to
the clubhouse. Usually the catcher picks up a ball or two and tosses them to
kids leaning over the rail. Hunter has a couple of them. They are treasures!
James Hurst
# posted by James Hurst @ 9:24 AM 
