America's Past Time

-

The first step through the tunnel to catch a glimpse of the field is awesome. PNC Park in Pittsburgh is a true gem. It's just a beautiful park that was perfectly designed.

We were fortunate to be in great seats.

I'm talking tremendous seats. We were in the second row just 15 feet from first base. My beautiful wife did a great job of planning the trip and grabbed the seats along with help from Sam.

It's a great place to see a game. Joey Votto is one of the best players in the game and he was doing his thing less than 20 feet away.

The game looks simpler from that vantage point. We could gauge the speed of the pitches, we saw how quickly the players move around the bases. There was a throw from the deep outfield to the plate that made us all just shake our heads.

Yet the game was secondary to the memory that we made on Monday night.

The boys brought one glove in order to grab a foul ball (none came close) but Sam also brought a clean hardball just in case there was a chance that one of the players came by to sign autographs.

The Reds Todd Frazier stopped by. Sam was able to get the ball to him and he signed it quickly.

"That was awesome," Sam said. "I'm going to root for him to get a hit."

Frazier got three hits, going 3-4.

Then it was Jake's turn. The Reds all-star 2nd basemen made it to the rail just five minutes before the game was to start. The last autograph he signed was Jake's. Watching from a little ways away I saw Jake say something and then Phillips laughed out loud and touched Jake on the shoulder before heading away.

"What did you say?" I asked.

"I told him three homers or I'd be highly disappointed."

Phillips also went 3 for 4. In his first at-bat he went high off the right field wall for a double and the boys laughed.

The game came down to the last inning. It was tied at 5 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The entire night had been fun, but did we really need extra innings?

We didn't get it.

The game ended with a single to right and a play at the plate.

The home team (the Pirates) won and the fireworks went off.

Phillips and Frazier walked off disappointed, but I'll root for them from now on because they made my boys smile.

"It was a great game," I said as we hustled off. I asked Sam and Jake to stop for a photo near the bright green grass with the backdrop of the beautiful stadium behind them, but true to their nature they both looked straight down at the ground and wouldn't smile for the photo.

They thought it was funny.

Two dorks at a baseball game.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more