What Baseball Means to Me

Baseball has always been a glorious and more recently underrated American pastime.  The sight of a baseball diamond stirs up nostalgic feelings of days spent playing the game as a child, or perhaps enjoying a summer's afternoon at the ballpark.  Nearly every person has had some type of experience with the glorious game even if they don't label themselves as a fan.  For me, however, the game of baseball holds a very paternal and familial connection that has only increased over time.

My First Game
I have always been and will always be a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers.  My Dad introduced me to the team from the moment I was born, but one thing I will always remember is the first time I went to a game.  It was during one of those beautiful summer mornings that I found myself playing ball with some friends next door.  My Dad came out and told me that he wanted to take me to a bigger park where we could play.  I grabbed my glove and hopped in my Dad's car- I'm pretty sure it was that aqua-marine Honda Civic he used to drive.  We drove for what seemed like hours to a child, but in reality was probably no more than an hour and a half.  I had no idea where we were and my Dad was very tight-lipped about any details relating to our trip.  We arrived out front of the Los Angeles Police Academy, and I was more than a little confused.  For those of you who don't know the Police Academy sits just out front of Chavez Ravine where Dodger Stadium is located. The stadium itself is blocked from view due to the dense foliage that surrounds the stadium parking lot.  We got out of the car and started walking, I was still clueless, but once we rounded the corner to the entrance I knew exactly where I was.  We turned the corner and I saw Dodger Stadium for the first time.

I was so excited I could hardly contain myself!  My Dad had taken me to a Dodger game!  Every memory I have from that game has stayed with me all these years; from the smell of the hot dogs to almost getting nailed by a foul ball.  To this day that game is the only extra-inning game I have attended.  Raul Mondesi won the game with a walk-off home run in the 10th inning.  The sport of baseball won't hold that particular game in high regard.  No records were broken, no streak snapped, no incredible feat performed, but to me, that game will be the greatest game of baseball that has ever been played.

Teenage Years
Its no big secret and I doubt my adolescent experience was too different from most other teenagers, but at times I just didn't get along with my father.  I always loved my Dad, but at times I just couldn't stand him.  We would argue and disagree, he would punish me and I would get mad, or perhaps we just weren't clicking.  But no matter what was going on between us we could always fall asleep watching the Dodger game on Sunday afternoons.  He would sit in his recliner and I would take the couch.  We could be fuming mad at each other, but almost every Sunday without fail you could find us in those spots.  We would be glued to the TV for the first few innings talking about the team and their associated highs and lows, and then we would pass out.  Every Sunday afternoon I looked forward to those moments with my Dad, even if I wasn't willing to admit it at the time.  Looking back on it now I can see that those moments spent passed out on the couch weren't particularly productive, but they were extraordinary to me nonetheless.

And Now
Now, the Dodgers are somewhat of an addiction.  Thanks to my Dad, I have an MLB.TV subscription and I've yet to miss a game- although I wish I could have missed some of them.  Now, I have my son Max and my wonderful wife Natalie who I can share the team with.  I converted Natalie to the Dodgers while we were dating.  She used to claim the team who shall not be named (angels) as her favorite team, but I changed that quickly.  She was a Dodger fan at heart to begin with, she just didn't know it yet.  In the future I look forward to watching games with my son, and taking my family to the ballpark so hopefully I can instill in them the same passion and love of the Dodgers that my father instilled in me.  The Dodgers are nothing but a baseball team to most and at times not a very good one, but that's ok.  To me, the Dodgers are an emotional connection that will forever tether me to my family and that's why they are so special.