Father's Day Follow-up

Well, last Thursday we made it out to our Babies in the Ballpark Blue Jays game, and true enough, as I predicted in my previous blog entry, not only one but TWO foul balls came our way. Thankfully, the Skydome planning staff were smart enough to place our section at a 90-degree angle to homeplate, so if any foul balls came our way, they would come in at a downward angle and not screaming in at 90 mph. Regretfully, I caught neither of the foul balls.

Regardless, a good time was had by all. Elora enjoyed the ballpark for the most part (talking and laughing away during the game). We did have to leave prior to Miguel Batista closing a 6-3 lead over the Mariners (Elora was getting tired), but overall the experience was great, and it was great to be out at the ballpark again.

A friend of mine is particularly negative towards major league baseball due to its incredible lack of parity (huge bankroll=World Series championship), but I find that I still enjoy watching the sport. For me, watching baseball is not about winning or losing the game (sure, it's great when the Jays win); it's about watching the particular game with all of its unique characteristics and intricacies. A ballpark atmosphere is certainly different from any other.

The mood is generally relaxed. It's pretty easy to discuss the game with everyone around you (without the increased volume of certain other sports).

I also enjoy the story-telling atmosphere of baseball. Baseball has its own singular tome of stories and legends that people will recall (the Jays in the World Series 1992 and 1993 and how it affected public sentiment in Canada, etc.). I find that lately, I also link particular baseball stories to my own history (ie. I remember when Michele and I first started going to Jays games in 2000, the first year of our marriage, and we examined the unorthodox batting stance of Tony Batista, etc.).

Our trip to the ballpark on the 21st reminded me just how much I love the game, and it reminded me of my hope that Elora will also enjoy this sport with us. Hey, I'm realistic about how children will likely not enjoy the same things as their parents, but a father can still dream, right?