Baseball Has A New Fan

I experienced a pleasant surprise last night, one of those little curve balls that life seems to throw at me from time to time. A friend called in mid-afternoon, saying that a coworker had given him four tickets to that night’s Giants vs. Mets baseball game, and did my husband, Herman, and I want to join them.

I hadn’t seen a baseball game in fifteen years. When I managed a group of software engineers in San Francisco, once a year I would treat them to an A’s ballgame. We would all jump on Bart about lunchtime, whoosh across the bay and catch an afternoon game. I never enjoyed the game. Baseball for me is a bore, as is most team sports. But it was always fun to have a beer and hotdog with my employees and they seemed to have a grand time, like schoolboys cutting class.

So yesterday I was going hell-bent on Facebook and Twitter, and didn’t want to be pulled away, but I could tell Herman wanted to go, just to get us out of the house for a change. Well, as it turned out, I not only tagged along, I had a wonderful time. Of course the two beers I had before the bottom of the 3rd helped to get me in the spirit of the game, but regardless, the fans, being out with my husband and friends, the ballpark food, the game, all fused into a fantastic experience. By the end of the 8th inning, the score was tied at 6 all, so it turned out to be a nail biter. The crowd was somewhat drunk and rowdy, but in a good way. And me? I was glowing. It was simply a wholesome, fun thing to do on a Friday night.

I must admit, I was a bit taken aback by the prices, both for tickets and food, but I guess nothing is cheap these days.

So baseball has a new fan. No, I don’t expect to be dropping a wad on season ticket anytime soon, but I will gladly return to the ballpark for a night of food, friends, and a great crowd. Sometimes, it pays to take a risk, do something new.
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