There is Magic at the Ballpark

I have been around sports for a long time. I have attended, covered or done play by play for many different sports from high school to the major leagues in baseball and basketball.

But there is NOTHING like a major league ballpark. I can remember the first game I ever attended. I was nine years old and my grandfather took me to old Crosley Field in Cincinnati to see the Reds take on the Milwaukee Braves. I don't remember much about the game, except seeing Ted Kluszewski and his cut off sleeves which bared his overly large arms. He became my favorite player that day. That is all I remember from the game. But I will never forget arriving at Crosley Field that day and seeing the double decks stands with the huge light towers reaching toward the sky. And I will never forget walking into the ballpark and seeing the grass and the dirt and the white lines. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen.

Now, many years later I still get that same thrill. I have been fortunate to see all the ballparks in the major leagues and some that aren't around anymore. But the excitement of approaching the gates and seeing that field for the first time has never changed.

Football stadiums, basketball and hockey arenas don't do it for me. Maybe it is because they are all the same once you enter. All football fields are 100 yards long. All basketball courts and hockey rinks are the same other than individual surrounding advertising. Baseball has always been special.

Maybe the appeal is also because baseball is a summer game when the weather in most parts of the country is the best it will be all year. (Certainly, that can be disputed in Miami, Houston, Arlington, Phoenix and Atlanta, but at least Houston and Phoenix have air conditioned stadiums with retractable roofs.)

When I was a kid the result of the game didn't matter for my enjoyment. Now, for a lot of reasons it seems many fans can't enjoy a game be it baseball or any other sport if they don't think their team can win. Not just win the game they may attend, but win the title, pennant or championship.

I don't know when that changed. Certainly it is not good for any sport. Everyone cannot win no matter what moves management makes. So, instead of worrying because your team--whoever it may be--may not win a pennant or championship-- just enjoy the sport.

If you never felt the magic I felt as a kid when baseball captured your heart I feel sorry for you. You have missed out on a lot of fun. It's not too late though. Tickets are available at Astros games this season. The club also has a number of special ticket plans making it much more affordable for families and groups.

Even if football is the only sport you care about, you may be surprised at how much fun a night at the ballpark can be, especially with friends. You can watch as closely or as loosely as you want and have time to chat with those friends. Hopefully you will have fun whether the Astros win or not. I still do.