By Melik
A friend of mine, Rob, had an extra ticket to a Detroit Tiger’s baseball game. I have very little knowledge of baseball. I think it is about as boring to watch on TV as golf is. If I need to take a nap, turning on golf or a baseball game would surely induce sleep. I stopped following sports around the time Tom Landry was fired from the Dallas Cowboys franchise. That is two decades for those of you that do not know or want to find out about Coach Landry. I was never much into baseball. I found America’s pastime uninteresting. Then there was that players strike back in 1994 that baffled me. It is difficult for me to hear about millionaires arguing about wanting more money. Yes, I do realize that not every player has a multi-million dollar contract. However my perspective was these guys get paid a whole lot of money to basically stand around for a couple of hours. Even with all that I still thought it would be fun to check out a professional game live and in person. Besides I really enjoy the energy of being in the “D”.
Before the game we had lunch at my friend’s mother-in-law’s house. There were fixings for roast beef sandwiches, BBQ ribs, veggies and birthday cake. This trip was getting better as it went on. A free ticket to the game and a free lunch, what more could a guy ask for? Aunt Diane, the one who procured the tickets, decided she would transport Rob and me to the stadium. The vibe is eclectic and exciting. We find a small plot of land to rent to keep the car on for the time we are there. We bypass the sidewalk vendors selling everything from T-shirts, to candy bars, to bottled water. I sidestep the panhandlers. One warned of an uneven section of sidewalk. Another used his coin collector as a percussion instrument to accompany is Tiger’s chant – ‘Eat ‘em up Tigers Eat ‘em up’. It still baffles me how people get away with scalping tickets directly in plain view of police officers. I guess that is an example of not wanting to deal with the paperwork.
Once inside we grab our seats. We were in the lower section 25 rows back from third base. I am completely blown away at how all the chaos and disorder is changed to reverent respect when the National Anthem is sung. Seeing and hearing a whole stadium go from being rambunctious to silent back to cheering is spine tingling to me. It is partly cloudy, the temperature is 77 degrees, the game begins, and we settle in and enjoy a wonderful Sunday afternoon of a Detroit Tiger’s win. I still do not know much about baseball. I still do not watch a game on TV but the next time someone has a ticket I would definitely not hesitate to enjoy another day at the park. Baseball is more than just a ball and a bat I have found. There is a stadium full of people of different backgrounds all there for a common cause, to enjoy what is on and around the field. Peanuts, popcorn, beer, brats, burgers, chili cheese fries, roasted almonds, pennants, T-shirts, hats and doing the wave. No matter what your knowledge of the game is we all know – Play Ball! Swing batter, batter, batter, batter, swing batter. Thanks for your time.
~Melik melik_2001 @ yahoo.com