Baseball at its Best

This may be common place for many of you but for me it was almost nostalgic.

You see I finally made to Woodstock (Virginia that is) to see my first ever Valley League summer collegiate game. The setting was baseball as I would have pictured it when it was "America's only game."

Despite rain for 2 days and a steady drizzle in humid 50ish temps the folks at Woodstock weren't about to let their long awaited home opener be cancelled.

Woodstock sits along I-81 nestled against the blueridge Mountains and has 3500 folks I'd say about 20% of them showed up.

The game was good (14-13) as a late Woodstock ralley fell short. But it was all that goes along with it that made it memorable.

The foul balls were free and every kid(some bare foot)in Woodstock slipped and slid down the slippery slopes aroung the field chasing those balls. No doubt they'll later be signed by some college kid...making him grin ever so slightly but making the youngsters eyes light up! Of course everytime a ball went foul the "breaking Glass" sound came over the loud speakers saying call "lon or Ron" for all your car insurance needs. After about the 25th time the announcer just said "you know who to call."

There were give aways every inning from gift certificates to hanging baskets to the 50-50 (my girlfriend di not know what that was)but the big give away was a brand new Chevy truck...I couldn't believe it. Three numbers were called for a chance to win that truck. Then the 3 folks were led out to the mound to try and throw a ball through a hole about the size of a big softball. Wouldn't you know it, the first 2 guys couldn't even hit the 5'by 8' board but the last guy literally rattled it in before having it barely fall out. They carried him off in a stretcher

At the end of the 4 hour game they were throwing tee shirts, giving away prizes for anyone who could say what the home colors were for the Woodstock team (ofcourse they were wearing them).

It was just plain fun...period.

Did I mention I got to meet Hokieone, who was instrumental in helping my Redshirt son get on the "other team." Ofcourse I didn't know what he looked like but only that he was there so i asked a few folks before I found him.

That probably happens to alot of HSBBweb folks so from now on I think I"ll coin the term "HS webbed" for anyone walking around asking are you "so and so" and getting" funny looks.