How did you catch the virus?

Before I was walking my grandparents gave me a bat , ball and a glove.

Mt grandad was in NYC realestate way back when and his best friend was a gentlemen who was 1-0 on the mound for the NY Giants--as a youngster my grandad would take me fishing with he and his best friend--- tell me I wasn't starry eyed fishing in the boat with a undefeated major league pitcher

Going to Dodger games and Angel games as about a 7yo and then playing LL. Also playing ball in the street. We had a lot of kids in the neighborhood.

My Dad and my Uncle were exceptional baseball players when they were young. My Dad played on the hometown baseball team as the Shortstop when he was 15, the second baseman was my grandfather who was 31.....the first baseman was my great uncle at 28.

I grew up playing "neighborhood ball"......all showing up at the field hoping to be picked by the older kids to play. No mattter what if you stayed long enough, kids came and left and you could get into the game.

My first LL uniform sealed the deal for me, I couldnt wait to wear it. I never played much, but hung around the game until HS as a bad back up catcher who loved the game. I was much more physically gifted in football, but I always loved baseball more.

After college, I found umpiring as a way to stay involved in the game. that was 23 years ago.

I put a baseball and hat into my sons crib on a beautiful sunny morning, July 16, 1986.

My Grandpa always talked about playing when he was young and he had a tremendous arm. However, fate stepped in and the Paducah Flood of 37 took everything. My Dad never played. When we were young and my parents were just trying to get ahead after leaving sharecropping, I asked to play. My Dad said I had to work. I was 9. My Grandpa stepped in and it was the only time in their lives that they ever had words. I was allowed to play. I was so excited. I didn't even own a glove but I could throw. Baseball has given me everything in my life aside from the lessons my family has taught me. I have traveled the world to coach it. I love this great game! AMERICA'S GAME! As I have always said, in baseball, you know where the hero is. You also know where the goat lives. Hero or goat and it happens so many times in the course of a game. At times, you even know where the coward is. I love the one on one of pitcher v hitter. In every game team must be more important than individual. Well, as you can see, I caught the virus. I don't intend to get any medication to enable it to go away. In fact, I long for the delusions of championships it perpetuates each spring knowing that only one can stand at the top. CAN WE PLEASE HAVE SPRING NOW?

Got it from my Dad, my mom and her only brother.

Born & raised in St Louis where, if you didn't love baseball, they actually took away your right to vote. Dad was a ballplayer (played in the Army league in TX during the war) and a minor league ump; he taught me to keep a scorecard when I was 5. Baseball's just always been part of my life, as natural and essential as breathing.

Got it from my dad and his employees. Dad played HS ball and after the war he became a local businessman he hired two local HS players (brothers)part time while in school. Both went on to pro ball, one to the minors (Yankees) and the other one made it to the majors (Orioles). They would go out in parking lot at the business and pitch and draw a local crowd of on lookers.

As a kid I would make trips up to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore with my dad and his friends to watch him play and sometimes we would go by his place after the games. Wow, those were fun times.

As a eleven year old kid 1n '68 , the local player got his teammate Brooks Robinson to come speak at the High School athletic banquet and brought him by my dad's place before the banquet for a personal meeting, I just happened to be there after school and got to meet Brooks in person too.

I guess thats how I got hooked.

CV

Grew up with the Big Red Machine in a city that at that time was bonkers over their baseball team. Couldn't escape it.

Just....me too...Cincinnati till 1986...my home town. Great city and great baseball...snuck in to Crosley twice a week until they gave me a job to clean stands...What a memory!! Riverfront ok, but not the same...Gus, Wally, Vada, Fred...I could go on forever...you know what I mean.

FROM MY SON! When I was young (many years ago) and first married, we went to see a Reds game with some inlaws. I thought to myself, I can't believe we paid to come here. It started raining and we actually stayed! I sat and pouted the whole time (might be a trait why I was divorced years later!) and thought this is the dumbest game I've ever seen. Never went to one again until: Having a son in Kentucky, you expect him to play basketball. Bought the son a goal before he was even two. When he was 5, I thought this t-ball stuff is cute. I'll let him play. The child hasn't put down a ball since, year round since 8 yrs old. I can count on one hand the games I've missed. We watch it on TV together, we go see friends play. I LOVE BASEBALL. I don't know if it developed because it was something he loved or if it was because I learned the game. He told me the other day "I bet you go watch the highschool games when I'm gone". You'd better believe it. Can't wait for spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It beat the hell out of priming tobacco. I realized it was a whole lot more fun than working all the time. We didnt have anything else but work or play ball. I really didnt catch the bug untill I started coaching it. The relationships that you build with the players and most of the parents is for a lifetime. The competition and seeing young boys grow into young men. Its all a part of it. Baseball defines me as a person and I am proud of that.

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Originally posted by cvsting:
Got it from my dad and his employees. Dad played HS ball and after the war he became a local businessman he hired two local HS players (brothers)part time while in school. Both went on to pro ball, one to the minors (Yankees) and the other one made it to the majors (Orioles). They would go out in parking lot at the business and pitch and draw a local crowd of on lookers.

As a kid I would make trips up to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore with my dad and his friends to watch him play and sometimes we would go by his place after the games. Wow, those were fun times.

As a eleven year old kid 1n '68 , the local player got his teammate Brooks Robinson to come speak at the High School athletic banquet and brought him by my dad's place before the banquet for a personal meeting, I just happened to be there after school and got to meet Brooks in person too.

I guess thats how I got hooked.

CV

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My grandmother had season tickets to the Orioles games...she loved Brooks and her seats were on the 3rd base side. I grew up loving baseball for as long as I can remember, I wanted to be the first woman to play in the Major leagues...that didn't work out. When my grandmother passed away, I got all of her old Orioles souveniers, programs etc. They are among my prized possessions.

When I was seven (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) my Uncle took me to see the Dodgers play the Milwaukee Braves. This was before Dodger Stadium was built and they played at the L.A. Coliseum. Hardly a baseball venue, but a classic old stadium.

All I really remember was the amazing brilliance of the colors, the grass was greener than green and the Braves uniforms were so cool looking in those days. It was if my baseball cards had come to life.

My uncle bought me a Braves hat, which I just thought was better looking than the Dodgers' and I really had no concept that the Dodgers were my hometown team.

Shortly after that game, my Uncle went in the Army and mailed me a Rawlings "Dick Groat" model glove, as I was starting LL that year. With my Braves hat on, I was Dick Groat (who I believe only played for the Pirates and Cards ).

Been a baseball fan ever since; and, thanks for starting this thread. Reminded me of all that from about 45 years ago; and, I'm seeing my Uncle this Thanksgiving and can't wait to thank him, too.

Two things: a friend of my grandparents played for Millvale (Pittsburgh Area), a semi-pro team and he always told lots of great baseball stories of the 'old days' - they'd even play some of the "Negro League" teams of the day so we got first hand accounts of players like Satchell and Josh Gibson. That developed my inner love for the game. The competitive love came when I was around middle school age and started making all-star teams and realized "Hey, I'm good at this." I wasn't good at much else!

I had watched the game on TV but did not get a chance to play to the game until I was 10. In the tryouts, first pitch, solid liner into left. Missed the next nine swings. I have spent the last 29 years chasing that feeling of the first swing. I became a Pete Rose fan (even had the haircut) and if you tried to play the game like him, it became a love affair.

I come from a country where you only need somebody else, a tennis ball, and a wall to play. I remember my dad playing when I was a kid, sometimes his teammates allowed me to hit at batting practice before the games. When I was 6 years old the first dominicans were signed for big leagues teams and I start to follow the carrears of Felipe and Matty Alou, Juan Marichal, Manny Mota, Julian Javier and others. Since then, baseball have been my life and my kids life. From last year my first grandkid began playing "T ball". I think I need a lot of pages to explain how important have been baseball in my life. Finally, because baseball, I found this site where I have learned so much, and where I have found so many friends.

I was a baseball nut as a kid. Like many I had dreams of playing in the big leagues. Unfortunately for me, upon reaching high school I realized I had no talent for the game (ended up lettering in golf instead). I generally lost interest until my son started playing at age 7. I've been hooked/borderline obsessive ever since.

HeyBatter,
Where'd you play LL? I probably played about 5 years after you did. I grew up playing at Culver City American which I think is now Playa Vista. The fields were in top shape back then. I drove by them a couple years back and they were in terrible shape.

Baseball was of no interest to me growing up-I was a dancer, never had any desire to play softball or watch baseball. My husband walked on at Texas A&M but injuries ended his baseball dreams and when I met him he was playing on 4 softball teams (which meant if I wanted to see him I had to go to the field!) When our son was born, he wondered if Thomas inherited any baseball skills (Grandpa was also an excellent player in his day!) I still couldn't have cared less! We have pictures of Thomas at 2 with a big plastic bat-he's traded bats but he's still as excited to play as he was at 2. Little league when he was four, began my downfall. As he grew, I become more and more interested in the game and he was good so it was alot of fun to watch. Now that he's in high school-I'm having the time of my life watching him have the time of his life! I found this website this summer and everyone tells me I'm on it so often that I'm obsessed! But it has given us so much helpful advice that I look forward to seeing what other "helpful information" I can pass on!(Even my husband's impressed with what I've learned here)

I caught the "bug" in the front seat of my first car ('66 Plymouth Belvedere) in 1973!! This car had an A.M. radio only!! I got mad at it one day and kicked it with my heel and it jumped from a Rock station to a country station that also carried the Tx Rangers baseball games, and it stuck there!!! So whenever I was in the car I had to listen to the Rangers game or nothing. Even when me and my girl friend(s) were sitting in the car,not doing anything wrong just sitting there o.k.,we listened to baseball(very romantic). Only one girl could put up with it and we eventually got married and had a son who grew up to be a pretty fair h.s. pitcher!! And yes I still prefer to listen to my Rangers on the radio!!!!

CADAD - small world. I played at Valley Little League in North Hollywood. My kids played in Beverly Hills Little League, which is part of the same district that Culver American-now Playa Vista is in.

the district also includes Culver National, North Venice, Malibu, santa Monica East and West, Culver City, West Los Angeles, Wrigley, Martin Luther King and Queen of Angels.

I'll send you a pm over the weekend, funny story about your old league... and unfortunately you are right, their fields have gone into horrible disrepair, but they usually field pretty decent teams.