Forgive me for rambling, but I just wanted to share this experience with everybody, because the anticipation of going to the 1st pro game with my son, just the two of us, lived up entirely to the expectations!!!
My son just turned 4 about two months ago, and we went to the Louisville Bats/Toledo Mud Hens game on Saturday here in Louisville. Though neither team was the Pawtucket Red Sox, I wore my Red Sox t-shirt and hat, and he wore his Red Sox hat. I'm a native Bostonian, and I've been able to teach him that A is for apple and B is for Boston Red Sox.
Anyways, we arrive at the park and the signs on the ticket window say "Standing Room Only". Now, I am an associate scout w/ the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and I have never once abused the priveleges that I have w/ free admission to games, food, or anything. I have too much gratitude for what they let me do. However, circumstances being what they were, I pulled out my Scout ID card and asked for a favor for the 1st time. The woman behind the window told me to show it to the guy checking tickets, then ask the woman at the top of the section what they could do. So I did, and bless their heart they put us in the front row right behind home plate for my first pro game with my son!!!
Anyways, the people in our section immediately take to my son, as he starts telling them all how his favorite team is the Boston Red Sox and shows them all his and daddy's hats and daddy's t-shirt. In the 4th inning, a couple a few rows behind us got engaged on the jumbo-tron.
In the meantime, my son has been standing out of his seat cheering his 4 year-old head off for both teams. A player from the Bats comes over to him in the 6th inning and gives him a game ball!! While that was wonderful, my son was to worried looking down the tunnel behind home plate trying to figure out where the fuzzy purple mascot went to care too much about the ball. Believe me, I thanked the young man endlessly because it was totally unnecessary.
In the middle of the 6th inning they played a movie clip from the movie "Madagascar" on the jumbotron where all the animals sing and dance to some hip hop song that goes "I like to move it move it, I like to move it move it." Well I guess my son has seen the movie 1 too many times because he gets up in the aisle, starts singing the song and dancing. I could have burst with so many emotions watching my son, I just didn't know which one to pick!! Happiness, pride, hope, joy? I managed to keep it together for the most part and got a big hug and kiss out of him after his karaoke show for the stadium.
Finally, in the 8th inning the bat-boy for the Louisville Bats was a beautiful Golden Retriever who would sit between his trainers legs next to the dugout, then run out, retrieve the bat, and bring it back to the on-deck circle after each at bat. When the dog's half-inning of work was done, he exited w/ his trainer through the tunnel next to our seats. The trainer had the dog stand on his back legs on the railing next to our seats, and while my son rubbed the dogs head, the dog proceeded to lick his face off while my son is laughing his head off!!!
I want to put this out there for everyone to read, as I'm sure you all have had the same type of experiences. I can't thank the Louisville Bats, the player who gave him the ball (and I didn't get his name...I know, shame on me), and the Golden Retriever for giving me a night with my 4 year-old son that I will never ever ever ever ever ever forget.
I love this game.
Original Post
Is this game great or what………????? I played hooky today to head out to some 100 degree field nestled between corn and soybean fields in central Illinois to watch the “boys of summer”. Mrs. Smokey thinks I’m out of my mind. 
, so I need to catch up some.
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