Baseball

Baseball. An all-American sport. A spot that I have not only grown up with all my life, but have loved all my life as well. As far back as I can remember baseball has always been a part of my family. I remember going to games when I was little to watch my mom play. She used to play on her work team and we would go to her games every week. I remember sitting on the grass and just loving the sounds and the actions of the game. Especially the night games when everything thing seemed so much better under the stadium lighting.

From early on as kids we were taught how to throw a baseball and how to catch one. From there we then learned how to hit one as well. Then, as soon as we were old enough, we were put on to teams and began to learn the rules and strategies of the game. And even from early on, I knew that I loved it. I loved hitting the ball and then racing the outfielders to get to the base before they got the ball there. I loved that feeling you would get when you crossed the home plate and knew that you were safe. And most of all I loved being a part of a team that was playing the game I loved so much.

From tee-ball I went on to coach pitch and then machine pitch. Each time summer would come around my mom would take us kids and sign us up to play. And even thought he teams changed each year, and you played with a whole new group of kids, we always had fun and we always loved it. I remember years of being the only girl on the team and years where I got to play with my sister. I remember learning how to slide into home plate and how to hit a pop fly. I remember learning the baseball cheers that never seemed to change no matter how many years would pass. But most of all I remember that sound the ball and bat would make when they connected and you just knew it was a great hit. That sound that still makes me smile when I hear it today. CRACK

After machine pitch I didn't play on teams anymore. I had gotten to the point where you either had to play competitively on a comp team or try out for the school teams. I really didn't want to do either so I stopped playing on teams. I did not however stop loving the game. I still loved it and I still played it with my family and friends and most of all I still went to plenty of games. For you see, I had brothers that played the game as well and even though my sister I no longer played on teams, they did. This meant that every spring and summer I had plenty of baseball games to attend. They would play every week and the games were always at night which, in my opinion, made it that much more fun to go. And even though I was just watching I still got to hear that sound of the bat hitting the ball, I still got to cheer the same baseball cheers and I still got to watch the game under the lights.

As we all got older my brothers stopped playing as well. Some of them played through Jr. High and some through High School. But, nevertheless, they all stopped playing on teams at some point as well. This is when I started going to other games. Comp games, miner league games and major league games.  All of witch still hold the same thrills and love for me. The first miner league game I went to was the Bee's of course. Living in Utah that is the only professional baseball team to go and see locally. I went to my first major league f\game when I was in DC on my high school choir trip. We went to the DC Nationals vs. the Atlanta Braves. It was the first year that the Nationals were a major league team again. And to make the experience even better our choir got to sing the National Anthem at the beginning of the game down on the field. It was an experience that I will never forget. Being on that field and singing that song was just plane awesome. Then to top if off the Nationals won.

Over the years I have been to more Bee's games and another Major league game. A game in which the Atlanta Braves played again. This time against the LA Angles. I have also been to some of my cousin's comp team games. all which I have loved being at and being a part of. I got to enjoy one of these games this last Friday, July 21. Some friends of mine and I had wanted to go to a game and finally got together to do so. We sat on the first row balcony seats just left of home plate. They were great seats and even though we lost, it was a great night. One filled with friends, laughter, ball park food, baseball cheers and songs, stadium lights, and that favorite sounds of CRACK as the bat hit the ball throughout the night. It was a night of baseball and all that I loved about it. A night that will have to be repeated again.