After several days in NY on business I returned to Southern California by way of San Diego. I couldn’t go straight home to Palm Springs as I was previously committed to attend a San Diego Padres game for work. A few months back, my company’s charitable foundation held a fundraiser auction which included a few packages to attend a baseball game with various officers of the company. I was happy to make myself available, particularly when 100% of the auction money paid by the winning bid went to help animals (shelters, rescue organizations, spay/neuter programs, etc). So when our company foundation asked me to be one of the “prize packages” I was all to happy to participate. The timing of this game was just unfortunate in that it was last night, the same day I had flown back from a week in New York. So as soon as I collected my luggage from baggage claim I retrieved my car and drove 
directly to the ball park downtown. Despite being tired from a long flight, I was excited to be at the game. I’d stop short of declaring myself a major baseball fan, but I truly enjoy the sport. It goes back to my childhood, when my Italian great-grandfather Luigi would watch Boston Red Sox games all summer long. He hated the New York Yankees with a passion, and would shout at the TV set whenever the Red Sox played poorly or God forbid- those Yankees scored. To this day I have that same bias, all because of him. When I lived in Chicago I became a big Cubs fan, which is what cemented my love of baseball as an adult. Chicago is such a great sports town that it was hard to resist the tidal wave of passion for our Cubbies. Despite having lived in Southern California now for over ten years I still have a soft spot in my heart for my Cubs. So whenever I attend a Padres game, it isn’t genuine love of the team, but rather a love of the sport and its traditions. This brings me to another scintillating edition of The Saturday Seven: Favorite Traditions of Major League Baseball Games
#1 Hot Dogs....mmmm you can't just have one.
#2 Seventh Inning Stretch- “Take Me Out To The Ball Game”
#3 National Anthem
#4 Catching a baseball from the stands
#5 Cold beer
#6 Peanuts in the Shell- messy but worth the work!
#7 Loveable Mascots and Pep Rallies
Bonus Feature: Fireworks After Last Night's Game
#4 Catching a baseball from the stands
#5 Cold beer
#6 Peanuts in the Shell- messy but worth the work!
#7 Loveable Mascots and Pep Rallies
Bonus Feature: Fireworks After Last Night's Game
Every Friday night after a Padres game, they have a fireworks show, right there in the ballpark. I took a short video of it. Enjoy!
-Rick Rockhill
9 comments:
I'm not a big Baseball Fan but having grown up in New York The Yankees and The Dodgers were The Teams! LOVE the Fireworks Video, Rick!
Your story of your Grandfathers hatred of the Yankees passed on to you is a PERFECT example of Prejudices we are taught...As Oscar Hammerstein said..."You've Hot To Be Taught....."...And these prejudics are passed down from our parents and Granparents....
BTW: Pat & Dickie and Family took a very sweet AD in the AFTRA Magazine in Memory of Farrah....Some great pictures through the years of Farrah and The Van Patten Family.
i want to know more about you being a prize package!!!
smiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoox
I car nothing for baseball, but the hotdogs, peanuts, beer and fireworks hit the spot!!
Hi Rick, I have been on vacation, and been away from the computer. eesh! I almost caught a fly ball one time, at a Yankees game in NY, but when I got up to catch it, that sucker wizzed by my head so fast, I think I would have lost a few fingers!
I love the combination of beer and sports. One goes perfectly with the other :)
As a White Sox fan, I will have to forgive you for being a Cubs fan. Chicago is a great baseball town with two teams. As a kid I loved to watch the Atlanta Braves on TV as it was the closest team to Alabama. As my two sons both played baseball, our favorite part of going to a game was getting there early to watch the teams warmup and hopefully get an autograph or two.
Nice post.
I've tried...but I just don't get the whole Baseball thing. The Farrah tribute ad sounds wonderful. (Sorry, commenting on comments, no dis meant.)
You KNOW I love this post and I agree with you on every one of them! :) I get to go to 3 games next week-so psyched!
So, what kind of prize were you, Rick? *grin*
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