Anyone who knows me knows I love baseball; the Diamondbacks, in particular. And I love baseball because my dad loves baseball.
Arizona got a Major League baseball team in 1998 when the Diamondbacks arrived in downtown Phoenix. I was an 11 year old kid and remember my dad, a season ticket holder, taking my sister and me to games. I remember him trying to teach me the rules of the game, and how to catch a fly ball (which, is really hard and very scary ok?). I never played baseball or softball or anything (hence, the inability to catch a fly ball), but I became a fan of the game because my dad was a fan of the game. And when I think about the game of baseball it makes me think of him. Which is why I hold the game, and the Dbacks so close to my heart - cause they remind me of my dad.
I'm reminded of my dad when I think about the 2001 World Series the Dbacks won, when he told me over and over again that the 1-2 punch of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling doesn't come around very often in life and that we were watching something special and needed to remember it. He was right. We were. And I did.
I'm reminded of my dad when I think about how the Dbacks haven't been to the play-offs in years and had the worst record in Major League Baseball last year; I think about him telling me, "Rissa, you're not a real fan unless you're still a fan when they're losing." I've kept that small piece of wisdom with me in all my fandoms (after all, Arizona sports hasn't been the easiest to watch in the last few years).
My dad was the first person I texted after my girlfriends and I ran into Luis Gonzalez at a football game and got to meet him and take a picture with him.
My dad has taught me a lot not only in life, but also in baseball. He told me once that, you don't know the game of baseball until you know the infield fly rule. So you bet I did my homework to ensure I knew the infield fly rule in case it ever came up in casual conversation with friends or family (cause the rules of baseball come up often in social settings?). OPS, ERA, RBI, Designated Hitter - I learned them all from my dad. Greg Schulte on the radio, purple and teal, baseball in November - they all make me think of my dad.
The game of baseball isn't most people's favorite; it's too slow, not enough action, takes too long, are often the things I hear. But I see it as methodical, intentional, and analytical - just like my dad. If something's not working you make an adjustment - just like my dad does. For nine innings you chip away at your purpose, your end goal - just as my dad has for his whole life and in raising a family. He's taught me that you might get some grass stains or some dirt on you along the way but hey, it builds character! So in the same way my dad has instilled a love for baseball in me, so to has he instilled a love for life in me.
Happy Father's Day daddy, you da man!
No comments:
Post a Comment