Baseball is Back!

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

I’ve never been more excited to attend a live baseball game as I was to attend a Class A Minor League game between the San Jose Giants and the Fresno Grizzlies this past Sunday evening.

We were invited by friends to the opening series of the season for San Jose. This was extra special since it was Mother’s Day and our friends’ son works for the Giants. Our seats were at field level in the “Party” Section and Ben treated us to food vouchers as well. We were totally pampered! It was an added treat to have Ben’s wife and two year old daughter join the four of us for the game.

It was the first live baseball game of any kind that I had seen in at least 18 months. The sights and sounds of the ballpark brought back decades worth of memories going back to my Little League days when my Mom used to take me to my own games in Visalia, CA. The smell of BBQ, the slap of the ball into a mitt, the singing of the National Anthem (on the big screen because of COVID protocols), singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” the announcer excitedly telling the crowd who the next batter was and what position they played.

The sound of the ball off of the bat, the roar of the crowd when the hometown Giants hit a home run (they hit two!), the howls of approval when the Grizzlies designated “Beer Batter” struck out which meant half price beers for anyone who walked down to the Concession area to get it. The Giants picked the right batter for this promotion. He (unfortunately for him, but to the great delight of the crowd), struck out three times giving the crowd three opportunities to get that half priced beer.

Not even COVID can slow down the fun activities at a minor league ballpark. The staff keep the fans excited even when the pace of the game slows a bit. The “horse race” held out beyond the center field wall between three competitors has been around for a long while. I remember them back in Visalia when the Visalia Oaks used the same fun to keep fans entertained.

This was the first time ever that I got to sit at field level. It made the return to baseball just a little more special. We sat along the first base line and got treated to a couple of great plays by the Giants First Baseman (#35) to turn double plays and preserve the Giants lead.

The chance to go to a game seems like a reward for 15+ months of personal sacrifice in suppressing the Coronavirus to the point where we could (with precautions) begin returning to some semblance of normalcy. I wish this feeling for everyone. We all deserve to be pampered in some way as a societal thank you for caring enough for our friends, neighbors and relatives to stay at home, wash our hands, keep social distance and to get vaccinated when the vaccine became available.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll be going to see a Major League game in San Francisco between the Giants and my Dodgers. We’ll be sitting in the Vaccinated section which means that, with proof of vaccination, I get to sit in the seat next to my friend instead of six feet and a couple of seats away.

Thanks to everyone that made this game possible, our friends, Ben, the ballplayers and all of my fellow Americans that made significant personal sacrifices to make this day possible.

Play Ball!