By Shannon Williams
They say baseball is American’s Pastime and it appears that is true for everybody but me, or at least for this weekend. I have a long history with Baseball or at least watching it. During my high school years (mid 70’s) my dad would love to watch the Atlanta Braves on TBS, not that he was a big Braves fan, he just loved to watch baseball on TV and those were the only ones that we could get coverage of the games.

Watching TV with my father was something I did often when I was living home and then as much as I could after that. So, I learned about baseball by watching the Braves with my father. I don’t think I went to a professional ball game or even college until I was married and had a child, but watching it on TV has been fun many times in my life.

After college, I was not so much of a fan, lots going on and I just did not make the time to watch much baseball, well, until I met a new friend. From the first time I met him, he was watching baseball and it was usually the braves.

We had a group of friends that would hang out and watch the ball games and did that for many years. I learn much more about the game during that time, but we were all Braves fans for the same reason, that was who we could see play on the TV.

About 20 years ago, my cousin who lives in the Bay Area (the other one, on the West Coast) and who has been a life long baseball fan, called and told me she had tickets to a Baseball game and it was the Giants vs the Braves! I had been to see the Texas Ranges once or twice by then, but I was not a big fan of Texas Baseball, at that point. A chance to see my beloved Braves was so exciting and I enjoyed every minute of it. The Giants Baseball Park, (they change the name so often, I gave up on trying to remember what it is currently called) is one of the best and has the best food for an event venue that I have ever had. For the next several years, I would go to a game or two a year, always in San Francisco and usually against the Braves. It was the days of Bobby Cox and the Jones boys (Chipper and Andruw) and they were hot and so fun to watch. By the time they cooled off, I knew a lot about the Giants, and Bobby Cox was about to retire, so I became a Giants fan, and loved to watch the Panda, the first Beard, and of course Buster Posey. Well fast forward and I married a BIG Baseball Fan; first it was the Rangers and they were hot, but soon we both just fell in love with those ASTROS!!!

So during ball season, he watches just about every game and I pop in and out but really love to watch that short one who can hit the ball, like he was ten feet tall!!! We have been able to go to a game or too, but we both enjoy watching on TV. So, when he got a call from a good friend Friday afternoon and said he had a chance to go to the game, well of course I wanted him to go, but I wanted to go too, I was the one who had worked ten-hour days and was still fighting the computer. Ok Ok, I made the best of it and enjoyed a quiet evening. I had the game on, but it just not much fun to watch it by yourself. Who do you make your comments to, who do your cheer and cry with? So today I called my cousin, as I usually do on most weekends and guess what? She was at the ball park in Oakland, watching the Giants and the “As”! She is retired, so I worked more than her too but she got to go! If my son, (another baseball fan) had gotten to go, I would have given up and become a hockey fan! My husband did bring me an Altuve Jersey, so I guess it was not a total strike out for me, this weekend. I will hang in in my closet and move my Giants and Braves one’s to the back!

I have many great baseball memories, and have been so lucky to share the game with many who I love, so next time someone says “hey do you want to watch a ball game, GO !! and take me!

PS – if you have not watched the Ken Burns series on Baseball you are missing out !!

[August-24-2021]