Thank You Baseball
My parents used to say that it was as if I was born with a bat and baseball in my hands. I loved every aspect of the game, from the crack of the bat to the final strike, and especially the endless sunflower seeds in between. Growing up in Seattle, playing the local little league taught me many core values as well as gave me lifelong friends. Whether it was at practice or playing catch in the street, I loved the magic around the game. Some of my peak childhood memories that are still my favorite activity when I’m home for summer are attending Seattle Mariners games. From my first game when I was just a baby, attending Mariners games became a tradition. Even when I couldn’t attend home games or when the team was on the road I stayed passionate and loved listening to games on the local radio station sitting outside. But beyond the pure joy of the game itself, it was the experience surrounding those trips to the ballpark that truly ignited a passion within me.
The experience for me always started outside the stadium. At one of the games I attended as a young baby, not old enough to chew, a hot dog vendor my grandfather had become friendly with insisted and eventually persuaded my dad into allowing me to have my first lollipop and from that point on a lifelong friendship was born. Edgar, the hot dog man, was and still always is the first stop whenever I make my way to a Mariners home game.
After getting a hot dog from Edgar, I would walk into the SafeCo Field (now T-Mobile Park) and feel right at home. Being a Mariners fan hasn’t been filled with thrills throughout my life. For example, they had never made the playoffs until my sophomore year of college. Rooting for a team with little success has taught me loyalty and has made me proud of being part of a faithful and passionate fanbase.
One thing I always looked forward to growing up was attending Mariners promotion nights, specifically the bobblehead giveaways. The excitement of getting to the game early, standing shuffled in the crowd, thrilled to shuffle forward a few steps to add another mini-figure to the collection. But it was never really about the player on the bobblehead for me as it was being one of the lucky first 20,000 fans to get the special to us limited edition item. It made me feel connected to my community.
Baseball has always been my home away from home and the Seattle Mariners fanbase has always been my second family. The love of the game has taught me a lot about who I am. Standing in the long lines during bobblehead nights and having hot dogs with special people are the experiences that make it, those are the memories that are bigger than baseball.
