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>I don't know if you are a baseball fan or if you watched the World Series game in San Francisco on Thursday night. There was a moving tribute to military veterans before the game, focusing on baseball players who left the game for a while to fight in WW II. There was a video on the big screen in the outfield showing some of them. They weren't all in PR roles or "rear echelon" types, either. Some of them, including Ted Williams, were fighter pilots. But that wasn't the best part of the pregame ceremonies. The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by a 22 year old Marine who lost both legs and his left arm in Afghanistan. I doubt there were many in the crowd who didn't have a lump in their throat. Even the players and managers were clearly moved. The pitch looked like a strike, too, with some zip on it. Try that sometime when all you have is one arm. He teetered a little and put a hand on Willie Mays's shoulder to steady himself but remained upright.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd09BDXYHZc>
>There was one light moment. Before the Marine's pitch several baseball players who served in WW II and are still alive were introduced. One of them was Tommy LaSorda, the long time manager of the hated Dodgers. He got a rousing chorus of good natured boos.
I grew up as a San Francisco Seal’s fan, which was our AAA baseball team. When the Giants came to town, we did not like the fact that they replaced the Seals, in 1958. The Seals were a farm team of the Boston Red Socks. Ted Williams would come to play with the Red Socks, against our Seals, during the exhibition season. I really liked Ted Williams, and did not like it when fans and sports writers would give him a bad time. The man was real! I got to take his picture near first base.
Whenever the Giants would loose, my grandfather (who raised me) would shout, “Bring back the Seals”! I love that!
We got accustomed to the Giants being our baseball team, with the realization that they might decide to move whenever they please. After all professional sports is all about money and not representing fans. Where is the market? Follow the $$$
Tommy LaSorda is one of my favorite people, along with Tony La Russa. My favorite baseball player is Willie McCovey, who autographed my baseball (which I still have). Willie is 6’ 5”, and I am 6’ 7”. I met him in the off season when he worked at a store in San Francisco, in 1959 – and he is a really nice person!
Times change and all that. When I was a kid it cost 20 cents to see a baseball game. We just got on the 33 bus (five cents each way) and went to the end of the line, walked about two blocks and were at the ballpark. During football season we saw the 49ers (also 20 cents) and took the 33 bus to the end of the line in the other direction. Living in San Francisco for a kid at that time was great!
I hope the Giants win in 4. I can dream! Why not dream big?
Now it will cost you about $150 for ticket to attend a regular game to sit in the bleachers, and $20 to park. Parking during the World Series was only $130. You could spend $12,000 for a ticket. It is all about money.
There was a brewery on each of the three adjoining corners of Seals Stadium. After the game some of the adults would go for free samples at Hamm’s Brewery, and we kids would simply go home. In those days the men wore their best suit to see a ball game. Imagine that? We never saw or heard of anyone fighting. Paying a lot for a ticket does not mean that you will be safe. Times change.
Speaking of U.S. Marines, I could write about my father, who was a Marine from 1938 until the 1950’s, who started out his foreign duty in China, and his last battle on Okinawa. I do not recommend war for anyone – military or civilian.
