The Joy of Baseball: From Rancher to Fan

There’s only one game that I’ve ever claimed to understand and really enjoy. BASEBALL!

Part of my problem when it comes to sports is I was raised a rancher. That meant there weren’t a lot of people around my age so playing football was out of the question. Since we didn’t have a hoop, I couldn’t even play a decent game of HORSE. And I didn’t have a decent place to bounce a basketball (let’s be honest, it almost impossible to dribble on soft dirt), that was also something that didn’t work well.

But baseball. All you needed was a bat and a few balls (and the willingness to chase them into the weeds).

And when I went to school, I still didn’t know how to play the game. I had to watch others, but it was an easy jump to running basis, catching balls, and so on. When my son was born, I developed a love for catch.

And I love movies about ball players, movies like The Rookie, Field of Dreams, and Pride of the Yankees. I’ll watch those any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Now, for the big question. Am I any good?

Well, I can hit the ball 1 out of 5 times. On a good day and with the right wind, I might catch a fly ball. And I’ve hit exactly 1 home run my entire life. I literally knocked the ball out of the park, an event that surprised me and everyone else so much I almost forgot to run the bases.

But despite my love for the game, I’ve yet to step foot in a stadium. I hope to attend a game one day. It doesn’t even have to be a major league game. I Just want to sit under the Sun, eat a dog and enjoy a cold beer. Hear the crack of the bat as it sends a ball into the far reaches of the field. Smell the grass and watch the players run the bases on a perfect summer day.

I guess that’s one for the bucket list.