April 27 – “Play … ball?”

They just don’t make baseball stadiums like they used to.  I can remember back in the day when we went to a baseball game to … well, watch a baseball game.  We were fans.  We grabbed a quick hot dog and a coke and a program, found our seat and quickly filled in the starting lineups.  Of course we were going to keep a scorecard of the game.  That’s what you did at a ball game.  Oh, and we got there as early as we could to maybe get a glimpse of pre-game batting practice and if we were really lucky, maybe an autograph or two.  Our trusty Little League glove sat within easy reach at our side on the off-chance that a foul ball would ever reach this high up in the stands.  We were wide-eyed in awe at the expanse of green before us, the huge scoreboard, the thousands of seats yet to be filled.  This was real baseball. 

Saturday night Cailyn joined us as we went with Kel and his gang to a professional baseball game.  She was almost giddy at the thought of a brand new adventure as she sighed, “I’ve never been to a baseball game before, DadDad.”  Now that sense of anticipation would normally have reassured me that she would have a fine time.  But I would have been more at ease if, say, she was into softball or maybe watched an occasional game on TV with her Dad or if she even knew the first thing about the sport.  I was really worried at what level her disappointment would fall. 

Now we weren’t going to an Astros game.  They were out on the West coast seeking to solidify their hold on first place.  (Wow.  Sounds so good to say that.  And about the Astros.  Can you imagine?).  No, this was a special treat arranged by the Hitchcock Little League where Jachin plays in conjunction with none other than … the Sugarland Skeeters.  Yep.  An independent professional minor league team based just west of Houston. 

The stadium itself looked very nice from the outside.  It is fairly new.  We made contact with the rest of the Hitchcock gang and made our way inside the gate.  Once inside we received a free Skeeters hat (the night’s give-away), and then we were met by a Skeeters representative.  We were being upgraded to one of their sky boxes.  Now don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t like Minute Maid Park where you have to go up several escalators.  We went up one flight of stairs, way into the second level.  There we found our luxury box, a large room, plenty big enough for the inevitable rousing games of freeze tag and chase and even hide and seek.  For the more sedentary among us, it was filled with couches, padded chairs, television screens, tables full of popcorn and peanuts (All we could eat.  They kept refilling them as fast as the kids could eat them).  Floor to ceiling windows provided a view of the field, and a glass door opened onto an array of outdoor padded seats for a different type of viewing experience.  I took the opportunity to wander around a bit and discovered that for an additional $55 we could have access to their elite, all you can eat buffet room.  Roast beef.  Lobster.  Quesadillas.  Gourmet hot dogs.  Pretty impressive.  For our supper we went downstairs and grabbed some nachos and a barbeque beef sandwich.  A bit closer to ballpark cuisine.   And all close enough to field level that I was even able to snag one of those t-shirts that they shoot out of a cannon.

The Hitchcock kids were allowed to run onto the field with their Skeeter position counterpart when the players were introduced.  They then stood with them for the national anthem.  Special moment.  Four or five kids were at the ballpark for their birthdays.  They were each allowed to throw out a ceremonial first pitch.  They had the traditional uniformed mascot, a large green mosquito named Swatson Skeeter, I believe.  All of these were somewhat typical ballpark experiences for this modern age. 

But it was the “rest of the story” that got my attention.  Off behind the outfield was a full-blown amusement park.  That’s where our younger charges ended up by the seventh inning.  A merry-go-round.  Several ropes courses.  Climbing walls.  Giant bounce-house type structures.  A water splash park.  And even an actual swimming pool.  Where else can you get that kind of an experience for your kids at the price of a ticket to a baseball game ($13)?  I feel like a commercial here.  But wait a minute.  What’s the score of the baseball game?  Isn’t that the reason we came?  Well, I for one watched it to the end.  Skeeters won 2-1 on two solo home runs.  Cailyn slept soundly all night long.  Oh, and out in Oakland the Astros completed their three-game sweep.  That’s a good night.

Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Father, thank you for another random opportunity to just enjoy being with family and friends.  And at a baseball game.  Wearing a free hat.  Really good night.  Amen.