Friday, June 5, 2009

Take me out to the ballgame?

I'm on my way home from NYC after a day of meetings at our partner agencies. I was supposed to go to Yankee Stadium tonight to catch the Yanks vs the Rays with Rob. It was a night game which meant I wouldn't have got to see my little girl until tomorrow morning, but now it looks like I'll catch her for a little bit right before bedtime which I guess is alright. I can't complain because I made the choice to come to the game. It would have been my 4th game of the season, which isn't a lot when you consider there have been 26 games at the Stadium and I have a full 81 game package in my name, but living an hour and a half away from the stadium and having a baby means I just can't get out to the stadium often. Or does it?

If Kaylani and Mommy came to the game WITH me, that would solve the lack of family time issue that comes with going to a game but Kaylani is only 7 months old (or will be in a few days). Is that too young to go to a game? Of course she's too young to go to a night game since she's in bed by the 2nd inning usually, but maybe its not too early to go to some of the weekend afternoon games, right?

I've been battling with this decision for awhile now. Weekend day games sure seem like the right time, but will she survive the 90 minute car ride, plus 3-4 hour baseball game, before a 90 minute car ride back? Probably not since I know a lot of people who wouldn't survive that either because they think baseball is boring, and she'll probably find it boring too. Will she survive 3-4 hours in the sun while sitting on Mommy or Daddy's lap in the Bleachers? Probably not again. I guess the better question is if Daddy would survive watching a game for only 3-4 innings at the stadium before leaving early.

I haven't left a game before it was officially over since my dad and I left during a rain delay back in 1993. On the ride home, we heard that a fan ran onto the field in the 9th inning during a Mattingly at bat to interfere with what would have been a routine out, but extended the game and led to Donnie Baseball smacking a game winning hit. After missing out on that, I vowed never to leave early again. That was 16 years ago, or probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 80-90 games ago for me.

My dad had his reasons for wanting to get us out of there instead of waiting it out. Things like me getting too tired or sick since I was only 13 years old and it was cold, rainy, and getting late. Things like beating traffic so it didn't take twice as long to get home. Bottom line is that things change when you have a kid. I didn't understand that back then, but I certainly do now.

I have a game picked out in September for what would be Kaylani's first Yankees game. I figured it would be a little bit cooler and we could spend time walking around the stadium and relaxing since the Yankees will have the Division wrapped up by then. But "going" to the game today made me realize how much I love being at the Stadium, and how its something I want Kaylani to experience as often as she can. So maybe we'll take a few trips this summer. I'll sacrifice watching a full game so she can come with me because that's the kind of Dad I want to be. And maybe its because its the only way I'll be allowed to take get a few extra trips to the stadium this year. But we'll just keep that between you and me ;)

For those of you coming "late" for Fatherhood Friday, thanks for stopping by! If you're not tired of me yet, check out yesterday's official FF post (I tend to cheat and use Thursday's post for FF). For everyone else, don't forget to check out Dad Blogs (http://www.dad-blogs.com) for other Dad (and Mom) bloggers! I know I will!

5 comments:

julie thompson said...

When we lived in TX we took Kaitlyn to her first (Rangers) game at 6 months and she loved it!

Daddy Files said...

We took Will to a Paw Sox game at 4 months old and made it the whole way through. Honestly, I've never left a game early and I'd have a REALLY hard time going all the way into Boston only to leave in the 3rd inning because he had a fit.

But you're planning on going in September, which is good. It's not as hot and the Yankees will be so far out of the division and wild card race that all the bandwagon jackasses will be gone so it'll be nice and quiet for you.

SurprisedMom said...

I am a bad mommy. I never took my girls to a ball game. I live in a city with two baseball teams and never, not once, did the urge hit me to take either or both girls to a ball game. The last time I visited a ball park (you can't call Wrigley Field a stadium) was 20 years ago. I figure if they want to go see a ballgame live, they could go themselves now being much older. But, if this is your passion, I'd certainly introduce your daughter to it. It could be a fun family outing.

Melisa Wells said...

I LOVE baseball. When my older son was a baby we lived in Kenosha, Wisconsin and could have gone to see the Brewers whenever we wanted, but I think I took him to his first baseball game with my dad when my son was about 6. Brewers vs. Cubs. It was fun!

We have a minor league team right near our house and although my boys are way old enough to enjoy a major league game, to be honest, the minor league games are more fun for the family and they are WAY cheaper.

JonnyTam13 said...

We've decided that we're definitely going to get to a game soon!

@Julie - I hope the Rangers were playing someone good. They're not fun to watch by themselves ;)

@DaddyFiles, I believe your team has way more bandwagon jumpers.

@SurprisedMom, I'll let Kaylani decide if she wants to go when she's older. For now, she's coming with whether she likes it or not! Of course if she doesn't like it, she'll win and we'll leave.

@Melisa, Oooh, minor league game! That's a great idea! The Yankees AA team (Trenton Thunder) are real close, so maybe we'll go to one of those games...and a real one too!