Take me out to the ballgame...

I have to tell the story again. When I was younger my father used to take me out to the ballgame at Candlestick Park (San Francisco). I would bring my glove and tell my father and grandpa, "Today is the day that I catch a ball". As re-occurring visits to the ballpark resulted in unsuccessful attempts, we ended up at a ballgame against the Atlanta Braves. This time I had forgotten my glove, but not my hopes. And then it happened. Terry Pendleton hit a shot to right field during batting practice. Suddenly, time froze and all I could do is focus on the screaming ball heading towards our location. No one seemed to be around, and it appeared as if no one had seen it but me. (almost as if this had my name all over it). As the ball grew closer, I ran along in between the aisle towards the ball on my left hand side. I raised my bare hands stretched out with one foot on the ground and caught the ball in front a spectators face as he was distracted talking to his friend while drinking his beer. The response of the crowd was amazing. And you could imagine the look on dad and grandpas's face!

This is my story in a nut shell, but as I told Ashli the story in details, her eyes became attentive as we walked towards the gates at the New York Yankee-Seattle Mariner game at Safeco Field as if she had a similar experience to look forward to. She was excited about the prospect of "getting" a ball like dad when he was her age. I chuckled as I saw her little aspirations and hopes. Again, I was humbled, as within the first minute of locating our assigned seats, I hear a "thump" next to us. Surprisingly, a foul ball ended up next to our seats. The best part of snagging' this foul ball, was the smile radiating from Ashli's face as she was in augh, how quickly this happened as we just entered the ballpark. The moment was irreplaceable and she kept on pointing out the scuff marks where #29 from the Mariners had hit it. At that moment it hit me, how I am following in my father's footsteps...being a father, and passing on irreplaceable moments to my little one. Life is definitely good.

Yankees lost 4-1which made this experience even better!!!