Baseball on Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day

Some things just seem to go together naturally. Salt & pepper, catsup & mustard, politicians & prostitutes (oops), and the great game of baseball with Memorial Day weekend. So after seeing a FaceBook post from my pal Mike announcing his son’s Club 9 Nationals were playing the Seattle Stars at 11:15 on Memorial Day, I made a plan to cycle down to the game.

Typical of most Memorial Day weekends in the Pacific Northwest, it started to rain as soon as I got to the end of my driveway. I could have just turned around and chose some alternate form of transportation, I even considered it for the briefest of moments. But this was not my first rodeo. I had been riding bicycles for well over half a century – rain or shine – I would dry out eventually. I was pretty sure the game wouldn’t be rained out.

I made my way down the Interurban Bike Trail for a few miles, then looped around Silver Lake. Of course I was delayed a dozen times for fields of flowers, flags at the cemetery, fleeting glimpses of birds… You know, all the important stuff!

Lupine and scotch broom

At this rate I’ll never make it to the game…

I reluctantly tore myself away from the wildflowers and rode on. I arrived at the ball field just as the teams were taking the field. I bellied up to the fence right next to the Nationals’ first base dugout and shifted my brain into “baseball mode”. (If you have to ask, then there is NO chance you would understand, even if I could explain it).

I looked around for Mike but never saw him. I instantly recognized his son Jeff who banged out a solid single in the first inning, and dazzled us all with his glove work at third base. I may have looked around for Mike once or twice during the game, but I can’t say for sure. I did however see every pitch and never missed a minute of Jeff’s play on the diamond. “Mike who”? – (I’m sure Mike will be chuckling when he reads that. I know he would agree with me that a father’s proudest moments are when his son’s achievements begin to surpass and overshadow his own).

Here is a little baseball action:

Here comes the heat

Jeff handling a grounder at the “hot corner”

The game is – Ageless

Smooth stroke to center

Jeff even pitched an inning

Good game (slap) nice game (slap) way to go (slap)

Taken on the roll

Well unfortunately the Nationals lost the game, but on the bright side it had stopped raining for my bicycle ride home. I shot down to the Lowell-Larimer Road and had a very pleasant pedal through the valley farm land.

So how about a final note of thanks to all the men and women who have served our country selflessly over the years and moment of silence for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice…. Thank You. Kat

We WIll Never Forget

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