For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a Jays fan.  Yes, I’ve written about this before, but that was a year ago and would have been different words, so I’ll forgive myself for resurfacing an old topic.  See, my childhood bedroom was adorned with all the memorabilia of the back to back years – pennants, figures, collectable coke cans, posters, t-shirts, you name it!  I remember watching Carter hit it out of left field, just as much as I remember how that moment made me feel when it happened.  Though  I no longer have the decor hanging around my bedroom, and I don’t follow them quite as intently year to year as I did some 30-years ago, I do still very much enjoy taking in a game now and again.

The start of baseball season is synonymous for me with the beginning of outdoor weather and sunshine; often times it becomes the background to our gardening, lawn mowing, or project work, as the radio travels alongside me while I putter about the yard.   And as has seemingly become tradition for this family, each baseball season also brings with it the anticipation that we will take in a day at the park.

Look, I’m not the biggest sports fan you’re going to run into, even when it comes to baseball.- I am aware that the Leafs may not lose right away this year, that Guerrero will be a rich man, and that two jury’s have been in excused in trial, but beyond that I likely couldn’t tell you the name of a single player on any other team or in any other sport.   In other words, outside of the Blue Jays, I read the headlines in order to keep up with or initiate conversation at a party; but if people start getting into stats, or trade deadlines, or the details of who’s going to win round 63 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, then I’m out. That said, I’ll jump on a bandwagon when it rolls through town, and I won’t turn down free tickets to any live event – there’s just something different and irrefutable when you’re immersed in a crowd of 40,000 people.  The energy is high, the beer is cold, and who doesn’t love a free Barbie shirt giveaway?!

Over the past several years, Alison and I have found ourselves at a few sporting events where we were severely out of place, yet always manage to have fun.  Be it the Raptors game, where the best part was the half-time mascot dance party, or what I think was a Leafs’ game, where we had full access to all the free food and drink we could want, we have enjoyed being part of an event in which we can pretend to be cool for a moment.  While there certainly have been some memorable and admittedly humorous outings since we’ve gotten together, I have to say that our trips to the Skydome with the girls these past couple of years rank among the most memorable, and the ones I most anticipate.

We don’t drive into Toronto often, and that’s because driving into Toronto sucks.  So the one time we do each year, is an event that both of our kids wake up early for.  They watch eagerly from the car out of their windows, waiting for that moment when the CN tower comes into view, and they start to cheer and their excitement builds even more for events that are now becoming more and more within reach.  Now, I’m sure they are less excited for the game than they are for the accoutrements that come with it – the popcorn, the hot dogs, the slushies, the ice cream – it’s a dinner event that comes but once a year.  This year was actually extra special because we purposely bought our tickets for “Barbie Day”, which meant additional activities and free give-aways on top of just 9-innings of slow-paced action.  I will openly admit that I was just as anxious to get to the ball park on time to receive our free Hawaiian Barbie shirt as anyone (we actually managed to get the last ones!).  This year also marked the first where we made it through the entire game without having to leave due to boredom, losing miserably, heat stroke or tummy aches (gee, I can’t imagine why that would be…).  We’ve hit an age where focus and engagement is taking hold and they got right into the fanfare of it all; there were high hopes for making it on to the jumbo-tron, but alas, 43 years into my life and it still did not happen.

I had dreams, when I was young, of playing left field and having my name stitched across the backs of screaming, shouting fans throughout the stadium.  I’ve accepted at this stage of my life that that is probably not going to happen anymore, though I do keep my eyes peeled for scouts as I step to the plate during my Sunday morning  3-pitch games.  Being on the field is perhaps even more enjoyable than watching, even if it’s not being broadcast to the world.  The fresh air, the crack of the bat, the cheering of fans (my wife really is ambitiously supportive from the stands), the chance to make a sweet catch at the warning track, and the memories that brings up in me from my childhood, I love every moment of it.  Yes, baseball season is here, and that means more to me than just keeping up with my favourite team or players.  It’s a feeling in the air, a changing of seasons, a chance to check in with two of my best friends as we message each other the odd play by play on a Sunday afternoon.  It’s an excuse to sit and relax for a few moments on a weekend to watch the last three outs, or to not care about the news for a moment.  It’s a chance to spend a fun day in a big city, creating memories with our kids.