Another Testimony

Here is a great story from my Uncle, Sars. He shares some great memories from his first baseball game, and shares a bit about why he loves the game. Enjoy...

Baseball- the game

It was a sunny, but cool day I was excited! Not just because I was going to see a real baseball game. It was 1958, and the New york Giants are now the San Francisco Giants and Willie Mays...Willie Mays, oh man!! Willie!!

But I was going alone with MY dad..now thats a treat!

I remember the walk thru the green grassy park, the trees tall willowly. We walked me and my dad and some of his friends( uninimportant to me! ) to this day I could only speculate who they/ them were. Walking towards the gate of Seals Stadiumn, I can still feel the energy and excitement of the crowd, it was opening day and the Giants were in town!!

It was 1958 I was 10 years old, i was living the dream,, here i am walking into the ball park with my hero Willie Mays in centerfield, and we sre playing the Dodgers, Woa can it get any better than that? We walked and walked excitment and anticipation stiring inside me,. As we began to enter the park I could see other boys high up in the trees, ready from their afforadable perchs to see there heros play too! Secretely I was envious, i wanted to be high in those eucluptas trees myself. But my adventure continued as we msde our way into the  ballpark... ( pinch me!)
We were shown our seats, good ones I know now... Some 54 years later. Box seats.. Real boxes! Not a metal divider! Real wood, green in color. But wow! Theres Willie!, Right then it all became a blissful blur of noise, and smells (hotdogs!!!, peanuts). Red white and blue bunting draped the field adding to that first wonderful day in the middle of april of 1958!

Imagine it... Willie mays! Orlando Cepeda, Willie Kirkland, Jimmy Davenport... I can go on and on but there they were playing baseball! Is that not every mans dream?? And I was 10!!! Hello!!

The game played on , about 4th inning I was on my second hotdog, with Willie to bat, he fouled a ball back to the left of the home plate screen, the crowd around jumped,my dad  MY dad grabbed the ball... Willies ball! Looking  at me, he handed it my way.. The crowd applauding my dad, and me for being the lucky kid to be holding that prized souvineir.
Now today.. So many many years later.. Baseball is so much more than a game. I know that deeply as i touch the ball and feel its crisp seams,  im living again every boys dream...
Play Ball!

This is for you Tommy and Kanan , tonights game was and will remain  a treasure.

I love you guys...

Poppie




Sars