Baseball

The other night we were sitting around talking with Blake and Debbie about baseball. We talked about the joy it brings into our lives. We love spending spring and summer nights, with friends and family at the ballpark. Or sitting in the living room watching in awe as our favorite players make spectacular plays. Baseball brings us together. It comes every spring, accompanied by sunshine and optimism. We love it!

Today baseball is back. The Yankees open the 2017 baseball season with a game against the Rays in St. Petersburg. To celebrate opening day Alison and I wrote about some of our favorite baseball memories and why we love this great game.

Eric -

1. Tell me about your first experience at an MLB game?

My first experience at an MLB game was actually not great. I was on a tour of the east coast as part of the 2005 National Jamboree. During one of our nights in Washington D.C., we attended a Nationals Astro's game at RFK stadium. It was Saturday, July 23, 2005. I did not know this then, but 2005 was the first year the National's played in D.C. Before that, they were the Montreal Expos. The Astros starter was Roger Clemens. At the time I had no idea who that was, but now I can't believe I got to see him pitch. My overriding memory of the game was the heat and humidity. It was a night game, but both were still unbearable, especially after we spent the entire day running around D.C. in even worse heat and humidity. I did everything I could to cool off, I even bought some dippin' dots. Nothing really helped me cool down. The game ended up being a blow-out with the Astros winning 14-1. It was so miserable in the stadium that we left after 5 or 6 innings.

My first positive experience at an MLB game came during my mission. I attended an Oakland Athletics day game on Memorial Day, May 25, 2009. Most of the missionaries in our district didn't think it could ever happen, but my companion Elder Market called President Beck and asked him if we could go. Since we had a member who was willing to give us a ride, the Oakland Coliseum (where the A's play) was in our mission, and we promised to behave appropriately he gave us permission. This game was a ton of fun. I bought an Oakland hat and t-shirt to wear at the game. The t-shirt was a Jason Giambi shirt, which I bought because I enjoyed watching Giambi play for the Yankees before my mission. Before the game, the A's brought out a giant American flag, which was carried across the field. The game itself was great. The A's were playing the Mariners and soundly defeated them 6-1. It was the first of many great experiences.

2. What is your favorite MLB stadium (other than Yankee stadium)?
My second favorite stadium would have to be AT&T park. The home of the Giants. I am partial to the stadium because I served my mission in the Bay area and I feel a connection to that area. Located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco right on McCovey Cove it is an ideal area for a ballpark. The park is clean, open, and right on the ocean. The stadium is also usually packed with an energetic crowd. Most games sell out. I loved the game we were able to attend there and hopefully, we will be able to visit this ballpark again. 

When Alison and I were at a game. I was standing in line to buy some garlic fries (a local favorite) when I turned around and saw the speech from the field of dreams painted on the wall.

"Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come." - Field of Dreams

I can't think of a more appropriate place to read this speech than at a ballpark on a beautiful day.

3. Tell me about the favorite MLB game you ever attended?

Honestly, my favorite game would be Derek Jeter's last game at Yankees stadium. The experience was surreal. Since we have written about that game in great detail I thought I should write about my second favorite MLB game. It was on August 17, 2012. This game was the second time I attended a game at Yankees stadium. Alison and I were in New York with Blake and Debbie. They took us to New York to celebrate Alison's graduation from BYU. We planned the trip so that we could attend a Yankees-Red Sox game. We sat in section 203 with the bleacher creatures. We love sitting with the bleacher creatures. They used to be the most passionate group of fans in the stadium. Sometimes they could be a little crazy. We found out at this game that the Yankees had tamed the creatures. There were lots of Yankee employees assigned to this section to make sure the creatures were under control. As a result, we ended up chanting "Boston's not good" because it was one of the few acceptable phrases that wouldn't result in anyone being thrown out of the park. This was also the first time I participated in roll call. Roll call is a tradition where the creatures will chant the name of each position player until they get acknowledgment from the player. It is one of our favorite Yankees stadium traditions.

The weather was not ideal. Shortly after the game began the rain started to fall. We were a little worried the game might get rained out, which would have been the worst. Alison and I bought some Yankee ponchos so that we could keep dry. Fortunately, the rain wasn't too heavy and they were able to keep playing. By the end of the game, the storm had passed.

The game was very exciting. Early on things were not looking very good for the Yankees. Phil Hughes did what he often did as a Yankee and gave up a three-run home run to Dustin Pedroia in the third. Fun Fact, August 17 is Dustin Pedroia's birthday, but we weren't celebrating. Fortunately, after that Phil settled down and ended up giving the Yankees 7 solid innings. The Yankee offense answered back with five solo shots. One each from Curtis Grandson, Russell Martin, and Derek Jeter (which happened to be his 250th home run). Nick Swisher added the final two solo shots, which thrilled Debbie (Swish was always Debbie's favorite). The Yankees beat the Red Sox 6-4. This was the first Yankees game I attended where they won. What a game!

4. Who is your favorite baseball player? Why?
My favorite baseball player is Derek Jeter. He was the most recent Yankee Captain. He is a surefire Hall of Famer. I really admired the way he carried himself on and off the field. He was a very classy baseball player. For the first 7 years, I was a Yankees fan he was the Yankees starting shortstop (he played for the Yankees for 20 seasons). He was consistent and his consistency led to him being one of the greatest ballplayers ever. In the first Yankees-Red Sox game, I ever attended Derek Jeter hit his 250th home run. Our family celebrated together when he got his 3,000th hit. We went with Blake and Debbie to Jeter's last game at Yankee stadium. That was one of the coolest baseball experiences ever. We went nuts when Derek Jeter hit a walk-off single to end the game. It was incredible. Jeter wasn't the flashiest ballplayer, but he stepped up in big moments and he worked hard. I love this quote

"There may be people who have more talent than you, but there's no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do - and I believe that. "- Derek Jeter.

5. What is your favorite baseball movie? Why?

There are so many great baseball movies. The answer, however, is easy - Bull Durham. It is one of my top 10 favorite movies ever. It is so funny (and fairly inappropriate). Every time Alison and I watch we are always cracking up. Watching the interactions of Crash Davis (Kevin Costner), Annie Savoy (Susan Sarandon), and Ebby Calvin "Nuke" Laloosh (Tim Robbins) in this simple, and yet classic story of minor league baseball reminds me of all the reasons I love the game of baseball.

"This is a simple game: You throw the ball, you hit the ball, you catch the ball. You got it!" - Skip

6. What is your favorite baseball book? Why?

My favorite baseball book is 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports by Kostyra Kennedy. This is such a thrilling book. It is a biographical novel that revolves around the story of Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game hitting streak. Kostyra does a masterful job of walking the reader back in time to relive each game where Joe got one of his historic hits. Kennedy wrote this book so that it felt like I was at the ballpark for each of these games. I was enthralled and after reading this book I have a greater appreciation for how talented Joe DiMaggio was and how incredible it was that he got a hit in 56 straight games. After reading this book, I hope Joe's 56-game hit streak is one record that will never be broken.

7. How/why did you become a Yankees fan?

The short answer is that I fell in love with Alison and the rest is history.

The longer version of that story goes something like this. I had an interest in baseball at various points in my life. I played little league as a kid, and during high school, I went to a ton of Bee's games with my buddy Josh Maxwell. However, I didn't have any exposure to Major League Baseball. Then I met Alison and fell in love. During one of our first conversations, she made it very clear she loved the Yankees. She even told me she wanted to get engaged at Yankees stadium.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and Alison and I had started dating. She wanted me to meet her family so she invited me over to her house for an important family event - Yankees Opening day. It was April 2, 2007. I vividly remember that day. I was pretty nervous. It was the first time I spent time with Blake and Debbie. I really wanted to make a great impression. Little did I know that this would be the precursor to the countless dinners and baseball games I would share with them.

I helped Alison make chicken puffs for dinner. I was very impressed with her cooking skills. We watched the Yankees come back for a thrilling victory over the Devil Rays. Carl Pavano started for the Yankees and turned in a mediocre performance giving up 4 runs over 5 innings. The Yankee bats picked Pavano up. Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez hit home runs, Jason Giambi had 3 RBI, and Derek Jeter drove in a couple of runs. It was a classic Yankee game, featuring strong performances by some of our favorite players.

From that moment on I was hooked. I still remember Blake teaching me about the game as we watched. He told me he and Alison could name all of the players in the Yankees starting lineup. I took that as a challenge and by the end of that season, I could name all of the players in the lineup as well. My family didn't have cable so unless I watched the game at Alison's I would read the box scores in the newspaper. Being a Yankees fan became part of who I am.

Now 10 years later we are set to watch Yankees opening day. On April 2, 2017, the Yankees are playing the Tampa Bay Rays. We will be watching and cheering for another Yankee victory.

Alison -

1. Tell me about your first experience at an MLB game?

My first MLB game was a Mets vs. Yankees game in 2001. My mom, sister, and I were in New York on a dance trip and my Dad was in New York for work. The dealership he was working with gave him box seats to the Mets game, so we all went. I didn't really know anything about baseball. In fact, as embarrassing as this is, I actually wore a Mets visor. It's disturbing to think about now. I don't remember much about the game or who won, but I do remember having fun with my parents and Kristin at the baseball game. I think that's what I love about baseball. Sometimes I don't even know what the score is, but I know I'm with people that I love and I enjoy spending time with.

2. What is your favorite MLB stadium (other than Yankee stadium)?

My favorite MLB stadium besides Yankee Stadium is Chase Field in Phoenix. I really like the family-friendly atmosphere. It's in the heart of downtown Phoenix, so Eric and I walked to the stadium from our hotel. Outside the stadium, there were a lot of places to eat, and there were vendors selling food outside of the stadium. It was very interesting that they allow outside food and drinks into the stadium.

The stadium is gorgeous. It has a retractable roof, so they can keep it comfortable in the summer. We visited in April when the weather was still very pleasant. When we first got into the stadium the roof was closed, but they opened it right before game time. It was really pleasant to watch the game and it felt very close to the action. Not to mention, the seats were cheap! The weekend we attended they had fireworks, which was really cool. It seemed that there were a lot of kids there too, which is one of my favorite things about baseball. I love it when parents take their kids to games and create future baseball fans.

3. Tell me about the favorite MLB game you ever attended?

My favorite MLB game was the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. My parents gave me the trip for my high school graduation present. I made a deal with my Dad that if I got all A's through high school, he would take me to the All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. He agreed, and when I graduated with straight A's, my parents gave me a flight to NYC and a ticket to the game. It was so much fun.

2008 was the last year of the old Yankee Stadium, so it was really important to me that I attend a game there that year. Terry Francona of the Red Sox was the manager for the American League and Joe Torre was one of the coaches. My journal from this game said:

"The All-Star Game ceremonies started by introducing the second string players for both the American and National Leagues.  Of course, the Yankee players were cheered, while the Red Sox players were booed.  The majority of the stadium was Yankee fans.  Many in attendance were also Mets, fans but fans of most other teams were scarce. 

            Following this, all of the living Hall of Fame players came out of Monument Park and went to their positions on the field (49).  All of the Hall of Famers were introduced along with the All-Star game starters.  The starters went to their positions on the field by the Hall of Famers.  The mood was incredible.  It was an awesome moment to see all of the living greats standing with all of the present-day great players as if foreshadowing that someday these All-Stars would stand again on the hallowed field as Hall of Famers as well.  This was the largest collection of Hall of Famers gathered in one place in history.  Notable players in attendance were Goose Gossage, Yogi Berra, Willie Mays, Reggie Jackson, and Whitey Ford.  Following the introductions, cadets from West Point came out carrying a huge flag that they unrolled as Sheryl Crow sang the National Anthem.  Following the Anthem, there was a flyover by an Air Force Jet.  Before the Jet came, there was a blimp advertising for DirectTV above the field and Phil’s mom made the comment when they announced the flyover by the jet “that blimp better get the hell out of the way.”  Of course, we were all laughing as we pictured the encounter between the blimp and the jet.  Fortunately, the blimp did get out of the way and the deafening flyover was awesome. 

            The ceremonial First Pitch was thrown by all the former Yankee Hall of Famers.  George Steinbrenner brought out the balls and Whitey Ford kissed his cheek as he received the ball from Steinbrenner.  Steinbrenner was crying nearly the whole time as he was brought out on a golf cart and gave the balls to the players.  The first pitch was awesome and then the game was underway.  “After receiving the handoff from Steinbrenner, who appeared to be crying, the ceremonial pitch was tossed by four Yankees Hall of Famers. Reggie Jackson threw to Rodriguez, Yogi Berra to Joe Girardi, Whitey Ford to Jeter, and Goose Gossage to Rivera, as red, white, and blue metallic streamers fell upon the outfield.” (Bryan Hoch, mlb.com)

            The first few innings happened rather quickly and it seemed the game was going to end all too soon.  However, Babe Ruth had other plans in store.  The NL took an early lead with a home run in the fifth, and another run was scored off a sac fly in the sixth.  The AL came back to tie it in the bottom of the seventh with Justin Morneau (the pretend MVP of 2005) hitting a double and JD Drew hit a home run to bring them both home.  The NL took the lead again in the eighth off a sacrifice fly given up by Red Sox Closer Jonathon Papelbon, also known as Papelbum after saying that he should get to close the game even though it was being played in Yankee Stadium, home to Mariano Rivera the greatest closer in baseball.  He was rewarded with 55,000 fans chanting “Mariano,” “overrated,” and the never-ending stream of “boos” from the crowd nearly the entire time he was pitching.  Needless to say, the run scored in the top of the eighth did not help his New York popularity.  The AL answered in the bottom of the inning with Grady Sizemore hitting a single and then stealing second and Evan Longoria hitting a ground-rule double to tie the game at three.  Although Derek Jeter reached first and then stole second to much applause, he never scored or did anything spectacular.  Teammate Alex Rodriguez finished the night 0-2 and was taken out of the game in the middle of the fifth inning.  Terry Francona took him out early so that he would receive an ovation from the fans, but most fans including myself didn’t realize he was out of the game until later.  Derek Jeter was taken out similarly in the middle of the sixth. 

            A tie going into the ninth inning was extremely intense, but with no runs scored the game went to extra innings.   Mariano Rivera pitched the top of the ninth inning to much applause and allowed nothing to happen.  He came to the mound again in the top of the tenth and allowed a single, but the next player hit into a 4-6-3 double play off of the Marlin’s David Uggla who also had three errors in the game although he only had 6 errors in the entire season before the all-star break.  In the bottom of the tenth, the AL had the bases loaded with none out but were unable to score because of incredible defense from the NL.  Had the AL scored in the tenth, the game would have ended and Mariano Rivera would have gotten the win.  Again in the eleventh, the AL attempted to score, but the runner was thrown out at the plate off a spectacular throw from the NL centerfielder Nate McLouth.  The AL also had good defense and the extra innings turned into a defensive battle.  It seemed like the Stadium wasn’t going to give up.  My theory was that Babe Ruth was pissed off and was not going to give up easily.  AL manager Terry Francona predicted an incredible, unprecedented All-Star Game, but even he couldn’t predict that all 63 all-stars would get to participate in the game or that the game would go 15 innings, straining the bullpen.  Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter put it right when he said “It seemed like the Stadium didn't want it to end. That's what we were talking about. It just wanted baseball to continue. I thought it was fitting."  Extra innings are stressful during any baseball game, but especially the All-Star game because of the limited players and the limited time that players can stay in the game.  All-Star Managers don’t like to use players for too long because then they are tired when they return to their home teams.  In fact, in 2002, the All-Star game ended in a tie because there were no more pitchers.  However, following the tie, MLB instituted the rule that said that whoever won the All-Star game got home-field advantage in the World Series, this meant that the All-Star Game couldn’t end with a tie.  In the middle of the 14^th inning, fans were asked to stand and have a 14^th inning stretch.  This was a pleasant and unexpected event.  We all sang “Take me out to the Ball Game” again, but Josh Groban didn’t sing “God Bless America” as he did during the seventh-inning stretch. 

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            Both teams were burning through pitchers and were finally to the last of their bullpen.  The last pitchers were pitching on only two days’ rest.  Had the game gone longer, the NL would have brought in Third Baseman David Wright to pitch and the AL would have brought in center fielder JD Drew to pitch and sent the current pitchers to the outfield.  Had this happened, the game would have turned into a home run Derby, which may have been equally entertaining as it was to watch the intensity of the game.  However, the 15-inning all-star game ended with a sacrifice fly from Texas Rangers Michael Young that scored Justin Morneau from third.  The NL right fielder, Corey Hart, attempted to throw him out at the plate and came extremely close, but the AL emerged victorious and JD Drew was awarded the All-Star MVP.  This all-star game made history because it tied the longest All-Star game in history with 15 innings, but was the longest All-Star game length wise going four hours and 50 minutes. "

4. Who is your favorite baseball player? Why?

My favorite historical player is Lou Gehrig. I love how humble he was and how he lived his life the way he wanted to. His mom wanted him to go to college and be an engineer, but he loved baseball and he loved his wife. He was the Iron Horse and played in 2,130 consecutive games and only stopped when he got sick. When the Yankees retired his number, he was very sick and his jersey hardly fit. However, he stood in front of thousands of fans and told them that he was the Luckiest Man on the face of the earth.

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from your fans.

"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remembers you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.

"So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for."

My favorite Modern Day player is Mariano Rivera. Mariano also came from humble circumstances in Panama and he was extremely gifted. He is known for his cutter pitch, which is nearly impossible to hit. He played for nearly 20 years and is the best closer in baseball.  Mariano is also incredibly humble - he loves his wife and his sons. He started a church in Panama and always praises God. He's made it very clear that his gift came from God and that he was able to perform for as long as he did with God's help.  He's a wonderful person and an excellent pitcher.

5. What is your favorite baseball movie? Why?

I love Bull Durham. It's hilarious. I think one of my favorite parts is Annie Savoy's speech at the beginning:

I believe in the Church of Baseball. I've tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones. I've worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that, I gave Jesus a chance. But it just didn't work out between us. The Lord laid too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology. You see, there's no guilt in baseball, and it's never boring.

My other favorite movie is Field of Dreams. I like the message that "People will Come." It rings true to me. One of my favorite things to do in the summer is attending Bees games. I just like sitting at the baseball stadium with family and friends. Most of the time I can't even tell you the score, but I just like relaxing in the summer at a baseball game. And if Skylee is there, that's even better.  I love that Skylee will grow up loving baseball.

6. What is your favorite baseball book? Why?

I love the book 'The Yankee Years" by Joe Torre. A lot of the things he talks about in this book, I remember. He talks about when Roger Clemens pitched for the Yankees, and when the Yankees traded for A-Rod.  Joe Torre wasn't a fan of either of those players.  However, he loved Jorge, Mo, and Jeter, who were also my favorites.  It's interesting to hear Torre's perspective on the World Series wins in the 1990s, and the 2001 World Series following 9/11.

7. How/why did you become a Yankees fan?

I became a Yankees fan after the 2001 World Series. My dad was working in New York during the post-season and he went to game 4 of the World Series.  The game was played on 10/31 because they postponed the post-season due to 9/11. The 9th inning started with Arizona up 3-1. In the bottom of the 9th, Tino Martinez launched a 2-run homer into right field to tie the game. During the 10th inning, the clock struck midnight and for the first time, baseball was being played in November. Mariano didn't let any runs score in the top of the 10th, and Jeter hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth to earn the title, "Mr. November." It would be hard to not be a Yankees fan after experiencing one of the greatest Yankee victories in the modern era.  My dad was converted and came home a Yankees fan.

The conversion for the rest of my family was pretty natural. We watched a lot of baseball games and I really enjoyed it. I love the strategy behind baseball.  Every game is different and you might see something you've never seen before.  I was watching when Derek Jeter hit his first grand slam - that was pretty incredible. In 2009 I was in Jerusalem and I would watch games in the middle of the night, so I wouldn't miss the post-season. When the Yankees won the World Series, I called my Dad and we were so excited.  Even when the Cubs won last year, it was incredible.  Being at Deter Jeter's last game in Yankee Stadium where he won the game with a walk-off single to right field was amazing and the perfect end to an unbelievable career. Baseball is an amazing sport that brings people together. There's nothing like sitting in a ballpark watching the sunset on a beautiful summer day and watching ordinary people become legends.

I love baseball because it makes me happy.