I wrote this many years ago — in 2006 — on the old blog about my Spring Training trip to the old stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Although the Orioles moved from South Florida a few years ago to their shiny, modern new Spring Training home at Ed Smith in Sarasota, the old stadium and that area brings back some fond memories.
With camp opening up next week, here’s a little story from a random Spring Training game against the Cardinals that I went to. It’s amazing some of the people you meet at a baseball game and how a love of a sport can start a friendship.
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I am never one to be all sentimental about a game, or much less a day at all the ballpark; however, an experience that myself and my friend from Jersey has showed me on my trip that baseball can indeed be a marvellous thing. Even if it’s a meaningless Spring Training game for the two teams involved.
It does not have anything to do with the play on the field, but the various people that one meets at the ballpark. Sometimes, you can be lucky and strike up a friendship.
On Tuesday, we were going to go to the box office and buy tickets as close as we possibly could for the Cardinals/Orioles game. Well, in lieu of doing so, a friendly man offered us to complimentary tickets, and happy to have received a stroke of good luck, we said ok.
We took the ticket and to our astonishment, the seats were in the front row right near the Orioles dugout. The fellow who gave us the tickets, Tom, is a singer from the Washington area; however, he resides now in Fort Lauderdale.
He happened to sing a rousing version of the Star Spangled Banner and conversed with us throughout the game.
Personally, this might have been most memorable part of the trip. I’m 29, and he is much older than I, but aside from age, there’s a lot we got to talk about including sports, the DC area and life in general. Well, he is now a friend, and we have chatted a bit over email and on the phone since that game.
Two men, from different walks of life and generations, but have been able to become friends through one medium — baseball.
In fact, I have met many terrific people who have in a way become close buddies from blogging and radio; the various ushers and people I have met at Camden Yards, to Oriole officials, and as well as some new professional contacts.
Keep in mind, most of the people I have met throughout baseball come from all walks of life, ages, personalities and whatever else; thus, if I did not have baseball so ingrained in my life, I do not think I could have become friends with any of them through my travels. I spend an inordinate amount of time following this game, although I should probably be doing better things with my time; however, I would not want it any other way.
Thanks, baseball.
