It started out as a joke, I guess. My godsisters-in-law (just go with it) have five highly active children between them and everyone works and travels and lives full lives and so they are calendar fiends. We get calendar invites for things to which we are invited. And we started getting calendar invites to things which are obvious jokes. Some family things aren’t meant for me, but they’re legendary, and so you’re always welcome, thanks but no thanks. You know the sort. Also, I don’t partake in handbag bingo.
But I do enjoy a good game of bingo. Maybe I should go to that.
Anyway, sometime just before last Christmas I got a calendar invite to one of the kid’s concert performance at the minor league ball park. He was taking part in an orchestra and of course we were going to that. THat was tonight.
So we got to the venue and got seat just behind home plate and our guy and his viola and a bunch of his classmates and students from other schools, apparently, all flood the field and they play their song. It was great. It was cute. Parents were proud.
Everyone had a nice time.
I met the mascot, who took a selfie with my phone.
After the performance was the game, of course. It’s high A, and the starting pitcher has been at this level since 2021. In the first inning he hit the leadoff pitcher, got the second guy to ground into a double play, walked the third batter on four straight. The next batter drove that guy in, but was thrown out at third. It was a chaotic top of the first inning.
I looked at both rosters, the oldest guy on either team was born in May of 1999. Only four of the guys in either dugout are 20th century kids.
At one point, a right fielder lost a ball in the sun. The ball was on the ground at the time.
High A ball is great fun!
Eventually the godnephews and godniece (just go with it) came and sat with us. The visiting pitcher was throwing a no-hitter through five. His team was out ahead. A reliever came in and the wheels flew off.
This is how you know the wheels flew off. The alternate mascot makes his way onto the field. Mr. Celery happened by accident. He has no mythological backstory. They’re a bit sketchy on the actual backstory. The prevailing version goes that there was some health food initiative in years past, and whoever was putting that on left a few mascots behind. The team found it in storage, and then decided, for no reason at all, to put an intern in that outfit. And every time the home team scores Mr. Celery comes out and runs around a bit.
And, tonight, he ran around a lot.
That reliever recorded one inning pitched, and the loss. He allowed five runs on three hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. He now has a 30.86 ERA.
Sitting behind us was a fraternity from one of the local universities. They were there supporting one of the kids who was involved in the pregame festivities. They were loud and funny and pleasant. They started the wave. They invented a new cheer.
Our godnephews were completely taken with them and the frat boys welcomed them into their night. Those guys were great. They were very kind and generous to the kids, and they didn’t necessarily have to be. They indulged their enthusiasms, so there was the 2nd grader, coaching the fraternity into doing the wave, and, thus, the entire stadium. He and his brother started picking spots for the new cheer, “Get your rocks up!” which involved throwing your two fists into the air and making a lot of noise. They were giving the boys high fives and posed for photos and you would have thought they hung the actual moon.
At one point, I looked at my godbrother-in-law-in-law (just go with it) and said of his son, “I believe he’s found his tribe.”
Indeed, I think the 2nd grader now knows the secret handshake.
Somehow he got a foul ball. He got one of the field crew to sign his ball for him. All the kids got to high five the mascots. They did just about everything but launch the fireworks.
I’m making shirts for the next game.
We’ll be back.
