Looking Forward To July

When I was a kid – and even now – July was/is a big month for birthdays.

Lutheran Church kid-buddy Dickie Siik’s was July 2. My cousin Jim’s is the 4th; another cousin was on the 7th. Mine (and now my granddaughter Aubrey’s) is on the 9th. Boyhood friend Leonard Mallen’s was July 10 And if I remember correctly, my twin cousins, Phil and Bob, have a birthday on July 11. My mother’s was July 22. And since 1994, my granddaughter Talli celebrates on the 27th.

This year, however, the time around my birthday is going have extraordinary significance. My son Doug has made all of the arrangements for the two of us – perhaps also to include my other son Gregg if he’s able to fit it in among his pastoral duties – to visit four new Major League Baseball Parks in the Midwest on four consecutive nights. Actually, it’s three nights and a day game.

I’m not really sure if the trip has anything directly to do with my birthday, but I’m going to assume there is some kind of a link, as it’s right near that time.

After flying into the Midwest, we’ll rent a car and drive from baseball city to baseball city. We’ll see the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Cubs, the Detroit Tigers host the Red Sox, and the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds each host my favorite team of all, the Giants.

All of the host stadiums, er, now they’re called “parks”, have been built within the last two years, with Cincy and St. Louis playing their first full season this year in their new facilities.

As a kid, I can remember Detroit playing in Briggs Stadium, Pittsburgh playing in Forbes Field, St. Louis playing in Sportsman’s Park, and Cincinnati playing in Crosley Field. Those famous places are long gone, and I believe all have been replaced twice. Now, all the parks have unimaginable amenities and are named for their Corporate sponsors (that's Cincinnati's new Great America Ballpark pictured above).

I’m overwhelmed with joy to have this opportunity, and already I can’t wait for July to get here. Our entire family is nuts about baseball. All of us boys played it at least through high school, Gregg on into college, followed by all of us playing many years of competitive fast and slow–pitch softball. In fact Gregg and Doug may still play organized softball this year.

Let’s see… it’s now less than three months till we leave. What’ll make an incredible trip even better is if Gregg can figure a way to join Doug and me for at least a game or two. Do I have remarkable sons, or what?