(This ‘filler’ was written yesterday, while the author was otherwise contemplating more serious fare, many writing sessions deemed by him not quite feeling what he wanted to publish, and shelved)

The Ol' Ballgame

     On Memorial Day, even. 

Yeah, there's nothing like taking a trip to the ol' ballpark. Nothing says 'day off' like a day spent sitting in the stands. 

Forget about how long it took to drive there, or how far away you had to park. Once you're in your seat and looking around at the thousands of other layabouts, you immediately feel like kin. Today is our day to be entertained. 

“Vendor! I'll have one of those bags of 'poor man's lunch' (peanuts) up heah, and they'd better be salted" ('cuz tomorrow is when I'll be thinking about health matters). "Brew vendor! Up heah!" ('cuz I'm thirsty and I don't want to people watch (and game watch) sober). Today's my day. 

The Boys are givin' it their all on the field, doin' their job, and we're keeping half a mind on them and what's going on around us in the stands but that's baseball, right? It's a leisurely affair, unless we're in the playoffs. But that's months away, even if we manage to get there, so for now down on the field it's batter up, fly ball, strike out, 2-1 pitch, line drive to center field, people reaching for pop fly foul balls in the stands, or scramblin' for ones that weren't caught. 

Used to be you could light up at the games but that ain't no more. Commonplace was the sight of the flickering of hundreds of Zippo lighters around the stadium along with constant wafts of smoke but unless you're a senior you have no idea that games were like that, unless you study old footage. Nowadays they have strict rules against partaking and just might usher you out, past the security checkpoints that weren't there either but hey, there's still enough going on to keep you entertained- like eating. 

Have a brat, then, a corndog, footlong, or Philly, whatever the local favorite is and for you health conscious ones (even on your day off!) there's healthier choices available. I think 'wraps' are a common enough option. 

The food areas are located just off 'the tunnel' and sure enough "Yay it's a home run!" or "Damn it's a pop fly with bases loaded!" roars the crowd and I missed seein' it 'cuz I had to go and was in the john just for a minute but I heard the fan reaction, even in there. 

One of these days I'm going to pony up the money for a behind the plate seat, or for one of those equally pricey ones, the ones at field level along the first or third base line, but I always seem to put that off and get the nosebleed seats on the upper decks or the bleacher bum ones in the 'rockpile', out in the far corners of the outfield where the rowdy people hang out. It's on my bucket list. 

And I like to watch the kids, the young boys thinking that they might get a shot one day, and the young girls hangin' with their daddies (thinkin' now that they got a shot too) and it's a good thing. Baseball is the kind of sport that brings people together as all the usual politics, office disputes, and coworker and neighbor issues are shelved. Forgotten for awhile. 

One of my fantasies is numerous times facing a series of those major league pitchers when the heat is on, the crowd is watching, and I'm in the batter's box. I kinda know what that's like, I played Minor League and Little League and was considered good but didn't get past some guy in Pony League throwing some serious heat, a lanky guy named LaPorte or something. I thought if that ape woulda beaned me I woulda ended up with a concussion or dead, there was so much on his fastball, but maybe I coulda got used to it. Maybe I coulda adjusted and got a hit, or knocked it outta the park. 

Anyway, I didn't get my shot but like everybody else in the stands, I can live vicariously through the players on the field. I got my favorites. I'm sure you got yours. 

So here's to baseball season. "One of the best damn ways to spend a summer's evening!"