Opening Day and my senses

I really enjoyed writing yesterday's post. There's just something about Opening Day that makes me so happy! Although I think it may be important to note that in all my years as a Reds fan, I've only been to the actual game twice. As you can imagine, tickets are at a premium and extremely difficult to get. With that being said, I am thrilled to report I am going to the game THIS YEAR! Here's how it happened. I was sitting in church Sunday morning when I had the following conversation with a friend of mine:

Friend- When is your spring break?

Me- March 28 through April 7. Why do you ask?

Friend- Do you want to go to Opening Day? I have an extra ticket.

Me- (speaking much too loudly and excitedly for church) Yes! Of course! Wow! Thank you!

Tami- (Looking at me as if to say, "What in the world has gotten in to you?")

So that's how it happened. And as it turns out my friend has two extra tickets, so I get to take Michael to the game as well. I will make a separate post soon about special times between a father and son at the ballpark.

Getting back to Opening Day---

Going to the ballpark is always fun and it's always a carnival of the senses. But on Opening Day all those things stimulating my senses are intensified. Walking into the Great American Ballpark, I can feel the anticipation and excitement of the crowd. There are bands playing on the plaza, there are people dressed in red everywhere... it's a veritable sea of red. As I enter the ballpark I am ambushed by the smell of hot dogs and popcorn. There's nothing quite like the aroma of ballpark fare. As I take my seat, I look out over the field. The lustrous green grass is like no other green I know. The feeling that washes over me at this point is indescribable. It takes me back to the days when I was a young boy; the feeling of wonder is still the same. It's silly, I know. As I'm sitting in my seat I hear the vendors hawking their wares. Peanuts! Hot dogs! Ice cold Coca Cola! Cooooooooold beer here! I hold up two fingers signaling my desire for two over-priced hot dogs. They're really no different than hot dogs cooked at home, but something about the atmosphere makes them taste better. And of course it wouldn't be a day at the game if I didn't dribble mustard down my shirt :-) You do know ballpark hot dogs are supposed to be swimming in mustard, right? Speaking of concessions... I always enjoy a cold beer, but at $8+ per brew, I refuse to buy one. A man has his limits y'know. It's pointless to buy one beverage for the price of a six pack at the pony keg. As I sit with my hot dog and coke, the feeling of the warm sun shining on my face is a welcome change from freezing my tail off all winter. The sounds of the ballpark are music to my ears too... both figuratively and literally. The crack of the bat as it makes solid contact with a fastball or the pop of the ball into a well worn, leather mitt. The sound of the organ echoing across the stadium and the cheer of the crowd urging the Reds to victory.

The point I'm trying to make is, a trip to the Reds game is more than planting yourself in a seat and watching a bunch of grown men play a game. It's an experience in itself. One that is difficult to describe in the few words I've used here. I hope my love for baseball, the American pastime, is reflected in these lines. Five more days and the fun begins!