Baseball, Memories, and Place

While I was watching this game between the Pirates and Cubs last night on MLB Network, I couldn't help but think about the last game that I attended at Three Rivers Stadium, this game. I began to think about the game itself but also other events that were going on in my life at the time. Baseball has the ability to connect us to different places, times, and situations through memory. Here are a few examples.

The last game that I attended at Three Rivers Stadium - August 11, 1999. It was my 19th birthday. I had been going through a "hippie phase" for a few years and hadn't really cut my hair since I was in sophomore in high school. Now I was getting ready to begin my second year of college and a few days prior to the game I got my hair cut - basically buzzed. I remember sitting in the lower level along the first base side thinking simultaneously about my head being much lighter and the fact that I had never sat this close to the field at a major league baseball game. I remember that there were some Amish people sitting next to us wearing Reds hats. After a great game and the Bucs rallying to win with two runs in the ninth. The win gave the Pirates an even 57-57 record. I bought a new cap before leaving the stadium. It was the alternative cap with the red bill (the first time around).

Skip ahead to 2005 - my honeymoon. Yes, my wife and I took a baseball road trip for our honeymoon. After getting married in Ohio, we drove up to Cooperstown to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. We then attended games in Baltimore, Washington (DC), Cincinnati, St. Louis, and Kansas City before returning to our then residence in Kansas.

The game in DC was this one. I remember thinking about how RFK Stadium was a dump. There were, however, quite a bit of fans in attendance and reasonably so because the Nationals were in first place at the time. We sat in DEEP right field (upper deck) behind the foul poul. Before the game I remember looking down over the railing at Pirates catcher, David Ross, warm up starting pitcher Kip Wells. Lloyd McClendon was ejected from the game for arguing with the home plate umpire. Earlier that day we visited the WWII Memorial and I had my picture taken in from of the West Virginia monument.

A few days later, we attended this game at GABP in Cincinnati. Luke Hudson started for the Reds and gave up 6 H and 6 ER in 2 innings of "work." The Astros started Andy Pettitte. We didn't know it then but Houston would win the NL Pennant that year. Willy Taveras started in centerfield for the Astros that day... he will most likely start in that same position for the Reds on Opening Day 2009.

Our baseball road trip honeymoon was complete on July 4 with this game in Kansas City. The Royals were shut out - a complete game by Ryan Franklin. Ichiro got three hits for the Mariners. I remember watching batting practice before the game in right field. I have never caught a ball of any sort (BP, foul, homerun, etc.) at a baseball game, but I almost did this time. I was really the only one in that general area of the stadium. A ball was hit about 7 rows behind me. When I turned around to run for it, I forgot about the stairs leading up the aisle and tripped. Laying there on my stomach, I laughed at myself and smiled as I watched a gaggle of children running for the ball. I then heard my new wife call out, "Are you okay?" from our seats.