Getting it Right

Do you remember your first baseball game? I do. I went to an A's game when I was about 5. I remember being very worried that I'd have to be quiet at the game, but my dad assured me that wasn't the case with baseball. I also remember it was a weekend day game. I think the A's were playing the Yankees, but it could've been the Royals. The other team was blue...I definitely remember that. I even remember some of the players: Joe Rudy, Raleigh Fingers, Campy Campineros and Capt. Sal Bando.

I remember my brother and I riding to the game in the back of the car together. During the game, he was more interested in the actual play, but I remember he was pretty young, 2 or 3, and I remember him sitting on my Moms lap. I also remember that we didn't stay through the whole game. But that was ok, my Dad assured me, because there would be other games. And there were. Lots. When I was a kid, my family went to A's games at least once or twice a season.

As we grew up, my brother and sister both became huge A's fans. My sister even has seasons tickets and once dyed La Nina's hair green without us knowing. I entered a mixed marriage...with a Giants fan...and overtime, I ended up going to more Giants game than A's games just because the Dad was buying the tickets.

When my brother got sick with cancer in the early 90's, there was a player on the A's who was a great inspiration to him. Mike Gallegos. At the time, Mike Gallego was a cancer survivor, short stop and general good guy. He, Mike Gallego, even went out of his way to meet my brother while he was sick. At one game, he had my brother down on the field, he gave him signed bat (I think) and shared some words of encouragement. My brother died a few months after meeting Mike Gallego, but it was a special day. The whole thing foever tied my brother and Mike Gallego in my mind.

Tonight we took the girls to their first baseball game. It was a Giants game that the Dad bought tickets for a long time ago. The timing was horrible. We're trying to move out of the house, we're exhausted from all the work, and leaving seemed such a terrible idea. Not to mention, the game was in San Francisco, a place not known for its warm summer weather. And for God sakes, it was the Giants...aren't kids supposed to go to A's games first? That's how it was in my family. But, despite my serious reservation, not so quiet grumblings and threats of backing out, we went to the game.

We took BART into the city, then transferred to Muni, and made our way to our seats right as they were singing the National Anthem. Our seats were awesome, right behind home plate, but slightly toward the third base line. Great view of the field, it wasn't that cold by San Francisco standards, so I figured we'd make it four innings with the girls..five if we timed the popcorn right. As the Rockies went to bat for the first time, they introduced the Rockies coaches...and when they announced the third base coach, it sent a chill down my spine. It was Mike Gallego.

I was stunned. I hadn't heard that name since he left the A's to play for New York in the mid-90's. I even squinted hard to see if it was the right guy. It was. In that moment of realization, I felt my brother's presence as surely as if he were sitting next to me. Tonight was the first game we were supposed to take our kids to. The Giants were the right team. And to prove it, my brother sent his favorite player to be there for our girls. Sure, he wasn't swinging a bat, but he took the field just like the old days. Isn't that cool? I am so glad we went tonight.

Game Results: We made it 7.5 innings thanks to popcorn and ice cream. The Dad bought the girls their first Giants hats. The Giants were smoked by the Rockies, The Magster screamed "I love the Giants" while the Rockies were batting. So, I'd say we had a good time. And there will probably be more games.