Take me out to the ball game

Like many youngsters across America, I played Little League baseball. I wasn’t a very good player, despite my mother’s encouragement, but I still enjoyed it. I could field the ball fine, and I was quick, but my biggest challenge was hitting. My older teammates encouraged me to line up close to home plate and let the pitches hit me. They said it wouldn’t hurt. They lied. When I got on base, I would typically score, despite the quickly forming bruises. I knew my role. 

Although I didn’t play baseball beyond Little League, I did continue to enjoy it. Cable TV brought the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta Braves to the masses on WGN and WTBS, and I viewed many games through my younger years. 

When I moved to Des Moines after college, a group of co-workers suggested we catch an Iowa Cubs game after work. For about $10, we watched a game on a wooden plank and had a couple of beers. 

Not too many years later, major improvements were made to the stadium, and the entire fan experience improved, too. Fireworks. Concerts. Expanded food and drink selections. Stadium seating. The list goes on. We became season ticket holders and would often entertain friends or customers at games or offer tickets for others to use. In time, our kids enjoyed attending, too. I am not sure how much they appreciated the baseball, but I know they liked the peanuts, cotton candy and the kids jungle gym in the lower level. I certainly appreciated having a way to keep them entertained for a few hours. 

The truth is that the Iowa Cubs offer more than baseball. I am embarrassed to admit that I have returned home after games and had no idea what the final game score was. I was so entertained by everything else that I missed how many runs each team scored. That’s understandable for many of you reading this, as you know the games provide a place to be outside, to gather with friends, to soak in the environment and, yes, to hear the smacks of the bats and the cheers from the crowd. 

There’s nothing like watching a baseball game for a few hours at the ballpark — and maybe that’s because it truly is a park. Football is played in stadiums and basketball in arenas, but baseball is in a park. That, for me, makes the experience different. I look forward to seeing you at the ballpark. 

Thanks for reading. ♦

Shane Goodman 
Editor and Publisher
CITYVIEW
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.dmcityview.com