I pretty much only have super strong likes/dislikes about things that my dad has strong likes/dislikes about. It's always been this way. He hates Pepsi? Well I hate Pepsi. He always holds his breath when we drive across the state line into Maryland? So do I. He jokes around about needing a passport to go into Prince William County, I joke around about needing a passport (and shots) to go in. He might be kidding around (somewhat), but it doesn't really matter. I'll hold those same beliefs forever.
One of the most important beliefs my dad has is baseball. We definitely grew up as baseball kids. I'll never forget being maybe 7 or 8 seeing Rafael Palmeiro hit a grand slam at Camden Yards and having the entire stadium erupt around me. I was 5 when I fell down the stairs at a Prince William Cannons (now Potomac Nationals) game and knocked out my front tooth. We've been to minor league games in Rochester, NY and Albuquerque (go Isotopes!). I played t-ball for the Yankees (for a coach whose last name was Yankey but was/is a HUGE Red Sox fan. Oh the irony), and my dad and sister spent many years later coaching/playing softball for the NVGSA. Their Rainbow Dragons hat is still sitting proudly in our garage.
So we are baseball people. Its not that we're not football people (well...my parents are now definitely football people. Sometimes I get my friend Spencer talking to them around the dinner table, and I leave, go on a run, call some friends, read a book, and come back several hours later and they're still animatedly discussing everything sports related) or hockey people (don't even get me started on the NBA...you tweet about it and I will unfollow you), it's just that he never had a huge invested interest in those so I didn't either. We collectively were Orioles fans. Then I discovered Derek Jeter and turned into a Yankees fan. Anddd I was definitely too young to understand what the difference between the NL and the AL were so I didn't really care/know that they were rivals.
Anywho, 2005 rolled around the Expos came to Washington and became the Nationals. Finally DC had baseball. We were abysmal, but that really didn't matter. We had something close to home and something to root for. We had Ryan Zimmerman, we had the giant W clock, we had summer nights full of America's pasttime. If we weren't at the game, we were home, maybe watching the game on TV with the radio on at the same time or sitting on the deck with the radio on.
Fast forward a few years. We still are pretty terrible, so we get Stephen Strasburg. My parents go to his first game, my mom makes my dad a huge framed collection of photos, Washington Post articles, my dad's score card, and the program. Then Bryce Harper gets drafted. They start watching his progress, watch him move into triple A and then get called up to the majors. Then we go to a zillion games, and watch most of the others on TV.
And now here are. The season has been a dream. They've been GREAT. And what's more, the Washington Post spent the summer delving into all the players personalities and how they are just a goofy bunch of guys. We learned that Bryce eats a purple pop-tart every day for good luck (aww) and that Gio never shuts up. Moore and Lombo are the best of friends, and Michael Morse wasn't even aware of his 18 game hitting streak. He's just a lovable doof. Who can hit rockets.
As a family we became intrigued and kind of obsessed with their walk-up song choices. I can't hear the song So Good by BoB without thinking of Zimm, and it melted my heart when my friend told me she downloaded Bring Sally Up onto her iPod because she heard it as Bryce's walk-up song and loved it. Also, I credit Danny Espinosa with getting Too Close by Alex Clare super famous (definitely NOT the IE commercial...sheesh). One Saturday morning we all sat outside and came up with our own walk-up songs. Mine is clearly this.
The Nats won the NL East last night. When the game started, I was at work with two hardcore Phillies fans, and when it ended I was at the Cellar with no choice but to watch the Cowboys/Bears game. A little sad, but at least my parents were actually there at the game (never mind that we actually lost the game) to witness and be there for the party.
So in conclusion, if you want to talk Nats or why Strasburg is out/if he's coming back or if Harper will stick around until he retires or if Trout is really better than Harper or even just argue whether or not you think baseball is boring to watch on TV (here's a hint: if you think that it is, FERK YOU), I'm game. Once the season is over, I will be at a loss of things to argue on a daily basis about. Gotta get it all in while I can. Thanks dad, for your unwavering support of the best game on the planet and the will to get us kids to get super into it too. Wish I could be there to eat some Shake Shack and watchMichael Morse the game using my parents field glasses and celebrate when we win. And go Nats!
my mom with Mikey Mo...lucky
One of the most important beliefs my dad has is baseball. We definitely grew up as baseball kids. I'll never forget being maybe 7 or 8 seeing Rafael Palmeiro hit a grand slam at Camden Yards and having the entire stadium erupt around me. I was 5 when I fell down the stairs at a Prince William Cannons (now Potomac Nationals) game and knocked out my front tooth. We've been to minor league games in Rochester, NY and Albuquerque (go Isotopes!). I played t-ball for the Yankees (for a coach whose last name was Yankey but was/is a HUGE Red Sox fan. Oh the irony), and my dad and sister spent many years later coaching/playing softball for the NVGSA. Their Rainbow Dragons hat is still sitting proudly in our garage.
So we are baseball people. Its not that we're not football people (well...my parents are now definitely football people. Sometimes I get my friend Spencer talking to them around the dinner table, and I leave, go on a run, call some friends, read a book, and come back several hours later and they're still animatedly discussing everything sports related) or hockey people (don't even get me started on the NBA...you tweet about it and I will unfollow you), it's just that he never had a huge invested interest in those so I didn't either. We collectively were Orioles fans. Then I discovered Derek Jeter and turned into a Yankees fan. Anddd I was definitely too young to understand what the difference between the NL and the AL were so I didn't really care/know that they were rivals.
Anywho, 2005 rolled around the Expos came to Washington and became the Nationals. Finally DC had baseball. We were abysmal, but that really didn't matter. We had something close to home and something to root for. We had Ryan Zimmerman, we had the giant W clock, we had summer nights full of America's pasttime. If we weren't at the game, we were home, maybe watching the game on TV with the radio on at the same time or sitting on the deck with the radio on.
Fast forward a few years. We still are pretty terrible, so we get Stephen Strasburg. My parents go to his first game, my mom makes my dad a huge framed collection of photos, Washington Post articles, my dad's score card, and the program. Then Bryce Harper gets drafted. They start watching his progress, watch him move into triple A and then get called up to the majors. Then we go to a zillion games, and watch most of the others on TV.
And now here are. The season has been a dream. They've been GREAT. And what's more, the Washington Post spent the summer delving into all the players personalities and how they are just a goofy bunch of guys. We learned that Bryce eats a purple pop-tart every day for good luck (aww) and that Gio never shuts up. Moore and Lombo are the best of friends, and Michael Morse wasn't even aware of his 18 game hitting streak. He's just a lovable doof. Who can hit rockets.
As a family we became intrigued and kind of obsessed with their walk-up song choices. I can't hear the song So Good by BoB without thinking of Zimm, and it melted my heart when my friend told me she downloaded Bring Sally Up onto her iPod because she heard it as Bryce's walk-up song and loved it. Also, I credit Danny Espinosa with getting Too Close by Alex Clare super famous (definitely NOT the IE commercial...sheesh). One Saturday morning we all sat outside and came up with our own walk-up songs. Mine is clearly this.
The Nats won the NL East last night. When the game started, I was at work with two hardcore Phillies fans, and when it ended I was at the Cellar with no choice but to watch the Cowboys/Bears game. A little sad, but at least my parents were actually there at the game (never mind that we actually lost the game) to witness and be there for the party.
So in conclusion, if you want to talk Nats or why Strasburg is out/if he's coming back or if Harper will stick around until he retires or if Trout is really better than Harper or even just argue whether or not you think baseball is boring to watch on TV (here's a hint: if you think that it is, FERK YOU), I'm game. Once the season is over, I will be at a loss of things to argue on a daily basis about. Gotta get it all in while I can. Thanks dad, for your unwavering support of the best game on the planet and the will to get us kids to get super into it too. Wish I could be there to eat some Shake Shack and watch
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