Summer Baseball memories

Growing up on Maryland's Eastern Shore I remember watching the Orioles on television the first time they went to Royals Stadium after it opened in 1973. I still remember how beautiful the stadium looked as Chuck Thompson gave a tour. The fountains, the artificial turf (yes it looked cool back in the day), the crown scoreboard. Everything. My mom remembers me telling her that I wanted to visit that stadium someday and see the Orioles play there.

Well, almost forty years later, and I'm an usher at Kauffman Stadium. This past spring my parents came to town and went to their first major league game in thirty five years. Yep, Orioles and Royals. Granted, our Royals haven't been very good for quite awhile, but I never grow tired of getting paid to watch baseball and visit with baseball fans.

I was at Rock. U in KCMO from 1969-1973. Can't remember if I went to a game there in the inaugural season or not. I know I did go to a few football games at Arrowhead Stadium right next door. I do remember one game in particular I attended at Royals Stadium on a cold night in October of 1985 - game 7 of the I-70 World Series. Oh, the inhumanity!!!!!

I do regret having not gone down to the old KC Municipal Stadium before they tore it down. Not even sure where it was in the KC area - probably down town somewhere.........next to a barbecue joint, no doubt!!!! There's one on every corner!!

While listening to a Cubs game on the car radio in the 1980s, I heard Harry Carey announce "...today's attendence...88 degrees". I laughed and almost went off the road. Harry was one of a kind.

Bat Day in Yankee Stadium in '77 or '78. My uncle took a bunch of us kids and let me tell you, the name "Bronx Zoo" fit in perfectly. Back then, they wouldn't check you as you entered the park and there all these people drinking liquor in the upper deck - with a bunch of rowdy kids with bats - not a good combination! But we had a blast and that YAnkee team with Rivers, Munson, Jackson, Nettles was exciting to watch

I thought "Bat Day" was when they let all the women in for free?!?!

I barely pick up the signal from my favorite team - the Pittsburgh Pirates - but if the radio was set just right in the basement I could listen to Bob Prince yell "Spread some chicken on the hill Will!" for Willie Stargell. He was a great announcer who was 100% behind his Buccoes. The local station carried the Reds - Marty Brenneman and Joe Nuxhall - a great team and I listened to them often when KDKA cut out during a Pirates vs. Reds series.