Recently while cleaning out an old shoe box of nick-knacks I came across an envelope where I had saved ticket stubs from all the major events I went to while growing up - movies, sports, concerts, museums. It was a trip through memory lane remembering different experiences and one thing that struck me was how many tickets to baseball games were in there. I've been a fan from a young age ever since growing up playing ball in the backyard of my parents house and my father taking us to games at Atlanta's Fulton County stadium on a Saturday afternoon in the summer heat. I had ticket stubs from games I was too young to remember any more, regular games from what are now some of the historic seasons for the Atlanta team. A game during the 1996 summer Olympics, back when baseball was still a part of it and the pros didn't participate. From the first time I went down to spring training in Florida, and the ticket from the first playoff game I ever attended.
These days the paper ticket is mostly a thing of the past with everything going digital and mobile. No need to go to the box office or wait in the will call line, we buy and sell our tickets online and our phone becomes our ticket with a digital barcode. Some things change while others stay the same. Decades after my first major league game - the baseball diamond with its perfect dirt and crisp lines, the fresh green outfield grass, the crack of the bat, the buzz of the crowd, and the relaxing atmosphere - I still get a thrill going to the ball park, the anticipation of the first pitch, and the cheering and jeering that inevitably follows.
Last summer I had the opportunity to go to the All Star game at Nationals Park, and it was one of the best baseball experiences I've ever had. Being joined by tens of thousands of fans from all over the country, every team represented, is something I won't soon forget. One thing I remember is the change of tone in the stadium that night, everyone smiling and happy but also very present and very aware. It reminds me why I'm a fan, not just of a team but of the game, why I go to the stadium. For me its both relaxing and exciting, seemingly predictable but each moment unexpected, a team game with clear individuals, with wins and losses composed of myriad minute actions, careful strategy and explosive change. It lulls you to sleep while keeping you on the edge of your seat. It balances different skill sets against one another in a way that is uncommon in sport. Thinking about the dichotomy of it is somewhat ironic today as pundits and writers debate the future. For me there is nothing wrong with it, nothing else like it, and I will always be a fan of the game.
