MJ's First Cardinal Game

To my main man,

Baseball is so much more than a game to me.   It is father/son time.   It is a chance to talk with you and watching you grow into a man.  Admittedly you were not that into the game this time.   I didn’t really expect you to be.   But I am hoping to build a tradition of time alone with your dad.   Time to talk, even when you are too cool to spend time with me.   I want to talk about your first day of school, the first time you get picked on, the first girl who makes you feel funny, your losses, your achievements, your dreams and fears.   I want to sit at a game someday with you and your son and remember this game.   Like it was yesterday. 

I dreamt about this night since the moment we found out you were a boy.  I grew up going to Cardinals games with my friends, relatives, and my mom.   One was always missing though.  You see PawPaw is not a sports fan and to the best of my knowledge has never been to a game and definitely not with me.   We did lots of fun things together growing up like fishing, camping, vacations, and more but never a baseball game.  I really hope baseball will be an interest we can share.   And if it isn’t, we will find something else!!

All that being said, I had the time of my life with you this weekend, son.   Chloe/Cooper is set to arrive in just a few short weeks.   I knew I wanted to get you to your very first big league game this summer.   You have already been to two spring training games and some minor league games but this was special! So I planned this game at the closest park to our home in Iowa, Miller Park in Milwaukee.  I spent hours trying to find a hotel with a water park to add to the excitement but had to settle for a pool.   I spent way too much time (and money) finding the best possible seats.   I hoped if we were close enough you would pay attention the whole game.  You didn’t but it did not matter.  The game was on a Friday night so I took you out of school and I took the afternoon off of work.   We packed up and left town about noon.   I told you to pick any place in the world you wanted for lunch and you choose Culvers (currently your favorite place AKA Blue One)  The drive to Milwaukee was about 2.5 hours and with the lunch pit stop we made it in a little over three hours.   You were so relaxed in the car and enjoyed some of your favorite movie, Cars, on the drive.

We arrived at the Double Tree in Milwaukee and they offered you a warm cookie at check in.   I think at the point you already thought this was the best trip of your life.   We settled into our room and you played cars and watched Sponge Bob Squarepants.   Again you thought this was quite a treat as that show was normally off limits.   The hotel only had one station with cartoons though so you got a treat.  We were only in our room for an hour or so before getting on all our Cardinals gear and heading to the park.   We arrived around 5:30 and walked over to the stadium.  You got a magnetic schedule that you very impressed by and hung on our fridge when we got home.   Hopefully you read this when your older and realize how hard that was for me.

The first thing you wanted to do was head to the playground.   I had to buy $10 Brewer socks so you could get in the playground but it was worth it!  J  The park also has a great kids activity section.   We had our picture taken in a huge glove, you raced from home to first, enjoyed a slide, and watched some of the other kids hit and throw.   You seemed to really enjoy all of the activities but you were ready to head to our seats a little before game time.   We had row 7 in section 119.   We could talk to the Cardinals in the on deck circle if we wanted to!   They were great seats!  The last thing to do before the game was to get some snacks.   You were very easy to please.   You wanted popcorn and a bottle of water.   Throw in a hot dog for dad and we were all set.  

The Cardinals were in the middle of a pennant race and this game was pretty important to their playoff chances and seeding.   The Cardinals squeaked out a run in the top of the first and trotted out their rookie phenom, Shelby Miller, for the bottom of the first.  The Brewers put a couple guys on and their third baseman Aramis Ramirez blasted a three run home over the left field wall.   Bernie Brewer went flying down his big slide in left field, fireworks boomed, and the crowd roared!   You later admitted that was your favorite part of the game!  J  Overall, you were a happy, talkative, inquisitive little boy just like I had dreamt.   You asked lots of questions about ball/strikes, outs, runs, innings, and more. 

The thing that will probably always stick out to me from that night though is the cotton candy.  A vendor came by in the first inning selling it.   You desperately wanted some but I told you we had to wait until the next time she came around as we were still eating our dinner.   You seemed fine with that decision for about 2 innings.   Around the third inning you started to get concerned she was never coming back around.  No matter how many times I promised you she would you were quite worried.   Apparently Miller Park only has one cotton candy vendor and it seemed to take FOREVER for her to come back around.   Finally about the 5^th inning she made her way back down to the field level and you could see her on the other side of the field.   You immediately started waving and trying to get her attention.  By now everyone around us knew how bad you wanted the cotton candy and were finding the whole scene quite amusing.   We barely averted a melt down when she ran out of cotton candy and had to leave your sight to go refill.   A few minutes later she reappeared with a full rack of cotton candy.   The look of relief on your face was priceless.   Finally around the 6^th inning she was a mere one section away.   You were baffled as to why she couldn't pass that darn cotton candy across two sections.   At last, she entered the isle next to our section.   You jumped up on your seat and began waving frantically.   She walked right by you!  As she reached the bottom of the section and turned around our whole row was sure to get her attention for you.   You scored her last bag of blue cotton candy.  The funniest part of the whole story is you only ate about 5 or 6 bites before you were too full.

The Cardinals clawed back and tied the game in the 7^th inning.   Sadly, you were running out of steam and it was already nearly 3 hours past your bed time.   We watched the Cards threaten in the eighth but then had to leave.   We didn't even make it to the car and my text messages started going crazy.   Mom, Uncle Jeff, Pop Pop all texting to make sure you had seen what just happened.   Obviously we had not.   Matt Adams had hit a HUGE two run HR in the 9^th to give the Cards the lead.   Luckily we did not stay though as the Brewers tied it in the bottom of the 9^th and it went extra innings.   Ultimately, the Cards did win 7-6 but you were asleep in the hotel before that happened. 

You slept next to me that night.   That was another special treat.   So far you have been an amazingly good sleeper and always very happy in your car bed.   I watched you sleep that night.   A lot.  I hoped you will remember at least some of this night.  I hoped your heart was as full as mine.  I hoped you could feel how much I love you.   I feel asleep as happy as could be.   You slept in that morning but not much.   You rolled over around 8 looked at me with a big smile and said its morning time daddy.   The hotel had a great breakfast buffet that we enjoyed together that morning.    You tried just about everything!   French toast, bacon, muffins, cereal, juice, yogurt, eggs, and more.   I was blown away with your patience as you knew the pool was next on our agenda.  

The pool was nothing fancy but you always love swimming.   We spent an hour or so swimming and enjoying the hot tub.   We started with the whole pool to ourselves and ended with a few other kids there with us.   When it was time to go you happily climbed out and got wrapped in your towel.   When we got back to the room you played in the tub while I packed us up.   I remember you saying to me daddy can we please stay one more night?   Two more nights?   Ten more nights??  My heart melted but it was time to head home.  Being the sweet big brother you are you wanted to make sure to stop back at the front desk and get a cookie for Charlotte.  They were nice enough to give you one for her and one for you to enjoy in the car.  

Most of the ride home I was on cloud 9.   You were listening to your music and resting after a long 24 hours of fun!   Eventually you turned on Dora and remained quite peaceful the whole ride home.   Our final stop was a subway where we enjoyed our last lunch before arriving home.   You spent the rest of that day telling mommy, Uncle Jeff, Gigi and Pop Pop all about your trip. 

I know this whole thing meant more to me than you.   I know you would have been just as happy spending a day in Dubuque on the playground with me.   I know you will read this someday and think I am silly.    I hope that doesn’t last long.  I hope you remember this.  I hope we lose count of the games we went to together.  I hope you read this someday and realize.   Realize that you, Charlotte, and the new baby are all incredibly amazing gifts.  I love you, Dad.