Baseball and the Sound of Summer
Baseballs meaning to me39 total reviews
Comment from Debi Pick Marquette
This will be the fastest my six stars have ever gone. I was this John and I know I don't review much, but I just had to read it. I love baseball too. It is all you talked about that I can relate in my own life. My religion was against any televisions in the home, but my minister grandfather and grandma were closet tv people and it came out only for Sunday afternoon Twins games. My brothers all played baseball and being the only girl with three close brothers, I did everything the boys do. Right now I am the only woman I know in the area that can pick up a snake and hold it for a while before throwing it out. You should see my husband, son, and grandsons shake when they see that. Now my 15 year old grandson plays baseball has been on teams since he was five and we follow tham around and also to any state and national games they have been blessed to play.
You wrote such a wonderful story about the baseball cards, the announcers, and my favorite part was about your son, who's cleats have been hung up in the garage for all of those years, you having a beer with your son and talking about those days. No wonder you gave me the best review ever with my Bridget story. You yourself are truly a one of a kind, class act, top notch and wonderful dad, and I bet grandpa too. Tell me John, so you were born in 1954, what is your birthdate. Pam and I were both born October 19th, 1954 and just found Dr Nad who is six days after us. Thanks for this awesome story, my awesome friend.
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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This will be the fastest my six stars have ever gone. I was this John and I know I don't review much, but I just had to read it. I love baseball too. It is all you talked about that I can relate in my own life. My religion was against any televisions in the home, but my minister grandfather and grandma were closet tv people and it came out only for Sunday afternoon Twins games. My brothers all played baseball and being the only girl with three close brothers, I did everything the boys do. Right now I am the only woman I know in the area that can pick up a snake and hold it for a while before throwing it out. You should see my husband, son, and grandsons shake when they see that. Now my 15 year old grandson plays baseball has been on teams since he was five and we follow tham around and also to any state and national games they have been blessed to play.
You wrote such a wonderful story about the baseball cards, the announcers, and my favorite part was about your son, who's cleats have been hung up in the garage for all of those years, you having a beer with your son and talking about those days. No wonder you gave me the best review ever with my Bridget story. You yourself are truly a one of a kind, class act, top notch and wonderful dad, and I bet grandpa too. Tell me John, so you were born in 1954, what is your birthdate. Pam and I were both born October 19th, 1954 and just found Dr Nad who is six days after us. Thanks for this awesome story, my awesome friend.
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Debi. This is one of the best reviews I?ve gotten here on FS. Thank you so much for not only enjoying my post but for sharing so much with me. I love getting to know fellow writers by what they write and in notes and reviews. You are among many I hold in high regard. Thank you for being you!
I was born slightly after you and Pam, December 14, 1954, what?s two months between friends.
Cheers to us being our age and feeling twenty years younger!
John
Comment from w.j.debi
This is a great journey down memory lane. There is definitely more to baseball than the game itself. It brings people together and creates bonds that last a lifetime.
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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This is a great journey down memory lane. There is definitely more to baseball than the game itself. It brings people together and creates bonds that last a lifetime.
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Thank you so much for stopping to read.
John
Comment from barbara.wilkey
I grew up with baseball are large part of my life. My dad coached. Since I was a girl, and back then we didn't participate in sports and I was a daddy's girl, he taught me to keep score, so I was his scorekeeper. When we go to professional games, I still keep score. Matter of fact on Monday's my best friend and I always go to lunch at Applebee's. Today they had the St Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets game on. When we left the Cards were up 7-4. I wasn't happy about leaving, but we had responsivities at home. I hope the Card pulled it off. Thank you for sharing this with us. Yes, I love baseball. One can't raise four boys without being into sports.
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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I grew up with baseball are large part of my life. My dad coached. Since I was a girl, and back then we didn't participate in sports and I was a daddy's girl, he taught me to keep score, so I was his scorekeeper. When we go to professional games, I still keep score. Matter of fact on Monday's my best friend and I always go to lunch at Applebee's. Today they had the St Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets game on. When we left the Cards were up 7-4. I wasn't happy about leaving, but we had responsivities at home. I hope the Card pulled it off. Thank you for sharing this with us. Yes, I love baseball. One can't raise four boys without being into sports.
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Having four boys will get you involved for sure. Thanks for reading and sharing. John
Comment from Jannypan (Jan)
You did a great job sharing this fun post, John.
I enjoyed reading it. I liked the many 'things'
you associated baseball with-esp the baseball
cards on the spokes of the bicycle and how it
became an American tradition. I enjoyed how
you and your boys used baseball to keep connected
as a family. Major league baseball has become
something that is out of control with the price
of tickets and cities always wanting to build new
and better stadiums.
Thanks for sharing, Jan
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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You did a great job sharing this fun post, John.
I enjoyed reading it. I liked the many 'things'
you associated baseball with-esp the baseball
cards on the spokes of the bicycle and how it
became an American tradition. I enjoyed how
you and your boys used baseball to keep connected
as a family. Major league baseball has become
something that is out of control with the price
of tickets and cities always wanting to build new
and better stadiums.
Thanks for sharing, Jan
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Jan, awesome review. Thank you so much! I appreciate it. John
Comment from Jim Wile
I loved this nostalgic look back at baseball, because I can identify with so much of it.
I, too, collected baseball cards and had a real fondness for that pink gum if I didn't get the cards I wanted. I remember well, Mel Allen's great baseball voice as he announced Yankee games.
I learned about decimals and fractions from figuring out batting averages, and in later years, like you, have fond memories of playing catch with my kids. I still owe my daughter 8 million dollars from continuously betting her double or nothing that she wouldn't catch successively higher fly balls.
Thanks for the reminder of all of this.
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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I loved this nostalgic look back at baseball, because I can identify with so much of it.
I, too, collected baseball cards and had a real fondness for that pink gum if I didn't get the cards I wanted. I remember well, Mel Allen's great baseball voice as he announced Yankee games.
I learned about decimals and fractions from figuring out batting averages, and in later years, like you, have fond memories of playing catch with my kids. I still owe my daughter 8 million dollars from continuously betting her double or nothing that she wouldn't catch successively higher fly balls.
Thanks for the reminder of all of this.
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Be careful when she expects the payment.
Thank you, Jim. I?m glad you were able to share.
John
Comment from LateBloomer
Hi John, thank you for sharing this story and taking me down memory lane. Yes, baseball is American. I especially liked:
--Baseball is a long standing American tradition, just like backyard BBQ's,
(John, you're making me hungry, and it's not even lunch time.)
--Baseball was about collecting and trading baseball cards.
(Yes, the piece of gum was a real treat too. I can still smell the gum.)
--Baseball was the voice of Mel Allen and later, Phil Rizzuto from the transistor hidden under the pillow
(Good imagery. I can still hear Phil Rizzuto's distinct voice.)
-- When the topic came up about going to Yankee Stadium to see a game, fuggedaboutit!
(Fuggedaboutit for sure! I now live in NJ, but I grew up in the middle of NYC--Manhattan. Yankee Stadium was two stops on the D train, according to my memory. Us kids would go and sit in the bleachers. We were probably only about 12 years old. Imagine a 12 year old could ride the NYC subway, and it was not a worry or even a concern. Those were the good 'ol days.)
--But baseball took on a whole new perspective to me when I started playing catch with my boys in the backyard.
(John, the best memory yet. Same here. My son is 40 years old, and playing catch with his dad in the backyard is still a favorite memory of his. My granddaughter now plays softball--not baseball, but still fun. Now my husband, my son, and granddaughter play catch in the backyard. I still make the snacks as usual.)
-- Those cleats have hung in my garage on the same peg for the past twenty-three years.
(Same thing here. We still have cleats, bats, balls, and so much more in our garage as well. Some call it clutter. I call it memories.)
A fun story. Thanks for sharing happy memories. Can't wait for Spring.
Keep the blue waters flowing. LateBloomer ~ Margaret
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Hi John, thank you for sharing this story and taking me down memory lane. Yes, baseball is American. I especially liked:
--Baseball is a long standing American tradition, just like backyard BBQ's,
(John, you're making me hungry, and it's not even lunch time.)
--Baseball was about collecting and trading baseball cards.
(Yes, the piece of gum was a real treat too. I can still smell the gum.)
--Baseball was the voice of Mel Allen and later, Phil Rizzuto from the transistor hidden under the pillow
(Good imagery. I can still hear Phil Rizzuto's distinct voice.)
-- When the topic came up about going to Yankee Stadium to see a game, fuggedaboutit!
(Fuggedaboutit for sure! I now live in NJ, but I grew up in the middle of NYC--Manhattan. Yankee Stadium was two stops on the D train, according to my memory. Us kids would go and sit in the bleachers. We were probably only about 12 years old. Imagine a 12 year old could ride the NYC subway, and it was not a worry or even a concern. Those were the good 'ol days.)
--But baseball took on a whole new perspective to me when I started playing catch with my boys in the backyard.
(John, the best memory yet. Same here. My son is 40 years old, and playing catch with his dad in the backyard is still a favorite memory of his. My granddaughter now plays softball--not baseball, but still fun. Now my husband, my son, and granddaughter play catch in the backyard. I still make the snacks as usual.)
-- Those cleats have hung in my garage on the same peg for the past twenty-three years.
(Same thing here. We still have cleats, bats, balls, and so much more in our garage as well. Some call it clutter. I call it memories.)
A fun story. Thanks for sharing happy memories. Can't wait for Spring.
Keep the blue waters flowing. LateBloomer ~ Margaret
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Margaret, my kids would call our basement clutter because my wife has boxes of memories since they were babies. She always says, they can throw it out when I?m gone, by then I?ll never know.
Thank you for such a great review!
John
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OMG. I recently said the same thing--they can throw it out when I'm gone. In the meantime, they are my memories of love.
Comment from Mary Shifman
It sounds like you had a wonderful childhood and that you are a parent that every child deserves. I lived in the country and we had a tiny school with no official baseball team, but that doesn't mean we didn't make the most of what we had. As you say, great memories!
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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It sounds like you had a wonderful childhood and that you are a parent that every child deserves. I lived in the country and we had a tiny school with no official baseball team, but that doesn't mean we didn't make the most of what we had. As you say, great memories!
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Absolutely. Make do with what you have.
Thank you, Mary.
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You are welcome.
Comment from Terry Broxson
I am a baby boomer, born in 1946. In Texas, in the fifties, we did not have a major league team. So, I followed the NY Yankees and Mickey Mantle. I played little league, first base, and tried to be a switch hitter. That didn't work out too well for that twelve-year-old.
I loved following baseball for most of my life. Until the 1994 strike by the players canceled the World Series, I figured if the players didn't care about the Series, why should I?
I am glad you still enjoy it. And it is time for the John Fogerty song, "Centerfield!" Terry.
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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I am a baby boomer, born in 1946. In Texas, in the fifties, we did not have a major league team. So, I followed the NY Yankees and Mickey Mantle. I played little league, first base, and tried to be a switch hitter. That didn't work out too well for that twelve-year-old.
I loved following baseball for most of my life. Until the 1994 strike by the players canceled the World Series, I figured if the players didn't care about the Series, why should I?
I am glad you still enjoy it. And it is time for the John Fogerty song, "Centerfield!" Terry.
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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There are a number of issues which could cause a fan from moving away from the game, as you did.
That is a great song!
Thanks for reading and sharing, Terry.
John
Comment from Paul McFarland
Whow! I think I just read excerpts from my autobiography. Being a Red Sox fan and a Yankee hater, I don't know how many Mickey Mantle cards I threw away. Watching my sons play high school ball was a great experience. One of them had a lot of talent, but he struggled with decisions that he made as a young man. Thank God, he turned out okay after giving me many sleepless nights.
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Whow! I think I just read excerpts from my autobiography. Being a Red Sox fan and a Yankee hater, I don't know how many Mickey Mantle cards I threw away. Watching my sons play high school ball was a great experience. One of them had a lot of talent, but he struggled with decisions that he made as a young man. Thank God, he turned out okay after giving me many sleepless nights.
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Paul. I?m glad my post resonated with you. All we can do is hope and pray for the best.
Thank you for reading, sharing and those 6 stars.
John
Comment from Wayne Fowler
Very well written - good enough to bring back memories of my own.
Major League Baseballs opening day - (Baseball's)
I didn't have the family dynamic, Dad wasn't interested. But I was. I knew the stats on everybody. I played pick up games all summer. It was great.
Best wishes.
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Very well written - good enough to bring back memories of my own.
Major League Baseballs opening day - (Baseball's)
I didn't have the family dynamic, Dad wasn't interested. But I was. I knew the stats on everybody. I played pick up games all summer. It was great.
Best wishes.
Comment Written 27-Feb-2023
reply by the author on 27-Feb-2023
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Thanks, Wayne. A lot of good memories have been left on the baseball diamond.
