Section NN. Row 1. Seats 1 through 4.
The best seats in the house at Rickwoord Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They cost 5 bucks each. The Barons weren't selling you frills...they were selling you hopes and dreams of young guys trying to make the bigs (and we wanted to see them do it, too...so the next year we could lie to each other about how we knew before everybody else that that guy had the stuff). There were no dot races, no fireworks after home runs, no "diamondvision" screen or dopey mascots racing kids around the bases between innings. All you got then was watching the game and listening to people around you talk about the game and which guys were going to play the game in the major leagues. The experience was the thing.
Section 102. Row 27. Seats 3 through 10.
Average seats in the house at The Dr. Pepper/7UP Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. They cost 7 bucks each. The RoughRiders were selling you frills...and lots of them. Good ones at that. There was a horse race that actually took place on the outfield fence, a couple of home runs to set off fireworks, a diamondvision with guys roaming the stands getting kids to dance and couples to kiss, and the kid thrashed the mascot to home plate. The experience was the thing.
Lots of romantic drivel has been written about baseball...even more romantic drivel about minor league baseball. My daughter Kelsey got autographs from guys that were happy to give them. My daughter Shelby rolled down the grassy knoll (okay, sorry for the easy Dallas reference) in the outfield with her friends. My cronies did the Hokey Pokey and MEANT it, too...as if putting whatever body part "in" was truly what it's all about. After much discussion, we decided that the center fielder and the second baseman actually have a shot at the bigs. If you don't get the romance of baseball, I can't explain it and won't try.
The experience was the thing. Even if the minors have gone corporate and gotten digitized, there are very few great experiences you can have for 7 bucks a head. And I hope Ramon Nivar gets his shot, too. Now that it's in writing, I can say that I told you guys LAST year this kid was going places.
The best seats in the house at Rickwoord Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They cost 5 bucks each. The Barons weren't selling you frills...they were selling you hopes and dreams of young guys trying to make the bigs (and we wanted to see them do it, too...so the next year we could lie to each other about how we knew before everybody else that that guy had the stuff). There were no dot races, no fireworks after home runs, no "diamondvision" screen or dopey mascots racing kids around the bases between innings. All you got then was watching the game and listening to people around you talk about the game and which guys were going to play the game in the major leagues. The experience was the thing.
Section 102. Row 27. Seats 3 through 10.
Average seats in the house at The Dr. Pepper/7UP Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. They cost 7 bucks each. The RoughRiders were selling you frills...and lots of them. Good ones at that. There was a horse race that actually took place on the outfield fence, a couple of home runs to set off fireworks, a diamondvision with guys roaming the stands getting kids to dance and couples to kiss, and the kid thrashed the mascot to home plate. The experience was the thing.
Lots of romantic drivel has been written about baseball...even more romantic drivel about minor league baseball. My daughter Kelsey got autographs from guys that were happy to give them. My daughter Shelby rolled down the grassy knoll (okay, sorry for the easy Dallas reference) in the outfield with her friends. My cronies did the Hokey Pokey and MEANT it, too...as if putting whatever body part "in" was truly what it's all about. After much discussion, we decided that the center fielder and the second baseman actually have a shot at the bigs. If you don't get the romance of baseball, I can't explain it and won't try.
The experience was the thing. Even if the minors have gone corporate and gotten digitized, there are very few great experiences you can have for 7 bucks a head. And I hope Ramon Nivar gets his shot, too. Now that it's in writing, I can say that I told you guys LAST year this kid was going places.
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