Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

  It's Major League ballgame in a Minor League
Atmosphere! It's called the "Grapefruit League!"
  The boys of summer are playing each other in
Spring Training games and we were in the stands
when they threw out the first ball....actually a
grapefruit...for a game yesterday.
   There was another Hazleton native at the game.
   In fact he was the manager of one of the teams
as the Tampa Bay Rays took on the Pittsburgh
Pirates. I didn't get a chance to say hello. He
was kind of busy.
    Spring training games give the players a chance
to prepare for the regular season.
    They give the fans a chance to get ready too.
    If you have any doubts just check out the
prices at the concession stands!
    I had a cup filled with crushed ice and a bit
of cherry flavor. That was five bucks! It must
have been ice from the Titanic incident!
    Game time temperatures were in the mid
80's.  That said I got to feeling just a little
self conscious about my blue jeans.
     I'm so susceptible to insect bites and
sunburn that I almost never wear shorts. I
wondered if anyone else in the ballpark
had the nerve to wear jeans or slacks.
     I looked up and down nearby rows of
spectators and spotted three other
gentlemen who were not wearing shorts.
     I might have felt out of place for just
a moment. Then I realized there were at
least 18 other guys in long pants,,,,,,,,and
they were all players!!!!! So there!
     But whatever they wore, and whatever
the price of the ice, this nearly sold out
stadium demonstrated there are still
plenty of people ready to root, root, root
for the home team and enjoy a little boy's
game played by grown men!
     Hope you're knocking the ball out of
the park and that all your NEWS is good!