Home Away From Home...

The baseball diamond often feels like a summer vacation home to me.  The sad part about playoff baseball is that you know the amount of time spent at this summer home is drawing to an end.  Everybody that plays a role in putting on the show knows the feeling I'm talking about.  The groundskeeper heightens his field irrigation duties and intensifies his fight against late summer broadleaves.  The folks that manage the shack discount the concession prices reminiscent to those of baseball's golden age.  Fans are appreciative because they can feed the their families for $5.00 to $10.00 and the kids are happy because they can use their change from foul balls to buy four bags of M&M's and a few Tootsie Rolls.  The players are on a heightened sense of urgency because they know the season hinges on every pitch.  Their success on the field determines if they get to suit up for one more game or if they are going to be hanging up their gloves for a winter slumber.  The last out is inevitable, however, it's important to remember that baseball is a game.  It's the anticipation of 'next year' that keeps bringing us back.

I decided to write this blog entry because it's that time of year and I can see that glimmer of hope in everybody's eyes.  The Gibbon Reds baseball game Vs. the Sleepy Eye Indians on August 2nd, 2011 exemplified all these features.  It was a crowd puller.  Sleepy Eye was an excellent host and played hard.  Even though we were the visitors that night, we felt right at home because so many Gibbon baseball fans had made the pilgrimage to Sleepy Eye to cheer us on.  Fortunately, because of a stellar pitching performance, fundamentally sound baseball, and offensive outbursts, we were able to extend the season for at least one more game.  Since Gibbon is not equipped with lights, the game will be played in Searles, MN.  It is the players' hope that we'll see just as many fans at tonight's game as we did Sleepy Eye.  The power of the 10th man (our fans) was apparent last night.  In the meantime, be sure to tell one and all about tonight's game in Searles.  It's always fun to root for the underdogs.

See you at the ballpark!