Kids + Baseball = Summer

Yes, that is the field.
No, I am not using the zoom.

Since things have been a little stressful over here at BLINKY MOMENTS lately, I thought I’d post something a little more light hearted today to make up for it.

[Note: Uncharacteristically, there were THREE posts on Saturday. Read in sequence, they take you through the range of emotions I experienced in just less than eight hours. If you only saw the one about the tragic passing of Palomo, I encourage you to go back and read the other two.]

On Saturday, June 21st, Bert, Keebler-the-Elf, Melissa and I went to the Roughriders game in Frisco. Yes, this is the night that I should have – but didn’t – bring Palomo back inside. But it was cool, and there was a wonderful summer breeze. No one could have guessed that any harm would have come to the little dove that evening.

Anyway, the game was awesome. Not only did we get in for free with tickets that entitled us to free food and alcohol (thanks to one of Bert’s interns), but our seats were on the second row between home plate and first base. Right next to us was the chute the players took from the locker room to the field, and where the mascots came and went. It was also where the between-inning entertainment was set up.

This is Dixie (Daisy?), the team mascot,
harassing a kid with a better-than-perfect GPA.

It makes a squeaky sound every time
Dixie/Daisy hits you on the head with her/his paw.
(Poor Keebler...)

On this particular night, most of the entertainment was kid centric. And because they are cuter, almost all of the participating kiddoes were under the age of eight.

See kids under the age of eight...

My personal favorites were two little boys named Aaron and Riley. Both were five, and chosen to race around the bases wearing giant Roughrider’s uniforms. In a word: Adorable.

Since our seats were right there, we also got the pleasure of listening to the staff interview the boys before going out on the field. They were just trying to get basic information from Aaron and Riley (what city they live in, their names and whether or not they played baseball) so they could tell the audience a little bit about the two when they went out to run the bases. Here are some of the boys’ answers:

Staff: “What city are you from?”

Aaron: “Texas.”

***

Staff: “How old are you?”

Aaron: “Five. But some people think I’m six.”

***

Staff: “Riley, do you play baseball?”

Riley: “Well, I used to, but not anymore.”

Staff: “So, you’re like, what…retired?”

Riley: “[Pausing to consider the question] Yeah. I guess you could say that.”

In the end, Riley won the race around the bases (Aaron got hung up trying to put the giant pants on at first base, and I’m not sure he actually finished). Here they are coming back off the field:

Riley exiting the field...

Aaron (finally) makes it off, too...

Aaron still sporting his GIANT uniform...

How cute are they?!

I thought that Aaron might be upset that he didn't win (or finish for that matter), but he was just as happy as could be after exiting the field. I've never seen a kid so excited about receiving a T-shirt in my life. Way to go, Aaron. Way to go.

In other news, this girl held her fist up like this (see below) for most of the game. At first, I thought she was signaling someone between innings, but the fist went up at random times during the game as well. Any guesses?

Roughrider POWER!