America's Pastime (or more aptly named "boring you with baseball")

My first Opening Day at Nats Park was amazing.

 

I come by my love of baseball naturally.  My gram would take score while listening to St. Louis games on the radio in her kitchen.  How great is that?  My dad dresses in full-on Cardinal gear while watching games on television.  Mike's love is real, folks.  Also Dad's game time sound effects are entertaining.  He screams like Marv from Home Alone after Kevin McAllister shows him what's up.

Since I was a girl my family played "pick a player" when we go to the stadium.  Rules:  Every McKown selects one player.  If your player hits a home run, everyone owes you $1.  Likewise you pay $1 when someone else's player hits a home run.  (We haven't adjusted for inflation.)

My first "pick a player" player was Jack Clark and he played for the Cardinals from 1985 to 1987.  My allowance was $1 a week so it was a risky endeavor for a kindergartener.  Mike and Pat = unafraid of accepting dollar bills from children since the early 80s.  I love that. 

My family will be here later in April for a game.  Dad's "pick a player" will undoubtedly be someone NOT on the Nats.  I will look at him with disdain but he will not care.

I lately added "visit every baseball park" to my bucket list.  This summer I will visit my eleventh  team park (the Milwaukee Brewers) at my family reunion.  I like visiting ballparks as much as I like visiting national parks...so basically...I am very cool.  (Jokes!)  I have memories of each one:

• St. Louis Cardinals
• Learned to love the game at Busch Stadium 
• Ozzie Smith backflips
• Classy fans
• Chicago Cubs
• Ivy on the outfield walls!
• Oakland A's
• The stadium is gargantuan 
• I've never been that cold at a game in my life
• Boston Red Sox
• The Green Monster!
• These people are for real about the game
• New York Mets
• I saw the Nats play and WIN at CitiField! 
• Was told to "sit down" by Mets fan when I throttled out of my seat in merriment and glee.  IT WAS AMAZING.  I felt like a true fan.  (Okay: so it was awkward and I was a bit distraught, but completely worth it in retrospect.)
• First time I had sushi at a ball game
• New York Yankees
• These people are also for real about the game
• Excellent snacks
• Saw Ichiro play his first game for the Yankees
• Cincinnati Reds
• First time I sat on level one
• Atlanta Braves
• The Braves are the nemesis of my teams (Cardinals, Nats) but I liked Turner Field
• Baltimore Orioles
• First time I rode an escalator at a game
• Washington Nationals
• I don't have pleasant memories of RFK, although that's where I started to love the Nats.  They were down and out then and needed fans so I signed up.  At one game it felt like 90% of the fans were for the other team.  Their boos overpowered our cheering.  So depressing--but then things got better!
• We've entered the promised land! (biblical metaphor--can't help it)
• Nats Park combines my love of politics, history and baseball.  Can't beat it.
• Nats Park is so DC.
• Our mascots are presidents of the US.  HISTORY!  Our newest addition is President Taft who we call 'Bill' which feels too personal (how about William?) but I'll get used to it
• I always hear the John Adams soundtrack blaring, which tickles me to no end
• We sing "God Bless America" in addition to "Take me out to the Ball Game"
• We salute soldiers who are recuperating at Walter Reed.  They sit in a special section and we give them a standing ovation every game
• There is more...but I'll leave that for another post.

Please please please do yourself a favor and enjoy America's pastime this summer!

Go Nats!  Our first of many curly Ws.