Opinion: Nostalgia inspires loyalty to two baseball teams

Lucky for me – particularly in recent years – it has nothing to do with the way the team plays. But it has everything to do with childhood memories.

My dad, you see, is a longtime Royals fan, and my childhood summers often included at least one trip to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City to take in a game. I remember cheering the team on in the glory days leading up to the 1985 World Series win – chanting names such as George Brett and Amos Otis – and feeling, during the stadium visit, that I’d been transported to a magical place. One of the trips was actually for a double-header. I remember fireworks between the games, so it may have been close to July 4. It was so neat, though, being at the stadium for two games, watching it get dark, and establishing camaraderie with fellow fans sitting nearby.

My dad, one of those guys who used to play baseball purely for the love of the game, patiently explained how baseball works, though I’m sad to say that didn’t necessarily make me a better softball player.

It’s been almost 13 years since I took in a Royals game with my folks; the last one was shortly after my wedding, when my husband and I met them in Kansas City for a game. We’ve talked a few times about going again – I’d love to experience a Royals game with my folks AND my kids – but it hasn’t happened yet.

In the meantime, there’s a kink in my Royals devotion. Are you ready for this? I’m also a Cardinals fan – now. And it’s not just because the Cards won the World Series. It’s tied to the same things – family and memories – but this time, it’s my boys who are making the memories.

Brandon, 10, and Connor, 9, are both nuts about baseball, both playing it and watching it. For two summers, they played on the Cardinals-sponsored Redbird Rookie league, and we’ve been able to take in a few Springfield Cardinals home games. And the boys are nuts about the Springfield Cardinals, perhaps as they should be, since it’s our home team. Daughter Kaitlyn, 4, doesn’t mind tagging along to the games, but at this point I think she’s more interested in the goodies, the music and Louie the mascot.

The Cardinals really know how to put on a show. It’s great to cheer on Springfield’s team, to help them pull toward victory, whether they achieve it or go down trying. It doesn’t hurt, either, that I understand the basic premises of baseball – you know, four balls, three outs, nine innings and, basically, how runs can be scored. Compared to football (for which I basically choose my team based on its colors and the fact that Brett Favre is the quarterback), baseball’s a snap. I can follow it without asking a lot of questions that will just make my husband roll his eyes.

But beyond what’s happening on the field, the thing that really strikes me as an adult baseball fan is how much effort goes into the production – er, make that game day.

I am impressed not only by how clean Hammons Field is kept, but also how many Cardinals staffers are on hand throughout the game.

There’s plenty of entertainment between innings with various contests and games. The last game we went to at Hammons Field, both my boys got to play musical chairs. All the kids who played got Cardinals T-shirts, and Connor walked away with the prize, a Fuddrucker’s gift certificate. When they tell people about the musical chairs, though, it’s more about the fact that they got picked to play, and were up on the scoreboard, than it is about the shirt or the prize.

Taking in a ballgame is something I can do with my kids, just as my folks did with me and my sisters. Like me, my kids probably won’t remember exact game dates or scores, but I’m willing to bet that they will remember heading to Hammons Field for some family fun time. In fact I’m counting on it – because after all, there’s more to baseball than the game.

Maria Hoover is features editor of Springfield Business Journal. She may reached at mhoover@sbj.net. [[In-content Ad]]