Years later, when all my friends were watching American Bandstand, I was hanging out at Yankee Stadium. But years pass; my sports team loyalty switches from baseball to football – and now a native of Washington, DC, maybe the Capitals hockey team. But it was an upcoming trip to Cooperstown, NY – home of the Baseball Hall of Fame – that brought me six decades back to that baseball-crazy little girl – and the fear that I wouldn’t even care.

So here I am. And I do. Hard not to focus on baseball when the whole town is obsessed, as noted on well-worn t-shirts sporting (pun intended….) the mantra: “A drinking town with a baseball problem.”

Just walking along Main Street is a not-so-subtle introduction to the local past-time. A quick bite at the Dugout Bar and Grill; a storefront promoting Safe at Home collectibles; Shoeless Joe’s – a Field of Dreams reference – promises more baseball memorabilia; a Baseball Town Motel offers lodging, and the Heroes of Baseball Wax Museum provides a niche version of the usual famous figures. Want a bat with your name inscribed on it – and who wouldn’t? Visit the Bat Store. Okay, I get it – it’s a baseball town. But does it have to be everywhere???

Apparently, yes. Several folks in baseball uniforms strolling the street without drawing any attention. And because it was fall, there were pumpkins displayed along the street – all sized like huge baseballs.

Even the toothpicks in the The Otesaga Resort Hotel Restaurant have tiny baseballs attached to their tip.   Baseballs apparently come in many sizes… A TV in one of the diners had a football game on – man, did that seem out of place!

At the Doubleday Café, I snarkily asked if it would be more appropriate to be called the Doubleheader Cafe, until someone patiently – and no doubt a tad pityingly – explained to me that Abner Doubleday was credited with inventing baseball. I slithered away from the café and was only slightly mollified to later discover that actually he hadn’t….

Want to literally walk in the steps of Hall of Famers? Plan to stay at the stately The Otesaga Resort Hotel, an historic Cooperstown landmark, that houses new inductees, their families and former Famers every Induction year. Apparently, pretty much every Hall of Famer ever has stayed at the resort. And has probably had one of their toothpicks holding a cherry or an olive in a drink.

Which brings us back to the Baseball Hall of Fame – clearly the rest of the town is just an extension thereof. Where to begin? An introductory movie starts with a trivia quiz of memorable moments – and then tells you where in the Hall you can get more information or find the famous memorabilia referenced on film. In case you want to see a ball from the first game at which admission was charged – September 10, 1858 – you’ll know right where to go.

Lou Gehrig. Cal Ripken. Sandy Koufax. Nolan Ryan. Willie Mayes. Despite my many years away, I still knew a surprising number of players. And it was still thrilling.

Traversing the many hallways of the Hall, it was like walking on sacred ground. You could spend two hours – or two weeks – and still find stuff to see. The first, a photo gallery covering generations of greats, of course has write-ups of those on exhibit. But it’s the intimate quotes from the players themselves that humanize the entire sport.

And when I got to the Yankees Highlights Era, I was channeling a very excited 10-year-old self. I found Mickey and Yogi and felt an immediate kinship. It was like they knew I was coming back after all these years just to see them. Or maybe not…. Ten-year-olds can be very unreliable narrators.

Of course, there was also Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron and Satchel Paige. I wouldn’t say that even if you have no interest in baseball, you’ll be enthralled. But still, if only a fair-weather fan there will be something that will delight you.

A large display that caught my interest was devoted to the origin of women’s baseball teams – 1943-54 – which inspired the movie A League of her Own. It warmed my little 10-year-old heart. In my high school days, there was no Title IX, no girls’ baseball team, no opportunity for me to play a game I already loved – and I felt deprived my whole life. I coulda been a female Moose Skowron….

Later at another local baseball-infused tavern, three TVs were tuned to baseball games. After spending so much time at the Hall of Fame, I didn’t know whether they were historic replays – or current games.

But yes, if you happen to go into baseball overload, there are other Cooperstown diversions to be enjoyed. A Glimmerglass Queen boat tour on Otsego Lake, a living history farm museum that takes you back to 1840’s rural life, the Fenimore Art Museum – and yes James Fenimore Cooper, author of the Last of the Mohicans, was a Cooperstown native in the town his father founded. Also Fly Creek Cider which is a museum in its own right with so much to see and sample.

But if the 10-year-old inside me has a say, I would never leave the Baseball Hall of Fame. Mickey and I still have some unfinished business….

For more information, visit baseballhall.org, www.otesaga.com and www.thisiscooperstown.com.

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Sport Lesson

What is a sport where people spend most of their time socializing than watching the game? Most of the time is spent waiting and waiting and waiting for something interesting to happen. It can be dangerous because players actually use a weapon. It’s a legal weapon that does not need to be registered. Some people carry this weapon in the back of their cars. In fact, I know of a New York policeman who does this in case there is a riot. There’s a lot of chewing and spitting and fidgetting going on — it’s the only thing to do because it’s so boring. It’s as exciting as watching a race between a snail and an ant. It is a sport where most of the action is focused on just 2 people taunting each other while the other 8 players on stage wait for their chance to become a star. If you’re obese? Who cares? As long as you can still “tiptoe through the tulips” you can still play and get paid by the millions. Whether you are a lefty or a righty, you have to use both hands … your weaker hand is covered and protected, the other isn’t. It’s played outdoors but unlike real macho, physical, brutal contests, a little rain calls off the whole sissy game.

I think my disdain for this sport can be traced to my youth. I was never chosen to play when I was a kid so I never appreciated this game. I often wondered who would pay the players millions of dollars just to strut their butts like peacocks because most of the time they have their backs on you. What’s even more surprising is, it’s not really a contact sport yet a good number of the players get hurt …. mostly because of a self-induced accident.

If you guessed BASEBALL, you got it right.

BUT last Tuesday I went to watch an Angels game. And, miracle of miracles, I am now a reformed baseball-hater. I can’t say I love it but now I get it. My daughter had free tickets to an Angels baseball so my family went to watch a live game. I was impressed. Volunteer good-natured senior citizens helped give you directions. The lights were so bright I didn’t notice when the sun went down. The field was so green and manicured I wanted to go down and touch it. Hardly anyone was paying attention to what was going on because, unlike watching a commentator on TV, you didn’t know how many strikes, balls or foul balls were at stake. You could hardly tell who was playing. But everyone was having a good time. It was like you were in a giant picnic. The couple behind me were chatting the whole time and I felt I was part of their conversation. There were so many kids running around and parents laughing behind them. The peanut guy, thechurros guy, the beer guy  and the hot-dog-&-drinks guy were all fun to watch — each of them with their unique way of selling their wares. And then there was the humongous big screen TV which flashed trivia games and kissing couples. It was fun. I mean, REALLY fun. No wonder they call it America’s favorite pastime. People laughing, families taking care of families — man! this is America. What a blessing to be part of this.

Like many things in life we can form opinions based on observations from afar. But when you are actually living it, the unspoken experiential nuances shame your biases. I admit I have been guilty of my narrow assumptions. If I have said anything to offend you in any of my many blogs, please let me know. I am open to your corrections.

Who would have thought there was a lesson in humility in the game of baseball?  TGIF people!

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Joel of Singapore for sending this joke.

Video of the Week

Unstoppable Robin Williams
Sent by Peter Paul, South Pasadena, CA

Unedited Robin Williams doing a commercial … at least he is trying his best to stop the practical joker inside him. If you’ve never seen a display of multi-personalities, just watch. I couldn’t stop laughing.

WARNING: With Robin Williams, there is always some profanity.

WATCH VIDEO

Don’s Puns

From Don’s collection of puns

A man tried to assault me with milk, cream and butter. How dairy!

Something to Think About

Sent by Mike of New York City

Do you have time on your hands? Are you ready to take a short visual quiz? Below are 2 PDF files. One is for the women. The other is for the men. Both are about trademark/logo recognition. See how well you can guess the name behind the icon. Try it out with a friend.

Fashion Logos
Auto Logos

Being in the design industry and having designed quite a few of these logos myself,  I can really appreciate these great visuals.

Parting Shot

Thanks to Naomi of N Hollywood, CA who shared this.

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