Summer Highlight #4: Go Rays!

Back in the cold winter months I was having a conversation about baseball.  I flippin' love baseball. I don't know why, I just know the love for the sport is there.  I can trace it back to my senior year in high school when my friend, Annette, and I went to some Rays games and some of the high school games. Going to baseball games was so fun.

When Andrew and I started dating, I asked him over and over to take me to a baseball game.  He had no interest. It was several years into our marriage that we finally went.  And guess what?  Turns out, Andrew decided he liked baseball, too.  Our love for baseball is mostly Rays baseball.  And when they were in the world series a few years back, it was one of the best memories I have.  We watched it with Tom and Erica every night and pretty much screamed at the tv due to our excitement or anger.  It was a perfect week of baseball...except the Rays didn't win.

Anyhow, back to my winter conversation...I realized that the Rays would probably be up in Cleveland playing at some point this summer.  Sure enough, they were.  So ever since March "rays in cleveland" was written on my calendar for July.

Our friend, Tyler was visiting us at the time they were playing.  I didn't really give him a choice.  I pretty much just told him, "we're going to a rays vs. indians game while you're here."  Amazingly, Tyler said ok without any objections.

So one day we headed to Cleveland to watch the Rays play.

This was Cooper's first pro-baseball game. He had been to a couple of pee-wee games and thought we were going to see Joey play baseball.  It was fun to see his eyes get big with excitement when we entered the stadium and saw the field.  He was also a bit disappointed because it wasn't Joey playing.

It's a bit tricky to entertain a 2 year old while at a baseball game.  You stuff him with goldfish, nachos, cracker jacks, and try to get him to draw on his magna doodle.  You basically end up taking turns walking around the stadium the whole night.

We sat next to a famous cleveland fan.  He drums in the outfield section and has done so since the 70s. You can read about him here.  I heard him talking about how he had never been to games that were as hot as this season.  And the day we were there was no exception.  It was hot.  We were all sweaty, and because of that...smelly and gross looking.

Despite the gross hot weather and a 2 year old wiggle worm, it was a blast, and we all walked away with a great memory.

When Cooper wears his Rays shirt, he says, "It's my baseball shirt. Go Rays!" So if nothing else, a love of Rays baseball was instilled that day.

And, in case you were wondering...Rays won that night!