baseball and fireworks

Chattanooga, Tennessee celebrated the country's birthday on July 3rd, with two fireworks shows downtown, one on the river with a patriotic concert featuring the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera - Pops on the River, and a second at the ballpark after the Chattanooga Lookouts baseball game.

We were inclined to avoid the crowds, but our youngest daughter Carrie would have none of that - she drove here and joined us in the sold out crowd at the ballpark. We ate hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, peanuts. We sang Take me out to the Ballgame. The home team won in the 9th inning!

We watched dueling fireworks - the river park fireworks on one side, and the ballpark fireworks on the other, while rocking to the sounds of Springsteen's Born in the USA and Neil Diamond's America. It was great fun, thanks Carrie for getting us out there!

minor league fun

Last night was a perfect night for the great American pastime. We enjoyed another Rome Braves baseball game last night, the weather was perfect and the Braves won!

There were occasional updates over the loud speaker on the Braves/Mets game at Turner Stadium, at one point a former Rome Braves player hit a 3-run homer at the show in Atlanta! The local fans in Rome really support their team, just watching the crowd you can see that they all know each other.

We went to the Rome Braves games several times last year (a construction contact gives Buddy free tickets!). They have a lot of things going on for kids, and our grandkids had a great time here last summer.

The Rome Braves are a Class A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The stadium at Rome is a beautiful facility, construction was completed in 2003. Since Buddy is in the construction trade, we usually end up looking at how something is built, so here are some construction pictures.

We enjoy watching baseball, watching our grandson play baseball, watching baseball movies, I even have a baseball bear!

Baseball and Birthdays

Ever since our first trip to see the Rome Braves, Madison has said she wants to come back on her birthday, so Saturday night we took a family trip to the ballgame. Madison was 9 on the 13th, and since Sarah just arrived back home, we celebrated her 12th July birthday also!

We arrived early, and while waiting for the gates to open, we were entertained by the Braves Brigade girls, dancing for the crowd. They threw out prizes and candy, and Kyle caught a T-shirt! Then Madison won a T-shirt for being the Queen of the Macarena!


As soon as the gates opened, the kids ran to sign up for the different activities. Sarah was the newspaper girl, racing with another boy to see who could throw the newspapers into the crowd the fastest.


Kyle and Madison signed up for the Ham Cam (appropriate for their personalities). The Ham Cam happens between the 3rd and 4th innings, where a camera is on each of the kids, who are on top of the two dugouts, and they are to ham it up for the camera, with the audience applause determining the winner.

When they put the microphone in front of Madison and asked her name, she said "Madison - it's my birthday!". The music started and they started hamming it up. The cameras showed them on the big screen in the outfield. Madison did cartwheels and Kyle did his own version of dancing, which included break-dancing. It was a hard decision, but the crowd chose Madison!

All night during the game, between innings, during game delays, music would blare from the speakers, and the kids would dance, either the Macarena again, the YMCA dance, or their own special moves. We sang Take me out to the Ball Game during the 7th inning stretch.

The game was finally over after 13 innings, and the Braves won 3-2! It was a long night, but a lot of fun.

baseball bear

Cal Doubleplay

I have always loved teddy bears, and often receive them as gifts. Since last Christmas I have collected Boyd's Bears, as the result of receiving a pile of them from Santa. Then another shipment came in for Mother's Day!

The detail, expressions, names, and outfits make these bears fun to collect. This is Cal Doubleplay, with his baseball outfit and glove, just right for this time of year, baseball season.

He reminds me of going to the baseball game with our grandkids and how much they enjoy it. Play Ball!

Hey batta batta batta...

Little league baseball at the county park.

Eleven and twelve year old boys playing like the big league.

Little brothers and sisters playing catch on the sidelines.

Park at your own Risk! the sign says - lots of foul balls!

Uniforms with telltale stains of Georgia red clay on knees and seats.

Pockets and mouths full of sunflower seeds.

Boiled peanut hulls strewn on the ground - just $2 at the concession stand.

The snowcone-mobile circling the fields, drawing in the children with its Pied-Piperlike music.

Lots of base stealing going on.

Coaches and parents yelling encouragement.

The umpire gives advice to the pitcher on how to watch the runner at first.

A home run is hit over the center field fence and both sides stand and cheer, because everyone knows the hitter, just look at that huge grin on his face as he rounds the bases.

Outfielders and infielders yelling "Hey batta batta batta..."

Our grandson Kyle has always played baseball, he loves to play and loves to watch. He went to see the Atlanta Braves play last weekend and got his glove signed by several of the Braves players.


Little League baseball is a good thing 'cause it keeps the parents off the streets and it keeps the kids out of the house. - Yogi Berra

take me out to the ballgame...

On Friday night, we went to see the Rome Braves! This is an affiliate team of the Atlanta Braves located in Rome, Georgia, about 1-1/2 hours from here. Buddy received some complimentary tickets from one of his suppliers and off we went with two of the grandkids.

Our seats were on the third base line, so Kyle took his glove to catch foul balls, but none came right at us (thankfully). Before the game, the kids went down to the duggout and got autographs of all the players. They had lots of entertainment lined up between the innings, and Kyle signed up to be on the 'ham cam' and had a great time performing for the camera.

We had boiled peanuts and pizza, we sang "Take me out to the ball game" during the 7th inning stretch, we saw a home run, saw lots of good plays, we got t-shirts and baseball cards, and we won! A great time was had by all.

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game.

At the movies - baseball style

It's baseball season again! The Braves start the regular season on April 3rd, and our grandson Kyle started baseball practice last week.

One of our favorite ways to watch baseball is in the movies. Some of our favorite movies are baseball movies! Of course, with the likes of Robert Redford and Kevin Costner to look at, who can blame me.


For Love of the Game
Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston
To achieve concentration, pitcher Billy Chapel says clear the mechanism and all is quiet (in his head, anyway). He pitches the perfect game, but does he get the girl?



Field of Dreams
Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Amy Magidan, Bert Lancaster
If you build it, he will come...
An Iowa farmer hears a voice telling him to build a baseball diamond in the middle of his cornfield.

People will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past.


Bull Durham
Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon
Catcher Crash Davis tutors rookie pitcher Nuke LaLoosh, with a little help, "Oh my!"

Walt Whitman once said, "I see great things in baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will repair our losses and be a blessing to us." You could look it up.


The Natural
Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Joe Don Baker, Darren McGavin
Vintage baseball, based on the 1939 Roy Hobbs story. Great cast and story.



Major League
Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Rene Russo, Wesley Snipes
A group of loveable misfits playing the all American game, will they win the pennant?
Wild Thing! You make my heart sing


A League of Their Own
Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Madonna, Jon Lovitz, Garry Marshall, Rosie O'Donnell, Tea Leoni, Bill Pullman
Based on the Woman's Professional Baseball League in the 1940s, the girls show 'em how it is done!
And of course, there's no crying in baseball!