Friday, April 13, 2012

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

Baseball!  I love it!   I really like to watch baseball and talk with my Daddy on the phone at the same time.  What?  Does that sound funny?  Here's what we do... if the game starts to get exciting, we call each other (sometimes I call him, sometimes he calls me) and this is what it sounds like...."Are you watching the Braves?  Did you see that play at first base, did you think he was out?  What do you think about that catch against the fence?  This man at base now, do you think he'll swing at that next pitch?"
These are some of the things you will hear us say...  And it is funny, when I am on the phone with my Dad, my husband and son say that it sounds as if I am speaking another language...I go into my southern drawl, which I have to tone down with my English husband and English/American son! (Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do in order to be understood!)   Sometimes, if I call my Daddy when a game is going on, he won't even say hello when he picks up, he will just say whatever the Braves score is,  "ONE TO NOTHING!"  might be the greeting!

In the middle of the seventh inning of a baseball game, they always have the seventh inning stretch and everyone stands up and sings "Take Me Out To The Ballgame", which is a great tune and a very old one, written in 1908.  Now, I found a lot of examples of folks at a real ballgame singing this song, but I really like this being played by Harpo Marx on the TV show, "I Love Lucy".   This is so beautiful and I love the expression on the faces of the actresses as they are listening to him.  The joy and delight that they show looks very genuine.  Listen and see if if you don't agree...

And tonight's  baseball game is the home opener for the Atlanta Braves and you know at 7:30PM, I will get a phone call from my Dad, "You got the game on?"  What do you think about Chipper Jones, think he'll stay healthy?"  It's so much fun, we will sit and watch the game together, as we are on the phone! Baseball, I love it!    UPDATE: The Braves won, 10-8 and it was a great game.  GO BRAVES!

23 comments:

  1. I love this, Kay! Sounds like you have a great time with your dad. I can just picture the phone calls; they must be fun to listen to. It's wonderful that you have this type of relationship with your father.

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    1. Dear Martha,
      Thanks! My Dad loves his cell phone! He has even embraced the camera on the phone and takes some great shots with it! I hope you clicked on the song, it is beautifully done, not comedy at all, Harpo could play as many as five instruments. Such talent!

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  2. You are so very lucky to have such a lovely father Kay - your relationship sounds so close and relaxed.I love men who like to talk - I've never gone for the strong silent type. The harp playing was extremely melodic, I enjoyed it.

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    1. Hey!
      I am lucky. My Dad is the strong, chatty type! YAY!
      I am so glad that you listened to the music. A good melody is a good melody, period, even if it is just a song about baseball!

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  3. Certainly not a song you'd expect to hear played on a harp, and yet it sounded so natural :) Hope you enjoy tonight's game :)

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    1. Dear Jane,
      Glad you liked the music too! I thought it was beautiful. And tonight's game? You know I will! :-)

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  4. We're huge baseball fans, have the baseball package that gives us 50-60 baseball games a week. Also try to make it to live games. Love the Braves, don't think Chipper will stay healthy and thought he should have retired at the end of last year.
    Visit different ballparks when we can, have been to San Diego, Oakland, old Candlestick in San Francisco, to see the Cubs in Chicago, the Yankees in their old stadium, the Orioles in their new park and of course the Braves in their old and new park.
    Went to see the Braves in spring training a couple of years ago.

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    1. Oh, how lucky can you be? Would LOVE to have seen all those baseball stadiums! Have you been to Cooperstown? As a travel agent, I sent quite a few men there, usually with their fathers and young sons, they all raved about it!
      My Dad has been to a Braves game at Coors Field in Denver and he loved it!
      My son and I try to make to make it to a least one game at Turner Field each year. My Dad prefers to watch it on TV, since he says he loves the re-plays so much!
      Go Braves! :-)

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  5. An amazing tie to your father, you are blessed to share so much with him.

    Enjoy the game!

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    1. Dear Mimi,
      I cherish these times and I know I just did a post about my Dad, but doggone it, it is the Braves opener night tonight, so I just had to share this! :-)

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  6. Hi Kay, I have never been a baseball fan, but been to several games - mostly minor league ones. It's great that you and your dad can share this passion.

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    1. I really love sports. Love that is happening right in front of you, and you never know what will happen next, it is real, and I am all about real stuff. (Non-fiction books are my favorite!)
      Thanks so much for your comment! Please visit me again!

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  7. While I do not have the slightest understanding of baseball (and never watch sports on TV anyway, I much prefer doing sports myself), I love it that you and your Dad have this in your lives, something you both enjoy so much!

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  8. Hey! Guess what? The Braves won 10-8 and it was an exciting game! YAY! Last night, I spoke with him just before the 5th inning and then again, after the game finished. We do enjoy the games together but reading this over, it may sound as if we are on the phone for the entire nine innings which can last for 2-3 hours! And also, guess what...Chipper Jones was not healthy, they pulled him from the lineup!
    Did you listen to Harpo playing the harp? I think you might like it!

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  9. BASEBALL!!!!
    Believe it or not, there was a time where I'm addicted to that game...in my phone. I mean, I just wondered what's so great with baseball (because I used to play NBA in the Playstation with my brother) and I wondered, hey why not baseball? Anyway, so I downloaded a baseball game in my phone and I was hooked! I haven't got the chance to play a real live one, but I would like to try it some day.

    PS thanks for visiting my blog. I just left a reply on your last comment. Have a good day! :)

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  10. Oh, for sure play baseball if you can. There is just something about swinging that bat and making contact with the ball, and just knowing that you have connected and hit a long ball. Great stuff!
    Thanks for dropping by, come back now, you hear?

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    1. "Thanks for dropping by, come back now, you hear?"
      Was that a command? Hahaha! :)

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    2. Hey Denise,
      That is what folks say in the South when vistors are leaving, "Y'all come back now, ya hear" is what you usually say. "Y'all" is ALWAYS plural, no matter how it is mis-quoted on TV and movies!
      I would never command you, my dear! :-)

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  11. well this is the sweetest damn thing, kay. your father must be over the moon having this to share and in such an in-the-monent way. the only thing i am sorry about is that you are not lamenting the boston red sox. you would probably be on the phone an extra three hours a day :^)

    i waitied patiently for harpo to get to the song. i thought i was missing something and then: OMG. worth it totally. what a treat.

    happy season, kay. i'm watching too.

    love
    kj

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    1. Glad you liked the song too. The year that the Boston Red Sox finally won the World Series, I told my son that I thought that they would, even though they had to come from way behind to win it. Turns out I was right, I just wish I could have thought of some lottery numbers that year!
      Thanks for your comment. PLAY BALL!

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  12. Wow! I have never seen baseball in real life, it so American. But I love football:-)

    Wish you a blessed birthday tomorrow!
    Hugs from north:-)

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    1. Come to America and see a baseball game, you would enjoy it!
      I'll bet by football, you mean what we call "soccer". I liked watching football when we are in England, I love how the fans sing so well at the games!

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    2. Oh, and thanks for the birthday wishes! :-)

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