Early Baseball Memories

As I started following baseball this summer, I started thinking about my childhood experiences with the game. I never had that early memory of my first game, like perhaps the kids in the accompanying photo are having. I don't miss it. I have other memories. I do think it explains a little about why I never got into baseball.

Here’s what I remember:

1.  I went to one baseball practice when I was 10. I remember that, unlike soccer, I spent most of the time standing around, bored. My dad decided it was a waste of time, and I never went back.
2. We played soft pitch in gym class one day. I was the catcher. The kid at bat hit the ball, threw the bat at me as he was leaving the plate. I ended up at the nurse icing my hand.
3. We always talked about going down to see the Zephyrs play in Colorado Springs. It always seemed too far.
4. I remember the excitement there was for getting a MLB team in Colorado. My dad was upset that they didn’t name them the Denver Bears after an older team on Colorado. I agreed that the “Rockies” was kind of a dumb name.
5. I went to a game with my dad and brother, shortly after he got back from traveling in India. I think he had some massive culture shock as we sat in the stands at Mile High Stadium while some jerk yelled obscenities at our first baseman.
6. My grandfather watched a ton of baseball at his kitchen table after he retired. He always had to turn the volume down when I came over so we could talk. 
7. I attended a handful of games with friends in my 20’s. Cubs vs Rockies with Jennifer. Reds vs Rockies with Cliff. Mariners vs Rockies with Mark. I only remember little bits of the conversations with my friends, but nothing about the games themselves.

After playing softball this summer and watching several games, I am starting to make some more baseball memories.