Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Fred, me, Lisa, and Marilyn

Saturday night Lisa and I headed down to Toledo to meet with our friends, Fred and Marilyn Neuhausel. They had invited us to go with them to the Toledo Mud Hens game that evening. While I've been to see a major league team before (just last Summer to see the Tigers), I'd never gone to a minor league game.

As I said, I've been to Tigers games, both in the old park on Michigan and Trumble and the newer Comerica Park. When I was a little kid, I saw my brother play in a little league game. This experience was somewhere in the middle -- and tremendously agreeable. It had the best aspects of both the small local game (more intimate surroundings and passionate fans who still had fun) and of the larger venues (concession stands and fireworks).

We passed an exceedingly fun evening with our friends. We cheered for the great plays and cringed when things didn't go so well. Lisa was very excited to have seen her first grand slam home run. Too bad it was for the other team! In the end, the noble Hens went down to defeat, but our evening was a delightful success.

So, if you are down in Toledo in the evening this Summer, you might want to check to see whether the Mud Hens are playing. You might want to get those tickets in advance, though. Since they've moved to the new stadium, they've been selling out a lot.

So, when was the last time you went to a minor league baseball game?