I am a huge Cincinnati Reds fan.
Why on earth would someone raised in Alabama root with sincere fervor for a team that is located in a city more than five hundred miles away? Well, there are several reasons. First, I have always loved the game of baseball. It is a thinking man’s sport, full of strategy and statistic. Second, I had the privilege of playing baseball as I grew up. This gives me a deeper understanding and appreciation of those who still play today. Of course, neither of these reasons gives foundation for being a Reds fan. For that loyalty I have my father to thank.
I loved my Dad. He passed away in 2002. My love for my father is central to my love for baseball. It will sound cliche, but the one thing we always had in common was baseball, more specifically Cincinnati Reds baseball. I could talk to him about the Reds any time and it would always turn out to be an excellent conversation. That was not the case about everything.
I still remember going to Riverfront Stadium with my father to witness the Big Red Machine in action in the 1970s. Back then I did not understand the game as well as I do today, but I had my father all to myself. I asked him question after question and he answered every one of them, glad to share the knowledge he had acquired.
As I got older I decided I did not need to ask any more questions. I had all of the answers and my father needed to listen to me. Needless to say that did not work out very well. My arrogance hurt my relationship with Dad quite a bit. Fortunately for me I was able to apologize to him as I grew older. By God’s grace I quit trying to share all of my knowledge with him, and I started listening again, just like I did at Riverfront back in the ’70s. Our relationship healed, and all was right the night he died.
In the 1989 movie Field of Dreams based on a novel by William Kinsella, there are many memorable lines. One of these is “If you build it, he will come.” I don’t think there is much that I would not set out to build if it meant I could spend some simple time with my father again. If I could play catch with him or watch a baseball game with him one more time, it would be an experience beyond words. I am sure that is why I always find myself in tears at the end of this 1989 movie.
From my desktop to yours, it’s another Alabama memory.
