By Coral Marshall – AngelsWin.com Columnist
My passion for baseball is something that runs deep through my veins, there is not a doubt in my mind that I was born with an innate love for the game that simply cannot be learned. With that having been said, there is one person I must attribute with helping me discover this passion. That person is, for me, like many others, my Dad.
As any Dad knows, according to American culture, the one day a year they get to be celebrated is Father’s Day. And as many Angels’ fans know the one day a season they truly get to celebrate amongst their own kind is the AngelsWin.com FanFest.
Last year, I decided to combine the two by giving my Dad two tickets to the game the day of the Fanfest, and I can honestly say it was his favorite gift he has received in the many years since he became a dad. My Dad was born the same year the Angels’ became a Major League club, and has followed them since he was old enough to understand the idiosyncrasies of the game. With favorites ranging from Dean Chance to Bobby Grich to Jim Edmonds to Adam Kennedy, it is a rare day when fellow fans of the team can keep up with my Dad and his knowledge of their history.
And so, the tickets to the game were the perfect gift. My dad had read countless articles and postings on the AngelsWin blog and message boards, but never interacted with the other fans. Once we arrived under the Big A on that sunny day last summer, we were welcomed by dozens of halos fans, and the largest assortment of baseball food I have ever seen. These were not your typical baseball fans, but rather people who could recite facts and tell stories about games from this season to as far back as anyone could remember. Fans who had suffered through the few and far between win seasons, and rejoiced in the 2002 World Series Championship. In short, real Angels’ fans who simply wanted to include new friends and talk about baseball.
This year, my Dad only wants one thing for Fathers’ Day, not a tie, or a coffee mug, or even a new barbecue, but instead, a repeat of last years gift.
And that is exactly what he is getting. While he will have to wait until July 3rd to redeem this gift, what could be better then giving the person who helped me establish my love of the game the ability to talk with fellow fans, join in amazing food, and watch a game with the team we both love?
For my Dad, and others like him, the answer is: Nothing.
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