A Special Night

I attended last night's Giants/Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium, and it was one of those nights that you never forget, but for me it was more than just the game itself.

The two young southpaw starters, Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner, provided a great duel, in fact it was the first time in the Live Ball era that opposing starting pitchers worked at least eight innings, did not walk a batter, and struck out at least 10 hitters. Amazing that has not happened since the Babe, actually almost unbelievable.

Saw a bunch of old friends (Steve Garvey, Sweet Lou Johnson, Tim Leary, Eric Karros, Paul Loduca), some former fellow staffers, and Hall of Famers Jamie Jarrin and Vin Scully over the course of the night. It was nice to catch up with so many people and the atmosphere at Dodger Stadium was really terrific because under new management it is becoming a fun place to attend games again along with a half-game separating the two clubs before the first and the final pitch.

What truly made it special for me was just hanging out with our oldest daughter, Sarah, at the ballpark. 



Sarah with Dennis Haysbert after last night's ballgame

Sarah's 22, just a semester away from being a graduate from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a double major of Communication and Political Science with an emphasis in Digital Media. She just landed a potentially great internship that could be really special, and I am so darn proud of her.

But the fun part was I could just go to the game with Sarah, have a five-hour conversation with her in an environment that I so enjoy, a crowded ballpark, and find out that my little girl is doing so darn well and about to plunge into the world with goals and dreams that might be ambitious and youthful, but ones that are real and honest to the core. I introduced her to people that she did not know at the ballpark, and she was reintroduced to others who knew her when she was a pre-teen and just trying to figure out the real world before high school.

I realize that I am lucky to have the opportunity to spend that kind of time with Sarah, because so many parents and children, for whatever reason, just don't have that type of relationship. Ours is different, as we spent two full days together in her car over the weekend as we drove back from Boulder to Pasadena, and it was a joy. Visiting the Four Corners Monument and cruising throughout the Southwest was fun, unscripted, and a learning experience too.

I'll look back at last night as more than just a great game that I was lucky enough to watch in-person. What made it really special is that it was a night with my daughter AND it happened to be at the ballpark.

I'm a lucky guy.