Baseball and "Going Home"

I'm an incurable fan and advocate when it comes to baseball.

I gave it up when I was a freshman in high school to play football.

Mistake.

I can remember Little League, more accurately Boys Baseball, Inc., as if it were yesterday.

And, endless games of "home run derby" in the vacant lot beside our house in Richardson, Texas where I grew up.

Trust me here: I best not get started going on about baseball back then, or now for that matter!

A personal, semi-irrational goal is to visit as many major league parks as I can.

Today we set off to Seattle.

While there we'll go to Safeco Field and take in a Mariners' game against the San Francisco Giants.

Who knows? Maybe Barry will hit a homer into my lap! Don't you hate steroids?

A highlight of the trip will be a drive over to Spokane where I was born.

My parents moved from Spokane back to Texas when I was three-years-old. I haven't been back since we left in 1953.

On Wednesday evening we'll watch the Spokane Indians battle the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in the Indians' openning home series.

Spokane is a member of the Texas Rangers organization. That makes it even more fun. I am hoping we get to see the Rangers' 2006 first round draft pick, Kasey Kiker pitch. The Rangers sent him to Spokane in his first steps toward the big leagues.

I can't wait.