At the old ball game

It seems like ancient history these days, but you can still win a bet sometimes by asking "Who won the 1994 World Series?"

I'll cut right to it. You can usually get someone to say "The Braves" or "The Blue Jays," but the fact is, no one won the 1994 World Series because they didn't HAVE one. The players went on strike and the last 1/2 of the season was cancelled, and baseball fans were steamed, I wanna tell you.

The next season, the game realized they needed to do a lot of getting back in good with the fans, and, it being the season that Cal Ripken, Jr, of the Orioles was set to break Lou Gehrig's consecutive game record, Cal went out of his way to do public relations for the sport. Night after night, he stood on the field as fans lined up past midnight for his autograph. And, signature by signature, he did yeoman's work toward getting the fans back.

A portion of my Cal museum

Of course, last year, no one could go to any ballgames, and there was just an abbreviated 60-game schedule. This year, with the exception of Texas, a state where the laws of immunology and common sense are suspended, clubs are allowing smaller crowds, and trying their best to keep interest alive.

I've always thought that a few more Ripkens would be good for the game, players who play to the crowd and actually admit to breathing the same air as Freddie and Felicia Fan. Fans enjoy a little byplay with athletic heroes, and here's a guy who seems to understand that.

His name is Cole Calhoun. (This year, 35% of major league ballplayers are named "Cole" (Cole Sulser, Cole Hamels, Gerrit Cole...it goes on and on...)

Playing right field for the Arizona Diamondbacks the other night, Calhoun snaked his way (!) over toward the stands, trying to catch a fly ball gone foul into the seats. He put up his glove, and so did a kid, and the kid, wearing a glove, snagged it like an old pro.  

It was perfectly ok for the kid to make the play; anything into the stands is fair game for everyone. And instead of storming off in a huff, Calhoun gave the kid a cool fist bump. The first base umpire, hustling down the line to make the call, gave him a bump too. 

Cole and kid

And the Braves gave him a collectible Henry Aaron bobblehead, and he was interviewed on live tv.

And - it was his first big league game! I can't promise him similar thrills the next time he shows up at the park, but the point is, there will be a next time!