Last night I got tickets ordered for the Texas Rangers playoff game on Saturday. It will be my daughter and I making the trek to Arlington. This is my first game of the year to go watch. Normally we make several trips during the regular season including opening day if at all possible. Chemo issues along with the heat kept me from making it to the ballpark this year. The team is in the playoffs for the first time in eleven years. Maybe they will have a better fate than in their three previous series. If you ever read this blog on a regular occasion then you know this is one of the important things for me to do with her. Not many eighteen year old girls will go with dad across the street much less to a ballgame. You can probably blame me for this.

I really do not know when she caught the bug for baseball. Most of my life is a running love affair with the game. You know that my athletic prowess is small compared to many other people. But you should know that I loved playing baseball. Robert Redford says in the movie The Natural that he loves this game. So do we. Nothing is better than the smell of popcorn or hot dogs while sitting in your seats. Life does not get much better than making a play with your glove or bat. I still have my last baseball glove from high school. On some occasions it still finds its way onto my left hand when the mood hits me. I do not know why baseball captured my heart way back in 1968 but it did. That was the year of discovery for me. My mind recalls getting home from school in October in time to watch the World Series. That was the year Bob Gibson almost won the championship for the St. Louis Cardinals all by himself. It was the year the game made a home with me.

At some point in her pilgrimage I began to share my passion for baseball with my daughter. No doubt it was probably not quite as exciting for her as for me. But she eventually caught on to the point her love of the game equals mine. I remember late at night watching a game and explaining things to her. Today she knows as many of the statistics for our team than most fans. We are very fortunate to share a relationship with the Rangers radio announcer. He even sent her some career advice earlier this summer. Tonight we sent him a note congratulating him on being a finalist for the Hall of Fame. He responded as always with gratitude. This is just another aspect of our bond over this game.

Things will change when she leaves for college next August. But like the movie said, "baseball is the one constant in American life." My youngest does not share the same interest in the game but he loves going to the Ballpark in Arlington. Dad will miss his usual Saturday with him but he is also looking forward to being a small part of history. Pray that God will allow me to feel better than the steroids tend to make me feel bad. It's an afternoon game so our arrival back home will not be too late. I am looking forward to this trip. Being a dad is high up on my list of things that matter. My hope is that my efforts will last for a long time. This is one of the reasons my desire is to get back into good health. My family makes me a better person. Maybe in some small way that feeling is reciprocal.

Bro. Trey