Beat the Summer Heat and Blow-Off Some STEAM

A runner must run the Boston Marathon, a sailor must navigate through the Bermuda Triangle, a fat man must conquer the Golden Corral, and a father with a sports crazy son must love baseball.  Since I’m not a runner or a sailor, and I’m still a few pounds from the Golden Corral, my son’s love for baseball has become my kryptonite.  As a kid summer was….Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and lemonade.  I had every Topps baseball card made between the years of 1976 and 1984.  Jerry Federle, OHSBCA Hall of Famer, called me the Michelangelo of the baseball scorebook.  What had happened to me?  Somewhere between the 5^th grade and my fifth child, baseball faded off into obscurity. 

For many of us it began with “The Strike” in 1994 and continued through the “Steroid Years”.  Players have distanced themselves from the fans, and fans have distanced themselves from the game.  Ballparks have added so much security that they have almost one usher to every fan.  They’re talking about putting up nets between the players and the fans, an awful feature of stadiums in Japan.  They’re even talking about stun guns and guard dogs, and that’s just in case Roseanne tries to sing the national anthem again.

Compared to football, basketball, hockey and NASCAR, baseball is about as fast-paced and thrilling as an Amish prom.  So, from now on, baseball needs to do less, and I think Cincinnati Steam co-owners Steve Brown and Bill O’Conner have figured it out.  My entire family along with 867 of the Steam’s closest friends filled the newly renovated Western Hills High School baseball stadium for their inaugural Great Lakes Summer League game this past Friday night.  What we witnessed was a refreshing change to baseball reminiscent of how we played the game as kids.  There were no high priced prima donnas walking to first base or nonchalantly chasing fly balls.  Outside of Tom “Mr. Perfect” Browning signing copies of his new book “Tales from the Reds Dugout” there wasn’t a name anyone on press row at Great American Ballpark would even recognize.  But there was hustle, fundamentals and most importantly fun.

The night was filled with baseball “getting back to its roots”.  Three little league teams had their players announced prior to the game and ran on to the field as part of the “Field of Dreams” promotion.  Each Steam player then autographed an item for the kids before they left the field.  Imagine that at a Major League game….Excuse me Mr. Bonds?  Can I get you to sign...*Crack* 

What really surprised me was the level of play.  These kids are good, really good.  That’s not coming from me; it’s coming from the two MLB scouts that were sitting behind me clocking the pitchers at 90+mph.  They took the time to point out to my 7 year old son, who is a catcher, the little things that catcher Billy O’Conner and Blaze Lambert did that most major leaguers don’t.  The little things is what made the game enjoyable for me and beneficial to the kids,  the sprints to first base on ground balls, hitting the cutoff man, throwing to the correct base, backing up the proper bases, etc. It was a baseball fundamentals video in real time.

On top of the great baseball, there was plenty to do for my four daughters as well.  Between innings there are contests for kids; Fan Crazy’s throwing treasures into the stands, promotional giveaways, etc.  Even Steam, GM, Max McLeary roamed the bleachers handing out programs.  Imagine Brian Cashman doing that in New York. 

The highlight for me as a father came after the game when my 6 yr. old daughter, sporting her brand new Pink Steam hat ran to right field, (the team gathers in right field after the game to talk to fans and give autographs) had her hat autographed by Billy O’Conner and ran back with a smile bigger than George Steinbrenner’s check book and said…. “He even called me by my name!”  Eat your heart out Bud Selig. 

I remember sitting in the bleachers after a ground ball to the second baseman flipped to the shortstop and fired over to first muttering to myself…..4-6-3.  I smiled and thought, that’s it, the game is back…….or are those the first 3 digits of my Social Security number?

- JP Carle