Goin' To A Baseball Game

Columbus, Ohio constructed, two years ago, a very nice AAA baseball field. It's located downtown just across from the NHL hockey arena. The park seats around 11,000 fans and is unique in its features. The owners built it using various aspects of other Major League parks. Throw in parts of Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, the stadiums in Cleveland and Baltimore and it's conducive to a family fun night out. There are even openings in the outfield wall so people walking by can see the action.
I took the grandson and a neighbor kid to the game last night. There's a grass area to sit on in left center field. It's a bargain at $6 for adults and $3 bucks for kids. I would've purchased seats but most every game is sold out as was this one.
I enjoy taking kids to a game, however, I give them way too much credit for attentiveness and understanding. As soon as we hit entrance gate a mandatory trip to the food stand was a necessity. Two hot dogs, one giant pretzel and two Gator Aids, cha-ching; $17.
One dog immediately went in the garbage. The neighbor kid decided he didn't care for the wiener. Cheap seats face west. The sun was killing. It was also blinding. I had forgotten that five year olds become antsy after, oh, thirty seconds. It was really an inning and the visitors scored three in the first so it might have been fifteen minutes. I was cajoled into going into the shade. Lo and behold we walked by the 'jumping room'. It's a thing-a-ma-jig set up for kids to do just that; jump around. It was only $2. Wouldn't you know the cotton candy vendor was just across from us. Back in time, when I was a kid going to the carnival, cotton candy cost a quarter. We opted for the small ones; $4 dollars apiece. I wanted to watch some of the game so we walked down behind the home plate screen. I saw two outs but, and don't tell their parent's, the boys had left me. Frantically, I began looking and found them doing the 'chicken dance' with Krash, our Columbus Clipper mascot. He gave 'em a high five.
Buddy, the neighbor kid, thought we should go back to the outfield grass. The sun was on the decline so I went for it. I parked my keester on what was supposed to be grass but it was mostly dirt. I didn't care. It was about at this time that the sugar in the cotton candy kicked in. Oscar, at mach speed, asked, "who's winning"? The boys found some kids located next to me and started playing "let's act crazy". I watched a batter or two, then saw them hanging off the center field scoreboard. It was the fourth inning and I decided it was time to head out. Total cost of the evening came to $45 including parking. I lucked out. I got out of buying souvenirs, no one got hurt and I was home safely by 9 pm.
Grandpas put too much mental pressure on themselves thinking a five year old will take in and enjoy watching a baseball game. I should have known this but I forgot. Just being with them is the important thing and they can have fun anywhere even if you don't spend money. I know the boys had a wonderful time being at the park even if they don't know what it was all about.
All in all it was a very good night.