For a few months now the city of Vancouver, WA has been discussing the idea of building a baseball stadium so that the Yakima Bears can relocate to the Vancouver / Portland area. This has caused a great deal of excitement for me because I was born and raised in southwest Washington and I know just how much that area loves baseball and fast pitch.
However, when people hear that a ball park is being planned for a professional baseball team they often over look some of the little benefits that occur with having a team and a stadium.
Having lived in Salem for the past five years I have had the opportunity to attend quite a few of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes’ baseball games, and although I love baseball I have found that there is so much more about going to the stadium that I have also enjoyed. I have had the opportunity to meet numerous people, I’ve been able to spend time with family and friends, and I’ve even been lucky enough to make new friends at the ball park.
Baseball games are not just a place for baseball fans. It is a place where anyone can come and spend time with others. Its an excuse to go outside and enjoy the sun (which we don’t see much of in this area it seems).
It is at baseball games that families can spend time together with out sitting on a couch in front of a TV. Baseball games are where children are able to go and dream about their future, hoping to some day wear the uniform of the team they support.
Sports, including baseball, have also been instrumental in the strengthening and at times the healing of communities.
Baseball games are also a place where people can be honored.
For the past two years I have gotten the amazing opportunity to attend Volcanoes games while numerous veterans were being honored for their service. In fact just the other day the Oregon Paralyzed Veterans of America were in attendance to interact with the fans and to inform fans about that amazing organization.
Baseball is an opportunity for people to come together and for a few hours during the summer just forget their struggles and instead smile and cheer for their home team.
Bringing baseball to Vancouver offers the community so much more then just the game itself.
It is for this reason that I would encourage everyone to look past the baseball and see just how much is really being brought to the table.
Great post! Thank you.
[…] a way for me to promote people and baseball here in the Northwest. One of my first posts was called What Baseball Brings. It was written at a time when the Yakima Bears were trying to move to Vancouver, WA. I wanted […]