By Summer Serrano:
My mom speaks of the first time she brought me to a Padres game, in a plaid shirt and jeans, barely learning to walk. You see, I am as old as the Padres, 9 days old on their Major League Debut, April 8, 1969. I think that qualifies me as a life-long fan. She also talks about her and my Aunt picking us kids up from school and they would take us to the day games, sitting out in the cheap seats eating bologna sandwiches, the least expensive way to go but we went and had fun.
My first favorite ball player was Willie McCovey, she says because he always sponsored kids in the outfield and they had cool shirts so I liked him. We went to many games over the years in big groups that my mom would organize. In our big tailgate groups we celebrated many a special occasion including over 80 people celebrating my Mom’s 50th birthday. Between her and I we have celebrated many birthdays with the Padres, mine usually falls on Opening Day. Her birthday commemorates the first time they ever played Hells Bells for Trevor Hoffman in 1998.
We started sitting in the Padres bullpen in 1985 because I liked Lance McCullers, aka Baby Goose. We finally became season ticket holders once I was out of school, sitting in the 2nd row of the bullpen, which was so close I would get hit with the ball sometimes when they warmed up. This year will be 26 years we have had our season tickets. We started meeting players and life-long friends alike in this corner. There are too many to count but a few in particular that mean the most to me.
One of the first players we got to know well was Rich Rodriguez, we were able to tailgate with him and his family. The fun times we had with him and others turned our corner of fans into the Bullpen Bums. We have had the pleasure of knowing and watching Trevor Hoffman pass many a milestone throughout his career and we now call him our friend. Another one that came to our team late in his career but just in time to pass several All Time Major League records was Rickey Henderson, he is quite entertaining and another we can call friend.
Lastly, I never knew my father but he played minor league ball for the Mets organization. He was dying so his company paid for him to play in the Padres Fantasy camp. I was at the game when they introduced him so I was able to run down and have a chance meeting with him. I may have only gotten 20 mins or so but at least I got that. If I was going to meet anyone, it would be at the stadium as we attended many games at this point.
Meeting anyone sure consisted of my close circle of friends and the love of my life. My closest friends are friends I have met thru baseball. We tailgate, we travel to see them and we hang out just because. I met my boyfriend Bruce thru a friend of a friend at a tailgate and we have been together for 11 years. Some of us met thru the games and some of us met thru our favorite charity organization, the San Diego Madres.
The Madres fundraise all year long to raise money for youth baseball and softball. I joined them back in 1993 because they sponsored my softball team when I played. They hold monthly luncheons and we have gotten to know many players thru these luncheons too, namely Tony Gwynn. We started working his golf tournaments and we ended up having a 30 year friendship. Not only did we see Padres games and do Madres events, but my grandfather coached men’s fastpitch teams and my uncles played. My mom kept score. I played for Clairemont Bobby Sox for 8 years with my cousins. My Uncle, Aunt and Mom were there for us through all the years we played. Baseball runs thru the blood on both sides of my family.
Baseball means everything to me. It is about family and friends and players who have turned friends. It was also a place to heal, going to the games and maybe only watching the grass grow but it helped mend the broken hearts amongst the loss of special people in my life. I love baseball and everything it represents for me and I am so proud to call myself a baseball fan.