A Night With Los Gigantes

My son, a couple of our family friends, and I spent the night at the ballpark, which in San Francisco, is a beautiful experience.



I got there early enough to see batting practice by the visiting team, last year's World Series champions, the Phillies.



And I got a ball!



But the Philles were no match for the Giants.



The home team prevailed, 7-2.



This park, if you've never visited, is terrific. You don't even have to like baseball to have a good time here on the edge of McCovey Cove. But it helps if you do. Tonight was the 50th anniversary of Willie McCovey's debut with the Giants (he hit 4-4), and the great Hall of Famer was on hand to acknowledge the crowd's cheers.



Afterwards, the Bay was serene. I was happy to have seen a game with my oldest son, a great baseball player himself, and one of my main companions at games for many years. I actually saw baseball through his eyes, rediscovering my love for the game when he was young.

In the process, I gave up the home team of my upbringing, the Detroit Tigers, in favor of his, the San Francisco Giants.



Tonight, looking out over the city after the game, I reflected on the process of migrating my loyalties westward. It has involved a lot of nuanced adjustments, but I am a San Franciscan now to my core. All of my children were born and have grown up here.

I still love my native Michigan, and I follow and root for the sports teams from Detroit and Ann Arbor. But some of my loyalties have long since transferred to the franchises of this great city, especially the Giants.

When they are competitive, I follow the 49ers. The Lions never win, so how I feel toward them is irrelevant.

Also, sometimes, the Warriors, though not if they play the Pistons.

In hockey, though, it is no contest. Loyal to my Dad, I'll always be a Red Wings fan.

I wish I could afford to join my Michigan family at a very rare reunion a week from Saturday, but I simply do not have the resources to travel there. I've been out of work for almost seven months, with no prospects in sight.

Thanks to my friend Tom for tonight's tickets. I could not have afforded them on my own.