Bullpens, Bubbas, and Ballgames

It has become a weekly ritual when the Diamondbacks are in town. Trina and the girls will go to church while Dakota and I head to the ballpark. I am sure that at some plane of consciousness, I could be perceived as choosing baseball over God. There are probably even some out there that could construe this to mean that baseball is a God in my mind therefore presuming I am somehow breaking the commandment of having no other God before Me. I tend to believe that I am closer to God when at the ballpark than I am in some stuffy church listening to a dry speaker decry what a sinner I am and how God will save me if He feels like it. But I digress here. The important thing is that I am getting to spend some precious time with my son teaching him about the game that I love. In Dakota's brief life, he has been to more games than I had in my entire life until three years ago. With each game, he learns a little more about the game and the players. Today was no exception, Dakota was able to meet Russ Springer and Byung Hyun Kim as part of the Bullpen Buddies activity. Dakota went down into the bullpen before the game and was able to get autographs. He came away very excited and with a new understanding of what these players were like. During the game when each of these pitchers came in, he would tell everyone sitting around us that those were his bullpen buddies and he would show his autographed ball. I am very proud of him. Most kids have a hard time sitting still for more than 5 minutes. Dakota lasted most of an 11 inning game. His only break was a nap in the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings. All the way home he talked about the day he had and the players he met. It was a good day to be a father.