Baseball is America’s pastime. It’s something I grew up on back home. In fact, it’s the sport I watched when I was younger at Minute Maid Park in Texas with my family. I grew up watching the Houston Astros; those weekends were spent buying overpriced popcorn and ice-cold lemonade with the people I loved the most. The lemonade wasn’t anything that special, but it came with a cup that had the date of the game attended and that was what was so great. Those mornings spent wearing pigtails and an Astros jersey were priceless and I didn’t realize how great those moments were until those days were over. I grew out of the phase of “baseball weekends” and that was the last of that for a while.
That was then, but what was unique about the now was this: this past weekend, I attended a New York Yankee’s game. Not only were they playing against the Tampa Bay Rays, but this was also Alex Rodriguez’s final game. He had just announced that it was his last game a couple of days before and this was huge.
On the day of the game, there was a chance of thunderstorms, but that didn't stop us from attending a monumental game. In fact, the forecast was right because the storm hit us right as we were standing outside of the stadium. The rain came down so fast that I've never seen people in the ticket line move so quickly. Of course, once the majority of the people got inside the stadium, the rain stopped. The rain was kind of nice though because the humidity was relieved for a slight second. During this downpour was the ceremony for A-rod: you could hear the chants from the fans as we all walked into the stadium and although, we missed it by a few seconds, it was still amazing to hear.
We got to our seats just as the rain came to an end. The bleachers were soaked, but that didn't matter because everyone was standing up anyways. A-rod, Alex Rodriguez, came toward our section and everyone cheered him on. It was insanely loud and I was so excited to be a part of it. In fact, each time he was at bat during the game, the whole stadium stood up and chanted his name. I can't even imagine the amount of stress he must have felt, but despite all of that, he had finished his last game the same way he started his first and that was amazing.
Being a part of an athlete’s last game, even if it’s a sport you don’t follow consistently, is inspiring. It’s heartening to watch someone give it their all toward what they love to do. A-rod's commitment toward a sport that allows for families and friends to come together is something to be noted for. All athletes deserve that standing ovation, those endless chants, and the admiring gaze from their fans. Their constant training is a daily reminder for us to never give up on our dreams. It's true, great things come with hard-work. Alex Rodriguez finished his last game the right way: he played so well with a full stadium of fans showing him endless love and support. He unknowingly taught us that dedication and passion truly goes a long way. So with this we are grateful to you, number 13. Thank you A-rod.
