FAMILY!

Well! I’d be the first to admit that I’m not a die-hard baseball fan, but I do enjoy watching some games. I love Little League, the College World Series, the MLB play-offs and the World Series. When I lived in SW Washington I usually watched several Seattle Mariner games each season. Since re-locating to North Texas, I kinda lost interest. But this year’s All-Star Game and last night’s annual Home Run Derby re-kindled my interest. Our own Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers set a new record with 28 home runs in the 1st round, something like 13 home runs in a row. An incredible display of hitting. But this year’s All-Star game brings back fond memories for me of the 50th anniversary game on July 17th, 1979. My father-in-law, John Beseda of Battle Ground, Washington, was a catcher who played semi-pro baseball. He was, and still is an avid baseball fan, often using 4 letter words to display his frustration of the mental errors by the professional players. Both John and his wife Helen are avid Seattle fans. But let me get back to the 1979 All-Star game. I lost my dad in 1968 when I was just 18 years old. He died due to a massive coronary at the young age of 39, and I was married just a couple of years later. I always considered John Beseda much more than just my father-in-law. He became the dad I lost. So when Vancouver’s KVAN radio announced a Father’s Day contest for listeners to write about their dad, and win a trip for two to the 50th All-Star Game in Seattle, I ‘jumped’ at the chance to brag about my father-in-law. And I was lucky enough to win the trip. John and I met the rest of the group at Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver to ride a chartered bus to Seattle. That game is listed in the books with several notable occurrences. According to the Baseball Almanac, Pete Rose played the last four innings at first base and set a record as the only player ever to play five different positions in the All-Star competition. This was the first and only year Nolan Ryan was named the starting pitcher on an All-Star squad. And this was the first and only All-Star Game ever held in the Kingdome in Seattle --- which was the only American League indoor park at the time. Dave Parker of the Pittsburg Pirates was named game MVP. And some other players we watched in that game, names you ‘old-timer’s’ may recognize, and now Hall of Famers, – Johnny Bench, Lou Brock, Gary Carter, Joe Morgan, Gaylord Perry, Mike Schmidt, Dave Winfield, Don Baylor, George Brett, Rod Carew, Reggie Jackson, Fred Lynn, and Carl Yastrzemski. Plus dozens of others. What a game! Thanks John for the memories!