Visits to the Baseball Park:

The dad had taken his son to the baseball park many times in the past. This time, the boy would be old enough to remember the experience for sure. He was an adolescent and he really enjoyed the sport. His father imagined his taking to the sport with enthusiasm a result of his watching baseball on television so often and his taking the boy to see the games. And so, now, the father and son were on their way to the national team’s stadium. Each time, the boy’s mother prepared them a lunch and sent them off joyfully. Their home team had won the World Series the year earlier and so the stadium was generally very packed. So it was this bright and sunny day when the father and son took their seats behind the home base plate. There was a net between the plate and the spectator’s seats, which prevented rogue baseballs from striking fans. The father and son had gotten to the stadium early and had time to purchase sodas and a bag of popcorn before the game started. A moment before the start of the game, a mother, two teenagers and a baby boy, sat in front of the father and son. And as soon as they sat, the baby in the mother’s arms began to wail. The father behind them, said shamelessly to his son, “Who would bring a baby to a baseball game?” His son looked at him, sharing his annoyance. Slowly, the father’s mind was filled with images of his taking his son with his mother to this very same baseball park when he was a baby. Slowly, he began to feel badly for what he had said. The game commenced and the first hit was struck by the away team. It was a ground ball and skirted along the foul line, caught by the third baseman and thrown out as he was trying to reach second base. The father and son cheered. They looked downward with distaste as the group in front of them with the baby booed. The father and son looked at each other with distaste and sneered at them as they were sitting with the rest of the crowd. Then, a couple of the fans on the other side of the stadium started a wave. Slowly, they watched the ebb and flow of the arms in the audience as it wound its way about the structure. Until, the wave came to them, the father and the son rose with glee and lowered back down quickly, to carry on the chain. They watched with joy in their eyes as it continued to circle around the stadium. They resettled and realized that the family in front of them had not even participated in the wave. The father and the son began to murmur behind them. “Why would they come to the game if they’re not having fun?” and “Who do they think they are, coming to our home stadium and not cheering our team?” Until the sixth inning had passed, the father and son were losing their enjoyment for the game on account of the family in front of them. After the sixth inning, the home team was winning by four runs. After the sixth inning, the wife in front of them pulled out a video camera and had the nerve to start filming the game. This infuriated the father and son. At that time, there was a seventh inning stretch where the cheerleaders and mascots came on the field and started to put on a show, allowing for the spectators to get up and stretch their muscles. When the seventh inning commenced, the away team was at base. The first pitch was a fastball and the hitter fouled it. The father eyed around quickly for the ball that had been hit but he could not see it. The son, however, did see it. It was hit back and up and appeared to be going over the protective net behind the plate. The son watched the ball as it grew closer and closer. Then he looked down at the family in front of him. They were oblivious. The teenagers were in an gentle argument, the mother was busy filming the inaction of the field at that moment and the baby was sleeping quietly in his mother’s free arm. The son continued to watch the ball as it was coming in their direction. He glanced down at the family once more and extended his arm and opened his hand right in front of the baby’s face. Exactly as the boy opened his hand, he caught the baseball that was about to strike the baby in the face. His mother turned around quickly and the two teenagers ceased fighting and gazed at the boy in awe. His father watched him as well. Seconds later, the boy looked up and their group including the family in front of them were on the jumbotron. Smiling bashfully, the boy handed the baseball to the mother. The mother started to cry as the teenagers started to pat the boy on the shoulder and thank him. Slowly, the mother turned the camera to him and his father and asked them their names. The father and son left that day. The boy was a hero that day. Weeks passed and they thought nothing of it until there was a knock at their front door. It was a uniformed baseball player and a man in a suit that greeted the boy, opening the door. “Yes?” He asked. 

The baseball player asked the boy, “Son, were you at a baseball game two weeks ago? 

“Yes, I was.” At that moment his parents entered the room.

The baseball player continued, “I want to thank you personally for saving my son’s life.” 

The boy looked at him in awe as his parents drew nearer to hear what was being said. 

“Allow me to explain,” the baseball player continued. “I play for the team that your home team was playing against that day you were at the game. I have been in the hospital for injuries and asked my wife and two sons to go to the game to film it for me. They didn’t want to bring our baby along but had nowhere else for it to be. My wife told me what you did, son. I saw what you did in the tapes from the stadium. And I am here to thank you personally. I owe you an awful lot. Our family owes you a lot. I guess I am here to ask you, is there anything I can do for you?”

The boy turned about and looked at his parents and then invited them inside. After thinking about it, the boy smiled and said, “Nothing. I am happy to have helped you. I sure am grateful I did what I did and that your baby is well. That’s all I need.” 

The baseball player looked at the boy and his parents closely and then to the man in the suit. He said, “How about season’s tickets to any baseball game you would like to see in the country? I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

The boy looked to his parents and then allowed his gaze to return to the player. He lowered his eyes and said, “That sounds great. Thank you.” 

And so, the boy, his father and his mother went to as many baseball games as they could that year. Their team made it to the World Series that year but they didn’t win. The boy was glad his team won a pennant. - From my Book Fables of Good Will.