Category Archives: Concessions

Let’s play catch (up)

I know, I know, it’s a super corny title. It’s been a while so I’m a bit out of practice. Feel free to pause here and groan at the corniness of this title.

Better? Now it’s time to catch you up on life.

The first and most important update is that after 16 summers, I have officially stepped away from Baseballtown as an employee – at least for now. Life has gotten a bit busier over the last year and we decided this was for the best.

You’re probably thinking, “What does this mean for Confessions of a Concessions worker?”

Never fear! I will still be writing and sharing stories and observations from my time working at the ballpark. Now I will also be able to share from the point of view of a fan. Because I may not work there anymore, but you can bet I’ll still be going as a fan!

That’s all for now, but there is more to come. I have a few stories in the works, but if there is a topic you want to know more about as a fan or employee, just let me know!

Beyond the Walls

There are many experiences I have had during the 16 years I have worked in Baseballtown and a few of my favorites have taken place beyond the walls of FirstEnergy Stadium.

After spending so much time at FirstEnergy Stadium, it is always fun for me to visit other ballparks and see what they are like. Within the Phillies organization I have been to four of their six stadiums. I’ve had the chance to attend games at Citizens Bank Park, Coca Cola Park, FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, and of course, FirstEnergy Stadium.

I even had the opportunity to see a game at Veterans Stadium before it was taken down.

Aside from ballparks within the Phillies system I have also been to Arm and Hammer Park, home of the former Yankees affiliate Trenton Thunder, and TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Park, home of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. One aspect of visiting different parks that I enjoy is noticing the differences based simply on the level of the team. There are definite differences between a major league stadium, a double A or triple A stadium, and a single A stadium. Understandably so, the higher up the level of play is, the more fans are there for the game. At the lower level stadiums, there is a large focus on providing entertainment for fans between innings and even sometimes during innings at special areas throughout the ballpark. One of the things the Fightins pride themselves on is the in-game entertainment that they bring each game to entertain young and old fans alike.

After visiting a few stadiums you start to notice differences that have little to do with the level of the team and more to do with the basic layout. One of the biggest differences I have noticed is the layout of the seating sections. At FirstEnergy Stadium and TicketReturn.com Field, you enter the park below the seats and must walk up stairs to get to the majority of the seats. You actually have to walk up a ramp or stairs and then back down to reach the field level seats. In Philadelphia, Lehigh, Lakewood, and Trenton, you enter the park above the seats; with the exception being the access to the upper decks and suites.

There is one slight downfall to the setup at FirstEnergy Stadium when it comes to getting to my place of work. It’s not called the Upstairs Ice Cream Stand for no reason. In order to get there, you have to climb all the stairs in the main grandstand. However, it comes with an awesome view of the game, so I really can’t complain.

Another unique aspect of the Fightins’ stadium I have yet to experience in any other ballpark is that in order to get to the field, the players must cross the main concourse. This means they are walking through the crowds of fans before and after each game. At the other stadiums I have visited, the players access the field from below the stands. This makes the setup at FirstEnergy Stadium a unique experience for both the fans and the players. Now don’t worry, the Fightins do a fantastic job of making sure that players are easily able to get to and from the field when necessary. Also, the fans know that it is something they would not experience at most other stadiums, and there are seldom any issues with fans bothering players. It is always so nice to see the players stopping to sign autographs after a game and talking to the fans who are there to cheer for them all summer. While fans can still get autographs at other ballparks when players walk by the walls along the base of the stands, to me it makes it a bit more of an experience when you can be walking to get food and maybe you just happen to cross paths with one of your favorite players.

In a similar situation as the seating differences between the different ballparks, there is one thing that the homes of the Fightins, the Pelicans, and the former Trenton Thunder have in common. All three parks are not what you would call “360 stadiums.”

What does that mean you ask?

At Citizens Bank Park, Coca Cola Park, and FirstEnergy Park fans are able to walk in a complete circle around the entirety of the inside of the ballpark, with views of the field from every angle. In both Philadelphia and Lehigh, fans can enjoy walking around a 360 degree concourse complete with concessions, tables, and some seating areas. In Reading, Myrtle Beach, and Trenton fans can only walk so far out into an outfield section before they have to turn around and walk back the other way. I think there are pros and cons to each style of stadium, but I will say that during my years as an intern, it would have been nice to be able to walk a complete circle in the ballpark instead of walking in a constant horseshoe shape all night.

Confessional: Have you visited more than one stadium? Which one did you enjoy the most? Why?

In all of the different stadiums that I have visited, there are picnic seating areas where fans can enjoy the game while sitting at larger tables as opposed to the regular stadium seating. They are all located in different areas around the ballparks, but generally fall in somewhere along the third baseline or out towards left field. In Philadelphia and Lehigh, fans can enjoy larger picnic areas with standing room tables that overlooks the bullpens. What is unique about FirstEnergy Stadium is that not only do we have a picnic area in left field and on the third base side, there is also a picnic area in right field, complete with a swimming pol. I know there are a few other ballparks around the country that have similar areas, but out of the parks I have been to Reading is the only one to have this style of seating area.

I could go on and on listing similarities and differences between all of the ballparks I have been to, but you get the idea. In the future, I hope to be able to visit more stadiums in different areas and see how they compare. In the end, no matter how many parks I visit, FirstEnergy Stadium will always be my favorite.

After all, it is America’s Classic Ballpark.

A new season

Memorial Day marked the end of the first month of the 2021 Fightin Phils season. With two six-game homestands during the first month, the start of the season was interesting to say the least.

Let me start off by saying it felt really nice to walk back into the ballpark and see familiar faces and hear the familiar sounds of Baseballtown. There were, however, noticeable differences in the way things took place. The main one being that we were not working in our usual stand. That’s right, our official return to the Upstairs Ice Cream (UIC) has not taken place.

Not yet, but hopefully soon.

There are two main reasons why we haven’t returned to the UIC yet this year. With the season starting with a limit on the number of fans allowed in the ballpark at one time, there were certain stands that they knew would not be open right away; ours being one of them. As of the start of the current homestand on June 8, the stadium is officially back to full capacity, more stands have been opened, and we have seen more fans coming to each game. The other reason our stand has not been open will probably come as no surprise. And no, I’m not talking about the weather.

Just like most businesses around the country, the Fightins were struggling to find employees at the beginning of the season. When the season began there were not enough employees to open all the concessions stands even if they had wanted to. That being said, we are hoping that since the stadium has returned to full capacity and all of the college and high school kids will start to be available to work, we will soon be able to officially start the 2021 season in the UIC. After spending a few games trying somewhat unsuccessfully to sell water ice, we have decided that we are better off selling ice cream.

Along with smaller crowds and fewer employees, Mother Nature left her mark on our return to Baseballtown. Have you ever tried to sell water ice when it’s 50 degrees and raining? I have and it did not go well. Trust me when I say rainy weather really puts a damper on water ice sales. Out of the first 12 home games of the season, I think we worked maybe five of them, thanks to the weather.

We did manage to work our first doubleheader of the season though!

Confessional: What is one thing you are looking forward to doing this summer? Is it something you were unable to do last summer?

As things in the area slowly begin to return to normal and people slowly begin going back to doing all the things they would normally do during the summer, I am hopeful that the stadium will start to see more fans and will be able to return to the Baseballtown we all knew before everything shut down. Until then, we will stick it out selling water ice and anxiously await the day we can crack open the door to the UIC after a very long year and a half.

Here’s to a fantastic Fighting Phils season and my 16th season in Baseballtown!

Will we return to Baseballtown in 2021?

On Friday, February 12, 2021, my social media feeds practically exploded with the news that the 2021 Minor League Baseball season could quite possibly start in early May. As I scrolled through my Facebook newsfeed and my Instagram, I was bombarded by friends all sharing the same post. It was an announcement from the Reading Fightin Phils regarding the 2021 season.

The Reading Phillies announced on February 12, 2021 that the MLB had announced plans for the 2021 Minor League baseball season. (Photo: Reading Fightin’ Phils Facebook/2021)

At the time this post was written, the announcement had been shared over 100 times and had almost 400 likes. I was honestly surprised to see some of the friends who had shared the post and seemed genuinely excited about the return of baseball. It is clear that the fans in Baseballtown cannot wait to return to the ballpark and cheer on their favorite players. Still, one question remains.

What will the 2021 baseball season look like?

Minor League Baseball experienced quite a shake up this offseason as the MLB did some reorganizing of the leagues after ending the Professional Baseball Agreement. Teams have gained new affiliates and some long-standing affiliations were terminated during the last few months. Luckily, the Reading Fightin’ Phils were one of 120 teams offered a 10-year license. What does this mean?

It means that baseball will remain in Baseballtown for a little while longer and the Reading Fightin’ Phils will continue to be a part of the wonderful Phillies organization.

I remember when I first learned about the reorganization and how forty affiliates were being cut from the minor leagues, I honestly didn’t think much about it. I was confident that the Fightins would be safe and that it was mostly lower level teams that were being cut. For the most part this was true. However, there is one longtime Reading rivalry that will not be making any trips to Baseballtown this year. The Trenton Thunder will no longer be the Double A affiliate of the New York Yankees. When I heard this news, I will admit I was surprised. Trenton has been one of Reading’s biggest rivalries for at least as long as I have worked at the ballpark.

Aside from the changes in certain teams, what else will be different in baseball this year?

At this point, everything is kind of up in the air. I would imagine there may be limits to the numbers of fans allowed in the ballparks, masks may be required for fans and employees, and there may be many other changes that will be put in place at least for the foreseeable future. I know that I for one will be willing to do whatever they ask or tell me to do, if it means that I get to spend my summer evenings at FirstEnergy Stadium.

I’ve been thinking about what it will be like when baseball does start back up again and I will admit that there was a part of me that enjoyed having a bit more free time in the evenings last summer. That being said, I would not have spent the last 15 years working in Baseballtown if I didn’t love it. While I enjoyed that extra free time, I am ready to go back. My sister and I have talked about this quite a bit and we agreed that maybe what we needed was a short break and some time away from it to realize that we really do love working at the ballpark. Spending the summer watching baseball and seeing all the fans will bring a sense of normalcy back into our lives. As frustrating and exhausting as it can be running from one job to the next four to five days a week, I’m not ready to give it up just yet.

Confessional: Are you looking forward to the return of Minor League Baseball? What is one thing you are looking forward to the most?

At the time of the announcement from the Fightins and also the announcement from the MLB, the Double A season is scheduled to begin at the beginning of May, but this could change. Whenever the season starts, I know that I will be ready to get back to Baseballtown.

Christmas in Baseballtown

When you think of baseball you generally think of warm weather, hot dogs, and singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” What you don’t think of is snow, hot chocolate, reindeer, or Christmas carols. However, the Reading Fightin Phils decided to change that fact during the offseason a few years ago.

They introduced Christmas at the Stadium.

Beginning the weekend of Thanksgiving and continuing up through Christmas Eve, FirstEnergy Stadium was decked out in colorful lights, played host to Santa and a few of his reindeer, and invited local music groups to perform every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Families were invited to come out and enjoy the lights, music, food, and visit with Santa at no cost. It was a great event and my sister and I were excited to participate. In all of our excitement, we forgot one simple fact.

November and December in Pennsylvania can be very cold. Also, sometimes it snows.

We were bundled up as much as we could be while still being able to serve people and run a register. (Amanda Cain, 2016)

I remember very clearly huddling in a corner wearing three shirts, a hoodie, the apron we were supposed to wear, a Santa hat, and gloves and I was still cold. Unlike the baseball season when it can be sunny and 70 degrees even in the evening, it was generally closer to 40 degrees or colder and occasionally windy.

Oh, and we were still selling ice cream.

Now, we were not in our typical stand at the top of the stadium so we did not have as strong of an air current to deal with. However, we were also dealing with a much more open stand that had a larger window for the cold air to pass through. It also never got overly busy so we were never moving around much during the time we were there.

One thing that was really fun was when we got to work in the food truck that was parked inside the stadium by the concessions stands. We were selling desserts from a local pastry company and it was fun taking orders and handing out food from the truck. It was also much warmer than being in the concession stand.

Due to the location of the stand we were working in and the fact that we were also selling hot coffee and hot chocolate, we were generally one of the first and last stops people made on the way into and out of the ballpark. It was also a prime location to listen to the music for the evening. I loved being able to see all of the lights that were strung across the protective netting over the plaza and all across the different stands in the plaza. The decorating didn’t stop there though. It stretched all the way down through the main concourse and even included a snow tunnel where visitors were able to meet and take pictures with Olaf.

Despite not working in our stand during Christmas at the Stadium, it was fun to see it all decorated. (Amanda Cain, 2016)

Even our little ice cream stand at the top of the grandstand got decorated!

Although we couldn’t see all the decorations from our location, each night we listened to the special Christmas light show set up on the field. The field – from home plate to the centerfield wall – was covered in different light displays that danced in time to a number of different Christmas songs. It got to the point where we had heard the show so many times that we knew what songs or video clips were coming up next without ever seeing the show.

Confessional: Have you ever attended an event at a sports arena that was not the sport it was intended for? What was the event and what was your favorite part?

In the end, despite the cold and sometimes miserable weather, it was a fun experience. I can also honestly say that I have never eaten as much chicken noodle soup as I did during that month. It’s amazing how good a hot cup of soup can taste after spending three hours standing outside in the cold serving ice cream and hot chocolate.

There was something fun about being at the baseball stadium with it all lit up with Christmas lights and listening to Christmas music. It was definitely not your typical baseball stadium experience.

Do you miss baseball?

Photo: Amanda Cain, 2016

“Do you miss baseball?”

I’ve been getting this question a lot lately, especially since I started back at my full time job. The answer is both simple and complicated.

“Do you miss baseball?”

At this point in the summer, we would be almost halfway through the Minor League Baseball season. There would have been many nights spent at the ballpark watching games, serving ice cream, and talking to people we only see five months out of the year. We would know which players were looking strong, which teams were the ones to watch out for, and the Eastern League All-Star Game would be right around the corner.

Instead, we are all sitting at home, mere days after Major League Baseball announced there would be no minor league season this year. Am I disappointed? Yes. Surprised? No.

“Do you miss baseball?”

After Spring Training was delayed, there was no thought that there wouldn’t be any baseball at all this year. Once states started shutting down, it became a nagging thought at the back of my mind. Then what should have been Opening Night came and went and the nagging thought turned to doubt. Then April became May, May became June, and it became very real that there may not be a season in Baseballtown this summer.

“Do you miss baseball?”

I think after spending 15 summers working in baseball, it would be crazy if I could immediately answer that question with a simple yes or no. For me, and I’m sure many of my fellow Baseballtown employees, working at the ballpark is about more than just baseball. Yes, the sport is the main reason we are all there, but it’s not the only thing that keeps us coming back. I love watching baseball and definitely miss watching it from the top of the grandstand, but there are other things I also miss.

I miss watching batting practice with the upstairs crew during our “pregame meetings.” I miss seeing the employees we only see between April and August. I miss all the regular customers who are always excited to see us back each season and want to know what we’ve been up to since the last season ended. The one thing I miss the most? The feeling of simply being at the ballpark. I love the sport, I love going to games, and I love that I get to enjoy both all summer.

“Do you miss baseball?”

Despite everything I miss about being at the ballpark, I would be lying if I didn’t say there is a small part of me that doesn’t miss it. Now, I know this is confusing, but let me explain.

Part of me doesn’t miss it because part of me has been enjoying the extra free time I’ve had these past few months. For five months my days are spent working my full time job, changing clothes in the car or in a fitting room at said job, then heading straight to the ballpark. After roughly three hours there, it’s back home to eat, shower, and head to bed to do it again the next day. Depending on the length of the home stand, this routine can happen for anywhere from three to seven days in a row. I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining – after all, I’m the one who wants to work both jobs – but sometimes it can be exhausting.

With the minor league season on hold and now cancelled, I found I have more time to relax. My sister and I started taking walks every day when quarantine started and have been able to continue doing so even after going back to work. Evening walks would be few and far between if we were in the middle of baseball season. It’s been really nice to come home from work, have dinner with family at the dinner table, and then spend the evening reading, playing games, or watching a movie. While I love working in a baseball stadium, it has been nice to have some more free time.

“Do you miss baseball?”

My final answer to this question is one that many people will understand and many may find frustrating. That’s because I don’t have a definitive answer.

“Do you miss baseball?” Yes and no.

I don’t know if I will ever have a definitive answer to this question. I think, and my sister brought up this point when we were talking, maybe what we needed was a break. Just some time to be able to relax, enjoy some things we haven’t had time for, and to see if continuing to work at the ballpark is something we truly want. One thing I do know is that come April 2021, I will be ready and waiting to head into my 16th season in Baseballtown. Now I have a question for you.

“Do you miss baseball?”

Coaching Conversations

There are many different quirks that sports fans have while watching games either live or on television. One of these particular quirks is prominent no matter what sport they are watching.

Everyone becomes a coach.

It doesn’t matter if someone is watching football, hockey, basketball, or baseball. As soon as a decision or play is made that he or she disagrees with, he or she instantly becomes a better coach who would have done things differently . The reality is we don’t know what choice we would make in a certain situation, but it can be fun and interesting to debate with others.

Confessional: Have you ever gotten in to a discussion about certain coaching tactics while watching a sport? What sport was it and what was the debate?

I had the opportunity to have one of these discussions with someone who has experienced those situations and has made the decisions that fans undoubtedly disagreed with.

During my internship I would occasionally stay after games were over and spend some time hanging out and talking with other interns and members of the front office. There were also nights when the manager of the team would come by for a bit and it was always fun to talk about how the team was doing or the major league club or just listen to him tell stories from his time in the sport.

It was one of these nights when I ended up sitting next to him and watching the end of the Philadelphia Phillies game. I honestly don’t remember who they were playing or what inning it was, but I do know it was late in the game, the score was close, and with an opposing player in scoring position, everyone was speculating whether or not the manager should or would change pitchers.

That’s when Reading’s manager turned to me and said, “What would you do?”

He was a guy with 13 years of experience as a player and almost as many years of experience as a manager or coach. I on the other hand had about six years of playing softball, six years of managing/scorekeeping for softball, and 12 years of working in a baseball stadium to rely on.

And he wanted to know what I would do?

The conversation quickly turned into a discussion of what each of us would do in different situations in a game. I looked at each one with my limited baseball knowledge and he looked at it with his actual professional experience. It was interesting to see how many times we had similar ideas.

This is still one of my favorite memories from my internship. It was interesting to be able to talk about the game with someone who had experience both playing and managing. He would provide both a player’s perspective and a manager’s perspective for different scenarios while I would give my thoughts from a fan’s perspective. I learned quite a bit during that 15-20 minute conversation.

Don’t get me wrong, just like any other sports fan I still get frustrated when a manager makes a move I don’t agree with. Honestly, it happens quite a bit when I’m working because we get to watch the entire game thanks to our prime location. There are still times when I think, “Well I wouldn’t have made that move” or “why would he do that?” During those moment though, I also stop and think, “Well, maybe this is what he was thinking.” And sometimes, it’s just fun to think that what you would do is a better idea.

After all, who doesn’t like to imagine they could do a better job than someone else?

 

Playoff Baseball

There are 140 games in the Minor League Baseball Double A regular season. The goal for every team is to make it past the regular season and play more games into the middle of September. Everyone wants to make it to the playoffs, with the ultimate goal to be the last team standing.

The R-Phils have made it to the postseason at least twice since I started working at the ballpark. It is always very exciting when the team is successful and the fans get very excited about playoff baseball. However, one thing confuses me about this excitement.

Very few people actually come to the playoff games.

Don’t get me wrong, you still see fans at the games, but it’s not anything like the crowds that gather during the regular season. There are always the season ticket holders who are a constant presence at all games – even road playoff games – and families and other groups who come to enjoy a nice evening. Even with these fans attending each night, I would still say that a majority of those same fans who were excited for the team to make the playoffs never actually attend a playoff game.

Even the season when Reading emerged as the Eastern League Eastern Division Champions, there were very few fans from the final sellout crowd in attendance for the playoffs.

Why?

Now I know there are different factors that can prevent people from being able to attend a game. The biggest one would be the start of school and school sports. There are at least ten school districts within the R-Phils coverage area and this can prevent many of their regular fans from attending games once school and sports have started back up again. At the same time, there is a large percentage of fans who don’t have kids in school and could still potentially attend a game on a week night. Yes it is the beginning of fall, and yes the weather may not always be ideal for sitting outside at a baseball game, but some of those same fans will go sit outside at a football game in even colder weather.

After cheering for your team through 140 games and hoping there would be at least three more games for you to watch, why would you not go out to the ballpark if you have the chance to watch extra baseball? It may not end the way you hope and there may not be a shiny World Series trophy waiting for the victors after the final out, but it is still postseason baseball and it is still exciting.

Confessional: Have you ever attended a playoff baseball game or postseason athletic event? What was it?

Even with all the outlying factors that may cause timing or availability issues, I am still surprised that more fans don’t show up to support the team that has worked so hard all season to reach the playoffs. It’s always exciting when the team you are rooting for does well and who wouldn’t want to watch extra games? I’m sure I will never truly understand why people would hope all summer that their team makes the postseason and then not come to games to continue watching them play.

Regardless of how many fans show up, I know I get excited for playoff baseball and I hope I get to watch the team play in September in the near future!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Every baseball fan knows that when the middle of the seventh inning arrives, it is time for the seventh inning stretch. This also means that “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is played or sung in some capacity over the PA system.

Each organization has their own way of sharing this song with their fans. Some have the announcer sing it, some play the music from a recording, and others pick a lucky fan to lead the crowd each night. For the Fightins, the seventh inning stretch means that someone gets to ride around the field on a special three-wheeled bicycle. Nowadays, the lucky singer is always an intern or a front office member. For years before, the song was performed by Neale Bechtel, the Singing Usher.

Oh, and one time I got roped into singing and riding.

That’s right, I got the privilege of sitting in that special bike as it was pedaled around the field by the one and only Crazy Hot Dog Vendor. Here’s how it happened.

As I have talked about before, one of my responsibilities during my two seasons as an intern was making sure Neale was in his spot ready to sing when it was time for the seventh inning stretch. It was one thing I looked forward to every night because he was such a great guy and brightened everyone’s day.

Anyway, I remember it was one of the few nights Neale wasn’t working so I figured I didn’t have to worry about the seventh inning stretch.

Boy was I wrong.

I don’t remember exactly what was said, but I do remember getting a call over my radio saying they needed me underneath the pool in right field. On my way there, I was thinking that maybe they just wanted to confirm that Neale wasn’t there that night to sing.

I should point out that by this time my sister and I had already performed the national anthem at least once before this so they knew I could sing. Also, I was wearing a radio and they could have just called me to confirm Neale’s absence.

Neither of these thoughts crossed my mind as I headed out to the pool.

Once I made it to right field and got under the pool deck, I was greeted by my supervisor and the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor. They were waiting by the three-wheeled bicycle with looks on their faces that should have been a warning to me. It turned out they couldn’t figure out who should sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and since they knew I wouldn’t be busy at the time, they decided I could do it. I found this out with one out to go in the top of the seventh, so there wasn’t much time to make a decision.

I climbed up on the bench, picked up the microphone, and waited for the last out while my mind whirled trying to come up with what to say before I started the song. Neale always had a fun intro during which he would invite the fans to join him in singing, so I had to come up with something.

I remember starting with “Good Evening Baseballtown,” and have no idea what else I said before starting to sing.

One thing I remember clearly is working hard to make sure I didn’t sing too fast or too slow. The song had to last from the 1st base dugout around behind home to the 3rd base dugout where we exited the field. It sounds easy, but that seems like a much larger distance when you are down on the field. Let’s just say that “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” is not a long song. Thankfully the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor pedaled fairly quickly around the field.

Confessional: Have you ever been put on the spot at work or with a group? What was the end result?

After coming off the field, my night went back to normal. I checked on the ushers, chatted with security, and helped clean up at the end of the night. While it was a bit nerve-wracking in the moment, it was another fun experience I got to have in Baseballtown.

Oh, and don’t worry, the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor made sure I stayed humble by assuring me that I did a nice job, but I wasn’t the Singing Usher. (It was all in fun, he meant nothing mean by it.)

Season of uncertainty

“To me, baseball has always been a reflection of life. Like life, it adjusts. It survives everything.”

– Willie Stargell

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the Minor League baseball season is right around the corner. Well, it should be.

Let’s face it, the past few weeks have been crazy, staying home and trying to keep everyone healthy and sane. I personally have done more puzzles than I care to admit.

The Major League Baseball Opening Day has come and gone. Minor League Opening Day is a little less than two weeks away and will undoubtedly pass us by just as its counterpart did. So many people have been posting photos from times they were at a game with family, friends, or even by themselves. Despite what is going on right now in the world, people are still connecting through baseball. Players, teams, and fans are all connecting through various social media platforms and sharing their love of the game.

I guess that just goes to show that baseball truly is America’s Pastime.

One thing that has been great to see during this tough time has been this connection of thousands of people through something as simple as a game. So many different organizations are giving fans a way to connect to the game whether through printable activities for kids, contests to win cool team apparel, or something as simple as the Fightins’ Mascot Mania where fans vote for their favorite mascots as they face off on social media in a March Madness style competition. Different organizations have been sharing videos from players, coaches, and other team members encouraging fans to stay safe and to not worry, baseball will be back. As Willie Stargell said, “It survives everything.”

April 9, 2020 would be the beginning of my 16th season working in Baseballtown. I have faith that my 16th season will still come this summer and I cannot wait to return to America’s Classic Ballpark. Until then I will continue to share funny stories from my days spent at the ballpark. I might even share some tips on how to make it feel like baseball season at home.

Stay safe everyone and don’t worry, there are still plenty of confessions to come from this concessions worker!

Confessional: What is one thing you are looking forward to when baseball begins?