Baseball is the great American pastime.  Growing up in Australia meant that I became familiar with sports such as cricket, “Aussie Rules” and rugby, and never really gave much thought to the game of baseball.  However when spending time in America it’s hard not to get swept up in the baseball phenomenon.  Known as “America’s sport”, sitting in your favorite ballpark while watching your favorite team play on a hot, sunny day, with a hot dog in one hand and icy drink in the other, is a scene which is symbolic of American culture.  As America’s newest resident, it would as such be almost criminal if I was to live out the rest of my time in this great country without heading to a game!

Baseball – the great American pastime!

It was therefore an incredibly momentous occasion last Saturday as I attended my very first ever baseball game!!  We walked into Hammond Stadium, Florida, with hot dogs in hand, and made our way to seats at the very front of the stadium, right next to the dug out where the Fort Myers Miracles were based.

The Fort Myers Miracles were playing against the  Bradenton Marauders, and it was not only a special evening because it was my first game, but also because it was the 4th annual Breast Cancer Awareness Night.  The first 500 women who entered the Stadium received a pink tote bag compliments of McDonalds, and the Miracles (a minor league division of the Minnesota Twins) wore pink jerseys in honor of breast cancer survivors, which were available for auction during the game.

Pink Jerseys were worn to honor Breast Cancer victims

There were a variety of other fundraising activities and auctions throughout the game, with the net proceeds benefiting the Lee Memorial Health Systems Regional Cancer Center to assist with mammogram services for uninsured and underinsured patients.  Prior to the game a survivor walk took place around the track where the women had the opportunity to meet and greet the players at the finish line.

Because we were (strategically) seated next to the dug, out we were able to get the signatures of all of the players on a ball we had purchased for Mikes Grandmother.  An amazingly strong woman, Jan was diagnosed with Breast Cancer last week, and has only just come out of hospital where she underwent very invasive surgery to remove the cancer.  The Minnesota Twins are her favorite baseball team, and we thought it was particularly symbolic to have gathered the signatures from this specific game – including one from their manager Doug Mientkiewicz who Mike tells me she absolutely adores!

Collecting signatures for Mikes grandmother

It was a pretty amazing night, and I have decided I am a HUGE fan of baseball!  Although I am yet to pick a team to follow, I will always support a sport which allows me to watch cute men in tight uniforms running around a stadium!  I quite enjoyed sitting next to the dug out and chatting up the players while collecting their signatures!  Also, because McDonalds sponsored the game, vouchers for free premium McWraps were attached to every seat – the stadium wasn’t full so we managed to collect 5 vouchers from those seats which hadn’t already been cleaned out by some very crafty kids!

Fireworks lit up the Southwest Florida sky after the game – because we were within quite close proximity to the fireworks display we were showered with ash while it was going on!!  The fireworks display was one of the most amazing I have ever seen, I swear nearly rivaling the New Years fireworks which are set off over Sydney Harbor every year!!  I guess America REALLY love their sport!

Baseball in Florida

Nearly perfect weather the whole year round means Florida has some of the best sporting facilities in the country – and people around here seem to be a bit athletics mad!  I’ve been told that hardcore followers of the Boston Redsox and Minnesota Twins annually drive halfway across the country and literally camp in order to catch their idols during spring training, which kicks off every year in Fort Myers in Southwest Florida.  Don’t worry about daylight savings – I’m told that the seasons down here in Fort Myers are measured by the beginning and end of baseball spring training.

Doug Mientkiewicz – he was a professional baseball first baseman for the Minnesota Twins.

I should probably learn the American National Anthem!

Fort Myers Baseball

Fort Myers Baseball

Fort Myers Baseball

Fort Myers Baseball

Fort Myers Baseball

Fort Myers Baseball

Fort Myers Baseball

Free McWraps!

Help me out here – which Baseball team should I support?