The "Ole Ball Game" Story

It was an ordinary day. I was getting ready to go to the ball park with my friend Dave G. We lived within a block of each other at the north end of Lancaster. The ball park was about a half mile away and we walked that distance many times to watch our favorite team, the Lancaster Red Roses. This was a team in a single A league. Don't remember the name of the league, but doesn't matter anyway. Hey, it was baseball and it was my one and only love at the time! Dave and I had to cross over the railroad bridge to get to the park and always found the sign that said "Danger! High Voltage" to be really neat. We often challenged each other to climb on the top of the bridge and touch it. You can assume that I never did since I'm writing this. Last I heard, Dave was still alive also so I guess he never touched it either. We made our way to Stumpf Field for the game. Always showed up about and hour or two early so we could go behind the outfield fence and catch balls hit over the fence during batting practice. If you got a ball you could take it to the ticket office and they would admit you for free. If you snagged an extra ball or two you could trade them for a bag of peanuts and a drink or a hot dog. We had to fight the other neighborhood kids for the best spots where you would get the most balls. Pre-game was usually more exciting than the game. We also knew the guy who turned on the lights for the scoreboard during the game. He had a great seat in dead center where he would sit on a folding chair and watch the game and operate the scoreboard. Sometimes he would give us a few balls through the gate that led to his chair. Paid to be nice to him! OK, game time! We found our favorite seats behind the Roses' dugout and watched the game. Game time was 6:00 almost every evening. Only time it would change would be for a doubleheader. About the third inning, the umpires would have to stop the game for about a half an hour to allow for the sun to set. Seems they didn't plan the stadium very well and the sun was directly over the fence in center field. Got to see many famous players as they made their way up the ranks of the minor leagues. Most famous in my mind was Willie Mays who played for Williamsport. Years later when I entered high school, I had a teacher for social studies who one day pulled me aside and handed me a "Red Roses" baseball. I just looked at him and smiled. I said, "I THOUGHT you were the guy who ran the scoreboard. Really did pay to be nice to him years earlier. I got a good grade in his course. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.