Arlington Stadium

Opening Day. Easter Sunday. Spring 1991. I recall it being a rainy, unseasonable cool day. We traveled up to Arlington to watch the Texas Rangers play the Chicago White Sox. While we attended many of these ballgames in Arlington throughout the years, this one stands out in memory because that game was the first and only time I saw the great Nolan Ryan pitch. Back then, the Rangers played at Arlington Stadium, historically dubbed as “the Hottest Place on Earth” by many Major League ballplayers at the time. On this day, however, the weather was anything but hot. From what I remember, the cooler weather was perfect for a day at the old ballpark.
For me, as well as my dad, our favorite part of the experience of attending a sporting event is the moment when you first see the playing field from inside the stadium. It is a moment that most people do not understand, for us, it is a feeling that we have always had and still do share. On this day, seeing a field and stadium of that size in person, and being old enough to appreciate it was absolutely amazing. That same shared feeling between my father and I would be revisited numerous times throughout the upcoming years, but the first time is one that you simply do not forget. It was an action packed day toped off by Ice Cream from Braums.
Throughout the next several seasons, the Rangers opened up a new ballpark. The brand new Ballpark at Arlington opened in 1995. That summer, as well as in 1996, Dad had season tickets on home run porch. We attended numerous games during these summers, as well as for summers to come. Some of most fond memories come from baseball games together, including the time Dad spilt his ice cold draft beer diving for a foul ball, all for me, during batting practice. Now, later on in life, I see the magnitude of the sacrifice of that bud light that was made to catch that foul ball for me. Hell, just take a look at the old man below, sums it up…