Goodbye Sonics

Sherman Alexie is my hero.

Basketball is not my MAIN sport with my Dad, baseball is. But the sentiment that Alexie shares is the same. In the article Alexie says, "In the days leading up to and following my testimony, my friends told me amazing and poetic basketball stories about their fathers, sons, and jump shots. These were love stories".  Sports, specifically basketball, were Alexie and his father's shared passion and obsession - it was their thing. And when they were together watching, playing or talking about basketball, they were sharing their love for each other. I learned to love baseball because I love my Dad and it was something we could share together.

I went to Mariners games in the now defunct Seattle Kingdome, sat in the cheap seats and ate peanuts with my Dad. Spike Owen was my absolute favorite player because he had my name - Dad's nickname for me was Spike. And Ken Griffey Jr. was a God until he broke my heart by leaving Seattle.

Little brother was born when I was nine and before long he too was a sports - especially baseball - aficionado. And when the parents divorced, it was Dad, brother and me every other weekend going to as many baseball games as Dad could afford, sitting in the cheap seats and eating peanuts.

We've been to baseball games at the shiny new Safeco field where the M's play now (they don't seem to be winning any more than when they were in the Kingdome but it's a much nicer stadium in which to watch them lose) and sometimes we bring my husband and daughter, both baseball fans.

When my brother moved to Berkeley to start grad school, Dad and I moved him down there and we all went to Oakland to watch the Mariners play the A's. And last year for Father's Day, brother and I flew Dad and Me to Berkeley and we went to Giant's stadium twice in one weekend to watch baseball. (We tried to get a Cal Bears football game in that weekend too but it wouldn't quite fit.)

I will miss the Sonics. Grandmother is a basketball fan and my Dad, Uncle, Brother and Cousin all played basketball in school. It's sad to see a team leave the city that they won the 1979 Championship in and the whole fiasco surrounding their move has been ridiculous.

But if Seattle loses baseball I will cry like a baby. Then I'll call my Dad and make arrangements for another baseball weekend, because baseball is our thing.