July 2, Harwich

I went to this game primarily because Caitlin, the head counselor with whom I work at camp, was singing the national anthem. Caitlin has among the best raw singing talent I've ever heard -- and that includes those who call themselves professional singers. Her vibrato is incredible.

I figured while I was supporting her, I should strap on my microphone and recorder and get some interviews.

The last time I was at the Harwich field was no fewer than 10-12 years ago when my grandfather brought me. Sitting in the bleachers with Caitlin and her sister Lauren, I pointed to the exact seats we sat in: second row in the stands on the first base side closest to home plate. It's the fact that I remember this so vividly that makes me even ask old men if they remember the first time they stepped into a major league ball park...

And that's exactly what I did tonight.

Harwich is a great place to watch, but not that interview friendly. Lots of stands and not a lot of free places to watch the game without the stands, which means it's hard to find interview subjects who are in a good location for me -- both physically and audibly.

I started by recording the anthem. (I promised Caitlin nobody at camp would hear this, so it isn't going to be posted her.) I need to go back a few more times with her singing so I can get the best possible take if I do decide to use it. She was fantastic, but midway through, she seemed to lose confidence, and while she was still spectacular, the edge was gone. Still, so much more impressive than anything I've done. (Side-note: Alexi has posted an audio clip of a song I sat in with his band on...)

I only got two interviews, but they were both fantastic. One man -- probably in his 50s -- told me all about the first game he brought his sons to and watching one of his sons grow up playing baseball -- little league, high school, college... -- and coaching and all the life skills being on a baseball team gave his son. Good stuff.

After that interview, I searched for more subjects, but instead got called over by the Harwich bullpen -- the same guys I'd spoken with the night before. I did not record anything with them, but I sat and watched the game with them for a couple or three half-innings. One pitcher was telling all of us about how his high school coach told him that if you do 5-things, you will win every game. The guys started to make fun of him and said, "I can think of one: score more runs than the other guys." As a result, I only ended up hearing 4 of the 5 things. He got shy after we had our laughs at his expense.

My last interview was an elderly man leaning on the fence just inside the left-field foul pole. I asked if I could talk to him and he let out a large cough. I knew right away this was going to be an amazing interview. It was going to be a true baseball lifer with a raspy old voice. Everything I'd ever wanted in an interview.

He turned out to be all that and more. He told me about his first game -- in New York City at the Polo Grounds watching the New York Giants play the Pittsburgh Pirates. He told me about Wally Westlake's homerun over the right-field wall -- a home-run all of 260-feet or so that he asked his dad if it was the longest homer ever hit. He also told me about how he loves to share the discovery of the green of the ballpark and as a result has brought two generations to their first ball games:

"That feeling that you get when you're the little guy and you're coming out from below where you've got your popcorn or whathaveyou and you first look at the field with the lights on and the beautiful green that you hear all us old geezers talk about, you love to bring another youngster to the game. So I've brought 5 of my grandchildren to their first game so I could watch their face and see the same surprise and love of the game in their eyes."

I wish this man would adopt me as his grandson after this interview...

This man was also the second (and I'm sure not the last) person to give me the answer of "Baseball is America."

As I hear everyone else speak, I wonder if I should turn the microphone on myself and speak about my first baseball game and what makes me love the game, if I should let myself answer the question of "baseball is the closest thing to religion I truly believe in," or even talk about how I love that I can talk to anyone about baseball and become instant friends.

For now, I'll let my subjects do the talking for me, though.