We're kicking off a nice long 10 game home stand this week, and what better way to begin than by welcoming a special guest? Last year, we were quite fortunate to be visited by many celebrities, athletes, and musicians in Section 203 to participate in Roll Call. But not every guest is a celebrity, and sometimes the guest is just a friend celebrating a birthday. Such was the case last night, when we welcomed our friend Karter Chamberlain to join us for his 7th birthday (You may know Karter's Dad, Joba).
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| Karter, and Aunt Tasha |
The Creatures have shared a great relationship with Joba since we got to participate in a HOPE week event in 2010, so I didn't hesitate for a second to reach out and invite Karter to join us. Once I got permission from Dad, I reached out to Joba's sister Tasha to coordinate details. She said that Karter was excited to make some noise, and that was just about all I needed to hear to get fired up! I love that people are passionate about the Yankees and Roll Call, and I love it even more when that person is a kid.
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| The Creatures pose with Joba (and AJ Burnett) at HOPE Week |
For years, the Bleachers have been about as far from a "family section" as you could ever imagine. But, because of many factors (which are way too numerous and theoretical to cover here) the atmosphere in the Bleachers (and the stadium in general) have become more genteel. Add to that the sheer awesomeness of Roll Call (seriously, where else can you get pro athletes to say hello to you, every day?) and you're bound to attract more kids. Personally, I think it's awesome. Mainly because I have kids of my own, and I can see the passion these kids have for the game and the Yankees and I hope to instill that passion within my own children as they mature.
These days, it's not uncommon at all to see kids participating in the shenanigans in 203. Sure, sometimes the language can get a little blue, but on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, Section 203 can often be confused for Romper Room. And, to be honest, I wouldn't want it any other way. Most of the kids belong to my fellow Creatures. We've all been sitting together for years, and through those years we've seen plenty of weddings and births. We consider each other parts of our (extremely dysfunctional) second family, and we have a love for each other that probably isn't too common at public sporting events.
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| One of the many "Family Days" in Section 203, Circa 2011 |
Over the years, we've adopted a few players into our unofficial family and the Chamberlains were some of the first. Whether it be a friendly fist-bump to Harlan as he cruises past my shirt stand on River Ave or by checking in on Joba during rehab or inviting Karter out for Roll Call on his birthday, it's easier to reach out when you genuinely care about the people on the other end (which is why, to this day, many Creatures still secretly root for AJ Burnett). It's a bond unique to the Creatures and I am thankful every day that I get to be a part of it.
Getting back on topic (sorry, got distracted there for a minute) I was really excited to get Karter to participate in Roll Call. I knew he had spent the day playing ball in the outfield and relaxing with some video games, but I was hopeful he had some energy left to make some noise (what 7 year old DOESN'T have loads of energy?). As you can see by the video below, he had no problem fitting right in with the crew
Last night was a great way to kick off the home stand, and I hope we were able to give young Karter a great Birthday memory (and maybe we've even convinced him to come sit in the bleachers again!)
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