Doubleheaders sure have changed over the years, but at least one of their challenges still continues.
My son was on Spring Break and had scheduled to spend the first weekend in Los Angeles taking a five-and-a-half-hour Teach for America exam Saturday.
I decided to seize the opportunity to share with him a sports fanatics dream - you see, the PAC 10 basketball semifinals were set for that Friday night in L.A.
Growing up a huge sports fan in New York City, Sundays were the greatest days with the traditional baseball doubleheader to watch on TV or, better still, spending the day going to the games.
My brother and I loved to escape from our neighborhood to watch our heroes play.
It was an all-day event starting at 9 a.m. with a two-hour journey of one bus and two train rides to the hallowed grounds of Yankee Stadium.
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But what to do about food was the challenge. The cost of bus, train and admission, even for bleacher seats, left little for food. With a little ingenuity we easily solved our dilemma. My bother's weight problem actually was part of the solution. His oversized sweatshirt was the perfect hiding place for our mom's sandwiches and a big bag of peanuts.
As my son and I drove to Los Angeles for the semifinal doubleheader of the PAC 10 basketball tournament on Friday night, the food issue came up.
These days I can afford to purchase food whenever we need it - a privilege I did not know as a youth.
However, as I get older the food issue becomes finding healthy food that will help me not gain weight. The array of corn nuts, hot dogs, pizza, candy and soda pop available make healthy eating the new food challenge.
Now my son's generation will need to find a way to share the doubleheader experience with their children. Hopefully the nourishment issue will have evolved in a healthier way.
Enjoy the journey,
Bob
E-mail Bob Oro at northwest@azstarnet.com
