Boys of Summer
Posted by Joanne Rock in Joanne Rock, tags: baseball, sports heroes, writing life
Summertime is baseball time at my house and not just because I have an August Blaze with a major league manager. We watch a lot of baseball—from major league to little league—and critique games, plays and coaching decisions on an almost daily basis. The sounds of cheering ballpark crowds and the crack of a bat on a hardball are as rooted in our summer family memories as the scent of barbecue and cut grass.
Even the pace of baseball is suited to summertime. With one hundred and sixty-two games in the regular season, the sport is spread out over time so that we don’t live or die by the outcome of a single game. Win some, lose some is a given attitude, though obviously we want the win column to boast the better number by the time all is said and done. Games are long and languid, with plenty of downtime as pitchers kick the dirt around and batters adjust their gloves. That leaves me enough time to order a beer and a bag of peanuts without missing a beat.
I like the friendliness of baseball and its players, too. The tradition of batting practice allows fans to see their favorite players up close before game time. The ability to catch a foul ball or a home run ball gives everyone in the park a shot at returning home with a free souvenir. Also, the accessibility of tickets means you can afford to take the whole family to a game without taking out a second mortgage, the way you might have to if you want to catch the NFL live.
So summer and baseball go hand in hand for me. I’m already planning a trip to watch the Reds beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh the first week of August. But I’m not just going to root, root, root for the away team. I’m going to savor a family tradition with my glove in hand in case any balls are fouled off in my direction. And with any luck, maybe I’ll lay eyes on a player who inspires the sequel to Double Play…
***As I make a list of what to bring to on my road trip to see the Reds, I wonder what road trips you’ve got in mind for the summer. Water park for the weekend? Picnic at a friend’s camp? Chat with me on the boards about your summer day tripping plans and I’ll give one random poster an advance copy of my August Blaze, Double Play.
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Hi, Joanne! My sister and her husband will be coming from 2000+ miles away in their motor home for at least two weeks this summer. (The last time they said two weeks, they came in August and left in October, mind you with our place as their home base in-between other trips, but it was more like five weeks at our house.) We’ve started making lists (aren’t lists great?) of various things to see within a 100-mile radius or so, including museums, theatres (both live and movies), indoor rock climbing, geocaching, underground caves, day cruise, zoos, parks, and a corn maze. We love to stay at home too, so in the evenings we play board games and laugh a lot. If there’s something on tv that the guys want to watch, then my sister and I work on a jigsaw puzzle. We all read our books after 11 pm, though. Whether we visit them or vice-versa, our first day trip is always to the local library to stock up on reading material. While traveling to these day trips in their motor home, some are playing cards at the kitchen table, there’s always two people at the front (the driver and “co-pilot”), and there’s generally at least one person on the couch reading a book. Very comfy. Very cosy.
How fortunate that you all get along so well! I think anyone who is close with their sister would envy you being able to spend so much time together.
Hi Joanne. My random roadtrip was a trip to a lakehouse for the week. It was fun. Nice and quiet so I could read and do some writing in between killing spiders. Loved it. Hopefully I can do it again next year.
Sounds wonderful, Deanne. I’m putting “lakehouse” on my Christmas list!!
Morning Joanne! I love your books and Im very excited to read “Double Play”. I grew up watching the Dodgers play with my Dad. We were huge fans and watched all the games together. I have to admit I dont watch much anymore. The tv at my house is normally on cartoons so I dont watch much these days. I do hope that my kids play when they are old enough to.
As for road trips, ours are all fairly local this summer. The Childrens Museum, The Indy Zoo, picnics at the park, and my kids are now old enough to go to the movies so we have been doing that more too. Aside from that we are just hanging out at home, playing at the park and running thru the sprinklers. And of course I find time to read, as always.
Have a wonderful Day!! (*)
As a Dodgers fan, I think you’ll appreciate the big showdown game on the west coast in Double Play
. Thank you so much for reading!! And you’ll have fun taking the kids to the ballpark as they get older. We took our boys even when they were pretty darn little and they liked it even then as there is so much to see. A big game is quite a spectacle!
Hi Joanne! I always look so forward to summer and your “baseball” books. I have what I call B&B addictions- Books & Baseball. I am an avid (some might call it obsessed!) romance reader and pretty much the only thing I watch on TV is my beloved NY Yankees. So I love it when my addictions are combined!
As for our summer plans, we had lots of company (family) visit from NJ in June. Next weekend will be spent in Hilton Head (our first ever visit there) and then we are off to Orlando to RWA. (I’m not attending the conference itself but going as a bookseller) Oh and we have made a few visits to watch the Charleston Riverdogs (a NY Yankee “A” team) play. Nice to have a team so close to home and always great fun!
Happy summer! (H)
Anne – who is looking so forward to reading Double Play!
Good morning, Joanne! What a fabulous – yummy – cover for a fabulous story!!!
Hello, my friend!! I quite like the quote on this particular cover
. Thank you so much!!!
No specific plans for me, just the occasional trip to the beach. I’m looking forward to Double Play, I always enjoy some sports mixed with my romance.
We’re headed to the beach tonight! It’s my reward for working semi-hard today. It’s been staying warm here all evening and well into the night, so we should still have some swim time. Enjoy!!
An annual road trip for me takes place around New Year’s Day, where I go to the Sugar Bowl game in New Orleans. I’m a Southerner and football’s a religion down in these parts– Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia.
I remember this from the years we lived in Louisiana. Of course, I love football anyway, so that’s fun for me. KY it was hoop. LA was football.
My sister is taking her kids, myself, and our mother to go to the San Diego Zoo and Six Flags… This will be my first trip to California and my first real vacation in too many years to count…
Colleen, I’m so glad for you!! You need vacations! It’s been a long time since I visited San Diego, but I remember we had a blast doing the zoo, hitting the beach, and heading down to Mexico to shop. Take lots of pictures!
I just take a drive to our beach thats about an hour away, can’t go as often as I like for I lost my job but were going today! I’m bringing along lots of snacks and cold drinks and hanging out with my favorite pasttime a book. But it willbe fun to be with my 2 kids. We’ve all been going thru a rough period so we all need a break. I thank- God for my kids for they have all pinched in for me and been their for me too. So this day is for my 2 kids. Have a good time at the ballgame, not much into baseball but I wouldn’t mind to go to a game if I had the chance. I went ot FSU. game just this spring for my son’s friend was playing, but my son is into football. So thats where I hangout in the fall, watching him even though he plays second string.Have fun on your road trip!
I’m sure your kids have been good to you because you’re so good to them too! Have fun today (*) .
I’m going to visit my cousin in Michigan and I’m hoping I can convince her to drive up to Toronto. I’ve heard it’s such a beautiful city and hope to see it soon.
Jane, I haven’t been to Toronto for several years, but it’s a gorgeous city. Very clean and lots of fun things to do. Oh, and there’s a Greektown… good for those among us who LOVE Greek food.
I don’t handle the heat well so I don’t get out much in the summer. I usually prefer fall if I’m going to go somewhere. We may take a trip to Branson Missouri because it’s not that far and there’s always something to do there. Also my granddaughter wants to go to Build-A-Bear and the closest one I know about is Springfield Missouri so we might take a trip there. Other than that, I’m sitting in my cool house reading HOT books.
>>Other than that, I’m sitting in my cool house reading HOT books.>>
(H) Sounds like a good way to spend the day!
Joanna-
We have taken our two boys to the waterpark last month. This past week, we took them to their first major league baseball game…our favorties.. White Sox…They had a blast!! It was a great time for me too, because I always went to the ball game every summer with my parents. It was a pleasure to share this time with my boys. With our gloveds in hand ready for that foul ball, which did come close to us, but not close enough!! Having nachos and cotton candy. Traditions!! Next month we will be taking the boys camping. Real camping. Something we will enjoy together!! This is our first summer that both boys are old enough to enjoy everything we throw at them!! Good time! Happy Trails to everyone!!:)
It’s a great feeling as a parent when you start to have that little extra freedom to do things! My boys are a little older, but still all living at home and it’s so fun and easy to do things with them. We hope to do lots of family trips before they start heading to college… want to soak up all the fun times we can with them.
During the summer we go to lots of little festivals that are held in many of the small towns throughout our state. There’s festivals with parades, pageants and exotic foods commemorating popcorn, Kool-Aid, Czech food and many other kitschy things. They’re a lot of fun and the people are always so nice.
Oh! Am such a street festival fan and I don’t have much of this in the town where I live these days. Louisville, KY was awesome for this, as was Shreveport, LA when we lived there (who wouldn’t love Mudbug Fest??). Such a great excuse to be outdoors and people watch, hear music, try new things… what a nice thing to do for the day. I’m homesick!!!
*** We have a winner! Congratulations to Summer, winner of the advance copy of Double Play! I’m sending you a private email, but all I need is for you to send your snail mail info. to me at jrock008@gmail.com.
Thanks so much for sharing your roadtrips with me…. wasn’t it nice to take a few vicarious vacations??
Hi, Joanne, Just received my copy of DP (through eHQ.com), which I’m certain I’ll enjoy as much as your earlier baseball “Encounters”. Like you, I am a huge general sports fan, but, my heart is with baseball, specifically, the Dodgers. In spite of its ownership woes I can’t root against the team which I have followed since Brooklyn days.
Hope the Reds win at the game you’ll be attending as it’s my “secondary” team since I was born in Cincy until moving to L.A. at age 7 & spent 2 summers there when I was 18 & 19. I still have an aunt & many cousins & second cousins living there. Because of my Down’s daughter’s Ulcerative Colitis will not be making any long trips, but, my best friend (from Brooklyn) will be visiting in Aug., & we’ll be driving up the coast to the Santa Barbara area to check out some used book stores & restaurants. Should be fun (if all stays well with my daughter).
Have a great time at the beach.
Patricia
Nice! my husband and I did a coastal CA drive one year, ending up in SF for a day game and Oakland for a night game… the baseball marathon :-). The games were a bit if a blur as I was chasing a rambunctious toddler, but I remember the drie was gorgeous. Have fun and I hope your daughter has a wonderfully healthy summer!
I hope you find a player to get inspiration for a sequel, My copy of Double Play should be coming this week. I can’t wait to read it. I LOVE baseball so anytime I find a romance book with baseball I snatch it up. Just finished Jill Shalvis’ Slow Heat, great book.
I have season tickets with my grandparents here for Triple A Roch. Red Wings. I spend my summer nights at the ball park, no where else I rather be. I’m a big fan of the Indians though they’re in a rebuilding stage and don’t win too many games I still root for them. When you do go to the game do give one cheer for the the Pirates Garrett Jones, he used to play for the Red Wings.
Hi Nicole! I might be in trouble with the dh if I cheer for a former Red Wing
, but how cool that Jones crossed over sports at that level. That’s an athlete!
I love baseball and would love to win a copy of this book. I finally got to enjoy an Allstar Game last nite. Hope I am not too late for the contest. Hope you will be writing some more bb books.
Hi Pat! We did have a winner on Monday…. Congrats, Summer!
I would love to write more baseball books, although I don’t have any slated for 2011. Right now, I’m working on a Uniformly Hot! story for next April and then a couple of connected Wrong Beds for the fall. But I love athlete heroes! Nicole’s post about the Red Wings got me thinking about hockey guys again, too. I wrote one hockey player in Date with a Diva and Nico Cesare was one of my favorite heroes.
Thank you so much for stopping by!