It's family day at the ball park...

I'll be heading off to Tucson Electric Park in a couple of hours with my son and grandson to see the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies in the opening game of the "final season" of spring training.

We intend to take it all in. Who knows how many games I personally will see this spring. At $18 seats along the first and third baselines, and who knows how many hot dogs and sodas, I'm probably looking at a $100 bill or so...maybe more. I know that's nothing compared to the green stuff you'd have to hand out, up in Phoenix at Chase Field, but for an old retired fellow that's a pretty big dent in the old social security check.

Luckily my son -- a captain with the fire department -- will slip me some cash. All kidding aside, it'll be worth every penny to the trio from the Price family who can never get enough of baseball. I'm a little sad that my grandson will miss the spring training games in the future. It's been a part of my life for over 50 years, way back to when the Cleveland Indians were here. When I was my grandson's age, I watched Rocky Colavito chase fly balls and Minnie Minoso scurry around the bases. I saw guys like Duke Snider and even Mickey Mantle pepper the left field fence at Hi Corbett Field with line drives that seemed like they were shot out of a cannon. My grandson will miss all of that, unless his dad packs up the car and takes him to Phoenix, that is. Spring training will be missed. After today, my grandson will miss it, too.

Spring Training Update: Not a good start for Diamondbacks. Rockies knock around Buckner and Howry en route to a lopsided 11-1 victory. My grandson, Jadon, was not disappointed as he received his share of autographs, including a valuable signature from one of his favorite Diamondbacks, Mark Reynolds (see photo at top).