Paul Yeager is the smart and savvy host of "The Iowa Journal" on Iowa Public Television.
Story Created:
Sep 22, 2008 at 3:59 PM CST
Story Updated:
Sep 23, 2008 at 12:37 PM CST
((Brian's Note: Paul Yeager and I are friends and I think he is talented beyond words. Paul works as the host/producer for Iowa Public Television's "Iowa Journal". Paul has worked at WHO-TV, KWQC-TV and KIMT-TV. Paul graduated from Wartburg College. He lives in Ankeny, Iowa with his wife and son. He's a member of the Iowa Broadcast News Association, despite the fact I serve as the group's Northwest Director.))
My wife and I like baseball.
More accurately, I like baseball and she likes to sit outside in the summer. Baseball fits the bill since we don't live in Minneapolis or Tampa where indoor parks alter the sport.
We were season ticket holders in Davenport for the Swing, the Class A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Not just because of the Cardinals, but because it was the baseball game in town.
Since our move west to Des Moines, we now hold season tickets to the Iowa Cubs, the Class AAA of the Chicago Cubs. On paper, this appears to be a conflict. I grew up a Cardinal fan and now I'm supporting the I-Cubs. The I is important, I can't say Go Cubbies. I leave that to our two-year-old son, Noah who says go Cubbies.
He's been able to add Go Cardinals to his vocabulary. That pleased my uncle who actually owns the season tickets that he gives me. He showed me years ago you could like the Cardinals and the I-Cubs. So, if he can do it, so can I.
Our seats are above the main aisle so we can see lots of people walk by and sit in the more important seats. Last year we got to see a lot of important people take in the great American past time. Rewind to 2007 when Iowa was in the center of the presidential picking process.
That summer was a chance to see how well the candidates really were registering with the electorate. We're not the new "diamond dudes" like "NASCAR dads" or "soccer mom's" of election's past, but there's plenty of intellect at a baseball game. The owner of the team used to run NBC News, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today.
The head of the department of public safety takes in many games so does the Iowa Secretary of State, and the former governor. Our row alone has a retired federal attorney, a college professor and an IT guy. So, if they don't know who Sen. Sam Brownback was, that was a good indicator he wouldn't be around long. I think the guy throwing out of the first pitch on his 40th birthday had more cheers that night than Brownback did.
When Sen. Chris Dodd arrived, he quickly made it through the aisle to his seats with his few staffers. No one seemed to notice as he watched a few innings and downed a hot dog.
Gov. Bill Richardson came to the ballpark twice, a moderate crowd recognized him. He was overtaken by a children's host that second night. Dan Wardell, of Iowa Public Television (now my co-worker) and I were talking and Richardson's body man asked Dan to move his travelling cape show down a section or two, away from the Governor. The crowd may have been a little embarrassing for his guy. Sorry, Dan.
Sen. Barack Obama did attend a game, but he entered from the outfield and sat with his hundreds of fans that the campaign bought that night.
I never saw Sen. McCain or Clinton at the ballpark, but maybe the next cycle.
This season was just baseball. Mostly guys who will be playing for a world series title in October. Lots of I-Cubs are on the expanded roster and will likely get to play a lot this playoff season. This makes Noah say, "Go Cubbies."
((Brian's Note: I have to make a note to take in a Cubbies game with Paul next season in Des Moines. I too love local baseball and all the good hot dogs at Principal Park. Feel free to leave a comment below or send an e-mail by clicking here.))
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