June 16
There is nothing like the national pastime, especially on Father's Day! Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd!

	Dick and his son-in-law, Thomas Krug, hold twins Connor and Jake.

I had the time of my life on Sunday. Talk about a great Father's Day -- there is nothing greater than this, as I was accompanied by my daughters, Sherri and Terri, to the Pirates-Devil Rays game. It was Fun City. I got there an hour before game time, and it was special because it marked the first game attended by my granddaughter Sydney and twin grandsons Connor and Jake.

It is something I will always remember, seeing the twins, at 7 months old, sitting there in those Devil Ray jerseys and hats. Sydney, just under 2 years old, also had the time of her life. We sat near the Pirates dugout; I have season tickets near the visiting bench.

The Pirates' players were very nice to the kids and my family. Kenny Lofton came over and we talked about basketball. All-Star catcher Jason Kendall and Matt Stairs also came over, and they all took pictures with the family.

Those guys were great to the fans, as they gave a number of baseballs away.

It was a day I will always treasure. Nothing like seeing a child's first day at a ballpark, watching those smiling faces, witnessing the live action, the balls flying, the bats making contact.

My granddaughter also loved Raymond the Mascot, who came over and took a picture. It was total jubilation. It brought joy to a granddad's face for a special day. The smiles were worth the price of admission!

Yes, there was a game and the Devil Rays jumped out 4-0 before the Pirates rallied to get a 9-5 victory.

In time, manager Lou Piniella will turn the Devil Rays around. On this day, the score was secondary. This Father's Day was all about the smiling faces on my grandchildren.