I’ve been a baseball fan since I was 10 years old. My first encounter with baseball was in Chicago where we lived.

My dad would take me on the streetcar to Wrigley Field to watch the Chicago Cubs play. We’d sit out in the left-field bleachers and root for the team — my favorite memories of time spent with my dad.

It was my pleasure recently to be invited by my son and his wife for a week of spring training in Arizona. Being up close and personal, seeing the ballplayers’ faces, seeing them with their children and families, was a real thrill for me.

My team these days is the San Francisco Giants. Being able to get autographs and snapshots of the team was so much fun. I even saw Willie Mays at one of the games.

The ballparks that are used for the spring training teams are well-kept and really no seat is a bad seat in the park. Besides the wonderful food that is being served (at a cost of course), there is all the paraphernalia one can buy. You’d better have enough money on you, or you can go broke.

What’s a ballgame without a hot dog and beer? It costs almost the same as your ticket to see the game. I was wondering just how the many families could afford all the stuff the kids eat at a ballgame. There was one father and three teen-age boys sitting in front of me at one game. I couldn’t believe how much those boys ate — not just one hot dog, but many, popcorn, pretzels, large sodas; you name it, they ate it.

So I said to the father, “You must be pretty rich.” He looked at me and said, “What do you mean?” I laughed and said, “Well, the way your boys eat, you must need $200 plus per game just to feed them.” He laughed and said, “Yeah, you’re right, they do cost me a bundle, but we love it.” Now, that’s a fan!

The weather was a bit cold while we were there, but the sun did shine on occasion and we enjoyed seeing the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Anaheim Angels, Oakland Athletics, and of course my favorite, the San Francisco Giants.

I’m an old lady now, and this perhaps will be my one and only chance to have done this and believe me I had such a fantastic time.

Take me out to the ballgame, anytime. I’m ready to go.

— June Reyes is an editorial assistant at the Tahoe Daily Tribune. Offbeat is a column written by Tribune employees whenever they feel like it.