Keeping Score: Baseball, Braves and Bear

Dorinda celebrates a 3-2 Braves win over Baltimore in 12 innings on May 7, 2023 in Atlanta.

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.”— Field of Dreams

There’s just something about baseball.

Field of Dreams and Ray having a catch with his dad. Who says there’s no crying in baseball?

Justin Verlander’s daughter walking him off the mound for the last time. Kirk Gibson. The Babe and the Yankees.

And of course, the Braves. It’s always been about the Braves.

Dorinda was well aware. More on that story a little later.

So, this morning I’m smiling. The Atlanta Braves – at last – knocked out the Philadelphia Phillies. And they did it thanks in large part to a Rocky story of their own – Ray Kerr, the pitcher who opened the game for Atlanta and tossed 3⅓ scoreless innings. The man who gave up baseball to work at 7-11. Braves legend today after making his postseason debut.

My Braves loyalty goes way back, as long as I can remember. The really bad Braves teams of the 1970s and most of the ‘80s. Aaron. Murphy. Horner. But then came the 90s – Glavine, Chipper and the rest. A championship in 1995. Another one would follow – an unlikely one in 2021 – with Freddie, Dansby and Max leading the way.

Winning another one this year will be a steep climb – the Dodgers are next, seeking a third-straight World Series title. Other powerful teams await should the Braves advance – maybe Milwaukee or the Yankees.

But this morning, it feels good to be writing about baseball. Writing about a Braves win in a winner-take-all game.

It’s poignant, too. This is the first time I’m celebrating a Braves playoff win without my Bear. That opens the door to her story.

In our first few years together, Dorinda didn’t care for baseball. No interest. She would read while I watched the game. She endured my frustration with losing seasons, and playoff flops. Spring training ventures and many, many trips to Atlanta. Nail-biting games. And a few curse words uttered, well, more than a few. Sorry.

She put up with me and the Braves for more than 40 years – hearing me say I was done with them when a season ended shy of a championship. But then spring training would bloom. Pitchers and catchers would report.

For Christmas in 2019, she got us tickets to see the Braves first game in their new spring training home in North Port, Florida.

Spring training was our happy place.

So, you see, somewhere along the way over all the years, she became a fan. She went with me to minor league games to see Avery and Chipper. Andruw and Harris. She stood in line at a card show to get Tom Glavine’s autograph for me. In my salad days, she said I looked a bit like him.

And she even learned how to keep score. It started with her always getting me a program when we went to a game. A scorecard included. I guess she was bored, so she took over the scorekeeping duties. Or at least for a while. Most often, she would doze off at some point during the game. Hence the nickname Bear, for sleepy Bear.

So, last night, needing to do anything in my power to will a Braves win, I scratched out a quick scorecard at the last moment. I needed to keep score. Maybe it worked. And since I’m the superstitious sort when it comes to baseball, I’ll be keeping score through the remainder of the playoffs, however long they last – hopefully documenting 11 more wins.

Hopefully seeing Acuña, Olson and Ozzie celebrate a few more times like they did last night. And Chris Sale. Especially Chris Sale.

I will celebrate alone, except for texting with a few friends and my son and daughter. Maybe she’s smiling seeing me happy – wearing the 2021 Braves World Series T-shirt she got me that Christmas. I'll wear it every playoff game. And I'll remember all of those games we attended together – from Atlanta to Miami, Baltimore to Chicago. Milwaukee and Cincinnati. Trips to Yankee Stadium. Cooperstown.

She became a fan. And I was always her biggest fan.

If you’re keeping score, there is one other inning in this story. In that championship year of 2021, Hank Aaron died Jan. 22. My first grandchild was born a few minutes later that morning.

This year, we’ve lost more Braves legends – Horner, Bobby Cox, Ted Turner. And I have a new granddaughter.

There’s just something about baseball.

My scorecard from the Braves win over the Phillies last night. The win advances the Braves to the next playoff round against the Dodgers.

Dorinda next to Chipper Jones’ number at the Braves spring training complex in North Port, Florida, in February 2020.

Hank Aaron Way leading to the Braves spring training complex in North Port, Florida.

Dorinda and me at the May 7, 2023, Braves game.