ARTICLE
How was your Labor Day Weekend? For many business and community members, the Labor Day weekend is the last summer hurrah to enjoy family and friends at the beach, in the mountains, sailing on the Monterey Bay, attending a Labor Day picnic or just casually at home BBQing with family and neighbors before the fall school year begins. In the last few years I have created a tradition of enjoying America’s past-time at the ball park — in this instance the San Francisco Giants @ Oracle Park — (for-merly AT&T Park and before that PacBell Park). For those of you who know me well, I am an avid northern California sports fan. I follow my San Francisco Giants, my Golden State Warriors and my San Francisco 49ers through thick or thin. I am not a casual fan and lucky for us Northern California sports fans, the last decade has been pretty darn good for two of my favorites— the SF Giants (3 World Series Championships) and the Golden State Warriors (3 NBA titles and five consecutive trips to the Championship series). Sorry if you are a Lakers, Dodgers, Athletics, Angels or Padres fan — it just isn’t your decade. Going to a ball game, watching the amazing athletes, smelling the wonderful hot dogs, burgers, popcorn, ice cream, cotton candy and crackerjacks and so many other delicious smells that make up today’s “ball park food.” To me, attending a Major League Baseball Game is as American as apple pie. Now, you are probably wondering what does Labor Day weekend and baseball have to do with the Santa Cruz County Chamber business community? Well, in short, a lot! From the moment you walk into the park, the crack of the bat, the fast ball hitting the catcher’s mitt, the smells and the energy of the crowd associated with a base-ball game brings out the best in America. For a few hours on a sunny day (yes San Francisco was in the high 70s, sunny and not a cloud in the sky) avid baseball fans, the casual fan or just the one-game fan enjoyed America’s past-time. All across America — Labor Day weekend reminds us that the long hot days of August are behind. It is month of September that determines which teams make the playoffs and which teams lick their wounds and prepare for a long off season. The grind of the work week is miles and miles away Yes, the SF Giants are in a down year. In a word: dismissal and only a slim-to-none mathematical chance of making the playoffs. But for avid baseball fans there is always the love of the game. Attending a baseball game magically takes our minds and thoughts away from the zaniness of the work week. Whether it be the intensity of engaging our public officials in advocating about issues that impact our businesses, or producing content driven events with a focus and dedication to our mission and cause. For a fleeting few hours, I was whisked away in America’s past-time. I watched the magic of the battle between pitcher and batter, outfielders and infielders making acrobatic plays, home runs, strikeouts, and double plays. I heard the home crowd cheer and banter about their Giants and opposing Padres fans gleefully cheer as the San Diego Padres took out their year of frustration on the Giants. Yes, the Padres won both the Saturday and Sunday games but not without a fight. There were amazing plays by both teams — a rookies’ first hit, a rookie pitcher going strong for six innings, an opposing light hitting infielder hitting two home runs and a pitcher collapsing in pain as he pulled a muscle in his shoulder. Through it all, it is our American Past-time at its best during the Labor Day Week-end. People from every walk-of-life are in the stands. Your position at work has no meaning at the ball park. Today, there is only one common theme: YOUR ARE HERE TO WATCH OUR NATIONAL PAST-TIME. For me there were four magical moments that happened during the weekend — lis-tening to the graceful vocalist singing our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and the San Francisco Giants crowd’s version of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” Seeing the crowd cheer for a young child yelling “play ball” and the standing ovations for soon to be retiring Giants Manager Bruce Bochy and soon to be free agent Pablo Sandoval as he took what might be his last at-bat as a Giant as he prepares for a season ending shoulder surgery. Yes, America’s Past-time on a Holiday Weekend offered a pause from the weekly work of your Chamber CEO. To me America’s Past-time removes the strains of the po-litical battle lines; the obstruction caused by differing views who are firmly en-trenched in their ideological corners, and the faint of heart who choose not to en-gage and stand on the sidelines of neutrality. The holiday is over and now it is back to the grind of representing the Chamber. Recruiting and retaining members through important projects and programs. Pressing forward on what is so vital to our community — economic vibrancy, more affordable housing projects, a better and more effective transportation system. Above all else finding every opportunity to promote the Santa Cruz County Chamber’s 130 years as the voice of the business community.
In the last few years I have created a tradition of enjoying America’s past-time at the ball park — in this instance the San Francisco Giants @ Oracle Park — (for-merly AT&T Park and before that PacBell Park). For those of you who know me well, I am an avid northern California sports fan. I follow my San Francisco Giants, my Golden State Warriors and my San Francisco 49ers through thick or thin. I am not a casual fan and lucky for us Northern California sports fans, the last decade has been pretty darn good for two of my favorites— the SF Giants (3 World Series Championships) and the Golden State Warriors (3 NBA titles and five consecutive trips to the Championship series). Sorry if you are a Lakers, Dodgers, Athletics, Angels or Padres fan — it just isn’t your decade.
Going to a ball game, watching the amazing athletes, smelling the wonderful hot dogs, burgers, popcorn, ice cream, cotton candy and crackerjacks and so many other delicious smells that make up today’s “ball park food.” To me, attending a Major League Baseball Game is as American as apple pie.
Now, you are probably wondering what does Labor Day weekend and baseball have to do with the Santa Cruz County Chamber business community? Well, in short, a lot!
From the moment you walk into the park, the crack of the bat, the fast ball hitting the catcher’s mitt, the smells and the energy of the crowd associated with a base-ball game brings out the best in America. For a few hours on a sunny day (yes San Francisco was in the high 70s, sunny and not a cloud in the sky) avid baseball fans, the casual fan or just the one-game fan enjoyed America’s past-time. All across America — Labor Day weekend reminds us that the long hot days of August are behind. It is month of September that determines which teams make the playoffs and which teams lick their wounds and prepare for a long off season. The grind of the work week is miles and miles away Yes, the SF Giants are in a down year. In a word: dismissal and only a slim-to-none mathematical chance of making the playoffs. But for avid baseball fans there is always the love of the game. Attending a baseball game magically takes our minds and thoughts away from the zaniness of the work week. Whether it be the intensity of engaging our public officials in advocating about issues that impact our businesses, or producing content driven events with a focus and dedication to our mission and cause. For a fleeting few hours, I was whisked away in America’s past-time. I watched the magic of the battle between pitcher and batter, outfielders and infielders making acrobatic plays, home runs, strikeouts, and double plays. I heard the home crowd cheer and banter about their Giants and opposing Padres fans gleefully cheer as the San Diego Padres took out their year of frustration on the Giants.
Yes, the Padres won both the Saturday and Sunday games but not without a fight. There were amazing plays by both teams — a rookies’ first hit, a rookie pitcher going strong for six innings, an opposing light hitting infielder hitting two home runs and a pitcher collapsing in pain as he pulled a muscle in his shoulder. Through it all, it is our American Past-time at its best during the Labor Day Week-end. People from every walk-of-life are in the stands. Your position at work has no meaning at the ball park. Today, there is only one common theme: YOUR ARE HERE TO WATCH OUR NATIONAL PAST-TIME.
For me there were four magical moments that happened during the weekend — lis-tening to the graceful vocalist singing our National Anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and the San Francisco Giants crowd’s version of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game.” Seeing the crowd cheer for a young child yelling “play ball” and the standing ovations for soon to be retiring Giants Manager Bruce Bochy and soon to be free agent Pablo Sandoval as he took what might be his last at-bat as a Giant as he prepares for a season ending shoulder surgery. Yes, America’s Past-time on a Holiday Weekend offered a pause from the weekly work of your Chamber CEO. To me America’s Past-time removes the strains of the po-litical battle lines; the obstruction caused by differing views who are firmly en-trenched in their ideological corners, and the faint of heart who choose not to en-gage and stand on the sidelines of neutrality.
The holiday is over and now it is back to the grind of representing the Chamber. Recruiting and retaining members through important projects and programs. Pressing forward on what is so vital to our community — economic vibrancy, more affordable housing projects, a better and more effective transportation system. Above all else finding every opportunity to promote the Santa Cruz County Chamber’s 130 years as the voice of the business community.