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A Beautiful Day for a Baseball Game
By Mister Rogers (as you might imagine he’d write it)
Hello, neighbor.
Sometimes, there are days that feel just a little more special than others. Tuesday, October 24th, 1916, was one of those days. At a lovely ballpark by the bay—Oracle Park in San Francisco—the Giants and the Astros came together to play a very important game: the first game of the World Series.
Now, baseball is a game where everyone has a role. Every pitcher, every batter, every person cheering in the stands. And on this day, a young man named Aidan Stevens played his role very well indeed. He was the starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, and oh my, what a calm and steady job he did.
Mr. Stevens pitched for eight full innings and didn’t allow a single run. He let just six batters reach base safely with hits, but he never got upset or flustered. He just kept throwing the ball, doing his best, showing his team that he cared. That’s what it means to be a good teammate, neighbor.
And speaking of teammates—Mr. Nate Moser was there to help too. He had three hits and brought home three runners. He was patient, kind to the ball, and gave his team a little more breathing room with each swing. Another friend, Mr. Ladino, scored three runs and hit a double that made the whole ballpark smile.
The Astros tried their best too. That’s important to remember. They had six hits of their own, and their pitcher, Mr. Peters, worked very hard through almost eight innings. Everyone gave it their best. And that's one of the nicest lessons baseball teaches us—win or lose, we can be proud of trying.
The final score was 4-0. The Giants won Game 1 of the World Series, but tomorrow is a new day, and another game. Another chance to care, to play, to try again.
So whether you're a Giant, an Astro, or someone cheering from home, I want to say: I'm proud of you. It’s a good feeling to know we’re all doing our best in our own way.
I’ll see you again soon, neighbor. Until then—keep playing fair, keep swinging for the fences, and most of all… keep being you.
With love,
Mister Rogers 🧥⚾💛
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