Monday, June 26, 2006

Truly Is the College WORLD Series

We’ve attended two thrilling games in the final series of this year’s College World Series at Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium. Tonight’s game will determine the champion. But last night’s game revealed just how much of a “world” event this really has become.

All I did was say “hi” to the lady next to me, and found out the following:

She’s from San Diego, but flies to Omaha once a year to attend the entire Series as her annual vacation. She used to be in the Navy and has been all over the world, but was born and raised in upstate New York. Most of the jobs in the signature industry in her hometown – apples – have now been taken over by migrant workers flown in from Jamaica. They are put up in barracks with free room and board until the apples are picked, send every dime they make back home to Jamaica each week, and are flown back home when the harvest is over. It makes her very mad to see American jobs lost and the revenue leaving her old hometown . . . but that’s why the best college baseball in the world is such a great diversion.

Can’t wait to talk to her again next year. Mom might have told you not to speak to strangers . . . but you’re pretty safe at an all-American baseball game, and you just never know what in the world you might learn if you do.

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