For The Love Of The Game

Growing up in this great city I attended my fair share of games at Bush Stadium, the former home of Indianapolis baseball and the Indianapolis Indians.  Fans would pack the house, as many  as 18,000 with the bleachers full and standing room only.  Great players came and went, Pedro Borbon, Tony Concepcion, Ken Griffey and many others who would one day move up to the "Show." 

And then their were the those that didn't play, but made being at the game exciting and the park more alive.  Folks like Clem the beer man singing out "Hey, hey, hey" as 15,000 fans joined in with him.  The shouts of "Cold Beer, Cold Beer" from Mr. Douglas, who now in his 70's sells Cotton Candy at Victory Field.  There was Pappy Mundell a gentleman who, even in his eighties would visit the park nearly every evening and often dance a jig for the fans near his seats.  But most of all, I remember the calls of "Walk Please" and "Foul Ball, Foul" coming from an usher working the third base line for nearly 25 years. 

Then one day the stadium fell silent.  On July 4th, 2002 just prior to the beginning of the Fourth of July Fireworks game, the Indianapolis Indians held a moment of silence for my Father, Earl Soots.  This site is dedicated to him, a man who truly loved the game.