All-Star Fans

CORPUS CHRISTI - Any baseball fan will tell you that a bad day at the park beats a good day at the office.

On Tuesday, Whataburger Field played host to the 79th Texas League All-Star Game, which was better than a day just about anywhere else.

The grandeur of an All-Star Game draws fans from around the country who want to participate in the activities, as well as witness first-hand the talent that congregates on the field. A total of 7,370 spectators came to watch an array of future big league talent in Corpus Christi.

For some, like Alberto Rodriguez and four-year-old son Santiago, Tuesday night was a high-energy undertaking. The Corpus Christi family came early to hold down their spots on the right-field berm in order to guarantee themselves the best chance to reel in souvenirs from the Stripes Home Run Derby.

Later that night, Santiago and his dad could be found proudly playing catch with one of the five balls they hauled in during the pre-game festivities.

Jay Giertz knows all-too-well the importance of snagging preferential seating early. Giertz and her family were among the first in line before gates opened in order to secure her favorite location in the park - the furthest picnic table to the right on the first row of the Goodwill Zone.

Giertz comes to just about every Hooks game, and has done so for the past five years. She grew up with a brother who played baseball and loves to continue the family tradition with her own grandchildren, three of which were with her Tuesday.

Her favorite all-time Hook is T.J. Steele, an outfielder who played parts of three season in Corpus Christi from 2010 to 2012. In 2015, her affections have shifted to infielder Tyler White. It's no surprise her favorite part of the night was the Home Run Derby, which White won, though she could have done without the stream of projectiles that landed around her beyond the left field fence.

"I didn't get any hit to me - and that's ok."

Baseball is perhaps best known for the bond it can forge between father and son. Doug Allen and son Zach spent Tuesday night the same way they've spent countless other nights - watching a baseball game. Zach is a sophomore at Flour Bluff High School and says he can't get enough baseball.

"Baseball has been something that we've both been passionate about," the elder Allen said. "It's always cool to have a passion with your son - a common love of sport or anything like that. It's been a great time to spend together."

The Allens moved to Corpus Christi from Louisiana in April and within the first week of residency found themselves at Whataburger Field. When they noted the upcoming All-Star Game, son quickly convinced father of their mutual need to be in attendance.

Ultimately, it didn't take much convincing as Doug and Zach found a table right behind the visitors' bullpen Tuesday night and watched North Division starter Nate Smith get loose before taking the mound.

Not everyone in attendance was from South Texas. Fans arrived from all over to take part in this Double-A version of the Midsummer Classic. Dave England, wife Joanna, and son Cooper came down from Frisco for Tuesday night's game.

Dave, a born-and-bred Rangers fan who is a big supporter of the RoughRiders, was nonetheless impressed by Whataburger Field.

"We kept hearing great things about the ballpark here, and all of those things are true," England said. "It's an incredible place and an incredibly fun experience."

England loves visiting new ballparks, so the chance to cross another one off his list was too good to pass up.

"What I like when I'm visiting a new ballpark is to see what makes it unique," England said. "I love the oddities. Here, you've got the water slide, you've got the overview of the bridge. Those were the two main things that attracted me to coming here. They are really two awesome qualities."

Before the game, the England family made the lap around the stadium to get a full tour. They landed on the right-field berm for batting practice and were promptly greeted with a baseball off the bat of an All-Star, a story Dave will love re-telling Cooper as he gets older.

The All-Star Game provided family fun for thousands of people Tuesday night. There were out-of-town visitors, locals coming to the stadium for the first time, lifelong Hooks supporters, and everyone else in between. There was a FanFest with rocking music, autograph sessions, a Home Run Derby, and all the best talent the Texas League could offer.

But when the final reverberations of the National Anthem had trickled out of the stadium and the lineups had been announced, the All-Star Game looked strikingly similar to any other Hooks game. There were kids playing basketball and climbing the rock wall. There were fans loading up on gear in the team store. There were dads teaching their sons about America's Pastime.

A baseball game, especially one with the deserved hype of Tuesday's All-Star Game, brings families and friends closer together.

That sure beats a day at the office.