The first sentence of my info for my Baseball Santa was "I would really want my Baseball Santa's gift to me to reflect what they love about Baseball."

That is exactly what I got, and I couldn't be happier!

Baseball means something special to all of us, no matter what teams we are cheering for. It's about parents and children (not just fathers and sons, as evidenced by all the female participants in this exchange) passing on this legendary game. It's about having an excuse to get outdoors on a patch of fresh grass and dirt and work up a sweat. It's about chowing down on some delicious food or enjoying a cold beer while watching grown men play a childhood game. It's about the thrills, laughs, suspense, and sometimes even tears that come with loving the game.

Baseball is something you can talk about with any other fan, even if they are from your rival team. I love sitting next to opposing fans at Tigers games. We can poke fun at each other and have a hell of a good time, because, in the end, We are there for the same reason; To relax with some freinds/family and forget all the other stuff in the world for a few hours.

Sarah's Rangers may have knocked off my Tigers in the ALCS a few years ago, but I am proud to add this ball to my collection! It reminds me of when my parents took me to the long-gone Tiger Stadium when I was a kid to see the one and only Nolan Ryan pitch against the Tigers when he played for the Rangers. It reminds me that Ian Kinsler and Joe Nathan came to the Tigers via the Rangers...and it will remind of a girl who went to her brother's ball games growing up and likes Big League Chew. If that isn't what being a baseball fan is all about, then I don't know what is.

TL;DR My Baseball Santa gave me exactly what I wanted, and captured the spirit of the game. She rocks!