Andrew Breitbart loved his family, loved America and “America’s Pastime,” the game of baseball.
A few years ago he and I split some season tickets to the Dodgers. Tickets we divvied up in the bleachers of his son’s Little League game. Andrew also loved to wander over to UCLA, near his home, to watch the Bruins play baseball when he had free time.
During that season the Dodgers made it to the playoffs and it made Andrew very happy.
One of my fondest memories is when I was taking my family to a game. Andrew had at the last minute been given four VIP tickets with Dugout Club passes and premiere parking.
He called me while I was stuck in freeway traffic slow-rolling to Dodger Stadium and asked if I could join him. Since I already had our usual tickets and was taking the wife and kids, I told him “no,” and that I’d try to meet him for the Seventh inning Stretch.
Since it was late notice, Andrew was only able to find one taker to join him. Instead of just letting the remaining two tickets go unused, he decided to try to unload them at the game.
Much to our surprise, when we pulled into to the parking kiosk lines at Chavez Ravine, there was Andrew, bigger than life and in his best scalper impersonation, shouting at the cars, “Who Needs Two? Who needs a pair?!”
The drivers were clearly skeptical of this man, as they passed him by…no takers.
I pulled up to him and said, “What the hell are you doing, buddy?! Get in the car!” He laughed his great belly laugh and scoffed, “Hell no! These are great seats and I’d feel terrible if they went to waste. Maybe I can make some new friends. Don’t worry, I won’t be long… see you at the Stretch.” And off he went hollering, “Yo! Who needs a pair?!”
That’s when I nicknamed him “Scalper”.
At the stretch, I found Andrew with his new friends, and while we sipped our 3.2 beer he said, “God I love this place! This is America. Baseball is America. The families, the melting pot. E Pluribus Unum, baby!”
If you see baseball the way Andrew did, it does truly represent America at her best: People from all walks of life, peaceably gathering to passionately cheer, or boo in dissent. Even though you can’t win ’em all, we never give up. We fight the good fight and play the game to win.
Andrew Breitbart was a loving family man, unapologetic American patriot and truly one of a kind.
The Dodgers are once again in spring training and a year has passed since we lost Andrew way too long before the 9th inning.
We miss you dearly, friend.
May God be continuing to take our dear “Scalper” out to greater victories in the great old ball game in the sky.
Photo credit: Christian of the Dennis Miller Show
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