My son (Kerry) wrote this story for his newspaper in rural Cass County, MO and sent me a copy about the game he attended on All-Star Night at the Kauffman Stadium Kansas City on July 10th. Many people will remember my Smith kinfolks who were baseball players in Miller County and surrounding area for many decades of the 20th century. I would like to share the story with you. Kerry was one of the sports journalists picked to attend the game and was set up in a special section where he could write his story and take great pictures as the game progressed. (Peggy Hake)​   

 

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It is going to take a long, long time for me to come down from the high I experienced last week at the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game!​ Wanting to make sure I was able to experience as much atmosphere and flavor of the game as possible, I got there early—but I didn't go inside immediately. Six Generations​. 

 

Before the game, I spent a long time talking with my mom, Peggy Smith-Hake, one of the biggest baseball fans you will ever meet. And we talked about just how far back baseball goes in my family. My great-grandfather, Frank "Cap" Smith played professional baseball for three years in the early 1900s. Mom reminded me that in those days, players had to make their own way from their homes to the towns where they played. For "Cap" that meant walking and hitching rides from Iberia, Mo., to small towns in Arkansas, especially Paragould. Then he would make maybe a dollar a game, and still had to pay his own expenses! He played in those early games with the old St. Louis Browns baseball team. Sadly, for great-grandpa, after the 1916 season, he went home to Iberia and was working in the corn fields when a corn knife slipped in his hand and severely damaged his leg, ending his baseball career. 

 

But the love of the game was passed to his sons, three of whom played baseball for most of their lives. My grandfather, Oliver Smith, and great uncles Conard "Cap" and Glenn Smith, were outstanding players on the Iberia town teams throughout the years.

 

​As a matter of fact, great uncle Glenn made it into the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system as a pitcher. Mom, her brother Bill, and most of their cousins, continued the baseball tradition in the family. Mom, of course, is the big St. Louis Cardinals fan—but also loves her KC. Royals, too!

 

Uncle Bill played ball in his youth, and then went on to coach his sons, Randy and Rusty, in baseball throughout their young lives. 

 

Of course, in my family line, there is no bigger baseball fan than Kerry (sorry Kathy, Kelly and Kirk, but you can't beat my love of the game!). And while I never made it to the professional level as a player, I still am a professional when it comes to the sport. 

 

My nephew Ray and great-nephew Kolin are big baseball fans and I know they will continue this family tradition and hand it on down to their kids, too. 

 

Once Mom and I said goodbye, I said hello to Kauffman Stadium. Since it was early in the day, it was almost like a ghost town inside as I walked around the main concourse and took in all of the sights of Kansas City prior to the big event for the Summer of 2012 in Missouri-----THE ALL STAR GAME AT KAUFFMAN STADIUM.........

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