It’s the first Monday in April, a clear but cold day.
I walk into Sweet Arts Bakery in Geneseo, take off my mittens, chat with the woman behind the counter about the weather.
She tells me that snow is predicted for the next day. Yes, snow.
It occurs to me that given these conditions, especially if a cold wind accompanies the snow, that somewhere out there on a high school athletic field an umpire will yell, “Play ball.”
On the field, the softball players or baseball players will go about their business, pitching, catching, hitting, that sort of thing.
Don’t worry about them. They’re young, hardy, oblivious.
But on the sidelines, there are parents, uncles, aunts, friends of the family.
They are wrapped in blankets. Blankets are key.
There are other essentials.
Imagine you’re going to a November Bills game even though it’s April. Layer up. Sweatshirts, winter coats, hand warmers, mittens, knit caps, last will and testament.
Don’t forget to leave a list of your passwords at home, just in case. Really, make sure that someone has your Netflix sign-on before you head to the game.
And do your homework. You need something to say. Talking keeps the hypothermia away.
Try to remember what you’re streaming so you can hop onto a chat about “Jury Duty/Company Retreat” or any one of the 16 versions of “The Forsyte Saga.”
If you’re lucky, you’ll be standing beside a goofball uncle who has the weather chat down cold.
He blames all of Rochester’s weatherpersons for not warning everyone about the gale-force winds that sweep across the field just as the first pitch is thrown. Stacey Pengsten, Eric Snitil, Scott Hetsko, they all got it wrong.
A parent defends them. An argument breaks out. The innings fly by.
Speaking of the weather, someone is going to bring up the Jack London story, “To Build a Fire.” You might give it a quick read before the game.
There was a time in New York state schools that every kid read “To Build a Fire.” It had some life lessons for survival in upstate: Don’t travel alone into the cold unknown. Take a dog. Listen to the dog. Build a fire. Stay awake. Remember to cheer if your kid gets a hit.
Actually, London didn’t mention how to watch a kid playing spring sports in Rochester, or Cohocton or Holley. But any parents who mention “To Build a Fire” have a point. Best to build a fire. Best to gather round. Best to sing.
There will a be a day, of course, when you don’t need a fire. The sun will shine. The temperature will hit 70 degrees. Your kid will get in. The team will win.
All of that could happen this spring, even in western New York.
But not this day. I zip up my coat, put on my mittens, and leave the bakery.
The wind is blowing. The snow is on its way. It’s springtime. Play ball.
Remarkable Rochesterian
I recently wrote of Kathie Quinlan, a health-care pioneer who died March 4, 2026, at age 89. Let’s add her name to the list of Remarkable Rochesterians that can be found at: https://data.democratandchronicle.com/remarkable-rochesterians/.
Kathie Quinlan (1937-2026): With the help of Father Jim Callan and others at Corpus Christi Church in Rochester, she founded Isaiah House in 1986. The hospice cares for two mortally ill people at the time, providing, at no cost, help to manage pain and other symptoms, but not offering medical intervention. In the beginning, many of the residents were suffering from AIDs and not welcome in other places. As time went on, she became an advocate for hospice care in speeches and in her book, “Blessing Our Goodbyes.” A native of Rochester and a graduate of Nazareth Academy and Nazareth College (now University) who retired in 2007 from Isaiah House, she was a speech pathologist before becoming a nurse.
From his home in Geneseo, Livingston County, retired senior editor Jim Memmott writes Remarkable Rochester about who we were, who we are. He can be reached at jmemmott@gannett.com or write Box 274, Geneseo, NY 14454.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: April baseball means snowflakes and very brave parents
Reporting by Jim Memmott, Special to Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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