SEATTLE MARINERS

Baseball memories: A backyard diamond made of pillowcases; a ball full of autographs

Apr 7, 2016, 10:39 AM | Updated: Apr 8, 2016, 5:27 am

Dave Ross says his dad finagled autographs from every member of the 1961 New York Yankees. That inc...

Dave Ross says his dad finagled autographs from every member of the 1961 New York Yankees. That includes Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, and Roger Maris. (Contributed by Dave Ross)

(Contributed by Dave Ross)

In honor of the Mariners’ home opener, we are asking 710 ESPN Seattle and KIRO Radio hosts about their favorite baseball memories. Leave your own unforgettable moment in the comments.

If you build it, they will come.

It’s a mantra not only used by Kevin Costner but also 10-year-old Dave Ross, who built a baseball diamond in his backyard.

“I used old pillow cases – not old enough according to my mom – which I stuffed with undershirts,” said the KIRO Radio host. “I built a pitcher’s mound, I had the running lanes and everything. We had a fairly big backyard and my dad would throw batting practice.”

It was all perfect – until he started playing against kids his own age.

“I got to little league and figured out the pitchers weren’t actually trying to help me hit the ball,” he said. “And that’s when things got kind of ruined for me.”

But that’s not all. Listen to the mafia-esque way Ross’s dad finagled autographs from every member of the 1961 Yankees.

Other baseball memories: ‘C’mon, son. Rock and fire’ | Why grandpa’s are the best | It all started with an 11-year-old named ‘Boogie’

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Baseball memories: A backyard diamond made of pillowcases; a ball full of autographs