Henry L. Aaron and Willie Howard Mays, Jr.

Last night, my girlfriend and I were fortunate enough to attend a live television show — HBO Sports’ CostasNow. The edition was devoted exclusively to the state of baseball.

Marci is far from a huge baseball fan, so I gave her a quick, introductory lesson about the topics being discussed and the Hall of Famers in attendance — Bob Gibson, Jim Palmer, Dave Winfield. Billy Crystal needed no such introduction. And, oh yeah, these two other guys were there, too. Henry L. Aaron and Willie Howard Mays, Jr.

It was fascinating to watch a live tv show from the first row. Next to Bob Costas, we had the best seats in the house. Hank Aaron and Willie Mays on stage together, just steps away from us. Where were we? The NYU Center for the Arts? Or heaven?

Marci was enamored with the skill and humor of Bob Costas. He’s a pro’s pro’s pro. Or whatever it is you call the best.

An amazing hour-and-a-half of live tv. When it ended, with Aaron and Mays on stage together, Costas asked the audience to please stay seated for another five minutes (at that point, Bob, I would have given you five years without a protest) so they could do some type of promo for HBO.com.

Then, as sometimes happens in baseball — and life — a first-rate curveball.

Willie Mays, simply, opened up. He went on and on and on. And Costas let him go. Five minutes turned into 30. But, I swear, it felt like seconds.

If you want something worthwhile to do with your time, I implore you to watch this show. I’m not sure how it translates to the screen, but, in person, it was enchanting.

I only wish that the person who introduced me to the pure beauty of baseball could have been there, too. It sure felt like heaven last night, Dad. Maybe it was.