baseball and the universe
I was going to go to either tonight's game or Thursday's (day) game against the Twins, but I hadn't really decided.
Typically I will listen to the universe if it sends me signals...and I took it as one this morning when I drove up to work to drop something off and a crazy strung out dude came right up to my car. I think it's a well known technique of people wanting money to kind of trap you in your car by standing so you can't open the door, but have to just roll down the window. I don't fall for it any more, and waved him off so I could get out. Drugdude had 2 mariners tickets to offload, which was a little weird since it's nowhere near the stadium and it's 8:45 in the morning.
I actually had no cash on me so I told him no go, even though he was desperate to unload them ($20 for the pair of $24 lower level tix). He tried to follow me into work:
"Take them... I trust you man, just come back out with the money."
"Sorry... look! I have to go!"
He took off, I did what I needed and then went to park my car and then got some cash and headed to get an iced latte. I reflected to myself, "it's as if the universe was telling me to go to tonight's game rather than Thursday's." Ok, I'll keep an eye out for drugdude and if I see him, I'll spring for the tix. I get my iced latte and lo and behold he's in front of the coffee shop, still trying to get those tickets sold. I flag him down and offer him $16 (it's a third of face value, I feel like a dick but I'm a bargain shopper with secondary tickets - it's a buyer's market right now).
"No man, these are $24 tickets, $30 for the two."
"You said $20 before." (I have a good memory for certain things. I can always remember the prices I've been quoted when negotiating a deal). He tries to haggle me up but it's no use, I know I have the upper hand... he needs his fix more than I need mine. I get them for my price, $16, but then stupidly I don't put out the call to any friends until late in the day and end up going to the game by myself.
The game is great. I give away my extra ticket at the box office since I've actually been given tickets (multiple times this year), and once it was at the box office... someone just turned in a single they didn't need and the box office person gave it to me when I was trying to buy one.
In Edgar's first plate appearance of the game, lo, his first plate appearance since announcing he'll retire at the end of this season, he sends one out. Pretty amazing... he gets a standing ovation before the game, another when he comes up to bat, then again after his dinger. I feel silly saying this, but there is some kind of magic in the air all of a sudden. Edgar's last season, the end of an era in seattle baseball. And as if all of us watching the game tonight were witnessing the passing of the torch, Bucky Jacobson went yard two batters later. M's put up a 4-spot in the bottom of the first... this definitely feels different.
The folks in front of me, down from Bellingham, were discussing Edgar and who is currently the best hitter in baseball. Just off hits and average, I believe Ichiro is tops right now... with 178 after tonight's game. But I remember learning in Ken Burns' BASEBALL that Ted Williams, arguably the best hitter ever, and the last to hit over 400, never tipped his cap to the fans. I thought about that when Edgar tipped his cap after his pre-game tribute, and when Ichiro, late in the game, waved to some fans sitting in my section (I was in area 51) who were from Japan and had painted his name (I'm guessing) in Japanese on their chests. I just wish I were going to be in town this weekend when Olerud returns as a Yankee. I think he'll be the first Yankee that I can remember rooting for.
I didn't sleep well last night and worked a long day, so I was a bit tired at the game, and for some reason it dawned on me that it would be a very satisfying thing to die at a baseball game. Baseball can be such an escape. Not that I wish to die, but if you did, you'd be blessed with a great last thought like "I hope he catches it!" or "we're gonna win!" or even "we'll get 'em tomorrow!" Why is it that hope springs eternal at a baseball game?
I've never really analyzed this much, but I think I have a soft spot for the AL Central. I'm a KC fan because that's my original home team, but I don't neccessarily hate the rest of the division or would be rivals like the Twins or the White Sox. I like that the Twins used to be full of Pierzynski's and Koskie's, which always sounded to me like they SHOULD be from MinneSOta. The Sox are underrated and live in the shadow of the Cubbies, so I root for them when I can to support my friend who's a South Side guy and Sox loyalist. Plus I'll always remember the Sox game I went to when Valentin hit for the cycle... the first time I saw a curtain call - the Sox let Valentin take the field first, and alone, after he achieved his feat. Pretty cool. Detroit is scrappy and they've usually sucked, but my soft spot for them is because they were the team that one of my friend's dad always picked out of the schedule when choosing a Royals game because we'd have a good shot at beating them handily.
Cleveland's the only black mark in the AL Central, and I just can't stand their mascot and the stupid drumming and tomahawk chop. It just makes me sad. (I try to balance the scales some rooting for the Twins' Kyle Lohse, who's part Native American). I think I'll just start calling them the Cleveland Spiders. I wish someone at Tulalip Casino had the balls to plan their upcoming "Native American Night" to fall on a M's vs. Indians game. Instead, it's against the Royals, on Aug. 26. I am gonna go... think I'll try to find an anti-chief wahoo shirt or hat by then to show my support.
Baseball is becoming more global, and you really see it with the Japanese fans at the M's games. I was next to a whole section of Japanese fans, and for the first time, I noticed something odd - they just stared at the screen confused during the 7th inning stretch. I don't know if it was just this group or not, but it had never occured to me before. Is there no 7th innning stretch in Japan? I'm guessing there's no "Take me out" but no stretch? (Did you know, by the way, that "Take me out to the ballgame" is sung from a woman's perspective?
One of my favorite pastimes within the pastime is critiquing the game ops people (who run sound, the scoreboard, etc.). They've disappointed me this year, with lame-o readerboard displays ("Pro-Villone" has got to be one of the worst, though a new one I saw tonight, "The one and LEONE" is up there to), mostly duds on at-bat / reliever music (bonus points for getting Hansen's MMM-Bop in while we had Dave Hansen, but you lose points for sleeping on the job with Mike Myers - you coulda had a field day but you dragged your heels and now he's gone). I should cut some slack, because that part will rebuild while we're rebuilding the roster. My early predictions based on seeing a Rainiers game in Edmonton recently: lamest work will be for Jeremy Reed, as they will probably fall back on Pearl Jam, though AJ Zapp will be the most fun (in Edmonton we were calling him the Bug Zapper, which I hope sticks and provides lots of fun sound effects and animation when he gets called up).
I saw a guy with an M's jersey and a Twins cap, and thought, that'll be me in a few weeks, with my Royals cap and M's shirt. Last year I made it on to the big screen for a second. They panned down our row until they got to me then cut away, probably because of my Royals cap.
It was a good game. We won. Lots of homeruns, which is nice when you've got seats in the outfield. I didn't die.
Walking to the bus from the stadium I was listening to "Can you feel the love tonight" from Lion King (don't ask) on my MP3 player while I watched these 5 drunk frat-looking guys leer at a hottie(who was probably only 16). She was wearing ridiculously short/lowcut shorts and one of the guys had his digital camera aimed at her rear. I watched his bizarre, anonymous violation of her as he snapped at least 20 pictures of her butt while walking away from the stadium, snapflash, check buttphoto in LCD screen, snapflash, repeat...
There's a calm surrender to the rush of day
When the heat of the rolling world can be turned away
An enchanted moment, and it sees me through
It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you
And can you feel the love tonight
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we got this far
Typically I will listen to the universe if it sends me signals...and I took it as one this morning when I drove up to work to drop something off and a crazy strung out dude came right up to my car. I think it's a well known technique of people wanting money to kind of trap you in your car by standing so you can't open the door, but have to just roll down the window. I don't fall for it any more, and waved him off so I could get out. Drugdude had 2 mariners tickets to offload, which was a little weird since it's nowhere near the stadium and it's 8:45 in the morning.
I actually had no cash on me so I told him no go, even though he was desperate to unload them ($20 for the pair of $24 lower level tix). He tried to follow me into work:
"Take them... I trust you man, just come back out with the money."
"Sorry... look! I have to go!"
He took off, I did what I needed and then went to park my car and then got some cash and headed to get an iced latte. I reflected to myself, "it's as if the universe was telling me to go to tonight's game rather than Thursday's." Ok, I'll keep an eye out for drugdude and if I see him, I'll spring for the tix. I get my iced latte and lo and behold he's in front of the coffee shop, still trying to get those tickets sold. I flag him down and offer him $16 (it's a third of face value, I feel like a dick but I'm a bargain shopper with secondary tickets - it's a buyer's market right now).
"No man, these are $24 tickets, $30 for the two."
"You said $20 before." (I have a good memory for certain things. I can always remember the prices I've been quoted when negotiating a deal). He tries to haggle me up but it's no use, I know I have the upper hand... he needs his fix more than I need mine. I get them for my price, $16, but then stupidly I don't put out the call to any friends until late in the day and end up going to the game by myself.
The game is great. I give away my extra ticket at the box office since I've actually been given tickets (multiple times this year), and once it was at the box office... someone just turned in a single they didn't need and the box office person gave it to me when I was trying to buy one.
In Edgar's first plate appearance of the game, lo, his first plate appearance since announcing he'll retire at the end of this season, he sends one out. Pretty amazing... he gets a standing ovation before the game, another when he comes up to bat, then again after his dinger. I feel silly saying this, but there is some kind of magic in the air all of a sudden. Edgar's last season, the end of an era in seattle baseball. And as if all of us watching the game tonight were witnessing the passing of the torch, Bucky Jacobson went yard two batters later. M's put up a 4-spot in the bottom of the first... this definitely feels different.
The folks in front of me, down from Bellingham, were discussing Edgar and who is currently the best hitter in baseball. Just off hits and average, I believe Ichiro is tops right now... with 178 after tonight's game. But I remember learning in Ken Burns' BASEBALL that Ted Williams, arguably the best hitter ever, and the last to hit over 400, never tipped his cap to the fans. I thought about that when Edgar tipped his cap after his pre-game tribute, and when Ichiro, late in the game, waved to some fans sitting in my section (I was in area 51) who were from Japan and had painted his name (I'm guessing) in Japanese on their chests. I just wish I were going to be in town this weekend when Olerud returns as a Yankee. I think he'll be the first Yankee that I can remember rooting for.
I didn't sleep well last night and worked a long day, so I was a bit tired at the game, and for some reason it dawned on me that it would be a very satisfying thing to die at a baseball game. Baseball can be such an escape. Not that I wish to die, but if you did, you'd be blessed with a great last thought like "I hope he catches it!" or "we're gonna win!" or even "we'll get 'em tomorrow!" Why is it that hope springs eternal at a baseball game?
I've never really analyzed this much, but I think I have a soft spot for the AL Central. I'm a KC fan because that's my original home team, but I don't neccessarily hate the rest of the division or would be rivals like the Twins or the White Sox. I like that the Twins used to be full of Pierzynski's and Koskie's, which always sounded to me like they SHOULD be from MinneSOta. The Sox are underrated and live in the shadow of the Cubbies, so I root for them when I can to support my friend who's a South Side guy and Sox loyalist. Plus I'll always remember the Sox game I went to when Valentin hit for the cycle... the first time I saw a curtain call - the Sox let Valentin take the field first, and alone, after he achieved his feat. Pretty cool. Detroit is scrappy and they've usually sucked, but my soft spot for them is because they were the team that one of my friend's dad always picked out of the schedule when choosing a Royals game because we'd have a good shot at beating them handily.
Cleveland's the only black mark in the AL Central, and I just can't stand their mascot and the stupid drumming and tomahawk chop. It just makes me sad. (I try to balance the scales some rooting for the Twins' Kyle Lohse, who's part Native American). I think I'll just start calling them the Cleveland Spiders. I wish someone at Tulalip Casino had the balls to plan their upcoming "Native American Night" to fall on a M's vs. Indians game. Instead, it's against the Royals, on Aug. 26. I am gonna go... think I'll try to find an anti-chief wahoo shirt or hat by then to show my support.
Baseball is becoming more global, and you really see it with the Japanese fans at the M's games. I was next to a whole section of Japanese fans, and for the first time, I noticed something odd - they just stared at the screen confused during the 7th inning stretch. I don't know if it was just this group or not, but it had never occured to me before. Is there no 7th innning stretch in Japan? I'm guessing there's no "Take me out" but no stretch? (Did you know, by the way, that "Take me out to the ballgame" is sung from a woman's perspective?
One of my favorite pastimes within the pastime is critiquing the game ops people (who run sound, the scoreboard, etc.). They've disappointed me this year, with lame-o readerboard displays ("Pro-Villone" has got to be one of the worst, though a new one I saw tonight, "The one and LEONE" is up there to), mostly duds on at-bat / reliever music (bonus points for getting Hansen's MMM-Bop in while we had Dave Hansen, but you lose points for sleeping on the job with Mike Myers - you coulda had a field day but you dragged your heels and now he's gone). I should cut some slack, because that part will rebuild while we're rebuilding the roster. My early predictions based on seeing a Rainiers game in Edmonton recently: lamest work will be for Jeremy Reed, as they will probably fall back on Pearl Jam, though AJ Zapp will be the most fun (in Edmonton we were calling him the Bug Zapper, which I hope sticks and provides lots of fun sound effects and animation when he gets called up).
I saw a guy with an M's jersey and a Twins cap, and thought, that'll be me in a few weeks, with my Royals cap and M's shirt. Last year I made it on to the big screen for a second. They panned down our row until they got to me then cut away, probably because of my Royals cap.
It was a good game. We won. Lots of homeruns, which is nice when you've got seats in the outfield. I didn't die.
Walking to the bus from the stadium I was listening to "Can you feel the love tonight" from Lion King (don't ask) on my MP3 player while I watched these 5 drunk frat-looking guys leer at a hottie(who was probably only 16). She was wearing ridiculously short/lowcut shorts and one of the guys had his digital camera aimed at her rear. I watched his bizarre, anonymous violation of her as he snapped at least 20 pictures of her butt while walking away from the stadium, snapflash, check buttphoto in LCD screen, snapflash, repeat...
There's a calm surrender to the rush of day
When the heat of the rolling world can be turned away
An enchanted moment, and it sees me through
It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you
And can you feel the love tonight
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer
That we got this far