Best. Game. Ever.
So I went to the Mariner's game today. They played the Reds in the last of a 3 game series and had each won a game. The important thing about it being the Reds however was that it brought Griffey to town for possibly the only time in his post-Mariner career (it will probably be 6 years before they come here again and he may easily be retired by then).
So going into the game, having watched the previous two on TV, I only had 3 things I wanted to see. Griffey hitting a homerun (he hadn't in the other games, and had mostly struck out), Griffey making a great catch, and the Mariners win.
His first at bat in the top of the first he hits a long fly ball into deep left field. Willie Bloomquist races out to the wall leaps up at the perfect time, reaches over the wall and the ball disappears. The crowd cheers some. Griffey stops running between first and second. Bloomquist comes walking back in from the wall, but he doesn't throw the ball in and there's this wierd confused quiet in the stadium. Then, somehow, it becomes clear he doesn't have the ball, which means Jr. hit a homerun and the place erupts as he circles the bases. So one item checked off plus the wierdness of the whole stadium cheering for the other team scoring (I'd seen it once before, but under very different circumstances).
A few innings later the Mariners seem to be getting some offense going, nothing big, but there was a feeling. So there was a man on first and the batter hit a fly to short right. Griffey comes racing in and makes a diving/falling catch, pops up and throws to first for the double play as the runner who was on first watches in amazement standing on second base - he made no attempt to get back to first, he really wasn't expecting the catch. Rally killed. Two items checked off.
Griffey's third at bat. Pow! Deep into right-center. No question this time. The place goes nuts. So now it's 2-0 and Griffey is beating the Mariners all by himself.
A couple of innings later the Mariners string together some good hitting and get back to a 2-2 tie. So there's a better chance they could win. They seem to have developed a strong come-from-behind skill this year.
With one out in the 7th, Betancourt comes up and hits a line drive into left. And from the box he's running full speed, never hesitates and stretches a single into a sliding double. He totally stole an extra base. Next batter bunts, and the fielder turns and throws to 3rd but Betancourt outruns the throw again and is safe. So it's not even a sacrifice. Then Willie comes up and, first pitch, they pull off a suicide squeeze with a bunt so good he beats it to first and everybody is safe. So now it's 3-2. And nobody scores for the rest of the game. The Mariners win.
So in the end I wound up going 6 for 3 in my list. Two homeruns, a great catch, Mariners win, a squeeze (rare and exciting), AND Griffey tied and passed McQwire on the all time list with those 2 homeruns.
And I watched it all for free with two great friends from a comfy reclining chair in a suite (courtesy of the bank of the company I work for) right above first base.
That's going to be hard to top.
So going into the game, having watched the previous two on TV, I only had 3 things I wanted to see. Griffey hitting a homerun (he hadn't in the other games, and had mostly struck out), Griffey making a great catch, and the Mariners win.
His first at bat in the top of the first he hits a long fly ball into deep left field. Willie Bloomquist races out to the wall leaps up at the perfect time, reaches over the wall and the ball disappears. The crowd cheers some. Griffey stops running between first and second. Bloomquist comes walking back in from the wall, but he doesn't throw the ball in and there's this wierd confused quiet in the stadium. Then, somehow, it becomes clear he doesn't have the ball, which means Jr. hit a homerun and the place erupts as he circles the bases. So one item checked off plus the wierdness of the whole stadium cheering for the other team scoring (I'd seen it once before, but under very different circumstances).
A few innings later the Mariners seem to be getting some offense going, nothing big, but there was a feeling. So there was a man on first and the batter hit a fly to short right. Griffey comes racing in and makes a diving/falling catch, pops up and throws to first for the double play as the runner who was on first watches in amazement standing on second base - he made no attempt to get back to first, he really wasn't expecting the catch. Rally killed. Two items checked off.
Griffey's third at bat. Pow! Deep into right-center. No question this time. The place goes nuts. So now it's 2-0 and Griffey is beating the Mariners all by himself.
A couple of innings later the Mariners string together some good hitting and get back to a 2-2 tie. So there's a better chance they could win. They seem to have developed a strong come-from-behind skill this year.
With one out in the 7th, Betancourt comes up and hits a line drive into left. And from the box he's running full speed, never hesitates and stretches a single into a sliding double. He totally stole an extra base. Next batter bunts, and the fielder turns and throws to 3rd but Betancourt outruns the throw again and is safe. So it's not even a sacrifice. Then Willie comes up and, first pitch, they pull off a suicide squeeze with a bunt so good he beats it to first and everybody is safe. So now it's 3-2. And nobody scores for the rest of the game. The Mariners win.
So in the end I wound up going 6 for 3 in my list. Two homeruns, a great catch, Mariners win, a squeeze (rare and exciting), AND Griffey tied and passed McQwire on the all time list with those 2 homeruns.
And I watched it all for free with two great friends from a comfy reclining chair in a suite (courtesy of the bank of the company I work for) right above first base.
That's going to be hard to top.