My Day At The Ball Park
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So I am on vacation in San Francisco. My wife's cousins are big Giants fans. They said "hey, why don't we go to a Giants game." We said "great." Next thing you know, I am sitting in Pac Bell, er, AT&T park in front row seats, right next to the Rockies dugout. I could lean over and look right into their dugout. I have never been so close to a game before.
Here is one thing I learned. In San Francisco, Barry Bonds is a hero. They don't view him the way the rest of the world views him. Even today, after the record is broken, when he comes up to bat, everyone scurries to their seats, the flashbulbs pop, and he is cheered wildly. When Josh Fogg intentionally walked him, I even joined in the chorus mocking him. The thing is, from where I was sitting, Fogg could actually hear me. Same with Brad Hawpe who inexplicably, after hitting a home run, was asked to bunt in order to move runners to 2nd and 3rd with the 8th and 9th spot in the order coming up. I leaned over the railing to ask him why he bunted. He didn't answer. Anyway, back to Bonds. He went 1-3 with that intentional walk. I had a great view when he got to first base.
The crazies were still waiting in McCovey Cove, praying for a little splash.
Anyway, sitting were we were, we had the shot to get many baseballs. The kids sitting next to me were cleaning up. They had 3 ball by the mid innings. These were good kids. When they got yet another ball, they gave it to another little kid. No crying, no whining, nothing. Obviously we were sitting next to them also trying to get a ball, but it was tough going for four adults. So these kids made it their mission to get us a ball. In the bottom of the seventh, Omar Vizquel, my cousin's favorite player, smoked a ball to left field. Holliday made the catch at the wall, and my two little companions started screaming his name the whole time he trotted back to the dugout. When he got close, he flipped the ball into the stands and next thing I know, my little friends had their 5th ball of the game, which they turned over to me. Usually it is the other way around. Anyway, good kids.
Here is something I am sure you don't know. Todd Helton has a very nasty tobacco habit. Every half inning he puts in another thing of Skoal. Being as close as I was, I told him it was a nasty habit. I told him it was going to cause cancer. I told him I knew a good periodentist for when his gums started to deteriorate. He ignored me. He didn't seem like a nice guy. Before the game, when my little friends asked for his autograph, he said "sorry guys, I gotta go play a big league game." Anyway, the kids left in the top of the 8th and we moved across into their seats. The Giants roared for three runs against Jorge Julio. I was going to heckle him, but he was very big and I was sitting awfully close. So close that I asked LaTroy Hawkins for one of the packs of sunflower seeds. He ignored me. Anyway, Dave Roberts ended the 8th by hitting a ground ball to Atkins at third who flipped to Helton for the final out. Helton came running toward the dugout and I held my hand out with the rest of the fans. He threw an underhand bullet into the stands and there was a loud thud as I barehanded the ball. It was a nice catch. Even my wife said so and as a former D1 athlete, she is always mocking my athletic prowess. Anyway, I didn't even have to prey on little kids this time. I got this one fair and square. I gave my Omar Vizquel ball to my cousin and we were all happy. I gotta tell you. It was quite a thrill to actually catch the ball.
And to top everything off. Brian Wilson got the win. I just picked him up and put him in my fantasy starting lineup. it was a good night at a great park.
Oh, and Barry Bonds is a cheater no matter what the good people of San Fran., my cousins included, say.
