I think I've told you many time of my love of baseball and especially of the San Francisco Giants. There are so many reasons that I love both of these things-you know the fabulous ball park, the view of the city, the sell outs, the food and a great team who like me-lived in New York before coming to the Bay Area-I identify with them. I had the opportunity last spring to buy tickets from a fellow teacher who runs a bus tour company to go to the game and not have to drive. Myself and some friends from work decided then to buy these tickets and go to the game. We paid our deposit and pretty much forgot about the whole thing.
I've been lucky enough to go to three games this year, usually it's only one. But this is one of my favorite places anywhere and when I can sit in the sunshine and watch this team with 40000 of my closest friends (they sell out every game) I'm there and happy.
I usually avoid group anythings-it brings out the rebel in me but I was going to a game with my husband and friends and I was opened minded. We got to the bus early, got our seats, and our snacks of little packaged donuts and apples and off we went.
The people on the bus were a lot of fun. They joked and laughed and even shared jello with us. That was so fun. We didn't win any of the raffle prizes which included DVDs of Yogi Berra and some horror movie but that's okay -we were going to see our National League Champion Giants.
We get there three hours early and get to go to Momos. That great restaurant /bar across from the park. You can NEVER get in that place, but it was 10AM and hey who doesn't want a sandwich and a beer at 10AM? We were at Momos.
We got to the game an hour early which I always do. I have to walk the park and scope out the snacks, look at the water, watch the batting practice and enjoy the feeling of the park. I bought a 35 dollar tshirt because they just won the title last night and 5 dollar bag of M&Ms. Ball park money is like Vegas money-it doesn't feel real. We got a poster because it was Fan Appreciation day!
September baseball is a crap shoot. Your team could be in a pennant race or they could be done or....they could have clinched the title the night before and given the ENTIRE team the day off. None of the players who took the field today were even on the poster they gave us at the door.
That's right-no Panda, no Pagan, no Posey, no Lincecum -who was scheduled to pitch, no nothing. We got Blanco and a bunch of players who they just bussed in from Fresno-most of whom had a batting average of 0. I'm not kidding.
It was 8 innings of painful boring baseball with missed opportunities and blunders. I was sure they were going to call up my friends 12 year old to play-it was that bad.
Then they said Brandon Belt was going to hit. He's had a tough year but we were so happy to see him the crowd gave him a standing ovation. No one gives Belt a standing ovation ever.
Well that must have moved the manager Bruce Bochy to remember to appreciate the fans because at the ninth inning everybody pinched hit. We had Pablo, Crawford, and yes everyone's favorite player Buster Posey. We were so excited us commoner fans who missed the big night by one game.
Do you think that is all that happened to the Commoners? Oh no my friends if it did it would not be my story. But just like my trip on South West-you will have to wait for the rest of that story....until then you can sing Don't Stop Believing to your self a few dozen times. I'm sure tomorrow the real Giants will be back in the lineup.
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