What do we do now?

            Well.  The Braves season ended Monday.  I still can't believe it.  I knew we didn't have the momentum going in, but the Dodgers did not have a great September either, so I thought we had a chance.  I really thought this was our year; this was THE team.  They played their hearts out this year and I am proud of what all they accomplished.  I just hate that it ended so early.

            Monday was heartbreaking.  Absolutely heartbreaking.  First of all, the game was in LA, so it did not start until 8:30 cst.  I watched the game with the TV muted and listened to Jim Powell and Don Sutton through my MLB At Bat app.  That is not something I usually do, but I just couldn't listen to the TBS announcers any more.  I watched games one and three with the sound on.  If you did not know any better you would have never guessed the announcers were not affiliated with either team.  This was the Dodger's show, and it was the Dodger's series to lose.   Nevermind the Braves finished 96-66 and the Dodgers finished 92-70; or that the Braves won the regular season series 5-2.  When game three started and the announcers were recapping game two, the sentiment was that the Dodgers had lost game two, not that the Braves had won.  Looking back, maybe that was the case.  Games one and three  ended with scores of 1-6 and 6-13, respectively.  Blowouts.  And game two's score was 4-3.  So the one game the Braves won, was close.  Even so, I just couldn't listen anymore.  The app was a couple of minutes behind the television feed, which was unpleasant, but I dealt with it.  

            The game was close.  So close.  I was so proud of Freddy Garcia.  From what I saw leading up to the game no one game him a chance; especially after the Dodger's announced they were starting CY Young favorite Clayton Kershaw.  Garcia allowed two early solo home runs to Carl Crawford, but other than that he held his own.  In an interview the day before he said he was not nervous and that he would "just make pitch".  And that's what he did.  The game was tied 2-2 when he came out after the sixth.  Then in the seventh Jose Constanza hit a single, scoring Elliot Johnson and the Braves took the lead.  I thought that was it.  It had to be.  We have one of the best bullpens in the league.  Jose Constanza would go down in infamy just like Francisco Cabrera when he drove in Sid.  "Just make pitch" would be our new saying; it would be on t-shirts for sure.  We would play again Wednesday in Atlanta.  Kris Medlen would get the start against Zack Greinke (who we beat in game two).  We would go on to play the Pirates in the NLCS (because I had tickets to game seven, so we would need home field advantage).  But none of that came to pass.  In the bottom of the eighth Yasiel Puig hit a double off of  David Carpenter.  Then Juan Uribe hit a home run giving the Dodgers a one run lead.  And that was it.  It was so sad.  The boys looked so defeated.  I can still see Chris Johnson standing at the rail of the dugout with his arms draped over it.  He had a great series, and a great year, and to see him like that; so dejected.  Heartbreaking.  Tuesday was rough.  I was still so disappointed; oh, and tired.  The game ended after midnight and I stayed up until the end.                      

            So what do we do now?  I've played the "what-if / if only" game the last couple of days.  What if Craig Kimbrel had been brought in to pitch the eighth?  What if Jonny Venters or Eric O'Flaherty had not gotten hurt and could have pitched that eighth inning?  If only Tim Hudson had been healthy, game four might have been our clinching game instead of our "win or go home" game.  If only our sluggers hadn't been slumping, maybe we could have had a bigger lead and those two runs in the eighth inning wouldn't have mattered so much.  I'm tired of thinking about all of that.  It doesn't change anything.  

            The Cardinals beat the Pirates last night, so even if the Braves had advanced, my NLCS tickets would have been obsolete.  The Cardinals and Dodgers will face off starting tomorrow.  That is going to be a great series.  I would love to see Adam Wainwright and Clayton Kershaw face off, but the schedule was released today and that does not look likely.

            There is a lot of good baseball left.  I guess that is what we do now.

It's Hard to Not Count Your Unhatched Chickens When You're 13 Games Up

            I cannot believe baseball season is almost over.  This summer has flown by!  Maybe that is because all three of my favorite teams are doing well.  The Braves, Cardinals and Dodgers are all currently leading their divisions.  The Braves and Dodgers have considerable leads, but we know all too well not to take it for granted.  Remember 2011?  As late as September 8, 2011 the Braves were leading the Wild Card race.  The closest team behind them was the Cardinals.  They were 6.5 games back.  The Braves did not make the playoffs that year.  That was decided on the last day of the regular season.  The Cardinals went on to win the World Series.  That’s one of the things that make baseball so great.  Nothing is decided until the very end.  The best game I have ever watch was game six of that World Series.  The Cardinals were down to their last strike not once, but twice.  They pulled out the win and went on to win game seven and the World Series.  I felt sorry for the people who just do not “get” baseball after that series.

            I am getting a little worried about the Braves.  Sure they are thirteen games up, and playing very well, but we’ve all seen this before.  I wrote a while back about the Braves being streaky this year.  I’m still worried they will hit a cold streak at the worst possible time.  Plus, guys are getting hurt; really important guys and by really freaky accidents.  Tim Hudson’s ankle got stepped on while he was covering first and it resulted in a season ending injury.  Jason Heyward got hit in the jaw by a fastball while batting and he is out for at least the rest of the regular season.  By the way, my favorite hockey player, Sidney Crosby, took a slap shot to the jaw and missed a considerable amount of time last hockey season.  I’m starting to wonder if it’s me.  Hudson and Heyward’s injuries both happened at Citi Field.  Good thing we don’t have to go back there!  Last night a pitch hit Justin Upton and now he has a contusion on his hand.  Hopefully he will not miss too much time.  We cannot afford to lose anyone else. 

            They pretty much have to keep it together because…..I HAVE POST SEASON TICKETS!!!  Presale tickets went on sale earlier this week and I have two to the second game that will be played at Turner Field during the NLDS.  Of course it is yet to be determined when exactly that will be, but I will be there.  I am so excited!  I have never been to a post season game before.  I can’t wait.  In the mean time we will see how the Braves finish.  Here are a few things to consider:

-We have already lost Hudson, and Beachy had a scare last week with his elbow.  We are second in the league in ERA and have had great pitching.  Will it hold up?

-Will Jason Heyward make it back for the post season?  He was the best hitter on the team when he got hurt.  Will he still be hot?

-During the game tonight they announced that Fredi Gonzalez has started his original line-up 28 times this season.  Tonight is game 134.  Things have not gone exactly as planned, but the boys have done a fantastic job.  Will the back-ups continue to step up?

I hope so, on all counts!  We will see.     

The All Star Game

It’s that time of year again….the All Star Game is tonight!  I love the All Star Game.  It is so much fun to see the best of the best play together; to see rivals play side by side.  Unlike most other sports, the MLB All Star Game has significant meaning.  Since 2003 the All Star Game has determined which league gets home-field advantage for the World Series.  Do I agree with this policy?  No.  It makes no sense.  Here is the perfect example of why: In 2010, top of the seventh, Brian McCann, a Brave, hit a bases clearing double, scoring Matt Holliday, a Cardinal, Scott Rolen, a Red and Marlon Byrd, a Cub.  Phil Hughes, a Yankee, allowed two singles (accounting for two base runners) and then Matt Thornton, a White Sox, walked Marlon Byrd and allowed the hit by Brian McCann.  The National League won 3-1 and because of that the Giants had home-field advantage over the Rangers in the World Series.  It would be more logical if the team with the better record got home-field advantage.  But Mr. Selig does not consult me on such matters, so the All Star game is very important.  That year the Giants had the better record, so my example is really a moot point, but still.  I do not agree with it, but that’s the way it is and it does make the All Star Game quite interesting.

            2010 was especially special because it broke the National League’s fourteen year losing streak.  I was so proud of the National League that night.  Having a Brave knock in the winning runs was just icing on the cake.  I truly think the NL is superior and it was so great to see them finally rise above and show it.  The NL has now won three All Star Games and three World Series in a row; hopefully this trend will go on for a long time. 

I voted early this year and do not honestly remember who all I voted for.  I know I voted for mostly Braves with some Dodgers and Cardinals thrown in; oh, and Martin Prado.  When it came to the American League I was somewhat lost, since I do not follow it as closely.  The All Star Game presents a great way to learn about the players from teams that you may not follow; just another reason to love it.  The Braves got three in and the Dodgers, only one.  The Cardinals are well represented.  I’m disappointed that Freddie Freeman will not be able to play, but I am so glad that he won the final fan vote.  Yasiel Puig is very impressive and I would have definitely voted for him had a Brave not been in the running…but, well, Freddie.   He has been great offensively and defensively for years now and he deserved to go.  I’m excited that Brian McCann was chosen to be Freddie’s injury replacement.  As we learned in 2010, Brian McCann can make things happen.

A lot of people prefer the Home Run Derby (I have noticed that these are usually the same people who think baseball is boring).  Not me.  I think the Home Run Derby gets boring after a while.  It’s batting practice.  I will however say that it is special and touching when the player’s dad is throwing to them.  That is pretty awesome.  At least nothing is riding on the Home Run Derby, like home-field advantage for something really important.  I like small ball better and I think it would be so much fun if there were skills competitions much like the NHL does.  For example, they could test the faster guys to see who can steal a base fastest; the outfielders to see who can jump the highest to steal home runs; the pitchers to see who can pick off runners better; maybe even infield players to see who can turn the quickest double play; things like that.  Baseball is very situational, so it might be difficult to artificially create those scenarios, but at least it would be different. 

By the way, if you aren’t rushing home to watch the game, go out and pick up a copy of 42: The Jackie Robinson Story.  It comes out on Blu-Ray/DVD today.  I saw it in the theater.  It is an amazing movie.  I’m almost as excited about getting my copy as I am the game tonight!

Chicago: Part Two

Part two…..the part that actually qualifies this trip for a baseball blog:

The hand operated score board with the "W" flag after the game.

            Sunday we went to Wrigley Field and saw the Cubs take on the Astros.  Wrigley Field is definitely a place every baseball fan should visit.  Entering Wrigley Field was like stepping back in time.  There are not a lot of the frills you would find in other parks.  There is no jumbotron to watch replays or to show fans dancing and acting silly between innings; just a massive, majestic hand-operated scoreboard.  The ratio of organ music to stereo music is a lot higher than most other parks.  There are no shenanigans between innings; no costumed characters racing, no contests involving the fans.  There is just baseball.  The vibe is a lot more serious and business-like.  It’s refreshing.  The big team store is across the street, because in 1914 when Wrigley Field was built, I would imagine the need for a team store was much less.  Actually there are a lot of good size stores selling Cubs gear outside of the stadium.  The concourse areas are much narrower and the concessions areas are much smaller.  There are no areas to sit and eat or just hang out in the concourse area.  You are expected to take care of your business and go to your seats.  This park was built for baseball, not commercialism.  There is a possibility that a lot of renovations and updates may take place at the park after this season, including but not limited to a jumbotron.  I am so glad I was able to visit Wrigley before any of these major updates take place.



The view from our seats



                 I have to say our experience was good, but not ideal…because it was so hot that day.  As southerners from the southeast we sometimes have blinders on and feel like we have a monopoly on heat.  It gets so hot here and with the humidity it is miserable, and there is no way anywhere else can compare.  Everywhere else has a “dry heat” right?  And it’s just not the same.  Well, the heat that day at Wrigley Field rivaled any day I’ve spent at Turner Field.  We had great seats; right behind home plate, section 123.  We were on the first row of that section.  At most parks you would have a bar in front of you and a small drop off.  Not here; here we had nothing in front of us and all the leg room you could ask for.  If someone on our row needed to get up, it did not affect us one bit.  The only downside was that the vendors were walking around in front of us for most of the game.  I am embarrassed to say that we went to the wrong seats at first.  We had seats 101 and 102, and when I spotted seats 1 and 2 for some reason I thought that was close enough.  I’ve done that at Turner Field before; I don’t know why I do that.  We did not go to our seats until right before the game started because of the heat and the seats were in the sun.  During the second inning some people informed us that we were in their seats, so we moved to our actual seats.  Those seats were literally too hot to sit in.  We tried for about a minute and then decided we had to do something else; anything else.  We walked around the concourse area for about two innings. That is when this conversation took place:

Mom:  How long are we going to walk around out here?

Me:  I don’t know, but we cannot go back out there to those seats.  We’ll have third degree burns on our backsides.

Mom:  I don’t want to miss “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

Me: You mean the seventh inning stretch?

Mom: Yeah

Me:  Well, it’s the third inning now, so I think we’ll make it.

            We went back to our seats during the fourth inning.  By that time our seats were in the shade and everything was bearable.  We knew we would eventually be in the shade because of how the sun was moving, but we simply could not wait it out.  The seats immediately behind home plate and along the first base line were never in the shade.  I do not know how those people stood it.  All in all we had a great time!  The Cubs won 14-6 so we got to see them raise the white W flag and hear the crowd sing “Go Cubs Go”.  I recommend a trip to Wrigley Field to any baseball fan.  It is such an institution.  And I recommend a trip to Chicago to anyone.  It is a great city with lots to do and see!         



Greg Maddux's number on display.  It is retired by the Cubs (as well as the Braves).



Chicago: Part One




Chicago skyline as seen from Lake Michigan

          



Skydeck ledges on 103rd floor of the Willis Tower



            A couple of weeks ago my mom and I visited Chicago.  It was a great trip.  We arrived in Chicago at eight o’clock Friday morning, which means we left Birmingham at six o’clock.  It was soooo early; but it turned out to be a good thing because apparently over two hundred flights were canceled that day due to a computer glitch and the earliest ones were not affected.  We went straight to the hotel expecting to just check our bags since it was so early, but they had a room ready so we were able to go up and get settled.  After that we headed out for some Chicago style pizza.  Some friends of mine recommended that we go get pizza for lunch instead of dinner to avoid a long wait.  We went to Gino’s East.  It was quite tasty.   Next we caught the tour bus.  We had tickets to a double-decker bus tour of the city.  It was a hop on-hop off tour, with tickets good for three days, so we got on at the closest stop.  The next stop was at the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower).  We went up to the SkyDeck on the 103^rd floor and went out on one of the ledges.  It was rainy Friday afternoon so the view was not as good as usual, but it was still really impressive.  After that we headed back to catch the double-decker tour bus.  It was delayed due to traffic so we got to wait on it in the rain.  Once we got on the bus we had to sit inside in the lower level because of the rain.  We were only a few stops from Navy Pier, so we got off there.  I had told myself while planning the trip that I didn’t want to go to any chain restaurants that I had been to before.  We were going to do all new, Chicago-y things.  But after getting up so early, and spending a good bit of the day in the rain, I wanted to go to Margaritaville.  My mom agreed, so that’s where we went.  This was not the first time we’ve gone to Margaritaville after a bad weather day during a vacation.  Last Spring during our frigid trip to Niagara Falls we also visited Margaritaville.  After dinner we went back to the hotel go to bed.  We were beat!  And had a lot to pack into the next two days.

Tour boat from architectural tour

            The next morning we went back to Navy Pier to catch an architectural boat tour.  We really enjoyed this tour.  It went a piece down Lake Michigan and then up the Chicago River; pointing out all of the historical buildings.  After the boat tour we rode the ferris wheel at Navy Pier then headed to lunch.  For lunch we went to the original Billy Goat Tavern.  Yes, that Billy goat.  See, the guy that opened the Billy Goat Tavern in 1934 is the same guy that tried to take his Billy goat to Wrigley Field in 1945 which is where the curse of the Billy goat comes from.  I will not rehash that story here, but it’s pretty interesting if you’re looking for something to read about, after reading this blog.  After lunch we got back on the double-decker bus tour, but this time to actually take the tour and not just for transportation.  That tour was great too.  This time we got to sit up top and actually see the tour.  We got off at Millennium Park and saw the bean.  Then we got back on and rode the bus to the John Hancock Observatory.  After that stop we had seen the entire double-decker bus tour.  We were going to eat in the restaurant at the John Hancock Observatory, but there was quite a wait.  So we ended up at The Grill in The Westin across the street.  It was really good and I had a War Eagle moment.  We overheard one of the men at the table next to us talking about SEC football, and then we heard him say that he had gone to Auburn and was there at the same time as Pat Sullivan.  So I went over to say “hello” and “War Eagle!”  After dinner it was almost time for the fireworks at Navy Pier so we went back there. 

 

Ferris wheel at Navy Pier

Cloud Gate aka The Bean at Millennium Park

            One of the most exciting things I noticed from the boat tour and the bus tour was that Chicago was ready for the Stanley Cup Finals!  Game five was that night in Chicago.  Chicago and Boston were tied 2-2 in the series.  We saw well wishes for the Blackhawks all over the city.  The lions outside of the Art Institute had on Blackhawks helmets, the brachiosaurus outside of the Field Museum had on a Blackhawks jersey and there were several signs, banners and flags.  The Blackhawks won 3-1 that night and went on to score two late goals Monday night in Boston to win 3-2 and to win the Stanley Cup.

One of the lions outside of the Art Institute

 

            I am doing my post about this trip in two parts, since it is somewhat lengthy.  Check back soon for our trip to Wrigley Field!

You want my first born in exchange for tickets...okay, that seems reasonable...

            It's here.  Dodgers week.  The week leading up to the Braves/Dodgers series in Atlanta.  I have gone to at least one game in the series for the past three years.  This year will be no different.  I love going to these games, although it is conflicting to see two of my favorite teams play each other.  I usually wear my Dodgers shirt (where else am I going to wear it?) and I've been using my Dodgers Tervis Tumbler all week, so Saturday come game time I will be a Dodgers fan.  The series is usually in August, so usually by then you can tell who needs a win more.  Unfortunately it's only May and that is already evident.  Both teams have had some hard times recently, but the Dodgers definitely need some wins.  I don't know why the series moved to May but I am not complaining.  It is HOT in Atlanta in August.  I bought my parking pass for the game several weeks ago; still paranoid from Opening Day.  I bought tickets yesterday and I'm hoping someone can shed some light on what is going on with ticket prices.

            I started looking a few weeks ago.  For the Dodger games I try to sit behind the visiting dugout.  That is where fans of the visiting team tend to sit so I do not feel quite so out of place in my Dodgers shirt.  I usually buy tickets off Stub Hub.  The tickets for these sections are listed for $100+.  I do not know the average prices at other parks, but based on my experiences this is high for Turner Field.  So I waited it out for weeks.  By Monday I was getting concerned.  I know I paid more for Opening Day tickets, but I rationalized it because it was Opening Day.  I never imagined the price of everyday tickets would go up that much too.  I started to think maybe it was me, maybe I'm just cheap and I've convinced myself that I never really spent that much on tickets; so I looked up my previous orders on Stub Hub.  It turns out I'm not crazy.  Last year I bought two tickets for the Saturday Dodgers game in section 118, row 9 for $59 per ticket.  Currently there are two tickets in section 118, row 9 for $117.  If you're keeping score at home, that's double.  DOUBLE!  Is this the new norm?  What is going on?  Did the price of tickets go up so much from the primary seller that the secondary sellers are asking that much more?

            I ended up buying tickets yesterday.  I checked Stub Hub and there was a pair in section 212 for $37.  Tickets in the 200 sections were going for $60+, so I decided I'd better snatch those up.  After I did the remaining tickets in that section were $79.  That's a huge difference.  It's not the area I really wanted to sit in, but for a $70 (give or take) price swing it will be okay.  A small part of me is wondering why those tickets were for sale for such a "discount".  I have sat in that section before so I know the view is fine.  I know I am just being paranoid, but I am a little concerned that I am going to get there Saturday and the backs are going to be missing off of the seats or something like that.

            I'll try not to think about that.  I'm sure they will be fine.  For now I will just get ready for Saturday.  I have my Dodgers cup and my baseball playlist going.  I am so excited! 

            But seriously, does anyone know what is going on with ticket prices?

I was afraid of this...

            Before the season started there was a lot of talk about the Braves having one of the (if not the) most powerful lineups in the league; especially after signing BJ Upton and trading for Justin Upton.  It was the hot topic of the off season.  There were lots of articles written, MLBN talked about it constantly and my twitter timeline was full of excitement about this team.  The Braves have what has become known as "The Outfield".  There is no limit to what they can do with the two Uptons and Jason Heyward.  And then in the infield there is Freddie Freeman, Dan Uggla and Brian McCann who can also be very powerful hitters.  I was excited too (still am)!  Well, about 90% excited and 10% concerned.  With power hitters like we have also comes strikeouts and streaks (good and bad).  During the American League Championship Series last year, when the Tigers swept the Yankees, the announcers talked about how the Yankees couldn’t make things happen because everyone was trying to hit a homerun.  Everyone wanted to be the hero and no one was content with just getting on base.  I am still learning about the game, so I love when announcers go into analyzing and explaining mode.  This reasoning made sense to me (I will not pretend that the movie Moneyball had nothing to do with it) and now I try to look for things like this.  So when the talk about the Braves’ power hitters started I couldn’t help but worry that at some point they too will have cold streaks because everyone wants a homerun and will not settle for less.

            The Braves started off hot!  They went 12-2 during the first five series, including a ten game winning streak.  And then they cooled off; going 3-7 during the next three series.  As of Sunday the Braves lead the league in homeruns with 36, and they are second in the league in strikeouts with 224.  I know they will come back around, but when?  And then how long before another cold streak?  Another concern is injuries.  Brian McCann has not played a game this season, Freddie Freeman has missed time and Jason Heyward is currently out.

 They just took the first game in a four game series against the Nationals.  Chip Caray just said during the post game show, “It’s great to see the Braves manufacture runs.”  I agree!  This game was the first game they have won that a homerun was not hit.  Jordan Schafer, who got on base four times and stole two bases in the game, scored on a single by Justin Upton in the first.  (What?  Justin Upton hits singles too?!?!)  Freddie Freeman scored on a single by Gerald Laird in the fourth and Laird scored on a sacrifice fly by Andrelton Simmons in the seventh.  It was fun and exciting to see the boys play small ball to get the job done.  If there is a series perfect for turning things back around it is against the Nationals.  They are expected to be the Braves’ main competition in the NL East.  Plus after being swept by the Braves a few weeks ago a few of the Nationals players said during interviews that they still believed they were the better team.  So beating them is just fun.        

Trades and Their Emotional Tolls

Every year, in one sport or another, there is a trade or a free agent signing that breaks my heart.  This year, there have been a few.  One was the Jordan Staal trade to the Carolina Hurricanes.  I understand the need to trade him because he was going to be a free agent and the Penguins were probably going to lose him all together in just a year.  It is still strange to see him playing somewhere else.  Another was David Ross signing with the Red Sox.  Don’t get me wrong, I am very excited for him.  He got a two year, 6.2 million dollar deal.  The Braves are going to miss him greatly.  He did a great job backing up Brian McCann; which unfortunately he had to do a lot.  I am concerned about McCann's health and our need for a great back up catcher.  When was the last time McCann went a full season with injury?  Yeah I can’t remember either.  Not to take anything away from Evan Gattis or Gerald Laird.  I am sure they are great too.  In fact, Gattis has been very impressive offensively right out of the gate.  David Ross was just proven to be invaluable.  He seemed to always come up with a hit when needed.  He was also Tim Hudson’s catcher.  He caught for him when they played together at Auburn (just another reason to love both of them) and they have great chemistry.  When Ross was doing more and more catching toward the end of last year, the rotation got mixed up and he didn’t always catch for Huddy.  It may just be my imagination, I do not have any numbers to back it up, but those games did not seem to go as well as when the two were paired together.  I just know we are going to miss David Ross, but I wish him the best and I look forward to continue following his career.

Another guy that will be greatly missed is Martin Prado.  He was pretty much my favorite Brave.  I understand the business side of things and why he was traded.  With just one year left on his contract, the negotiations were not getting done and we were more than likely going to lose him next year to free agency.  I am excited about acquiring Justin Upton, who has also been very (VERY!) impressive thus far; I just wish it had not been at the expense of Martin Prado.  Martin Prado can do anything.  He seemingly can play any infield position.  He regularly started at third base on Chipper’s off days last year and has also played first base and second base.  Last year he regularly played left field, but he is expected to start at third base for the Arizona Diamondbacks this year.  Prado is also a very reliable batter.  He has a career batting average of .295.  His yearly batting average has been over 300 four of his seven years in MLB and he has a career on base percentage of .345.  He also appeared to have great chemistry with all of the guys and was fun to watch.   

I have read that women traditionally do not fair well in fantasy sports because they get too emotionally connected and are not as good at making trades or sitting out players who are slumping.  I have never played fantasy baseball, but I know this would definitely apply to me.  First of all, if at all possible, my team would be made up of my favorite players; with little or no regard to their actual ability.  You know those people who just know their team is going to do great and truly believe that anything in baseball is possible?  I am one of them.  I would pick my guys because I just know they are going to do well and if they got in a slump I know I would stick with them because I would just know that any minute they are going to break out of it.  But that is part of what makes baseball so great; the believing and the faith.

Can anyone relate?  Any trades that broke your heart?  Or fantasy baseball stories?

Opening Day

           

Pregame Ceremony

 Joe DiMaggio once said, “You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through.  You look forward to it like a birthday party when you’re a kid.  You think something wonderful is going to happen.”  And boy did it ever.  I went to my first Opening Day game this year, in Atlanta.  Opening Day has such great lore about it.  There is a sense of renewal, starting over with a clean slate.  The Braves did great last year, but after that wildcard play-in game it was nice to finally start a new year.  Braves legends Dale Murphy served as honorary team captain and presented the opening lineup, Chipper Jones threw out the first pitch and Phil Niekro declared, “Play ball!” before the game started.  Oh, and they gave us foam tomahawks at the gate.  It was a great day and the game hadn’t even started yet. 

            

The 2013 Atlanta Braves



 The Braves beat the Phillies 7-5.  It was a really good game.  Freddie Freeman, Dan Uggla and Justin Upton hit homeruns, all off of Cole Hamels.  Cole Hamels is not my favorite because of his attempt at being “old school” and beaming Bryce Harper last year, so those homeruns were especially fun to watch.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the romanticism of the unwritten rules and all, but you can’t just beam a guy because he’s good and call it “old school”.  There were a couple of times that the Phillies got a little too close for comfort, but the guys got the job done.  Tim Hudson did not have an ideal start, only going 4 1/3 innings and allowing three runs.  This is not typical Huddy and I know he will get better.  The crowd was great and stayed in it the whole game.  It was such a fun game overall. 

            I learned a couple of things from Opening Day.  Number one, if you want to get a prepaid parking pass (which I like to do) for an event like Opening Day, you need to get it really early.  I attempted to buy one about three weeks out and they were sold out.  We rode MARTA to the game.  It was really easy and a great alternative, just not my first choice.  Number two, if the somewhat loud guy behind you finds out the girl sitting in front of him knows more about baseball than he does he tends to not be quite as loud.  The families behind me were discussing Tim Hudson and his time with the A’s.  They were talking about the other guys he pitch with there and could not come up with Barry Zito, so I helped them.  The guy then said to me, “Do you mind me asking how you know that?”  I’m pretty sure he was only asking because I am a girl, so I did mind; not that I told him.  Whatever. 

The only thing that would have made the day even better, if I could have seen the Dodger game too.  Clayton Kershaw pitched a complete game shutout and hit a homerun?!?!  Wow!

Pittsburgh Trip

            Last April I visited Pittsburgh and then Niagara Falls with my family.  I know that sounds random.  I’ll explain.  We wanted to see Niagara Falls; my mom has always wanted to see them.  But how long can you look at a couple of water falls?  I wanted to visit a new stadium.  The closest stadiums to Niagara Falls are Toronto and Cleveland.  However, we are National League people; Pittsburgh wasn’t that much farther than Cleveland, so that is where we decided to go.  The plan was to fly into Pittsburgh, spend a couple of days, drive to Niagara Falls, spend a few days and then fly back out of Buffalo.  Honestly, I was most excited about Pittsburgh.  Aside from being a huge baseball fan about to visit a new ballpark, I am also hockey fan and my team is the Pittsburgh Penguins.  We were not going to try to go to a Penguins game.  The playoffs would have been in full swing by then and we did not try to plan the trip around them.  It worked out that they were not in town while we were anyway.  I was very excited nonetheless. 

            We arrived in Pittsburgh early Saturday afternoon and had tickets to the Pirates game that night.  One of the first observations I had about the city was that every third or fourth person I saw had on something associated with the Penguins, Pirates or Steelers.  Hailing from a state with no professional sports franchises, I was jealous.  I would love to live in a city that has professional sports teams because there seemed to be such a great sense of camaraderie.  I was very excited about visiting PNC Park.  It is not a huge park, but it is built like a classic ballpark; which became popular after the round, all-purpose, cookie-cutter stadiums.  I am sorry to say that I did not see near as much of the park as I would have liked.  As anyone would (or at least, should) we watched the weather for a week or so before leaving.  Every day the expected temperatures for our trip dropped.  That night at PNC Park was COLD.  The residents of Pittsburgh may not have felt this extreme about it because they are probably a little more used to it: but being from Alabama, we were very cold.  We went straight to our seats and the only time any of us moved was when my mom and I went to get hot chocolate for everyone.  We did have a great view of the field and Roberto Clemente Bridge behind centerfield.  The Pirates beat the Cardinals 2-0 and that was A.J. Burnett’s debut as a Pirate.  I would love to go back to PNC Park and actually get to walk around.  I understand they have a river walk.  I bet that’s nice.  It was just not happening that night. 



Roberto Clemente Bridge behind centerfield



            As I mentioned, the weather was very cold.  Here’s how cold it was.  We were supposed to spend two nights in Pittsburgh.  The next day (after our first night) we decided we needed to leave for Niagara Falls a day early because an ice storm was coming.  Literally, the local weather said the ice storm would be worst between Pittsburgh and Buffalo; the exact route we were taking.  The lovely people at the hotel in Pittsburgh agreed and were kind enough to let us out of our second night’s reservations and luckily the hotel we had reservations with at Niagara Falls were able to have our rooms available a day early.

The falls as seen from the Maid of the Mist tour

The Niagara Falls are beautiful.  Our first couple of days there were also cold and we really only had one day (our last day) with temperate weather.  It snowed, and when you’re from Alabama, that’s big.  It did not stick, but it was so pretty falling.  I am probably the only one from that trip that would say that as cold as it was, it was bearable.  That is because I was the most prepared with ear muffs, gloves and scarves.  We had a great view of the falls from our room and we visited some of the restaurants and shops on those cold days.  One of the most ironic moments in the trip was when we went to Margaritaville, ate Cheeseburgers in Paradise, drank margaritas and then walked back out into the snow.  I looked for a shirt in the gift shop that read, “The weather is here, I wish you were beautiful.” but I could not find one I liked; it would have been fitting.  That last day was great.  We took the Maid of the Mist tour, visited the flower clock, saw a couple of films about the falls.  The most interesting thing about the falls is how much they have eroded over the last few hundred years and the methods they are using to slow the erosion now.  It is amazing to think that they can slow down such a powerful force of nature.  They really are something to see.   




Our view of Niagara Falls from our room