River Cats 12
Portland Beavers 8
(For those of you who like to read the ending of the book first. :-)
We arrived at the ball park just as the sun was going down. It's a nice size park, not too small, not too big. Every seat is a good one.
Never having been there before, I had to ask someone, "Are we the white uniforms or the red uniforms?" Turns out we are the whites.
Now for those of you who have never been to a game, the great thing about baseball is that virtually everyone has played it growing up, and so we all know the rules and how to play. What the bat feels like when you connect with the ball, and how far it is to first base. Why you can run past first base, but you have to stop on a dime on second and third. And the difference between a pop fly and a line drive. As a matter of fact, I have a scar on my forehead from connecting with another girl's tooth while we were both trying to catch a fly ball in the outfield. We collided and bounced off each other like two rubber balls. Although when the dust cleared, I was bleeding, and she had a broken tooth.
Thank goodness there was no bloodshed last night. Last night was perfect. A warm summer evening at the baseball stadium in America. There's nothing quite like it.
There used to be a car commercial years ago that summed it up... "Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, and Chevrolet." In other words, all things American.
The neat thing about baseball is that when the teams switch who's "at bat" , there are a few minutes of down time. Well, the ball park owners come up with all kinds of fun diversions during these times.
The first one last night was when a little cart sped around the field shooting tightly wrapped hot dogs out of a cannon that looked like a hot dog in a bun into the crowd, while they played that song, (I don't know who it's by) "Who Let the Dogs Out?" It was hilarious.
Then of course there is the spontaneous, crowd induced, "wave" where people stand up and throw their arms in the air and then sit down. You wait till it comes to your section. It went around the whole stadium twice. It must have some kind of energy attached to it too, because one of our guys got a double right afterwards. (A double is hitting the ball far enough to get to second base).
During the entire game, there is always the possibility of a player hitting a "foul ball". This means a ball that is hit out of bounds and usually into the crowd. Some people bring their baseball glove, just in case, because that ball is hard and it hurts your hands to catch it barehanded. And there are PLENTY of foul balls in a game. Over a dozen easily in every game. So you better keep your eyes on the game, or you could get beaned with a hardball!
In between innings, two of the ushers did a dance competition, like dueling banjos. One was a young guy and one an older one. It was a hoot!
But I was waiting for the seventh inning stretch. It's my favorite part of the whole game.
In the middle of the inning, there is a pause and everyone stands up and they play the music while everyone sings :
"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
So it's root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."
In my opinion, if they don't do that at a baseball game, I want my money back.
I realize you already know, but our guys won the game. When the players were leaving the field, someone came out and gave them each a frisbee which they threw into the crowd.
You see, it's a participation sport. Theoretically, everyone has a chance to catch something at a baseball game! A hot dog, a free tee shirt, a frisbee, and if you are really lucky, you can take home a genuine ball that was in play at the game.
Then, just when I thought it was over, at this park, they play a song that has the line in it, "Out the lights!" We were supposed to shout out those words. They did it once for practice, and then a second time. When we shouted Out the Lights!, they turned out all the big lights. And the fireworks began. It was grand. And at our field, across the river there is a high rise building made of glass. All the fireworks were reflected all over the front of that building. It was spectacular.
I loved every minute of it. I wanna go again!
Take me out to the ballgame!