Saturday, September 09, 2006
The First Meeting.
I went and saw my first official Red Sox-Royals battle last night and the fanfare was incredible. We managed to get standing room only tickets through a close friend with a fake illness (I guess it wouldn't be cool if she wound up on television that night and the next Monday come in to hear, "Heyyyy, I thought you were sick," and then manage to watch a tape of her in the background on her cell phone waving at the camera). Meanwhile an estimated 10,000 Clemson Tiger football fans and players in town for the Saturday game against ACC newcomer Boston College.
As the 26,531 fans (actually 36,531, but I'm not counting the 10,000 southerners wearing orange as "fans") attending the game will remember, the game ended 10-9 after a back and forth, want-to-choke-a-baby loss to the league's worst team. The Sox went up 3-0, only to give up the next eight uncontested runs, three of which came in the top of the eighth. Mike Sweeney struck out to end the three-run eighth the crowd seemed down and fans were getting into that old "woe is me" mentality, screaming, "You Suck," after every strike swung and missed at by Red Sox players, and heading for the exit signs marked in red and green.
Then "Sweet Carolina" came on. I’ll repeat, "Sweet Carolina" came on. "Bum-bum-bum, good times never seemed so good." How did this song become this team’s Rally Monkey? How did this song become a mantra of hope? Good times never seemed so... ironic? The team was losing by five runs and another sold out Fenway Park sang the lyrics, "Good times never seemed so good," like it was the seventh inning, Game Seven, ALCS 2004. When the song stopped blaring through the speakers and the announcer came on to announce Manny Ramirez the crowd finished the song. Suddenly, the Red Sox had momentum? A Song. About good times. Belted by fans. Gave momentum?
Alas the Red Sox, recharged by magic, supernatural powers, scored six runs in the eighth and pulled ahead by one run, 9-8. If only they had sung the song again before the ninth (the only point of the game it would feel remotely necessary, they were playing the Royals), they could've finished the Royals off for good.
They ended up losing 10-9 after the Royals scored two runs in the ninth with two outs off Mike Timlin.
Just think, what if management would ever consider playing the Dylan hit twice in the course of one game?I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Bum-Bum-bum.
NOTES:
- When the Royals pinch-hit in the ninth with Andres Blanco I told the family of Royals fans behind me Alex Gordon, the Royals top prospect, should be hitting instead, they made me repeat myself, others in the crowd were confused, and the group and I shared a common inside joke. "Maybe in eight years when he's ready," said the oldest while sporting an old George Brett jersey.
- The Red Sox hitting in scoring position was on display again last night, the worst example in the sixth with Mike Lowell on third and Jason Varitek on second, with no outs. Wily Mo Pena struck out on three awful-looking swings at pitches out of the strike zone, Coco Crisp popped up to Ryan Shealy at first and Alex Gonzalez hit a line drive out to right fielder Emil Brown. No runs. Just Awful.
- We met a man from Clemson at the game whose daughter paid $135 for six, $45 seats. Since we were in standing room behind the man he used my shoulder to help him climb over the chair, and with his warm, southern hospitality offered us to sit in his seats until he got back. We sat down after two innings of his absence (thinking he was gone for good) and two minutes later he came back from shopping across the street. Yes, shopping. The notion of somebody paying $135 to see a baseball game, traveling from South Carolina, and going shopping for two whole innings made me come to a conclusion that Fenway Park is as much a tourist attraction as a place to see a baseball game.
- Another man from Florida said he admired our passion when we told him we had standing room only tickets, and said he would’ve offered me a job writing for his website if there was the availability. In over 50 trips to Fenway Park in my lifetime, never, NEVER, have I, (a) been offered a seat, (b) seen Kansas City fans more loyal than Red Sox fans, or (c) been offered a job. I hate to say it, but for these three occurrences alone, I don’t mind Boston College being in the ACC.
I went and saw my first official Red Sox-Royals battle last night and the fanfare was incredible. We managed to get standing room only tickets through a close friend with a fake illness (I guess it wouldn't be cool if she wound up on television that night and the next Monday come in to hear, "Heyyyy, I thought you were sick," and then manage to watch a tape of her in the background on her cell phone waving at the camera). Meanwhile an estimated 10,000 Clemson Tiger football fans and players in town for the Saturday game against ACC newcomer Boston College.
As the 26,531 fans (actually 36,531, but I'm not counting the 10,000 southerners wearing orange as "fans") attending the game will remember, the game ended 10-9 after a back and forth, want-to-choke-a-baby loss to the league's worst team. The Sox went up 3-0, only to give up the next eight uncontested runs, three of which came in the top of the eighth. Mike Sweeney struck out to end the three-run eighth the crowd seemed down and fans were getting into that old "woe is me" mentality, screaming, "You Suck," after every strike swung and missed at by Red Sox players, and heading for the exit signs marked in red and green.
Then "Sweet Carolina" came on. I’ll repeat, "Sweet Carolina" came on. "Bum-bum-bum, good times never seemed so good." How did this song become this team’s Rally Monkey? How did this song become a mantra of hope? Good times never seemed so... ironic? The team was losing by five runs and another sold out Fenway Park sang the lyrics, "Good times never seemed so good," like it was the seventh inning, Game Seven, ALCS 2004. When the song stopped blaring through the speakers and the announcer came on to announce Manny Ramirez the crowd finished the song. Suddenly, the Red Sox had momentum? A Song. About good times. Belted by fans. Gave momentum?
Alas the Red Sox, recharged by magic, supernatural powers, scored six runs in the eighth and pulled ahead by one run, 9-8. If only they had sung the song again before the ninth (the only point of the game it would feel remotely necessary, they were playing the Royals), they could've finished the Royals off for good.
They ended up losing 10-9 after the Royals scored two runs in the ninth with two outs off Mike Timlin.
Just think, what if management would ever consider playing the Dylan hit twice in the course of one game?I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Bum-Bum-bum.
NOTES:
- When the Royals pinch-hit in the ninth with Andres Blanco I told the family of Royals fans behind me Alex Gordon, the Royals top prospect, should be hitting instead, they made me repeat myself, others in the crowd were confused, and the group and I shared a common inside joke. "Maybe in eight years when he's ready," said the oldest while sporting an old George Brett jersey.
- The Red Sox hitting in scoring position was on display again last night, the worst example in the sixth with Mike Lowell on third and Jason Varitek on second, with no outs. Wily Mo Pena struck out on three awful-looking swings at pitches out of the strike zone, Coco Crisp popped up to Ryan Shealy at first and Alex Gonzalez hit a line drive out to right fielder Emil Brown. No runs. Just Awful.
- We met a man from Clemson at the game whose daughter paid $135 for six, $45 seats. Since we were in standing room behind the man he used my shoulder to help him climb over the chair, and with his warm, southern hospitality offered us to sit in his seats until he got back. We sat down after two innings of his absence (thinking he was gone for good) and two minutes later he came back from shopping across the street. Yes, shopping. The notion of somebody paying $135 to see a baseball game, traveling from South Carolina, and going shopping for two whole innings made me come to a conclusion that Fenway Park is as much a tourist attraction as a place to see a baseball game.
- Another man from Florida said he admired our passion when we told him we had standing room only tickets, and said he would’ve offered me a job writing for his website if there was the availability. In over 50 trips to Fenway Park in my lifetime, never, NEVER, have I, (a) been offered a seat, (b) seen Kansas City fans more loyal than Red Sox fans, or (c) been offered a job. I hate to say it, but for these three occurrences alone, I don’t mind Boston College being in the ACC.
