Thursday Night at the Park: Surprises All Around

I am very behind on my blogging. It's been a busy week. You know I'm behind when my last entry was about Josh Beckett... and it wasn't the game he pitched last night. Ok, today is all about catching up.

I was driving home from work on Thursday when my friend called me and asked me if I felt like going to the game with her, so of course I did. We drove in, parked in a really horrible lot because by the time we got there, the game was already starting so our options were limited. I had left my good camera and my sweater in my own car.

We were in the bleachers, squished next to some fairly large men. Behind us, an older man with some crazy hair and his older friend with a crazy red afro. The first guy, as soon as the game started, began shouting in this old-timey lingo... sounding very much like what I would expect someone in the 1930's to sound like. It was funny for the first batter, but after that, it was annoying. It was really, really annoying, and it only got worse when the people around us got drunk and started immitating him. Despite how ear-grindingly bad this guy was, my favorite part of his shouting was when Captain Planet came to the plate. "C'mon Nick-AY, you can do it Nick-AY. Good eye! Good eye! Swing the bat, Nick-AY! Good eye... now swing! There's some high cheese for you, Nick-AY!" Now just imagine someone shouting that very loudly, in a high pitched, fast voice ... and he just kept talking through each and every at-bat. He never shut up. It teetered on absurd.

Anyhow, the game started, and it eventually began raining on us. Of course, I didn't have my sweater, and from the comforts of the bleachers, there is not much relief from the weather. I was wet from the rain, the guy next to me kept spitting peanut shells onto my legs (seriously, how obnoxious can you be?), and the game wasn't rocking yet. From where I was sitting, Wakefield was brutal. A game is much different when you're at the park. In reality, he only gave up 2 runs, but it just seemed like he hit every other batter (really only two... Saito also hit one). It didn't seem like it was going to be much of a game heading into the 6th.

We all know what happened during the 6th inning. I should have known something good would happen, because Wake was pitching and I was at the game. 12 runs in the bottom of the sixth before getting an out. Right before JayBay came up to bat, I turned to my friend and said "the only thing that would make this better is a three run home run from Bay right now." Boom. Three run home run. By this point, even annoying 1930's man stopped fazing me.

Needless to say, we won the game. Wake got the W. We ended up with 13 hits, 13 runs, and 13 RBI's... I guess 13 is a lucky number after all. So I got to go home happy. Wakefield does not lose games when I'm at the park. I think it's cause he loves me. I love him right back.