And This is Why you Stay for the Whole Game

Just when I thought that baseball was not going to be fun again, just when I thought I had become a cynic, a curmudgeonly fan resigned to a losing team, I am brought to giddy laughter by an inning that brings the crowd to its feet with hope, excitement and love love love.

having a blast on the subway home

There is a group of 15 teens and young adults from a Korean church   who have taken over the row right in front of us. They are the life of the game  because when all is going awry they continue to cheer just as wildly for every strike that Cliff Lee pitches, every ball that is pitched to the Philly batters. I am thrilled by their enthusiasm, passion, and lack of self consciousness. I know that at some point they will get the attention of the cameras to be propelled onto the jumbo screen for their small portion of fame. And indeed that is what happens. A dream come true, cries their leader. What a joy.

The first inning goes well. The Phillies score first, but the Brewers fight back. For inning after inning there is no movement and the score remains 1-1.  We are not prepared for the assault from the Brewers. Cliff Lee pitches strikes that are hit one after another out of the park. Four, count em 4 home runs for a total of 5 runs. The score is 6-1  and despair and resignation set in. The park is deadly quiet. Not even a strike can get anyone clapping.

Then something happens in the 8th inning. Something amazing considering that the night before the Phillies had rallied in the 9th inning from a deficit of 6-3 to win the game 7-6. First the pinch hitter Kratz hits a home run with a man on base.  6-3.There are 2 outs. I start to laugh from the excitement, the tension as batter after batter walks until the bases are loaded. Undaunted, Ruiz hits a double to bring in 3 runs to tie the game
Our section in the sky, the 'penthouse' is on its feet. How can anyone sit when there is a man on base and a chance to...............win? How could this be?

And it was to be. A single by Hunter Pence, Ruiz comes home and to our amazement the Phillies take the lead.

We head into the 9th inning jubilant as Papelbon strides dramatically onto the field head down, cap hiding his face. He is the ultimate closer. This is his time, and he strikes out 3 Brewers.

The final score: Phillies 7  Milwaukee Brewers 6

The ballpark explodes. Rounds of high fives all around for me, Karen, Isaac, and Shai and for all of the 43,000 ecstatic fans around us.

And this is why you stay for the whole game.

Hot Hot Hot...Not Not Not

One of the hottest nights so far of the summer, July 6, I go with a group of students from the English Language Center and 5 of my friends. I like these new set of seats, Section 206 Row 6 which are just left of right field with a nice view of 1st base and the line between the pitcher's mound and home plate. We suffer through the blazing sun until it sneaks behind the jumbo screen, then can settle in for the rest of the game.

Tonight is special. Ryan Howard, who tore his Achilles tendon in the very last out that sent the Cardinals to the World Series in 2011, is going to play tonight.  The cheering begins for this crowd favorite  as  he retakes his place at 1st base, but  the cheering reaches its full pitch when he steps up to the plate for the first time. His signature stance with the bat stretched high in front of him is what we have been waiting for.

It is a miracle....He swings at the very first pitch and it is almost out of the park for a double. Up on the board the batting average says 1.000. What a great start, batting a thousand. He ends the night with a .667, 2 out of 3 hits, but is stranded once on second and once on third.

Throughout the game, Robert explains the rules to our Brazilian students, while the Kuwaiti, Venezuelan, Chinese and Korean students listen in. I'm loving that the Kuwait student has gone directly to the ballpark store to buy everything he needs to be decked out in full Phillies garb, a bright red and white t-shirt and cap on backwards. He fits right in.

English Language Center goes to the ballgame

What they don't understand fully is how bad the 8th inning is for Phillies fans. Kendrick surprisingly pitches a good 7 innings so that the score remains 0-0  keeping us hopeful. Then Bastardo is brought in for no apparent reason, and all is downhill from there. With 3 men on base, he WALKS the next batter. That is bad enough, but to put the nail in the coffin, the  next batter hits a GRAND SLAM.  Our row is in agony, groaning with our head in our hands.

There is no redemption that night, no joy in mudville, I'm afraid. And losses the next 2 nights give the Atlanta Braves a sweep. The Phillies are 11 out of first place and 13 under. 500.


Two bright spots
In the section next to us, we notice a lot of commotion, a camera, a man on his knees. It's a suprise marriage proposal.  She apparently says YES

More important, though. Carlos Ruiz is chosen for the All Star team for the first time (let's hope he doesn't get hurt!)