On this cold but not unbearable Saturday night I begin the season with the first night home game.
It's the bottom of the 9th with the Kansas City Royals in the lead 3-1. In the middle of the lineup at bat, this time the Phillies wait out the pitches, one by one forcing the closing Royals pitcher to walk the first 3 batters. With the bases loaded, the thinned out crowd is starting to rise to our collective feet .
First, Dominic Brown comes up to the plate. Out. then John Mayberry Jr. Out.
Believe me,
No one is sitting now.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. (For spoiler alert, go to the end)
Friday April 5 I I sit in my office, checking in on the Home Opening Day game and see that the Phillies are ahead 4-0. I had wanted to go to that game, but couldn't get out of work. Opening
Night? That was always on my mind, but it isn't until I but find a great seat on Stub Hub in the 110 section at the first base line that I succomb. Click, click, the ticket is mine.
Later in the afternoon, I check the game score and see that it is 9-4. The Phillies end up getting trounced 13-4 on the first game at home, after a less than stellar first week away. I've been to games where the Phillies are ahead and then lose badly. It is not a pretty sight, so I get worried-Yikes, is this going to be a travesty on Saturday night, too?
Still, I have fun getting my bag together in the morning. Into the well travelled pink Olympic 2010 backpack goes a sweater, my wallet and phone, the ticket, some subway tokens. A Phillies cap comes out of the closet, though the tee shirt will have to wait for warmer weather.
For this first game of the season, I arrive at the ball park early to take in the sights and smells, settle into my seat, chat with the ballpark staff. Tonight I am lucky to have one of the ushers describe the previous day's opening game extravaganza. It included, from what I understood, three men parachuting down to the field with the game ball, a flag and a bat; a Mummers string band; a high school band and chorus;
a military detail displaying the American flag on the field. This all seems goofy, but the picture she draws for me with her words, her gestures and her own reaction is so moving, I have to hold back the tears.
As the game progresses, I notice that unlike the 400 section, where we might see beer hawkers, in the 100 section there is an amazing variety of vendors who troll the aisles. Each of them has a unique song as they cry out B-u-d liiiiiiight, or peeeaaaaaaanuts, or Gityur proooooooooooooogram. I am told there is also a 'pistachio girl', but she never appears.
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| This is how close I am to the ballplayers. |
The season ticket fans around me tell about World Series games and foul balls that have landed in their section. These are regulars, rowdy when it is called for, mostly pleasantly exhuberant and rightfully outraged when the Phillies make some bad plays. (Chase Utley had 2 errors!)
The game is going along rather subdued- 3 up-3 down on both sides, until the 4th or 5th inning when the Royals score 2 runs. I secretly think that even if they win, as long as its not by more than 2 or 3 runs, that will be better than yesterday. The Phillies get a run, the Royals score again. With the lackluster Phillies offense showing no sign of rescusitating, by the middle of the 7th inning the park starts to clear out . (I have never understood this phenomonon , since I have witnessed many games where a team turned it around for the last
at bat.)
Aha- that brings us to this game's last at bat.
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| Ryan Howard on his way to first base |
Remember, it's the bottom of the ninth, there are 3
men on and 2 outs. No one in the park is sitting down. Could the Phillies really pull it off? Kevin Frandsen steps up to the plate pinch hitting for the catcher, Humberto Quintero. He swings on the first pitch. A beautiful soaring hit lands between the right and center fielders that brings in three runs to accomplish a startling surge over the Royals. The park explodes in an ecstatic uproar. Everywhere I turn, generous high fives for everyone all around.
A good first game to get me back in bloggin' mood. Stay tuned for more.
It's the bottom of the 9th with the Kansas City Royals in the lead 3-1. In the middle of the lineup at bat, this time the Phillies wait out the pitches, one by one forcing the closing Royals pitcher to walk the first 3 batters. With the bases loaded, the thinned out crowd is starting to rise to our collective feet .
