Learning to watch the game

A group of 15 college students from countries where baseball is not king join me for a lesson in how to play. Really though, it is a lesson in how to WATCH so that they can enjoy the trip tonight to the second Phillies vs. Giants game. We lug some plastic bats, a few balls, a glove and lots of water to Drexel Park where  we set up a small diamond and get ready to learn the basic rules and vocabulary of baseball.

They really do know nothing about baseball. Nothing.
Lesson one is learning the lingo:
the diamond, the positions, what is a strike, a ball, a walk, an out, an inning. All new and quite strange. This year I can regale them with stories of 19 inning games, taking my niece to the 6th playoff game when the Giants won the National League Championship, and fill them in on the current excitement about the Phillies vs the Giants.
Lesson two is giving them a chance to  feel the joy of swinging a bat and connecting with the ball:
One student hits the ball, then walks away.
Another student hits the ball, and runs jubilantly to the first base -with the bat still in hand!One by one, each student steps up to our makeshift home plate to simulate singles, steals, triples, and RBIs. One student wants to learn how to steal.We even have a pitcher and 2nd baseman's confab to talk about how to do a double play.
When someone comes home, I make sure we greet them with some high fives and cheers. 

It's a pitcher's game, I tell them.
It may look like nothing is happening, so watch and relish every pitch and learn to understand what the count means. Look to see if the umpire's hand  points right when Cole Hamels pitches. That is a strike!  Check the board to see what kind of pitch, the speed, the count.
Lean forward on the 3-2 count.
Stand up and clap to honor the pitcher walking off the field, replaced by a relief pitcher..
Follow the directions on the HD screen to 'make noise.
Hope that Cain, the Giants' pitcher throws outside the strike zone for 4 balls. That's a walk.

It's a batter's game, I tell them.
Cheer as the Phillies batter runs to first base and hope the umpire spreads his arms wide to show that the batter is 'safe'.  Hold your breath as you  follow the long fly ball that you hope will go out of the park. Groan in disappointment as it is caught by the center fielder.
Scream for the the runner as he crosses home plate.
I share with them the chant Raooooooool that we croon when Raul Ibanez comes to the plate.

And when something happens that you don't understand, turn around and ask someone, "What just happened?" It is something I have done many times!

I tell them: Take a walk around the park to get a good look from all angles. Buy some overpriced water or overcooked hotdogs. Sway to the sounds of  'Take me out to the ballgame'.  (we learn the words and practice it) Take lots of pictures.

Enjoy the ride to the park, the vendors hawking pretzels and peanuts. Enjoy the ballpark. Enjoy the not so oppressively hot evening, the view of the city, being in the stands with 45, 808 people for a lovely night of "America's game".

Enjoy the game.   Play ball!

Red Sox 5, Phillies 2

Dear Mom,

How I want to call to tell you  tales of my latest Phillies adventures, describing the the red and white costumed subway riders, the people who were my partners in sport.  and to give you a play by play by play by play of this afternoon's 3rd game with the Boston Red Sox.

You aren't on the other end of the phone to be totally bemused by my new found passion, sprung loose like the cork on a champagne bottle within the last year. How amazed you were when I would call from the ballpark gushing with glee after a home run, or a grand slam, a no hitter, or during what would be a 19 inning game.

I knew that I could call because you always loved to be part of whatever your children, and your grandchildren and friends of your family were up to. Whether it was attending concerts of Indonesian puppetry and dance that you enjoyed through your eldest son Marc; displaying children's books written by your middle son Eric; getting involved in any number of projects of mine from dance concerts to ice skating exhibitions to Dales' birthday parties, you were there. Your love of  theater, from Kennedy Center to your granddaughter's middle school and high school productions is legendary, but you also attended elementary school children's soccer games,championship gymnastic, swimming and diving meets. Never grudgingly. You truly loved it.

You aren't on the phone  for me to describe how it felt to ride the express train to the ballpark with fathers, daughters, sons, groups of coworkers, old and young,  many in Phillies garb. I couldn't call you on this 85 degree afternoon in the sun, yet another perfect day for a ball game, to tell you that sitting in the ballpark in outer left field with 40,000 fans was exactly where I wanted to be, needed to be today. It is always a privilege, a delight, an exquisite ride of ups and downs, rallies and exaltation being at a baseball game.

You aren't here for me to tell you that being with you as much as possible  for the past 7 months was also exactly where I wanted to be, needed to be . It was always a privilege, a delight, an exquisite ride of ups and downs, rallies and exaltations being your daughter.

In fact, it was the best game in town and I was thrilled to be right behind home plate with all of us cheering you on.
 ________________________

P.S. We lost today 5-2. Oh well, it's only June, the Phillies are still #1 in both Leagues and unlike missing you, it's just a game.

Great night for baseball

A half moon hangs in the sky. An 85 degree night with no threat of rain. Another great night for baseball. I am in heaven, quite literally, the upper deck at the far corner of the left field seats for the third game against the LA Dodgers. Our view is the wide angle lens shot of the field, less intimate and immediately compelling than other places I've sat, so it takes time to settle in and focus. Fortunately, tonight I am joined by Peter, Isaac and Joe, 3 absolute Baseball aficionados, who trade colorful commentary past present, even future. On either side of me I am treated to 'BSL" Baseball as a Second Language. At one point, Isaac is describing a game that he saw, and though I know all the words he is using, the meaning is opaque to me. At this moment I wish that I had a tape recorder to document this language sample.

As a child, my father would listen to the Pittsburgh Pirates games in the car, but because all I knew was that he wanted us to be quiet, I did not appreciate how dear this experience was to him. I don't remember him ever actually attending a game, and don't remember ever being taken to one, so in looking back am sad of this lost opportunity to share my father's love of listening to the color commentators. for a team that was in it's prime.  I can only now imagine the rapturous melody of a skilled announcer who could convey excitement through the speakers of the radio in our Buick stationwagon. : "And it's a high ball to center.........it's over the head of the center fielder..........it'sA HOME RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first 5 innings go quickly, up down, up down. Cole Hamels pitches brilliantly  letting  in one hit that goes nowhere for the Dodgers. But the Phillies are not hitting either, so we wonder if this will be another long game.
Then  Ryan Howard is up to bat. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. And it's a high ball to center...it's over the head of the center fielder..its A HOME RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 NOW we have a game as both teams start  hitting. Along the way the Phillies produce some excitement with 2 elegant triples.  Triples are about the running: there is always the tension as the runner bolts around second-will he try for third base? Home? Will the fielder be able to throw it in time for an out?
The Dodgers pitcher walks several runners. With the bases loaded, 2 outs, a 3-2 count  the fans are on our feet cheering, cheering, cheering. The batter swings, "it's a flyyyyyyyyy ball................... ...............caught by the center fielder". Like a balloon deflated, we settle back into our seats. The stadium is quiet again.
The Dodgers challenge Hamels with some hits, but he fights back with strike outs to retire them for another inning, for a total of 8 innings.
The Phillies do score one more with what I learn is as close to a 'suicide squeeze play' as I am  likely to see, a close slide to home, safe at the plate. Another chance to stand and yell. The Dodgers never recover, and with no runs in the top of the 9th inning, the game is over. Smiles all around.  Phillies 2, Dodgers 0.

A postscript: We pour into the Broad Street subway line that is always waiting for us after the game. The train is crowded, not just with the red and white of the Phillies fans, but also with fans carrying programs from the "Glee" concert. I get some vicarious pleasure from hearing the reports of the concert, which I had considered going to until I found out the price. One man with a program said, "It was good" and the woman he was with said, "It was fantastic, he's lying". One family has come from Baltimore, another man from New York.
"Isn't the show playing in New York?", I ask him. "Oh, I saw it there, too! With all the teenage girls, gay guys, and women who could drag their boyfriends."

What I've seen since 2010

Here is what I enjoyed during the OlympicsFri. Feb 19 Compulsory Ice Dancing,
Sat. Feb. 20, Russia/Slovakia Women's Hockey,
Sun. Feb 21 Original Dance-Ice Dancing,
Mon. Feb 22 4 concurrent matches Women's Curling,
Tues. Feb 23 Ladies' ski cross, Ladies' skating short program Weds.Feb 24 Women's Speed Skating

2010
 Philadelphia Flyers Stanley Cup games on TV
Seven Philadelphia Phillies baseball games at Citizens Bank Park, 
One Yankees game in New York October 6, 2010
NLDS HISTORIC Game One of the playoff series with the Cincinnati Reds, OCT 17  23  
National League Pennant: Game Two Phillies 6-Giants 1, Game Six Giants 3- Phillies 2
Nov 15 Eagles vs. Redskins 59-28

So far in 2011 
March 30 76ers basketball, April 6 Phillies vs Mets
April 6 Phillies and Mets
May 4 Philies and Nationals  10-7
May 25 Phillies, Cincinnatti Reds  5-4

The 19th Inning Win-The Game That Would Never End

A beautiful night for a game, the third against the Cincinnatti Reds. Peter, Gabriela, Barbara and I settle into our seats in the 416 section, just where I like them, high above the first base line just to the right of homeplate.
We look forward to Roy Halladay's pitching, and hope for some good hitting. As the Phillies hold onto a slim 3-0 lead for a good part of the game, Halladay's pitching is erratic, finally letting in 3 runs. And then the fun begins. Inning after inning the teams battle it out. First the Reds get a run, then Ryan Howard belts one out for a homerun. And then..... Well just look.
Peter jokes about the  game that he brought Gabby to that lasted 13 innings. We laugh again as the innings pile up. First 13, then we are introduced to the "14th inning Stretch!"...Singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for the second time as if we are punch drunk at a New Year's Eve party...

It's also as if we are seeing a double header, but of course it is the SAME game. The teams volley back and forth with some base hits, and even bases loaded at one point for the Phillies.

Soon they let all of us in the upper stratosphere move down one level, since more than half of the crowd has left. It is astonishing that so many of us are still there. I think after the 14th inning stretch there was a sense of accomplishment at reaching that milestone, so why not stay until the end of the party. The mood begins to fade between the 14th and 16th when inning after inning, neither the Phillies nor the Reds can produce anything resembling a run. The mood makers bring out every silly inspirational movie and tv clip from Rocky to Animal House.

We begin to hear from the announcers about the longest Phillies game (21 innings in 1918 against the Cubs-The Cubs won it in Chicago). We wonder if this one will approach that. I wonder if we will have a 21st inning stretch! The music picks up and many of us are standing for every pitch. It seems also that the Phillies, who have gone through at least 4 relief pitchers after Halladay left in the 8th inning have no pitchers left. Kendrick hit a batter. He's out. Bastardo lets in a run. He's out. Madson does pretty well, then Baez who manages to keep the Reds in check. Then Valdez!!!??? A  position player who steps in as a pitcher. (the last time he pitched was in college ball)

The fans light up again,cheering on this quirk in the pitching lineup and the mass rotation of player positions as the catcher becomes the third baseman and others around the field take some new positions.

Quote of the game by a 6 year old seeing his first game. He had many great questions for his dad throughout, but this was the best  "Where is Roy Halladay? Did he go home?"

And so, finally, in the bottom of the 19th inning, it takes a sac fly by Raul Ibanez (Raooooooooooooool) to  break the spell. How? It is only the 2nd out, so Jimmy Rollins on 3rd base is able to tag and run home. Barbara and I don't even realize the game is over until we see the Phillies pour out of the dugout and start the celebration.

Final Score  Phillies 5 Cincinnatti Reds 4