The 2013 Blog Season Begins

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.

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.

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.

Watching the Team for One last Time

As I change into my uniform of red shirt, red cap, pink Olympic backback and a big broad smile, I almost gallup to the subway, on the way stopping for my ritual sandwich at 7-11. The smile is tempered by a touch of sweet sadness in recognition that I am on my way to the last homegame. It is like the last day of the swim club season, which comes as fall is just announcing itself by shortened days and slightly cooler evenings. I look for my 'tribe' as the subways fill up with Phillies phans, tonight being even more special because it is Drexel student night.
At the ballpark, I walk around the whole park taking in the noise and the smells and the anticipation.

Before the game, The Drexel acapella group sings the National anthem,and  the Drexel mascot struts his stuff. A nice addition to this beautiful night, sitting in the 315 section between home plate and 1st. Once again our neighbors are regulars, our view is terrific, the sky clear.

Peter and I each went to about 8 games this year, 4 of them together. As disappointing as the whole season was for the Phillies record, I have some lovely memories that helped me through a difficult summer.

Watching Ryan Howard and Chase Utley returned to the team to lead a new group of young players to several key victories has been one of the main highlights. Each game throughout August we saw players brought up from the minors for a shot at glory. Some gave their all and then returned for more seasoning. Others proved more valuable and continued in the lineup through  September. Pitcher after pitcher stood on the rubber,  hoping to become part of the legendary crew alongside Hamels,Halladay Lee, Papelbon.  I particularly liked Michael Stutes (injured) and Jake Diekman (great to watch his long legged pitching stance).

Jimmy Rollins and Carlos Ruiz were also standouts this summer for their leadership strength and speed. I saw more stolen bases this year than previous years, which are thrilling for their electric surprise.

And then there are the Nationals, tonight's competitors, the best team in baseball who were not to be outdone. For each Nats player who came to the plate Peter whispered "He's a really good hitter". Harper, Morse, Zimmerman, Desmond, Larouche. I now know these players since I've seen them three times. And yes, they are really good hitters. Harper 19, homerun.Morse 2 homeruns. . And the fielder made some elegant catches that we couldn't help but clap for as well.

Unfortunately for us  the  Final score 7-3. But it puts the Nats one step closer to clinching the division. Funny that the SF Giants have already done that-go brother Eric, and the Orioles are battling it out with the Yankees for their title-go  cousin Zaslows.

I love the Phils, but heck, am this year also loving the hunt.

We Beat the Nats. Again.

I received a gift set of tickets and as a treat I have upgraded to a set of 318 section seats, once again right behind home plate, but a section closer. What a difference one level can make, not just in how much we can see, but in who are our 'neighbors'. To our left are a lovely couple who regularly buy 17 games in that section, and to our right another man who has been coming even longer. Seems that our seats had belonged to season ticket holders who exchanged their tickets for another night. Lucky me.

And the weather is picture perfect ,defying the predictions once again of rain rain rain. So we settle in for a night of marvelous baseball.

I chose this date specifically to see the Nationals play. They are currently the team with the most amount of wins in either league,so I want  to get familiar with them as they march towards the playoff season. I am quite prepared for the Phillies to lose even though last night they won 4-2. You just never know these days with the Phillies.

To our total delight we leap ahead in the first inning, a great start that excites the crowd. The sign flashing on the jumbotron  reads MAKE NOISE,  which tonight the 44,000 of us willingly obey, unlike other games where the crowd could not be roused from dispondancy. There are plenty of hits, nice plays  and the magnificent Halladay has shown up to the mound tonight. He is pitching well, but then lets in two runs.

The astonishing play of the game: Utley gets hit at bat and takes first base. Then he steals second, not so unusual, but still quite startling. THEN he steals third base. Third base!!! Then Mayberry hits a sac fly (oh my, I'm starting to get the lingo) that  Utley needs to run on home. Unbelievable.All from being hit and walking to first. All this after Mayberry's home run, which in the end could have been the winning run.

The players are not the same as when I first started this adventure,. Shane Victorino. Gone. Raul Ibanez. Gone. Hunter Pence. Gone. Carlos Ruiz. Injured. Instead are names like Kratz and Wiggington, Pierre, Krasden, Brown. As they become more known to me, their personalities and strengths will become clearer.

For now,  they have given us plenty of reason to scream,  give high fives and smiles all around, and a chance to cheer the team that beat the best team in baseball 4-2. Again.

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!)