The title says it all... I'm weary and exhausted after three days straight of Mariners baseball. Or maybe I'm just that way because they were crushed today? It wasn't a very good game. We just didn't play well.
If only Saunders had caught that ball in the third (Guti, we need you back) we would have gotten out of the jam tied! If only... if only. Instead they scored three in the fourth and then five in the 6th. Vargas ran into trouble again and then Lueke came on and sucked as usual. We lost 9-1. I don't have anything more to say about the game, I'm just tired.
I had garlic chicken and fries ($9.75). The weather was beautiful, there were over 25,000 fans... but that's pretty much all I have to say. Oh, it was Military Appreciation night and they did God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch, which pissed me off. Sports should be religion free as they are public entities meant to represent a region.
Anyway, looking forward to a break, I can't imagine how the beat reporters feel, and they have to travel with them! It is such a grind. I torture myself, but I still love it. I went to 4 out of the 7 games this homestand... that makes it 8 out of 13. If I keep that rate up I'll go to 50 games. Don't think I can keep up this pace, it puts a toll on your body. Sleep patterns, eating patterns, excercise patterns have all changed! Six game roadtrip coming up, and I'm looking forward to it.
The Mariners are now 4-4 when I attend and dropped to 8-14 on the year.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
He is GOOD!
I like him, I really like him! Pineda was on the mound again tonight, the second time I've seen him in person. Seeing as how he's a rookie, you expect him to have a troubled outing now and then. 4 starts in and we haven't seen it yet. Sure he's run into a few bad innings here and there, but like all good pitchers he bounces back and makes the adjustments as needed. We saw this again in the second inning when he threw 30 pitches yet got out of the jam after walking the first two batters by striking out the next two and then getting a groundout to first. Then Pineda sat for a long time while the Mariners scored three runs in the 5th... so he had some issues in the top of the 6th but made it through. He now has a quality start in all of his games this year. A quality start is at least six innings with 3 earned runs or less. Still waiting for him to blow up...
As you can see from the picture I had a Gyro ($6.50). This is the first game of the year I scored. I went to Kinko's earlier and made some copies. It was a good game to score, only a few issues with the scoreboard failing to turn over statistics fast enough There were great plays turned in by Figgins in the 4th (sliding catch of a foul ball) and 8th (line drive). Kennedy had another couple of quality defensive plays including throwing out Kouzmanoff at home in the 5th inning, at that point the game was still 1-0. When you have pitchers sharp and dealing, same goes the defense. Both pitching and defense have been outstanding the last two games, and we've had just as much offense as we've needed!
Kennedy continues his hot streak. He led off the 2nd with a single and scored. Then in the 5th he had a 2 RBI single after we had loaded the bases on a single and three straight walks (Cust had walked in a run previous to Kennedy). So Kennedy went 2-4 with 2 RBI and 1 Run scored. Cust's bases loaded walk was his fourth of the season! He has 7 RBI total on the season and 4 have come via a bases loaded walk!
It got a little dicey in the 9th inning... Wright came in and loaded the bases with two consecutive singles and a walk after striking out the first batter. He'd been pretty much lights out this year (his last two appearances he needed only 2 pitches total). So we was pulled and in came Brandon League. The dude scares me, it seemed every time last year he had inherited runners he would have troubles. Well, with the tying run at the plate he picked up his 5th save of the year after inducing pinch hitter Conor Jackson to ground into a game ending double play. Until he proves otherwise on a consistent basis I will always have heart palpitations when he comes in to the game with runners on.
We're now 8-13 on the season and the Mariners are 4-3 when I attend! We've had two shutout wins in a row.
Oh, and since it was Earth Day we all got to take home another bag of dirt!
As you can see from the picture I had a Gyro ($6.50). This is the first game of the year I scored. I went to Kinko's earlier and made some copies. It was a good game to score, only a few issues with the scoreboard failing to turn over statistics fast enough There were great plays turned in by Figgins in the 4th (sliding catch of a foul ball) and 8th (line drive). Kennedy had another couple of quality defensive plays including throwing out Kouzmanoff at home in the 5th inning, at that point the game was still 1-0. When you have pitchers sharp and dealing, same goes the defense. Both pitching and defense have been outstanding the last two games, and we've had just as much offense as we've needed!Kennedy continues his hot streak. He led off the 2nd with a single and scored. Then in the 5th he had a 2 RBI single after we had loaded the bases on a single and three straight walks (Cust had walked in a run previous to Kennedy). So Kennedy went 2-4 with 2 RBI and 1 Run scored. Cust's bases loaded walk was his fourth of the season! He has 7 RBI total on the season and 4 have come via a bases loaded walk!
It got a little dicey in the 9th inning... Wright came in and loaded the bases with two consecutive singles and a walk after striking out the first batter. He'd been pretty much lights out this year (his last two appearances he needed only 2 pitches total). So we was pulled and in came Brandon League. The dude scares me, it seemed every time last year he had inherited runners he would have troubles. Well, with the tying run at the plate he picked up his 5th save of the year after inducing pinch hitter Conor Jackson to ground into a game ending double play. Until he proves otherwise on a consistent basis I will always have heart palpitations when he comes in to the game with runners on.
We're now 8-13 on the season and the Mariners are 4-3 when I attend! We've had two shutout wins in a row.
Oh, and since it was Earth Day we all got to take home another bag of dirt!
The No-No No-No.
Do you remember where you were on April 22, 1993? I do. I was one of 13,603 other fans at the Kingdome to watch the Mariners play the Boston Red Sox. I can't believe it has been 18 years. I was a month shy of turning twelve years old, it was a Thursday night and I had school the next day, in the sixth grade.
The lineups:
Boston
Ernie Riles 2B
Carlos Quintana RF
Mike Greenwell LF
Andre Dawson DH
Mo Vaughn 1B
Ivan Calderon CF
Scott Cooper 3B
John Valentin SS
Tony Pena C
Joe Hesketh P
Seattle
Mike Felder LF
Henry Cotto DH
Ken Griffey CF
Jay Buhner RF
Bret Boone 2B
Tino Martinez 1B
Mike Blowers 3B
Dave Valle C
Omar Vizquel SS
Chris Bosio P
You'll notice Edgar was not in there... he injured his leg at the end of spring training on bad turf in Vancouver, he was coming off winning the batting title in 1992 and this injury led to him becoming the best DH in the history of the game.
At that point we had our season tickets on the third base side, I believe in the third or fourth row. The angle was perfect to watch Omar work his magic on a daily basis (and eventually some young dude named Alex). In those days the Kingdome was often pretty empty. You could drive up and park on the street outside the North Lot with five minutes to spare, and get to your seats with no problem before the first pitch.
What I remember about the game is that it wasn't particularly entertaining, in fact I remember being a bit bored. In the top of the 6th (or was it the 7th?) we decided to leave because I was tired and had school the next day. Other season ticket holders asked "are you leaving!" and we shared that yes, it was a school night and I had to get to bed. If only they had said "look up at the scoreboard" instead of just letting us leave. We were probably the only people to leave that night early... it wasn't until we got back to the car and turned on the radio that we realized what a mistake we had made. It was the top of the 8th and Dave shared that Bosio still had not allowed a hit in the game. My mom and I both looked at each other with a "holy shit" look on our faces. It was too late to go back to the game, we hadn't gotten our hands stamped when we left. That was the first and only time I will ever leave a no-hitter.
We won the game 7-0, Bosio walked the first two batters and then was perfect the rest of the way.
On any given day... you may see something special at the ballpark... a triple play, a cycle, an amazing catch.... I did that day, just didn't know it until it was too late. How many people can say they left a no-hitter? I think this ends up being the better story. I was there, and I left... I'm not afraid to admit it. I've been to a few "almost" no-hitters over the years, each time hoping that "this will be the day!" Maybe April 22, 1993 was my chance. As of this writing it is the last no-hitter to have been thrown by a Mariner pitcher. We have all seen those replays of the final out, Omar bare-handing a chopper over 2nd. I would have had an awesome view.
The lineups:
Boston
Ernie Riles 2B
Carlos Quintana RF
Mike Greenwell LF
Andre Dawson DH
Mo Vaughn 1B
Ivan Calderon CF
Scott Cooper 3B
John Valentin SS
Tony Pena C
Joe Hesketh P
Seattle
Mike Felder LF
Henry Cotto DH
Ken Griffey CF
Jay Buhner RF
Bret Boone 2B
Tino Martinez 1B
Mike Blowers 3B
Dave Valle C
Omar Vizquel SS
Chris Bosio P
You'll notice Edgar was not in there... he injured his leg at the end of spring training on bad turf in Vancouver, he was coming off winning the batting title in 1992 and this injury led to him becoming the best DH in the history of the game.
At that point we had our season tickets on the third base side, I believe in the third or fourth row. The angle was perfect to watch Omar work his magic on a daily basis (and eventually some young dude named Alex). In those days the Kingdome was often pretty empty. You could drive up and park on the street outside the North Lot with five minutes to spare, and get to your seats with no problem before the first pitch.
What I remember about the game is that it wasn't particularly entertaining, in fact I remember being a bit bored. In the top of the 6th (or was it the 7th?) we decided to leave because I was tired and had school the next day. Other season ticket holders asked "are you leaving!" and we shared that yes, it was a school night and I had to get to bed. If only they had said "look up at the scoreboard" instead of just letting us leave. We were probably the only people to leave that night early... it wasn't until we got back to the car and turned on the radio that we realized what a mistake we had made. It was the top of the 8th and Dave shared that Bosio still had not allowed a hit in the game. My mom and I both looked at each other with a "holy shit" look on our faces. It was too late to go back to the game, we hadn't gotten our hands stamped when we left. That was the first and only time I will ever leave a no-hitter.
We won the game 7-0, Bosio walked the first two batters and then was perfect the rest of the way.
On any given day... you may see something special at the ballpark... a triple play, a cycle, an amazing catch.... I did that day, just didn't know it until it was too late. How many people can say they left a no-hitter? I think this ends up being the better story. I was there, and I left... I'm not afraid to admit it. I've been to a few "almost" no-hitters over the years, each time hoping that "this will be the day!" Maybe April 22, 1993 was my chance. As of this writing it is the last no-hitter to have been thrown by a Mariner pitcher. We have all seen those replays of the final out, Omar bare-handing a chopper over 2nd. I would have had an awesome view.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
This is Why I Love Baseball!
I know I've said it before, you never know what you're going to see at the ballpark on any given day and often will see something that has never happened. A few days ago, it was the first ball to hit the Safeco roof. Lately, it has been record breaking attendance (tonight third lowest ever with 12,770). Tonight we saw two firsts, a couple of OUTSTANDING defensive plays, a great pitching performance by King Felix, and a 1-0 win. I am so glad I taped this game 'cause I want to watch everything over again.
With the roof closed, Felix started off the game retiring the first eight batters he faced, then giving up a solid single in the third. He had a season high 8 ks against the Oakland A's... who believe it or not have scored fewer runs this year than the inept Mariners. He went 7.2 innings and got into a little trouble so Wedge brought in Wright, who has been LIGHTS OUT so far this year. He only needed one pitch to end the inning. League came in for a nail biting 9th and we pulled out the win. Everyone went home happy, and it was a quick game.
The defensive plays, a line drive snag above Figgins' head doubled off runner at first in the seventh... wow. Then later in the inning an amazing snag by Brendan Ryan at SS who somehow managed to get it off and Kennedy stretched out to snag the ball.
We got our lone run in the 4th when Kennedy, our 1B today, hit a solo shot. Smoak is on the bereavement list... his father passed away at the age of 54 from cancer. Truly sad for the young man, I wish him the best and hope he comes back soon. It seems like every year someone on the team loses a member of their family. That's just part of baseball, I guess, because of the long season and many many months they are away from family. It must be tough. But, Kennedy made several great defensive plays and he has pretty much done whatever Wedge has asked him to do (which is what is supposed to happen). He's been a pleasant surprise.
Let's get to the firsts... after Felix gave up his first hit he attempted to pick off the runner but threw the ball away, he was lucky in that the ball somehow ended up behind the tarp. Never before had we lost a ball in the tarp! So instead of the runner ending up on third (or scoring) he ending up on second! Another first, Carlo Peguero got his first ML hit with an infield hit in the third... he was then subsequently picked off two pitches later. Oops. Regardless, congrats on the milestone.
Interesting note... the Mariners have scored three runs the last two games after their 13 run outburst on Tuesday. Whenever we score that many runs I always say "save some for tomorrow!" Well, we lost 3-2 yesterday... today we only got 1 run but it was all we needed. It doesn't matter how much you score as long as you get the win!
My sister and her family were at the game today, one of her kids was at her first game! They gave me a ticket so I could join them in the terrace club, where they now have $8 credit on each ticket to go toward concessions. They also have special food you can't get anywhere else, like pasta and baked potatoes. I decided on a baked potato ($7.75) which was really good! My sister got nachos and was in heaven! I think they changed the concourse floor, although they may have changed it last year. I don't think I went to one game in the terrace club last year! Anyway, we ate together and then I wanted to go down to my seats to get closer to Felix. After three innings of fighting to see around the tall people in front of me, I decided to go back up to the terrace club. I actually had a better view of Felix, with no obstructions. I was able to see the tarp play unfold right in front of me, and didn't miss a single play as I walked around the concourse with no problem. Like I've said, I kind of like the small crowds, easy to get around! The kids an her husband left around then, and my sister and I enjoyed the rest of the game (after she helped the kids to the car and missed the only run of the game). We got a rice krispie treat and some mini chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
Best game of the year so far? Possibly! Ranks right up there with the Pineda outing. Speaking of which, tomorrow is Pineda day!
They are now back to .500 with me in attendance, at 3-3!
With the roof closed, Felix started off the game retiring the first eight batters he faced, then giving up a solid single in the third. He had a season high 8 ks against the Oakland A's... who believe it or not have scored fewer runs this year than the inept Mariners. He went 7.2 innings and got into a little trouble so Wedge brought in Wright, who has been LIGHTS OUT so far this year. He only needed one pitch to end the inning. League came in for a nail biting 9th and we pulled out the win. Everyone went home happy, and it was a quick game.
The defensive plays, a line drive snag above Figgins' head doubled off runner at first in the seventh... wow. Then later in the inning an amazing snag by Brendan Ryan at SS who somehow managed to get it off and Kennedy stretched out to snag the ball.
We got our lone run in the 4th when Kennedy, our 1B today, hit a solo shot. Smoak is on the bereavement list... his father passed away at the age of 54 from cancer. Truly sad for the young man, I wish him the best and hope he comes back soon. It seems like every year someone on the team loses a member of their family. That's just part of baseball, I guess, because of the long season and many many months they are away from family. It must be tough. But, Kennedy made several great defensive plays and he has pretty much done whatever Wedge has asked him to do (which is what is supposed to happen). He's been a pleasant surprise.
Let's get to the firsts... after Felix gave up his first hit he attempted to pick off the runner but threw the ball away, he was lucky in that the ball somehow ended up behind the tarp. Never before had we lost a ball in the tarp! So instead of the runner ending up on third (or scoring) he ending up on second! Another first, Carlo Peguero got his first ML hit with an infield hit in the third... he was then subsequently picked off two pitches later. Oops. Regardless, congrats on the milestone.
Interesting note... the Mariners have scored three runs the last two games after their 13 run outburst on Tuesday. Whenever we score that many runs I always say "save some for tomorrow!" Well, we lost 3-2 yesterday... today we only got 1 run but it was all we needed. It doesn't matter how much you score as long as you get the win!
My sister and her family were at the game today, one of her kids was at her first game! They gave me a ticket so I could join them in the terrace club, where they now have $8 credit on each ticket to go toward concessions. They also have special food you can't get anywhere else, like pasta and baked potatoes. I decided on a baked potato ($7.75) which was really good! My sister got nachos and was in heaven! I think they changed the concourse floor, although they may have changed it last year. I don't think I went to one game in the terrace club last year! Anyway, we ate together and then I wanted to go down to my seats to get closer to Felix. After three innings of fighting to see around the tall people in front of me, I decided to go back up to the terrace club. I actually had a better view of Felix, with no obstructions. I was able to see the tarp play unfold right in front of me, and didn't miss a single play as I walked around the concourse with no problem. Like I've said, I kind of like the small crowds, easy to get around! The kids an her husband left around then, and my sister and I enjoyed the rest of the game (after she helped the kids to the car and missed the only run of the game). We got a rice krispie treat and some mini chocolate chip cookies for dessert.Best game of the year so far? Possibly! Ranks right up there with the Pineda outing. Speaking of which, tomorrow is Pineda day!
They are now back to .500 with me in attendance, at 3-3!
Monday, April 18, 2011
And All I Got Was a Bag of Dirt
Well, it was another historic night at Safeco Field. 1 week ago today, I attended the lowest attended game at Safeco which was eclipsed two days later (12,407). Tonight, the second smallest crowd of 12,774. I have to say, it was kind of nice walking through the concourses without having to weave around the slow people. Food lines were short, no lines for the bathroom! On the other hand, it was depressing to see how far the team has fallen the last few years. It will take a long time to work their way back, I'm sure the attendance will improve with warmer weather, but it is still pathetic and must be noted.
We played the Detroit Tigers, Vargas was on the mound again. I thought he did a pretty good job, it was just his defense failing him again as we literally threw the ball away. The Tigers scored six runs in the seventh off a couple of "wild pitches" and just plain bad pitching by Lueke and Ray. Milton Bradley had a good game (batting wise, he had a huge error) going 2-3 with two walks, a homer, and 2 rbi. He put us up 2-1 in the third and then in the sixth he had a huge error that let the Tigers score the tying run. The next inning our bullpen fell apart. Smoak launched a solo homer in the 8th. And while that was the only thing he did hitting wise, I'm still liking what I am seeing and he has been our most consistent everyday player. Final score, 8-3.
One thing of note, the annoying Tigers pitcher in the 9th, Valverde, who had a very methodical way he went about things... his routine is ridiculous and when he struck out Bradley he was very demonstrative while he bowed. Yes, he bowed. To God, to himself... I don't know. But it was very unsportsmanlike and I can only imagine how insulted Bradley felt. According to my twitter feed he was pacing back and forth in the dugout giving him a staredown.
Stayed the whole game... I'm never leaving again! It was a very long game, over three and a half hours, and even though we lost there were several highlights. In the first inning, we had a Safeco Field first. The first ball to hit the extended roof (that's what they call it instead of closed)! They started closing the roof before the game because we got a few sprinkles. Anyway, that had never happened before, and it dropped in foul territory between Figgins and Olivo. I didn't see it hit, but I watched it go up, heard the reaction of the crowd, and watched it fall.
Another highlight, we saw somebody get escorted out of the game in the 9th inning. A dude a few rows in front of us and his buddies had been trying all game to get on TV with some signs they had made. Eventually with the sparse crowd they moved to a different section and I guess they got a little too close to the camera operators. Security told them to back off and a bird was flipped. A few minutes later they were escorted out. A kid behind said something, don't remember exact words, like "they don't censor in soccer!". Oh kid, you will soon learn that at Safeco they care more about being family friendly than fan friendly. Anyway, that's the first ejection of the year.
Okay, enough of the game... let's talk about the food. Went to the game with my sister who hadn't been in at least two seasons. We entered in The Pen entrance and I showed her the new food and the changes to the layout/view, also pointed out the out of town scoreboard from last year and new LED scoreboard this year. I think she was excited about those. Tonight was my turn to try the new burger... it took them a little while to figure out how to give me a burger minus the cheese, $8.50, and I didn't realize that the mayo wasn't going to be on the side... so I had to scrape as much off of it as I could. It came with pickles, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes. I squirt some ketchup and mustard (oops turns out a little too much as you can see from picture) and took a bite. I didn't "dress" my burger the way I usually do so maybe that had something to do with my enjoyment of it. Frankly it wasn't very good and was pretty much generic, and a little cold. I couldn't finish the whole thing. I will not be getting it again and instead if I want a burger will get the cheaper Kidd Valley one (which has its own temperature problems).
Then we were off to find my sister dinner. We headed to the healthy option behind home plate where I knew they had garden burgers. Guess what, they took them off the menu tonight. Are you kidding me? Who wants a veggie dog, those are gross! So then we walked a little more and found some new food choices this year... the have "potato fries" on a stick and buffalo tenders/wings. She didn't want fries. She ended up settling on a veggie roll at the sushi place for $9. I never realized that they had veggie sushi, wondering if this is a new thing the last couple of years. I had a few... and it was decent! I now know this is an option for me. This is also where they moved the teriyaki choice that used to be in the Bullpen Market. I was still hungry so we headed back to The Pen to share a dessert crepe. We went back and forth on the strawberry or banana one... and finally settled on the banana w/nutella. I'd never had nutella before so was excited to see what it was like. We waiting a couple of minutes as they made it fresh! It was okay... the nutella was too similar to chocolate for me and it got pretty messy in the end. For $6.50 it was a decent price for a ballpark dessert. I will give the strawberry one a shot at some point.
In other news, Guti still isn't okay and they are sending him to the Mayo Clinic. I'm starting to think it is psychological and hope it is nothing too serious. We really need him back, Langerhans let a ball drop that Guti probably would have gotten to. There have been many of those plays already this year.
I'm glad we stayed 'til the end, you never know what is going to happen and we got to see the Smoak homer and the ejection of the fan. There is always something to take away from every game, no matter how frustrating they can be. The Mariners are bad, really bad, but we have a few bright spots and you can always see history on any given day... like we did tonight. The first time a ball hit the roof! The second lowest attendance ever!
Most of the fans left in the disaster of the sixth inning... there was a giveaway tonight with bags of dirt made from compostable items from Safeco last year. When we left, there were still 3 remaining, and they only had 5000 total to give. I didn't get a foul ball, but I have my very own bag of Safeco garbage. Yee haw!
My record is now 2-3. The Mariners fell to 5-12 overall.
We played the Detroit Tigers, Vargas was on the mound again. I thought he did a pretty good job, it was just his defense failing him again as we literally threw the ball away. The Tigers scored six runs in the seventh off a couple of "wild pitches" and just plain bad pitching by Lueke and Ray. Milton Bradley had a good game (batting wise, he had a huge error) going 2-3 with two walks, a homer, and 2 rbi. He put us up 2-1 in the third and then in the sixth he had a huge error that let the Tigers score the tying run. The next inning our bullpen fell apart. Smoak launched a solo homer in the 8th. And while that was the only thing he did hitting wise, I'm still liking what I am seeing and he has been our most consistent everyday player. Final score, 8-3.
One thing of note, the annoying Tigers pitcher in the 9th, Valverde, who had a very methodical way he went about things... his routine is ridiculous and when he struck out Bradley he was very demonstrative while he bowed. Yes, he bowed. To God, to himself... I don't know. But it was very unsportsmanlike and I can only imagine how insulted Bradley felt. According to my twitter feed he was pacing back and forth in the dugout giving him a staredown.
Stayed the whole game... I'm never leaving again! It was a very long game, over three and a half hours, and even though we lost there were several highlights. In the first inning, we had a Safeco Field first. The first ball to hit the extended roof (that's what they call it instead of closed)! They started closing the roof before the game because we got a few sprinkles. Anyway, that had never happened before, and it dropped in foul territory between Figgins and Olivo. I didn't see it hit, but I watched it go up, heard the reaction of the crowd, and watched it fall.
Another highlight, we saw somebody get escorted out of the game in the 9th inning. A dude a few rows in front of us and his buddies had been trying all game to get on TV with some signs they had made. Eventually with the sparse crowd they moved to a different section and I guess they got a little too close to the camera operators. Security told them to back off and a bird was flipped. A few minutes later they were escorted out. A kid behind said something, don't remember exact words, like "they don't censor in soccer!". Oh kid, you will soon learn that at Safeco they care more about being family friendly than fan friendly. Anyway, that's the first ejection of the year.
Okay, enough of the game... let's talk about the food. Went to the game with my sister who hadn't been in at least two seasons. We entered in The Pen entrance and I showed her the new food and the changes to the layout/view, also pointed out the out of town scoreboard from last year and new LED scoreboard this year. I think she was excited about those. Tonight was my turn to try the new burger... it took them a little while to figure out how to give me a burger minus the cheese, $8.50, and I didn't realize that the mayo wasn't going to be on the side... so I had to scrape as much off of it as I could. It came with pickles, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes. I squirt some ketchup and mustard (oops turns out a little too much as you can see from picture) and took a bite. I didn't "dress" my burger the way I usually do so maybe that had something to do with my enjoyment of it. Frankly it wasn't very good and was pretty much generic, and a little cold. I couldn't finish the whole thing. I will not be getting it again and instead if I want a burger will get the cheaper Kidd Valley one (which has its own temperature problems). 
Then we were off to find my sister dinner. We headed to the healthy option behind home plate where I knew they had garden burgers. Guess what, they took them off the menu tonight. Are you kidding me? Who wants a veggie dog, those are gross! So then we walked a little more and found some new food choices this year... the have "potato fries" on a stick and buffalo tenders/wings. She didn't want fries. She ended up settling on a veggie roll at the sushi place for $9. I never realized that they had veggie sushi, wondering if this is a new thing the last couple of years. I had a few... and it was decent! I now know this is an option for me. This is also where they moved the teriyaki choice that used to be in the Bullpen Market. I was still hungry so we headed back to The Pen to share a dessert crepe. We went back and forth on the strawberry or banana one... and finally settled on the banana w/nutella. I'd never had nutella before so was excited to see what it was like. We waiting a couple of minutes as they made it fresh! It was okay... the nutella was too similar to chocolate for me and it got pretty messy in the end. For $6.50 it was a decent price for a ballpark dessert. I will give the strawberry one a shot at some point.
In other news, Guti still isn't okay and they are sending him to the Mayo Clinic. I'm starting to think it is psychological and hope it is nothing too serious. We really need him back, Langerhans let a ball drop that Guti probably would have gotten to. There have been many of those plays already this year.
I'm glad we stayed 'til the end, you never know what is going to happen and we got to see the Smoak homer and the ejection of the fan. There is always something to take away from every game, no matter how frustrating they can be. The Mariners are bad, really bad, but we have a few bright spots and you can always see history on any given day... like we did tonight. The first time a ball hit the roof! The second lowest attendance ever!
Most of the fans left in the disaster of the sixth inning... there was a giveaway tonight with bags of dirt made from compostable items from Safeco last year. When we left, there were still 3 remaining, and they only had 5000 total to give. I didn't get a foul ball, but I have my very own bag of Safeco garbage. Yee haw!
My record is now 2-3. The Mariners fell to 5-12 overall.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Scoring
My Uncle Rian used to take me to sporting events when I was younger. We went to Soccer games, Hockey games... and he taught me how to score. One infamous bet between the two of us occurred years after this first game... when I bet my uncle that Griffey would not hit a third home run after hitting two in a game. Well, he did. It was almost instant, possibly one or two pitches between the time bet was placed and the homer was hit. We joked about that for years. Sometime in 1991 or 1992 he taught me how to score... while trying to find my first scorebook I ran across one that contained my oldest (found to date) scored game. Funny, it turns out it was an away game. June 5th, 1992 against the Kansas City Royals. I must have been practicing my craft.
It is a C.S. Peterson Scoremaster and I did something that day that I've rarely done in the years since... scored in pencil! The problem with scoring in pencil, pencil fades (but allows for the occasional mistake).
I can't explain what it is like to score a game unless you have done so yourself. In a game ripe with History, it connects you on one more level. It is MY baseball history. It says "I was here, I participated". Most of all it just gives me pleasure.
I thought I had my first scorebook ever, but I guess not. Still, very exciting to find one of my first scorebooks from my childhood. I think the first game has been lost to history... so to speak.
I have about 7 or 8 scorebooks, all with multiple years spread around in them. The last couple of years I've gone to Kinko's and copied some old scoresheets 'cause the new scorebooks don't do justice. None of them ever do... for about five years I've been saying to myself that I need to make my own scorebook. I just haven't set aside the time. One of these days!
I like to go to a game, put on my radio, and score. It helps me stay much more focused on the game and I get less distracted by the crowd etc. I used to have a system one year where I color coded replacement pitchers/players differently... also I used to use different symbols for different kinds of strikes. For example an X for a foul, \ for called and / for swinging. Everyone has their own system yet any baseball fan/scorer should be able to pick up one and figure out what has happened.
Haven't scored yet this year (no scoresheets remain)... but hope to at least once or twice. Anyway, here is a blast from the past.
As you can see, or not, the Royals beat the Mariners 6-4
It is a C.S. Peterson Scoremaster and I did something that day that I've rarely done in the years since... scored in pencil! The problem with scoring in pencil, pencil fades (but allows for the occasional mistake).
I can't explain what it is like to score a game unless you have done so yourself. In a game ripe with History, it connects you on one more level. It is MY baseball history. It says "I was here, I participated". Most of all it just gives me pleasure.
I thought I had my first scorebook ever, but I guess not. Still, very exciting to find one of my first scorebooks from my childhood. I think the first game has been lost to history... so to speak.
I have about 7 or 8 scorebooks, all with multiple years spread around in them. The last couple of years I've gone to Kinko's and copied some old scoresheets 'cause the new scorebooks don't do justice. None of them ever do... for about five years I've been saying to myself that I need to make my own scorebook. I just haven't set aside the time. One of these days!
I like to go to a game, put on my radio, and score. It helps me stay much more focused on the game and I get less distracted by the crowd etc. I used to have a system one year where I color coded replacement pitchers/players differently... also I used to use different symbols for different kinds of strikes. For example an X for a foul, \ for called and / for swinging. Everyone has their own system yet any baseball fan/scorer should be able to pick up one and figure out what has happened.
Haven't scored yet this year (no scoresheets remain)... but hope to at least once or twice. Anyway, here is a blast from the past.
As you can see, or not, the Royals beat the Mariners 6-4
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Two In A Row!
I was wavering for a couple of days on whether or not I should go to tonight's game. Well... after the come from behind win and the fact that I was a horrible fan and left early (regardless of how crappy it was), I decided I really needed to get to the ballgame for rookie Michael Pineda's first start at Safeco Field. I did not expect perfection, I did not expect him to be "that good", but DAMN. He can bring it. As the late, great, Dave Niehaus called it... "DIABOLICAL". He's 22 years old, stands 6'7" and at least 265. He's got long legs and his first pitch was 96 mph. He stayed consistently 96/97 throughout the game. It was just a beautiful thing to see, that's the best way I can describe it.
There were 15,500, fourth lowest ever, but we had fun. Pineda struck out 7 but it felt like more. Justin Smoak saved the game in the bottom of the 8th with a runner on 3rd and 1 man out (thanks to Olivo error). With his back to HP he caught a foul ball near the stands, turned around, and fired a shot to Olivo on one hop. Patterson, the runner on third, was dead to rights. Inning ending double play and that was pretty much the ballgame as League came on in the 9th for the save. Most people stayed until the end, learning their lesson from yesterday.
Langerhans hit his third home run of the season in the third, he's leading the team in homers, although it is early. He had three all of last year. I'm liking what I am seeing from him at the plate, his defense is certainly lacking and we need Guti back yesterday, but he's shown me enough in the first couple of weeks that I want him around. Saunders is another one I am liking right now... but like I said with Guti coming back soon we're going to have too many outfielders. I'd like to see Langerhans/Saunders split time in the field and have Milton as the DH. Cust just isn't doing it for me right now. He strikes out a lot and so far he hasn't shown much power, which is what we brought him in for... to walk and hit homers.
Olivo is just how I remember when we had him in 2004/2005. He can't hit, and his defense is crap. Today he had four plate appearances, accounting for 5 outs. Defensively he practically gave the game away with a passed ball that allowed runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd in the 8th (taking away the DP possibility to get Pineda out of a jam and 8 shutout innings). Instead the 2 came around to score on a single by Patterson and Pineda was out of the ballgame. Patterson ended up stealing and then advancing to third on the error by Olivo... after which Smoak saved the day with his fantastic defensive play.
Tuesday's they always have deals on food (like two dollar hotdogs) and tickets. This year they've implemented a double discount for Season Ticket Holders of merchandise. Usually we get 10% off. I knew I needed a new hat 'cause my Pilots hat is getting pretty grungy. So I went to the team shop before the game and ended up with a new hat, two Ryan Rowland-Smith shirts, and a sweatshirt... all for $52! I will definitely be going back another Tuesday 'cause I need a new coat. My old ones are too big or got ruined by my cats.
After the team shop I headed back to The Pen to continue my exploration of the new food choices. Tonight I went to the "Cantina", which was formerly the Bullpen Pub, and picked up a Chicken Torta for $8.50. It is made to order and I declined the jalapenos and sour cream, but it came with a bean? spread, onions, and avocado. Thumbs up for letting people pick and choose what they want (hint, hint Crepe) but it was just okay and got soggy very quickly. The White Pizza still wins out, last on the list is a Burger. I will try one next homestand.
Toronto fans were pretty quiet and subdued until they started rallying in the 8th inning. I'm pretty sure they were in shock from yesterday's game. The crowd was in a good mood and joking around a lot. Yet another annoying kid, but this time he was in the row in front of me. He stood on the seat most of the game but was one seat over so no view was blocked. Best game of the year so far with great pitching. The game had everything, excitement, highly tense moments, errors, a great defensive play, and most important of all a WIN! I'm not going to the day game tomorrow, so I made it to 4 out of the 6 games on this homestand. They will be going to KC for a short trip this weekend, then it all starts over again! Things are looking up, it is much less dire than a couple of games ago. This is why I love baseball. Such a roller coaster.
The Mariners improved to 2-2 when I attend... on a 2 game winning streak!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Mariners Win! Mariners Win!
Mariners win in improbable fashion, coming from behind after trailing 7-0 going into the bottom of the 7th. We had shown life all game, but never were able to produce until Milton smashed a homer to RF in the 7th. Then we scored 5 runs in the 8th thanks to THREE bases loaded walks. Then in the 9th Saunders led off with a double... ichiro walked, and Luis Rodrigues (came in for an injured Figgins earlier in the game) with an EPIC two out 10 pitch AB in which he launched a ball to the warning track for a game winning single. Way to go guys, way to go!
We snapped a 7 game losing streak, improving to 3-7... I was at this game and I hate to admit that I left in the top of the 8th. It was already 10pm and I had work the next morning. Well you know what, I'm never leaving another damn game early in my life. I wasn't the only one of the record low 13,056 to leave early, an estimated 2,000 or so fans stayed until the
end.
It was an excruciatingly long, frustrating, and crappy game which is why I left early. Felix just didn't have it from the get go, and wasn't bailed out by his defense. We couldn't even complete a rundown! That's little league baseball, guys. (Brendan Ryan dropped the ball). Not to mention the fact that I just didn't think we had any ability to come back and win. I thought we were 2010 all over again, but this team has shown signs of fight. Honestly, I was hoping for an all-out bases clearing brawl so everyone could just clear their emotions, get all the frustrations out. Looks like we didn't need to after all. My friend and I spent a majority of the game watching the out of town scoreboard "watching" other games. Tampa Bay beat Boston 16-5, at Fenway. Both teams are now 2-8!
I decided to try some of the new grub in The Pub. First was the Turkey Crepe, which included cheese, onions, red peppers, and mushrooms. Unfortunately they didn't allow me to remove cheese. In my belief, cheese masks the other flavors. I don't want it unless it is on pizza. Frankly it didn't look too fresh and I was unsure. The cost was $8.50. Pretty reasonable for Safeco prices.
The first few bites were okay, but it got much better a little further down! In all, the food left me wanting more. It was in a cool "pocket" so was easy to walk and bite without dripping or losing any of the valuable contents. Other Crepe choices included two dessert kinds (banana or strawberry with nuts) for $6.50, a veggie, and I think a roast beef? Not sure if I will try again, like I said I was still hungry.
Went back to the seats and talked/took in the sights for about twenty minutes. Then I decided that I was still hungry so needed to grab another bite to eat. I again went back to The Pub where I had been eyes the Wood Fired Pizza slices. They had three choices, pepperoni, cheese, and White. I asked what the white was and was told "Broccoli, Garlic, Olive Oil...". Boy I love Garlic so was sold. For $5 I was given a huge slice and quickly devoured it, so quickly that I forgot to take a picture until a few bites in.
It was good, really good. I pretty much finished the whole thing on the way back to my seat and my friend said that the "leavings" smelled really good. I will definitely be having another slice or two, and at $5 I think it may be one of the best deals at Safeco.
The crowd was interesting, surrounded by a lot of Toronto fans which didn't surprise me. There were a couple of obnoxious ones but mostly, like always, they were very playful and friendly. I've always enjoyed the Toronto series through the years. In the 90s when the Blue Jays were making their World Series runs, the Kingdome always had a fun energy level. For some reason a few people decided to bring their toddlers to the freezing cold game. I do not understand these people. One of my biggest baseball pet peeves.
What can I say, I left the game early... but I did listen on the way home and was able to catch the final out on TV. This one will go down in Seattle history books and I will be able to tell the story of how I was "at that game", and I left early.
M's Record While I Attend: Now 1-2
We snapped a 7 game losing streak, improving to 3-7... I was at this game and I hate to admit that I left in the top of the 8th. It was already 10pm and I had work the next morning. Well you know what, I'm never leaving another damn game early in my life. I wasn't the only one of the record low 13,056 to leave early, an estimated 2,000 or so fans stayed until the
end.
It was an excruciatingly long, frustrating, and crappy game which is why I left early. Felix just didn't have it from the get go, and wasn't bailed out by his defense. We couldn't even complete a rundown! That's little league baseball, guys. (Brendan Ryan dropped the ball). Not to mention the fact that I just didn't think we had any ability to come back and win. I thought we were 2010 all over again, but this team has shown signs of fight. Honestly, I was hoping for an all-out bases clearing brawl so everyone could just clear their emotions, get all the frustrations out. Looks like we didn't need to after all. My friend and I spent a majority of the game watching the out of town scoreboard "watching" other games. Tampa Bay beat Boston 16-5, at Fenway. Both teams are now 2-8!
I decided to try some of the new grub in The Pub. First was the Turkey Crepe, which included cheese, onions, red peppers, and mushrooms. Unfortunately they didn't allow me to remove cheese. In my belief, cheese masks the other flavors. I don't want it unless it is on pizza. Frankly it didn't look too fresh and I was unsure. The cost was $8.50. Pretty reasonable for Safeco prices. 
The first few bites were okay, but it got much better a little further down! In all, the food left me wanting more. It was in a cool "pocket" so was easy to walk and bite without dripping or losing any of the valuable contents. Other Crepe choices included two dessert kinds (banana or strawberry with nuts) for $6.50, a veggie, and I think a roast beef? Not sure if I will try again, like I said I was still hungry. Went back to the seats and talked/took in the sights for about twenty minutes. Then I decided that I was still hungry so needed to grab another bite to eat. I again went back to The Pub where I had been eyes the Wood Fired Pizza slices. They had three choices, pepperoni, cheese, and White. I asked what the white was and was told "Broccoli, Garlic, Olive Oil...". Boy I love Garlic so was sold. For $5 I was given a huge slice and quickly devoured it, so quickly that I forgot to take a picture until a few bites in.
It was good, really good. I pretty much finished the whole thing on the way back to my seat and my friend said that the "leavings" smelled really good. I will definitely be having another slice or two, and at $5 I think it may be one of the best deals at Safeco.
The crowd was interesting, surrounded by a lot of Toronto fans which didn't surprise me. There were a couple of obnoxious ones but mostly, like always, they were very playful and friendly. I've always enjoyed the Toronto series through the years. In the 90s when the Blue Jays were making their World Series runs, the Kingdome always had a fun energy level. For some reason a few people decided to bring their toddlers to the freezing cold game. I do not understand these people. One of my biggest baseball pet peeves.
What can I say, I left the game early... but I did listen on the way home and was able to catch the final out on TV. This one will go down in Seattle history books and I will be able to tell the story of how I was "at that game", and I left early.
M's Record While I Attend: Now 1-2
Sunday, April 10, 2011
April 9, 2011
We lost to the Indians, 2-1, which makes it our sixth straight loss after starting the season 2-0.
Well, what can I say... I see very little improvement from last year. In fact, I felt like we had more of an offensive threat in the final few months of the season with Russell Branyan in at DH. Figgins is off to a slow start yet again, although he had two solid hits today, and we're really missing Gutierrez both offensively and defensively. In our six game losing streak we've averaged 2.3 runs per game and have a .202 batting average. That's not gonna do it, not even in the National League
It seems like we make every pitcher look like Cy Young, the newly crowned one Masterson who struck out nine through six. We wasted another fine outing by Doug Fister (love this guy) by committing yet another miscue in the field. On a Sac fly in the 4th, Bradley threw to where he thought was a cutoff man. No such dude, and Fister ended up booting it into the dugout letting another run in. That was the ballgame.
It was frustrating, we had opportunities but couldn't come through. Especially frustrating was Ichiro's AB in the 7th when he floundered with a bunt back to the pitcher with two outs. Obviously his intention was to not hit it back to him, but for a guy who is supposed to be such a master of his craft he screwed up and killed our chances. The dude should have been trying for a hit, not a bunt... and since we've all been told numerous times he can hit a homer whenever he wants, why didn't he? Because he isn't perfect, far from it.
Erg, we need a freaking hitter... or maybe two.
Got Thai (Garlic Beef), they have brown rice as a choice this year but they didn't have any... supposed to arrive this week. Their prices were raised yet again. I went and checked out The Pen a little closer, checking out the food options. There are Tortas, Wood Fired Pizza, Crepes, and Burgers. I think I'll try the Crepes on Monday but unsure if it will be filling enough.
During one of our rallys, an obnoxious kid in the aisle over got up on his seat, turned around, and tried to get "The Wave" going. The Wave is one of the most obnoxious things you can do when your own team is up to bat... very distracting to the fans around you. People started yelling at him and after about 10 attempts he finally got the picture and sat down.
Mariners are now 0-2 when I attend. Next game will be the 11th with King Felix on the mound. I don't go to Sunday games.
Oh, forgot to add that we arrived around 5pm for Felix Cy Young Bobbleheads. The announced attendance was 30,309.
Well, what can I say... I see very little improvement from last year. In fact, I felt like we had more of an offensive threat in the final few months of the season with Russell Branyan in at DH. Figgins is off to a slow start yet again, although he had two solid hits today, and we're really missing Gutierrez both offensively and defensively. In our six game losing streak we've averaged 2.3 runs per game and have a .202 batting average. That's not gonna do it, not even in the National League
It seems like we make every pitcher look like Cy Young, the newly crowned one Masterson who struck out nine through six. We wasted another fine outing by Doug Fister (love this guy) by committing yet another miscue in the field. On a Sac fly in the 4th, Bradley threw to where he thought was a cutoff man. No such dude, and Fister ended up booting it into the dugout letting another run in. That was the ballgame.
It was frustrating, we had opportunities but couldn't come through. Especially frustrating was Ichiro's AB in the 7th when he floundered with a bunt back to the pitcher with two outs. Obviously his intention was to not hit it back to him, but for a guy who is supposed to be such a master of his craft he screwed up and killed our chances. The dude should have been trying for a hit, not a bunt... and since we've all been told numerous times he can hit a homer whenever he wants, why didn't he? Because he isn't perfect, far from it.
Erg, we need a freaking hitter... or maybe two.
Got Thai (Garlic Beef), they have brown rice as a choice this year but they didn't have any... supposed to arrive this week. Their prices were raised yet again. I went and checked out The Pen a little closer, checking out the food options. There are Tortas, Wood Fired Pizza, Crepes, and Burgers. I think I'll try the Crepes on Monday but unsure if it will be filling enough.
During one of our rallys, an obnoxious kid in the aisle over got up on his seat, turned around, and tried to get "The Wave" going. The Wave is one of the most obnoxious things you can do when your own team is up to bat... very distracting to the fans around you. People started yelling at him and after about 10 attempts he finally got the picture and sat down.
Mariners are now 0-2 when I attend. Next game will be the 11th with King Felix on the mound. I don't go to Sunday games.
Oh, forgot to add that we arrived around 5pm for Felix Cy Young Bobbleheads. The announced attendance was 30,309.
Opening Night at the Safe
April 8, 2011
Well, what a disaster. In the end, we lost 12-3... gave up 10 runs to the Indians in the 4th. This was our 5th loss in a row after opening up the season 2-0.
Safeco has a few new things, I didn't get too good a look at The Pen (renovated Bullpen Market) because we ate at Uwajimaya and didn't get into the stadium until 6:25. The pregame hoopla/ceremony was supposed to start at 6:30 and I wanted to get to my new seats. I had chicken pho, by the way. Last year the first 8 times I ate pho before the game we won, so I was trying to do my best as a fan.
The Pen was PACKED. I did get a glimpse of the new fireplace/lounge area but was trying to weave in and out of the crowd. Anyway, got to my new seats. I had moved down three rows to try and get closer to the action (and closer to other season ticket holders). My hopes were also to be able to sell tickets by being closer to the field, that hasn't really worked out yet. I haven't sold any tickets on stubhub so far.
The pregame ceremony was disappointing. We had the usual red carpet entrance and player introductions. Then King Felix got his Cy Young, and Ichiro got another Gold Glove... along with an absent Guti who is still down in Arizona with stomach issues.
Then we were supposed to have a touching tribute to Dave Niehaus. I love that man, I grew up on him. I fell asleep to his voice when I was a child... and was devastated by his loss. I went down for the informal Open House after he passed, as well as the formal memorial service. Those were very touching and emotional days for all of us... and I was expecting the same on Opening Night. The Mariners had 5 months to plan for a special ceremony, and instead that had a local rapper perform a song... which frankly was lame. They unveiled a permanent display above the broadcaster booth, and his widow Marilyn threw out the first pitch to Felix (surrounded by her family). I was very disappointed, they really missed the mark. Niehaus deserved much more than that. They also showed a clip of the unveiling of the renaming of 1st Ave S to Dave Niehaus Way. I wish I could have been there to see that. Usually I like to be there for the countdown on Opening Day, but wasn't able to make it this year.
I don't have much more to say on the game... we were blown out and it was the worst opener in Mariners history. Vargas just didn't have it.
Oh, Mom almost had her head taken off by a foul. Instead it took out a guy's cellphone and bounced over to the next aisle. She had just finished telling me that day that she no longer wanted the foul ball she caught a few years ago (it landed in her lap) off the bat of Marco Scutaro.
Grounds crew came out with a new dance... one of my pet peeves but I'm always interested in their new routines.
0-1 When I attend, it was sold out.
Well, what a disaster. In the end, we lost 12-3... gave up 10 runs to the Indians in the 4th. This was our 5th loss in a row after opening up the season 2-0.
Safeco has a few new things, I didn't get too good a look at The Pen (renovated Bullpen Market) because we ate at Uwajimaya and didn't get into the stadium until 6:25. The pregame hoopla/ceremony was supposed to start at 6:30 and I wanted to get to my new seats. I had chicken pho, by the way. Last year the first 8 times I ate pho before the game we won, so I was trying to do my best as a fan.
The Pen was PACKED. I did get a glimpse of the new fireplace/lounge area but was trying to weave in and out of the crowd. Anyway, got to my new seats. I had moved down three rows to try and get closer to the action (and closer to other season ticket holders). My hopes were also to be able to sell tickets by being closer to the field, that hasn't really worked out yet. I haven't sold any tickets on stubhub so far.
The pregame ceremony was disappointing. We had the usual red carpet entrance and player introductions. Then King Felix got his Cy Young, and Ichiro got another Gold Glove... along with an absent Guti who is still down in Arizona with stomach issues.
Then we were supposed to have a touching tribute to Dave Niehaus. I love that man, I grew up on him. I fell asleep to his voice when I was a child... and was devastated by his loss. I went down for the informal Open House after he passed, as well as the formal memorial service. Those were very touching and emotional days for all of us... and I was expecting the same on Opening Night. The Mariners had 5 months to plan for a special ceremony, and instead that had a local rapper perform a song... which frankly was lame. They unveiled a permanent display above the broadcaster booth, and his widow Marilyn threw out the first pitch to Felix (surrounded by her family). I was very disappointed, they really missed the mark. Niehaus deserved much more than that. They also showed a clip of the unveiling of the renaming of 1st Ave S to Dave Niehaus Way. I wish I could have been there to see that. Usually I like to be there for the countdown on Opening Day, but wasn't able to make it this year.
I don't have much more to say on the game... we were blown out and it was the worst opener in Mariners history. Vargas just didn't have it.
Oh, Mom almost had her head taken off by a foul. Instead it took out a guy's cellphone and bounced over to the next aisle. She had just finished telling me that day that she no longer wanted the foul ball she caught a few years ago (it landed in her lap) off the bat of Marco Scutaro.
Grounds crew came out with a new dance... one of my pet peeves but I'm always interested in their new routines.
0-1 When I attend, it was sold out.
The Reason for this Blog.
Well, here it goes. I've been a lifelong Mariners fan for as long as I can remember, my family shared season tickets starting in the mid 1980's. Long story short, because of 1995 we had to get our own tickets and so we've been full season ticket holders since 1996. In 2009 I took over the family tickets by myself, and so have been responsible for all Mariners home games the last few years. Because of their general lack of winning, I have a hard time giving them all away and a lot of times I end up going to games by myself. I don't mind this so much, but it can be a daily grind, and I am often unable to go to every game on the homestand.
Let me get one thing straight... I am not one of those Mariners fans who only goes to the game to eat food, watch the hydro races, and "be seen". I am there for one thing only, to watch baseball. I rarely leave my seats, and will often have my radio in to listen to the game (RIP Dave, more on him in a later post). I used to score nearly every game, and for about a decade I've been saying I should make my own scoresheet. One of these days...
When Safeco opened, we sat next to several other season ticket holders that I still converse with to this day. Over the years we have all moved up and down the section, but we still chat baseball nearly every game (especially the last few years with the sparse crowds).
I thought this blog would be a good way to get my frustrations out over the year. Maybe I'll share a few funny stories. Mostly, I thought it would be a fun thing to do. This will be less about the nuts and bolts of the game (although I do love statistics), and more about the feelings/emotions... my general impressions. I'm 30 years old, I don't understand these new statistics. Baseball is much more than statistics anyway. It is about heart. It is about the smell of the peanuts and grass, the sound of the ball hitting the bat. It is about sharing stories and being with friends and family. So, that's what I hope this blog will be.
Let me get one thing straight... I am not one of those Mariners fans who only goes to the game to eat food, watch the hydro races, and "be seen". I am there for one thing only, to watch baseball. I rarely leave my seats, and will often have my radio in to listen to the game (RIP Dave, more on him in a later post). I used to score nearly every game, and for about a decade I've been saying I should make my own scoresheet. One of these days...
When Safeco opened, we sat next to several other season ticket holders that I still converse with to this day. Over the years we have all moved up and down the section, but we still chat baseball nearly every game (especially the last few years with the sparse crowds).
I thought this blog would be a good way to get my frustrations out over the year. Maybe I'll share a few funny stories. Mostly, I thought it would be a fun thing to do. This will be less about the nuts and bolts of the game (although I do love statistics), and more about the feelings/emotions... my general impressions. I'm 30 years old, I don't understand these new statistics. Baseball is much more than statistics anyway. It is about heart. It is about the smell of the peanuts and grass, the sound of the ball hitting the bat. It is about sharing stories and being with friends and family. So, that's what I hope this blog will be.
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