It has been a little over a year but I finally made it out to a MLB game again. Everything came together for me to check out my first Atlanta Braves game and my first game at Turner Field. Atlanta is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours drive from Spartanburg so if it's a night game it would make for a really long night back or a stay at a hotel. But for a day game it's doable. So yesterday was Memorial Day and it was a day baseball game. So several friends of mine from church and I made the trip down to Atlanta to check the game out.
This was my first time at Turner Field. It is the 4th MLB stadium & 3rd active stadium I've been to (I went to old Busch Stadium in St. Louis). It was cool out in the parking lot they still have some remnants of old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium where the Braves played prior to Turner Field opening. Walking into it, it was a nice facility. They had some cool stuff like a big Coke bottle and a big Chick-Fil-A cow statue out in left field. Was disappointed that it cost money to go to the Hall of Fame Museum (didn't do it this time, might some other time). On the plus side, they had a free drawstring bag that they were giving out for the game so that was cool.
Our seats were in the upper deck near the front on the first base side near the foul pole. The line of sight wasn't that great to see balls and strikes and such but it wasn't too bad. The only other negative was the sun beating down on us. It wasn't particularly hot yesterday but when the clouds weren't there, the sun was scorching. I can't imagine what it's like in July or August in those seats. Might be worth investing in a little more money to get some seats with cover next time but you can't beat Stubhub special on tickets.
The Braves were playing the St. Louis Cardinals, a familiar team for me. It's funny watching a game where I really didn't have a rooting interest. I was disappointed that I didn't get to see Chipper Jones for the Braves or David Freese for the Cards play as they were both out of the lineup.
There was some pretty cool pregame stuff for Memorial Day. They had the military honored with solders standing around the basepaths along with the players from both teams. There was also a huge American flag held out in center field along with reps from the branches of the armed forces. They had a moment of silence along with the playing of taps by two trumpeters. After the national anthem, there was a flyby by two jets. Also in the middle of the game, there was a family honored as the "fans of the game" that had the husband and father stationed overseas. There was a video message on the big screen from him and then as a surprise, he showed up on the field. Really cool moment.
The game itself was one of those that wasn't so good for the home team. The Braves starting pitcher, Tommy Hanson, didn't have a great outing. It was so bad that fans were cheering when he eventually got pulled. The Braves couldn't get anything going offensively either, only scraping together 2 runs. The Cards on the other hand, had a great pitching performance by their starter Lance Lynn and had a good offensive performance (including a couple of home runs, 1 that I saw and 1 that I didn't see as I was up at the concession stand getting food, which leads to another negative to Turner Field, no TVs or radio broadcast being put out on the concourse to help keep up with the action while you wait in line, also the out of town scoreboard wasn't working so didn't know what the scores were of the other games going on). The Cards ended up beating the Braves 8-2.
It was a fun time and I don't know when my next trip down there will be but I look forward to the next time to catch a MLB game.
Showing posts with label game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label game. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Back at LP Field after a Hiatus....Tennessee Titans Game in Review
I'm back after a short hiatus and the first entry back talks about a return from another hiatus....attending a Tennessee Titans game. I was at the Titans/Texans game on Sunday. I went with my girlfriend Casey and it was my first Titans game I've attended since December 2007.
It was cold game but not too bad. Our seats were in the lower level in the north end zone right next to the Titans tunnel. The sun was shining on us for pregame through essentially the first half which made it feel kinda warm. The sun kind of hid behind the stadium for the second half and it cooled down.
The Titans, who had been cooled down for weeks, finally warmed up and essentially laid the smackdown against the Texans. They jumped up early on the Texans in the first quarter and rolled to a victory 31-17. Here were some observations from me:
*I liked the aggressive nature by the team. They went for it on 4th down twice and converted both times. They probably should have done that the week before but at least they did it this week.
*I didn't notice it was Vince Young on the sidelines until he was leaving. I saw a guy jogging to the tunnel and he waived. While he was doing this I turned to Casey and said "I think that's Vince Young."
*All the scoring except for the field goal at the end of the 1st half was on the other end of the field. I was disappointed that the refs called an offsides on the Titans negating a Pick 6 where McCourty ran towards our end.
After this win, the Titans are 5-1 in games I attend (the lone loss was in a preseason game). It's a slim chance that they can make the playoffs but with the way this season is going I wouldn't be too shocked.
It was cold game but not too bad. Our seats were in the lower level in the north end zone right next to the Titans tunnel. The sun was shining on us for pregame through essentially the first half which made it feel kinda warm. The sun kind of hid behind the stadium for the second half and it cooled down.
The Titans, who had been cooled down for weeks, finally warmed up and essentially laid the smackdown against the Texans. They jumped up early on the Texans in the first quarter and rolled to a victory 31-17. Here were some observations from me:
*I liked the aggressive nature by the team. They went for it on 4th down twice and converted both times. They probably should have done that the week before but at least they did it this week.
*I didn't notice it was Vince Young on the sidelines until he was leaving. I saw a guy jogging to the tunnel and he waived. While he was doing this I turned to Casey and said "I think that's Vince Young."
*All the scoring except for the field goal at the end of the 1st half was on the other end of the field. I was disappointed that the refs called an offsides on the Titans negating a Pick 6 where McCourty ran towards our end.
After this win, the Titans are 5-1 in games I attend (the lone loss was in a preseason game). It's a slim chance that they can make the playoffs but with the way this season is going I wouldn't be too shocked.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Hanging out at the New Arrowhead....Kansas City Chiefs Preseason Game in Review
Everyone who knows me knows how much of a football fan I am. It is my favorite sport. So anytime I can go to a football game is a good time. And living in Kansas City for three years I've lived in a town with a pro football team (the Chiefs). When it came to my last year in KC (hopefully as I'll graduate from seminary in May and be looking for a job) I figured I should try and go to a Chiefs game. So I began to scour around looking for tickets. Sure enough, while I was on eBay, I found some cheap tickets. And when I say cheap, I just mean in price because the seats themselves were sweet. Lower level, near the end zone, 10 rows from the field. I ended up getting 4 tickets (plus shipping) for less than just purchasing one of them at face value. It was a sweet deal indeed. So this past Friday, I along with my friends Josh, Ryan and Andrea went to see the Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles. Here are some observations from the night:
*Traffic to the stadium is bad. Granted it was Friday and that included rush hour plus a wreck on one of the interstates plus construction but it was ugh. I thought traffic to a Royals game was bad, this was worse. It doesn't help that it's out on the edge of the city so coming from the Northland it takes about 20 minutes on a good day, it took about double that night.
*Parking is also bad. One of my chief complaints about that complex is that it's the only place to park. You pretty much are stuck with parking there cause there are no other options. We sprung to get reserved parking so we got closer to the stadium but still, it is kinda ridiculous.
*Because of traffic and such, pretty much missed the pregame stuff. We got there right as the National Anthem was being sung and got to our seats right after the opening kickoff. Other than that, it wasn't too hard finding out seats. To get to our seats, we walked through the new Chiefs Hall of Honor, pretty cool stuff. I would have loved to have spent more time around it but the game was going and didn't want to miss it.
*The view from our seats was great. We were in the north end of the stadium and had great line of sight for most everything (except when the teams were on the other far end of the field). Unfortunately, nearly all the scoring except a 4th qtr FG by the Chiefs' Ryan Succop took place at the other end.
*It was funny how after a few bad plays to start out, the Chiefs fans booed the team. That was a first. Then again, my experience at stadiums had typically been with teams who were at least decent if not really good. When the Chiefs did get going and took the lead, then the crowd got into the game.
*Arrowhead Stadium, newly renovated, looked pretty cool. It was one of those stadiums I saw on TV growing up and looked really good, especially with all the work they done to it. The famed noise level....didn't really notice it. Maybe because it was a preseason game and the team is still not at tip top shape but it wasn't deafining. And I've been to preseason games where it's been louder. To this day, I will still say the loudest stadium is Qwest Field in Seattle.
*The game itself was pretty good. The 3rd preseason game is the closest to a regular season game because it's the game the starters play the longest. It was funny but both sides played their starters through 3 whole quarters, rare in the NFL (they usually only play a half maybe a few plays into the 3rd quarter). The Chiefs, after being down 10-0 rallied and even took the lead and held it with about 2:00 minutes to go 17-13. Then then proceeded to give up a touchdown with about :25 seconds left and wound up losing 20-17.
This was my 9th NFL game. I've now been to 4 preseason games, 4 regular season games and 1 postseason game. It was fun times and I'm excited that it's football season again!
*Traffic to the stadium is bad. Granted it was Friday and that included rush hour plus a wreck on one of the interstates plus construction but it was ugh. I thought traffic to a Royals game was bad, this was worse. It doesn't help that it's out on the edge of the city so coming from the Northland it takes about 20 minutes on a good day, it took about double that night.
*Parking is also bad. One of my chief complaints about that complex is that it's the only place to park. You pretty much are stuck with parking there cause there are no other options. We sprung to get reserved parking so we got closer to the stadium but still, it is kinda ridiculous.
*Because of traffic and such, pretty much missed the pregame stuff. We got there right as the National Anthem was being sung and got to our seats right after the opening kickoff. Other than that, it wasn't too hard finding out seats. To get to our seats, we walked through the new Chiefs Hall of Honor, pretty cool stuff. I would have loved to have spent more time around it but the game was going and didn't want to miss it.
*The view from our seats was great. We were in the north end of the stadium and had great line of sight for most everything (except when the teams were on the other far end of the field). Unfortunately, nearly all the scoring except a 4th qtr FG by the Chiefs' Ryan Succop took place at the other end.
*It was funny how after a few bad plays to start out, the Chiefs fans booed the team. That was a first. Then again, my experience at stadiums had typically been with teams who were at least decent if not really good. When the Chiefs did get going and took the lead, then the crowd got into the game.
*Arrowhead Stadium, newly renovated, looked pretty cool. It was one of those stadiums I saw on TV growing up and looked really good, especially with all the work they done to it. The famed noise level....didn't really notice it. Maybe because it was a preseason game and the team is still not at tip top shape but it wasn't deafining. And I've been to preseason games where it's been louder. To this day, I will still say the loudest stadium is Qwest Field in Seattle.
*The game itself was pretty good. The 3rd preseason game is the closest to a regular season game because it's the game the starters play the longest. It was funny but both sides played their starters through 3 whole quarters, rare in the NFL (they usually only play a half maybe a few plays into the 3rd quarter). The Chiefs, after being down 10-0 rallied and even took the lead and held it with about 2:00 minutes to go 17-13. Then then proceeded to give up a touchdown with about :25 seconds left and wound up losing 20-17.
This was my 9th NFL game. I've now been to 4 preseason games, 4 regular season games and 1 postseason game. It was fun times and I'm excited that it's football season again!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Prediction on the BCS National Championship Game
Tonight is the BCS National Championship Game. Not to be confused with the "other" BCS game which included two undefeated teams which I dubbed the "other National Championship game" between TCU and Boise State which was played on Monday. This one is between #1 Alabama and #2 Texas.
Anyone that knows me knows that I can't stand the BCS system and that there should be a playoff. But be that as it may, this is what we're stuck with for now.
In this game, we've got two teams which personally I either don't care about or don't like. Which means on the surface, I don't have a real rooting interest in this game. I'm not going to root for Alabama, simply because I don't like Bama. They're a rival to Tennessee. I don't care if they're in the same conference. They're a rival. Same goes for Florida. There's no scenerio where I would root for Florida. Any other SEC team I'm fine with but not those two.
On the other hand, I don't really care about Texas either. At one time, I didn't like Texas because of how they treated their one time starting QB Major Applewhite by benching him for Chris Simms but time has smoothed it out to where now I'm indifferent to them.
So in predicting this game I went with both sides, both sides being stats and gut feeling. The stats come down to this. The SEC is 5-0 in BCS National Championship games while the Big 12 is 2-4 in BCS National Championship games. Those lend themselves to Alabama. However, Alabama is winless in BCS games (0-2) including losing last year to Utah. Texas however is undefeated in BCS games (3-0) including winning the National Championsip game back in 2006. Also, the #2 team has won the last 4 matchups and 6 out of the last 7.
So there's the stats, here's the gut feeling. When I first heard the matchup, I immediately thought about the 2006 Rose Bowl game. There are several similarities between this year's game and that one. Both are being played in Pasadena. Both feature Texas as an underdog against a team that everyone expects to win the game. Both feature the opposing QB who has been successful (Matt Leinart: Heisman winner, Greg McElroy undefeated). Both feature a highly touted running back with the opposing team (Reggie Bush/Mark Ingram).
After weighing the stats and my gut feeling, I came to this conclusion. It'll be a hard fought game but in the end I think Texas gets the win. 41-38 Longhorns. In the words of Yogi Berra "It's deja vu all over again..."
Anyone that knows me knows that I can't stand the BCS system and that there should be a playoff. But be that as it may, this is what we're stuck with for now.
In this game, we've got two teams which personally I either don't care about or don't like. Which means on the surface, I don't have a real rooting interest in this game. I'm not going to root for Alabama, simply because I don't like Bama. They're a rival to Tennessee. I don't care if they're in the same conference. They're a rival. Same goes for Florida. There's no scenerio where I would root for Florida. Any other SEC team I'm fine with but not those two.
On the other hand, I don't really care about Texas either. At one time, I didn't like Texas because of how they treated their one time starting QB Major Applewhite by benching him for Chris Simms but time has smoothed it out to where now I'm indifferent to them.
So in predicting this game I went with both sides, both sides being stats and gut feeling. The stats come down to this. The SEC is 5-0 in BCS National Championship games while the Big 12 is 2-4 in BCS National Championship games. Those lend themselves to Alabama. However, Alabama is winless in BCS games (0-2) including losing last year to Utah. Texas however is undefeated in BCS games (3-0) including winning the National Championsip game back in 2006. Also, the #2 team has won the last 4 matchups and 6 out of the last 7.
So there's the stats, here's the gut feeling. When I first heard the matchup, I immediately thought about the 2006 Rose Bowl game. There are several similarities between this year's game and that one. Both are being played in Pasadena. Both feature Texas as an underdog against a team that everyone expects to win the game. Both feature the opposing QB who has been successful (Matt Leinart: Heisman winner, Greg McElroy undefeated). Both feature a highly touted running back with the opposing team (Reggie Bush/Mark Ingram).
After weighing the stats and my gut feeling, I came to this conclusion. It'll be a hard fought game but in the end I think Texas gets the win. 41-38 Longhorns. In the words of Yogi Berra "It's deja vu all over again..."
Sunday, June 28, 2009
American Football in Poland
It has been awhile since my last post. For those that don't know, I have been in Poland for about a month now serving as an intern. I've been getting my sports fix from keeping up online with scores and video highlights (cause of the 7 hour time difference).
Today, however, was a cool experience. I went to an American Football game here in Krakow. One of the people that I'm working with is helping coach a team here and helped to get the program going. The team is called the Krakow Tigers and they play in a league against other teams in Poland. Today they played against their crosstown rivals, the Krakow Knights. On top of that, I was put in charge of helping to film for the game cause the one who normally does it is out of the country on vacation.
It was really interesting watching a game that I love being played here in Poland. The fans that were there were into the game. There was a public address announcer that would describe the action (he was rooting for the Tigers, it was a home game for them) in Polish and then get people to chant "Let's go offense" or "Let's go defense" in English. The wave was done several times and at halftime, there was a throwing competition and a kicking competition with some fans from the stands.
The game itself was pretty good. There was some sloppy plays on both sides with multiple false starts and offsides along with several personal fouls called. There were also some cool plays such as an onside kick recovered by the Tigers. They also took the opening kickoff of the second half all the way back for the touchdown. In the end, the Tigers were too much for the Knights as they ended up winning 44-8.
It was a cool experience and it has me excited for when I get back to the States and for football season to get started.
Today, however, was a cool experience. I went to an American Football game here in Krakow. One of the people that I'm working with is helping coach a team here and helped to get the program going. The team is called the Krakow Tigers and they play in a league against other teams in Poland. Today they played against their crosstown rivals, the Krakow Knights. On top of that, I was put in charge of helping to film for the game cause the one who normally does it is out of the country on vacation.
It was really interesting watching a game that I love being played here in Poland. The fans that were there were into the game. There was a public address announcer that would describe the action (he was rooting for the Tigers, it was a home game for them) in Polish and then get people to chant "Let's go offense" or "Let's go defense" in English. The wave was done several times and at halftime, there was a throwing competition and a kicking competition with some fans from the stands.
The game itself was pretty good. There was some sloppy plays on both sides with multiple false starts and offsides along with several personal fouls called. There were also some cool plays such as an onside kick recovered by the Tigers. They also took the opening kickoff of the second half all the way back for the touchdown. In the end, the Tigers were too much for the Knights as they ended up winning 44-8.
It was a cool experience and it has me excited for when I get back to the States and for football season to get started.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sixth Royals Game In Review
Last Saturday I went to my sixth Royals game. I went with my friend Kyle. He led a group of youth and parents from the church where we works as a youth pastor. I ended up getting a free ticket so I figured why not. It was Christian Family Night at the ball park along with Giant Banner Flag Giveaway. So far this season, every night I've went to the ball park that has had a giveaway I've gotten something.
The Royals played the Detroit Tigers. The game itself wasn't a great one. The Royals lost 4-0 on three runs on sacrifice flies and a solo home run. So now the Royals are 1-5 in games that I see them play in this year.
Afterwards there was a concert (hence the Christian Family Night). They had Chris Sligh (an American Idol finalist) and Natalie Grant. Before the concert started, Brian Bannister, Dayton Moore and Trey Hillman each spoke a few minutes and shared a little about their faith. The concert itself was okay. At that point I was just tired and ready for bed.
I'll probably go to one more game before the season is over. Then I'll make some reflections and assessments on the season as a whole.
The Royals played the Detroit Tigers. The game itself wasn't a great one. The Royals lost 4-0 on three runs on sacrifice flies and a solo home run. So now the Royals are 1-5 in games that I see them play in this year.
Afterwards there was a concert (hence the Christian Family Night). They had Chris Sligh (an American Idol finalist) and Natalie Grant. Before the concert started, Brian Bannister, Dayton Moore and Trey Hillman each spoke a few minutes and shared a little about their faith. The concert itself was okay. At that point I was just tired and ready for bed.
I'll probably go to one more game before the season is over. Then I'll make some reflections and assessments on the season as a whole.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Red Sox Nation in Kansas City....Fifth Royals Game In Review
Tuesday was a big day. It was a part of the yearly tradition I have done since 2005. That tradition being attending a Red Sox game. This year was no exception. I purchased the tickets way in advance and got some really prime seats (fifth row seats, lower level, third base side). I was excited and ready to get to the game.
My buddy and huge Royals fan Kyle went with me. He wore his Billy Butler jersey while I wore my David Ortiz jersey. We got to the stadium about 20 minutes prior to first pitch so I was unable to get pictures of batting practice like I normally do. But I was just happy to make it there before the game started.
Some highlights and thoughts:
*It was really nice to see a good Red Sox starting pitcher. Josh Beckett pitched that night. After getting the likes of Wade Miller, Kyle Snyder and Kason Gabbard, it was a treat to see the ace of the staff pitch. And I wasn't disappointed. He pitched a great game and got the win. I saw first hand what I had seen many times on TV, when he has his stuff going there are very few people who can keep up with him.
*I was happy that Jacoby Ellsbury had a good night at the plate. He's been in kind of a slump this year. Hopefully this will be the catalyst to get him going for the rest of the season.
*One sad thing happened at the ball park. There was a foul ball that hit a little kid right on the nose. It was a high pop up that carried foul. It came right to our section probably ten to fifteen rows back from where we were. One guy had his hands up and completely missed the ball. It went right through his hands and hit the kid who was sitting down next to him. They called the ushers over to attend to the kid. In the end, he was okay.
*I saw the play where the ball hung up on the fence. Though I was disappointed that it wasn't called a home run. I understand why it didn't. Kauffman Stadium does not have a yellow line on it's walls. For those who don't know, a yellow line means if it hits that line, it's a home run. So here, if it hits the top of the fence and bounces back, it's not a home run. Or, if it stays on top of the fence like it did then, it's not a home run. It may be something that gets looked at in the offseason or it may not I don't know.
*It was kind of funny when there was a Red Sox chant going. The Royals fans would start in with their chant. When that happened, it sounded muddled because both teams start with the letter R. So it sounded like loud mumbling. Like I said, kind of funny.
*Overall, it was a good time. Sat next to some interesting Red Sox fans and talked with throughout the game. Red Sox won the game 8-2 (which unfortunately puts the record of the Royals at games I attend at 1-4) and improved their record of games I attend to 3-1.
My buddy and huge Royals fan Kyle went with me. He wore his Billy Butler jersey while I wore my David Ortiz jersey. We got to the stadium about 20 minutes prior to first pitch so I was unable to get pictures of batting practice like I normally do. But I was just happy to make it there before the game started.
Some highlights and thoughts:
*It was really nice to see a good Red Sox starting pitcher. Josh Beckett pitched that night. After getting the likes of Wade Miller, Kyle Snyder and Kason Gabbard, it was a treat to see the ace of the staff pitch. And I wasn't disappointed. He pitched a great game and got the win. I saw first hand what I had seen many times on TV, when he has his stuff going there are very few people who can keep up with him.
*I was happy that Jacoby Ellsbury had a good night at the plate. He's been in kind of a slump this year. Hopefully this will be the catalyst to get him going for the rest of the season.
*One sad thing happened at the ball park. There was a foul ball that hit a little kid right on the nose. It was a high pop up that carried foul. It came right to our section probably ten to fifteen rows back from where we were. One guy had his hands up and completely missed the ball. It went right through his hands and hit the kid who was sitting down next to him. They called the ushers over to attend to the kid. In the end, he was okay.
*I saw the play where the ball hung up on the fence. Though I was disappointed that it wasn't called a home run. I understand why it didn't. Kauffman Stadium does not have a yellow line on it's walls. For those who don't know, a yellow line means if it hits that line, it's a home run. So here, if it hits the top of the fence and bounces back, it's not a home run. Or, if it stays on top of the fence like it did then, it's not a home run. It may be something that gets looked at in the offseason or it may not I don't know.
*It was kind of funny when there was a Red Sox chant going. The Royals fans would start in with their chant. When that happened, it sounded muddled because both teams start with the letter R. So it sounded like loud mumbling. Like I said, kind of funny.
*Overall, it was a good time. Sat next to some interesting Red Sox fans and talked with throughout the game. Red Sox won the game 8-2 (which unfortunately puts the record of the Royals at games I attend at 1-4) and improved their record of games I attend to 3-1.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Fourth Royals Game...In Review
On Friday, I went to my fourth Royals game of the season. This time they played the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays. The last time I saw the Rays play was in 2005 back when I was in Seattle. And just like that time, my friend Kyle and I got tickets from a scalper. We ended up getting tickets that regularly go for 25.00 each for 20.00 each so it wasn't a bad deal at all.
It was Buck Night/Fireworks Friday at the ballpark. That meant hot dogs, peanuts and small cokes were a dollar each. I admit I had several hot dogs that night (four to be precise). That was probably the most hot dogs I've had in a long time.
The game was an interesting one. The first five innings or so went by rather quick. Then it really slowed down. Unfortunately, the Royals lost 5-3. They are now 1-3 in games I go to this year.
Afterwards, they had the fireworks display. It was one that rivals any Fourth of July fireworks displays. I must say it was one of the better fireworks shows I've seen.
Overall, it was a good time, though it would have been nice if the Royals had won the game...
It was Buck Night/Fireworks Friday at the ballpark. That meant hot dogs, peanuts and small cokes were a dollar each. I admit I had several hot dogs that night (four to be precise). That was probably the most hot dogs I've had in a long time.
The game was an interesting one. The first five innings or so went by rather quick. Then it really slowed down. Unfortunately, the Royals lost 5-3. They are now 1-3 in games I go to this year.
Afterwards, they had the fireworks display. It was one that rivals any Fourth of July fireworks displays. I must say it was one of the better fireworks shows I've seen.
Overall, it was a good time, though it would have been nice if the Royals had won the game...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
This Post Brought to you by the Letters R and K and by the Number 3 (aka Third Royals Game...In Review)
I went to my third Royals game of the year yesterday. This time it was an interleague matchup with the Colorado Rockies (hence brought to you by the letter R). One thing I like about K.C. is that you can get cheap deals on tickets. I got an e-mail from the team after the last game I went to in May and as a "thank you" they had a deal where there was 50% off most tickets in June. So of course got to take advantage of that. So me and my friend and huge Royals fan Kyle got some really good seats in the Field Box section on third base side about twenty rows back.
It was T-Shirt Tuesday, which they do once a month. This time it was a navy blue shirt with a cool logo on the front. I ended up exhanging the XL they gave me for a Medium, which was nice. It was a kind of muggy night. There was a chance of thunderstorms but the line came through already so it ended up being a good night for baseball.
It was an interesting game. Some highlights:
*Zack Greinke in the first inning picked off a guy at first who was leaning too far towards second. The funny thing was he threw over to first about two or three times before that and I said to Kyle if he does it again he'll pick him off. Sure enough he did. Just the first of my "predictions" to come true.
*The home plate umpire got hurt by the bat of Miguel Olivo shattering. That made national news. When the play happened, I didn't see the bat shatter. I was trailing the ball. It was when I looked back and saw everyone huddling around the ump. They ended up having about a 15 minute delay with attending to him and getting one of the other umps ready to take over behind the plate.
*Royals pitchers had a huge performance as far as strikeouts go. Greinke had 10 himself and the crazy thing was it was in like he did it in six innings and probably could have had more if it weren't for some bloop hits and such. It was a really strong pitching performance. Overall, there were like 13 K's (hence the brought to you by the letter K).
*I finally saw my first home run by a Royal. After seeing two by the opposing teams (Kevin Millar back in May and Matt Holiday earlier in the game), Alex Gordon came up and crushed one over the right center fence near the fountains. Yet another event that I "called" prior to it happening.
*I was hoping to see the closer Soria come in but with a four run lead, that didn't happen. What did happen was the reliever Ramon Ramirez threw some wild pitches including two behind the first batter of the ninth Torrealba. They were teammates in Colorado last year and don't know if there was bad blood with them or not. At the time, I just thought Ramirez just lost his control in between innings. But then he "settled down" and got the rest of the guys blazing through and got the win.
The third time was the charm (hence the number 3) as it took the third time for me to go to a game this year to see them win. They are now 1-2 in games I've went to. So all in all a good night. Got a free t-shirt, got to see some home runs, some really cool strikeouts, some fireworks and a Royals win. Not a bad night at all...
It was T-Shirt Tuesday, which they do once a month. This time it was a navy blue shirt with a cool logo on the front. I ended up exhanging the XL they gave me for a Medium, which was nice. It was a kind of muggy night. There was a chance of thunderstorms but the line came through already so it ended up being a good night for baseball.
It was an interesting game. Some highlights:
*Zack Greinke in the first inning picked off a guy at first who was leaning too far towards second. The funny thing was he threw over to first about two or three times before that and I said to Kyle if he does it again he'll pick him off. Sure enough he did. Just the first of my "predictions" to come true.
*The home plate umpire got hurt by the bat of Miguel Olivo shattering. That made national news. When the play happened, I didn't see the bat shatter. I was trailing the ball. It was when I looked back and saw everyone huddling around the ump. They ended up having about a 15 minute delay with attending to him and getting one of the other umps ready to take over behind the plate.
*Royals pitchers had a huge performance as far as strikeouts go. Greinke had 10 himself and the crazy thing was it was in like he did it in six innings and probably could have had more if it weren't for some bloop hits and such. It was a really strong pitching performance. Overall, there were like 13 K's (hence the brought to you by the letter K).
*I finally saw my first home run by a Royal. After seeing two by the opposing teams (Kevin Millar back in May and Matt Holiday earlier in the game), Alex Gordon came up and crushed one over the right center fence near the fountains. Yet another event that I "called" prior to it happening.
*I was hoping to see the closer Soria come in but with a four run lead, that didn't happen. What did happen was the reliever Ramon Ramirez threw some wild pitches including two behind the first batter of the ninth Torrealba. They were teammates in Colorado last year and don't know if there was bad blood with them or not. At the time, I just thought Ramirez just lost his control in between innings. But then he "settled down" and got the rest of the guys blazing through and got the win.
The third time was the charm (hence the number 3) as it took the third time for me to go to a game this year to see them win. They are now 1-2 in games I've went to. So all in all a good night. Got a free t-shirt, got to see some home runs, some really cool strikeouts, some fireworks and a Royals win. Not a bad night at all...
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Second Royals Game of the Year...In Review
Last Saturday, as a kind of celebration for the end of Spring Semester, I went to my second Royals game of the year. It was a very interesting game to say the least, here are some of the highlights.
*It was free umbrella day at the ballpark so I got a free umbrella. So far I'm 2 for 2 in getting free promotional stuff at the ballpark. Can't complain about that at all.
*Me and two friends (Andrew and Brent) sat in the outfield plaza section, just on the other side of the foul pole in left field in fair territory. This would come into play as in the top of the 1st, Kevin Millar of the Orioles hit a home run not probably ten feet from where we were sitting just on the other side of the construction fence (by the way, on the highlight of the home run, you can see me...sort of, there is a red blob right next to the foul pole, that's me, I was wearing my Union University poncho). There was a guy who jumped that fence to get the ball. Subsequently, he was escorted out of the park once he got back over the fence.
*After the first half inning it was 3-0 Orioles and then the rains came. They had a rain delay, the first one I had been a part of. It lasted roughly an hour and forty five minutes. In the meantime, we walked the length of the concorse trying to stay dry and also talked with some other friends (Tyler and Allison) who were at the game.
*Once they got the game started again, it was still a long game. Coupled with the fact that a lot of people were wet and the wind was gusting upwards of 40 miles an hour (made the flags in the outfield almost come off the flag poles), a majority of the people left the game.
*Around the fourth inning or so, we moved closer to home plate in a covered section., partly because of the weather and partly because of a row of drunk and obnoxious fans (who subsequently we believe left and didn't stick through the entire game). After the seventh inning stretch, Andrew and Brent went back to the car to get warm and I decided to stick it out until the end. I ended up moving down to the second row near the third base dugout where Tyler and Allison along with two other friends (Amy and Chris) were standing.
*The last two and a half innings were exciting. Tyler ended up with a baseball that was thrown to him by a third base coach after being fouled off. Amy ended up with some Cracker Jacks that were thrown out during the seventh inning stretch. There were two shirts that were caught by Tyler inbetween innings. And we got on the big screen a couple of times.
*The Royals cut the lead down to two in the bottom of the ninth when Billy Butler came to the plate. He then proceeded to hit a ball deep into the outfield. The ball ended up hitting the top of the fence and then dropped right back onto the playing field. Everyone thought that it was a home run, they even shot off fireworks like it was a home run. Unfortunately, it was only a double and cut the lead to 1. The next batter subsequently got out and ended the game.
*After the game, the home plate umpire came walking up to go into the dugout. He started throwing out balls into the crowd that were in his pocket. One of those landed in my glove. So I now have in my possession, a real baseball from a major league game.
*Overall it was a fun experience though the weather wasn't so great and the Royals lost. It was definitely memorable and one that I enjoyed.
*It was free umbrella day at the ballpark so I got a free umbrella. So far I'm 2 for 2 in getting free promotional stuff at the ballpark. Can't complain about that at all.
*Me and two friends (Andrew and Brent) sat in the outfield plaza section, just on the other side of the foul pole in left field in fair territory. This would come into play as in the top of the 1st, Kevin Millar of the Orioles hit a home run not probably ten feet from where we were sitting just on the other side of the construction fence (by the way, on the highlight of the home run, you can see me...sort of, there is a red blob right next to the foul pole, that's me, I was wearing my Union University poncho). There was a guy who jumped that fence to get the ball. Subsequently, he was escorted out of the park once he got back over the fence.
*After the first half inning it was 3-0 Orioles and then the rains came. They had a rain delay, the first one I had been a part of. It lasted roughly an hour and forty five minutes. In the meantime, we walked the length of the concorse trying to stay dry and also talked with some other friends (Tyler and Allison) who were at the game.
*Once they got the game started again, it was still a long game. Coupled with the fact that a lot of people were wet and the wind was gusting upwards of 40 miles an hour (made the flags in the outfield almost come off the flag poles), a majority of the people left the game.
*Around the fourth inning or so, we moved closer to home plate in a covered section., partly because of the weather and partly because of a row of drunk and obnoxious fans (who subsequently we believe left and didn't stick through the entire game). After the seventh inning stretch, Andrew and Brent went back to the car to get warm and I decided to stick it out until the end. I ended up moving down to the second row near the third base dugout where Tyler and Allison along with two other friends (Amy and Chris) were standing.
*The last two and a half innings were exciting. Tyler ended up with a baseball that was thrown to him by a third base coach after being fouled off. Amy ended up with some Cracker Jacks that were thrown out during the seventh inning stretch. There were two shirts that were caught by Tyler inbetween innings. And we got on the big screen a couple of times.
*The Royals cut the lead down to two in the bottom of the ninth when Billy Butler came to the plate. He then proceeded to hit a ball deep into the outfield. The ball ended up hitting the top of the fence and then dropped right back onto the playing field. Everyone thought that it was a home run, they even shot off fireworks like it was a home run. Unfortunately, it was only a double and cut the lead to 1. The next batter subsequently got out and ended the game.
*After the game, the home plate umpire came walking up to go into the dugout. He started throwing out balls into the crowd that were in his pocket. One of those landed in my glove. So I now have in my possession, a real baseball from a major league game.
*Overall it was a fun experience though the weather wasn't so great and the Royals lost. It was definitely memorable and one that I enjoyed.
Monday, April 14, 2008
First MLB Game of the Year...In Review
So I went to my first MLB game of the year this past Saturday. It was actually the second time I've went to a Royals game. The first was last year when I was in town for a campus tour of Midwestern.
I went with a friend from seminary to watch the Royals take on the Minnesota Twins. It was also Powder Blue Jersey Giveaway Night. For those that don't know or remember, the Royals used to wear powder blue jerseys on the road back from about the early 70s until about 1991. It was also during that time that they were really good. So they decided this year to bring them back (a little redesigned) as an alternate home jersey. And to commerate that, they had last Saturday be the debut with the first 20,000 fans getting a free Billy Butler powder blue jersey (he's their designated hitter).
The first pitch was at 6:10pm. We left campus around 3:20pm (it takes roughly 30 minutes to get to the stadium from campus. Now, Kauffman Stadium (known as "The K" to people here) is just outside the city in the same complex as Arrowhead Stadium (where the NFL team, the Chiefs plays). When we got there, we ended parking way on the other side of the complex and walked basically the length of the complex to get to The K. When we got there (around 3:45pm) there were already huge lines of people waiting to get in. The gates were set to open around 4:00 (roughly 2 hours before the game starts). I went over to the box office and stood in a fairly shorter line because I had to pick up the tickets at Will Call. When I finally got to the ticket booth and gave my ID to the lady, I hear this sound from behind me. I knew exactly what happened, they opened the gates. I got the tickets and made my way back to my friend who was already in the big line. After several minutes of marching forward without trying to get run over, we got inside and got the free jerseys. With that out of the way, we were able to go to our seat and relax.
The seats were in the outfield plaza area, basically right near left field by the foul pole. They were good seats. Now, here comes the comparison game. I spent three years in Seattle, so I got spoiled by Safeco Field. Here are some comparisons between the two stadiums (granted one is 30 something years old and is getting renovated as we speak and the other is only like 7 years old):
Safeco Field: in the city so one can find free parking after 6:00pm, food vendors are outside the stadium so one can pick up food on the way to the ballpark, two words: garlic fries, nice comfy seats with cup holders, not a bad view in the stadium
The K: only parking essentially is at the stadium complex, no food vendors outside so you either bring it with you or get it inside, no garlic fries, somewhat cramp seats if the stadium is full, no cup holders, not a bad view in the stadium (that I've noticed so far)
Now that the comparison is out of the way, they are remodeling the stadium with it supposed to be finished by the All-Star break of next year. The one key upgrade they do have in place now is Crown Vision, the huge 90 foot HD video screen they have in center field. I swear that thing is huge. You can see it outside the stadium when you're driving by on the freeway (I-70). That view doesn't do it justice when you're inside. It was simply just huge. So if the rest of the improvements compare with that video screen, it'll be a good thing.
Okay, onto the game. Needless to say, the weather wasn't baseball weather. It was like 40 degrees at first pitch and dropping. It felt more like football weather and I dressed the part as well with several layers of clothing. It ended up being a pitcher's duel and the Royals ended up on the losing end 2-0. There were several things that stood out during the game:
One, Twins fans when they come to Kansas City are a lot more rowdy and antagonsitic than they are when they're in Seattle. Mainly because it's a division rival. There were several fans that were just annoying and it didn't help that there were some Royals fans that were egging them on. Which brings me to...
Two, though the Royals haven't been as good as in the past, they have some rowdy fans. I think it might be that laidback Northwest mentality but Mariners fans aren't as easily beligerant at least when it comes to the other team. They will if pushed far enough, or if it's like the Yankees or the Angels. But otherwise they just cheer for their own team. And it may be it's just because it's a division rival but it seemed Royals fans can get a little rowdy. We'll see how the season goes and if that is a trend or not...
Finally, three, in game entertainment is different between Seattle and K.C. At the game, they had a real easy hat game (you know, ball in hat, follow ball, pick which hat has the ball), a lawnmower race game on the big screen, a way easy trivia game, and one person picked the music for the next inning (kind of like they do in Seattle sometimes, only there it's done by texting on cell phones). They did have two cool things during the game. One was their traditional hot dog race. The other was on the big screen they had Garth Brooks (wearing a powder blue Royals jersey) lead everyone in "Friends in Low Places". I was disappointed that after the 7th inning stretch, there wasn't a fun song played like they do in Seattle (they play Louie, Louie).
Overall, it was fun. I hope to take in a few more games (preferably when the Mariners and Red Sox come to town) but we'll see. Here are some pictures from the game:
This is the view from my seat looking at the new Crown Vision (the HD video screen)
The grounds crew getting ready to take the tarp off the infield
The Twins warming up pre-game
Old 80s highlight of Harold Reynolds of the Mariners at the old Kingdome...about to get thrown out at the plate by the great Bo Jackson
The great Bo Jackson shown on highlights promoting the old Powder Blue jerseys
Royals getting ready for the first pitch in their new Powder Blue uniforms
The view of Crown Vision during the game. Crazy all the stats they have on that board (the other board that has the out of town scores is on the left field wall, it's a video wall as well)
The replay of the Hot Dog Race. Mustard took a spill (seen here) as Relish easily took the victory...
Garth Brooks as he's getting ready to lead the crowd in "Friends in Low Places"
Royals getting ready for the pitch
The Royals lost...but the fans won a free coke or coffee and a Snickers Bar at Circle K stores because the Royals struck out 6 batters
Here's me with my new free Royals jersey
So this is my first report from a game. I'll do these every so often on here. It should be fun.
I went with a friend from seminary to watch the Royals take on the Minnesota Twins. It was also Powder Blue Jersey Giveaway Night. For those that don't know or remember, the Royals used to wear powder blue jerseys on the road back from about the early 70s until about 1991. It was also during that time that they were really good. So they decided this year to bring them back (a little redesigned) as an alternate home jersey. And to commerate that, they had last Saturday be the debut with the first 20,000 fans getting a free Billy Butler powder blue jersey (he's their designated hitter).
The first pitch was at 6:10pm. We left campus around 3:20pm (it takes roughly 30 minutes to get to the stadium from campus. Now, Kauffman Stadium (known as "The K" to people here) is just outside the city in the same complex as Arrowhead Stadium (where the NFL team, the Chiefs plays). When we got there, we ended parking way on the other side of the complex and walked basically the length of the complex to get to The K. When we got there (around 3:45pm) there were already huge lines of people waiting to get in. The gates were set to open around 4:00 (roughly 2 hours before the game starts). I went over to the box office and stood in a fairly shorter line because I had to pick up the tickets at Will Call. When I finally got to the ticket booth and gave my ID to the lady, I hear this sound from behind me. I knew exactly what happened, they opened the gates. I got the tickets and made my way back to my friend who was already in the big line. After several minutes of marching forward without trying to get run over, we got inside and got the free jerseys. With that out of the way, we were able to go to our seat and relax.
The seats were in the outfield plaza area, basically right near left field by the foul pole. They were good seats. Now, here comes the comparison game. I spent three years in Seattle, so I got spoiled by Safeco Field. Here are some comparisons between the two stadiums (granted one is 30 something years old and is getting renovated as we speak and the other is only like 7 years old):
Safeco Field: in the city so one can find free parking after 6:00pm, food vendors are outside the stadium so one can pick up food on the way to the ballpark, two words: garlic fries, nice comfy seats with cup holders, not a bad view in the stadium
The K: only parking essentially is at the stadium complex, no food vendors outside so you either bring it with you or get it inside, no garlic fries, somewhat cramp seats if the stadium is full, no cup holders, not a bad view in the stadium (that I've noticed so far)
Now that the comparison is out of the way, they are remodeling the stadium with it supposed to be finished by the All-Star break of next year. The one key upgrade they do have in place now is Crown Vision, the huge 90 foot HD video screen they have in center field. I swear that thing is huge. You can see it outside the stadium when you're driving by on the freeway (I-70). That view doesn't do it justice when you're inside. It was simply just huge. So if the rest of the improvements compare with that video screen, it'll be a good thing.
Okay, onto the game. Needless to say, the weather wasn't baseball weather. It was like 40 degrees at first pitch and dropping. It felt more like football weather and I dressed the part as well with several layers of clothing. It ended up being a pitcher's duel and the Royals ended up on the losing end 2-0. There were several things that stood out during the game:
One, Twins fans when they come to Kansas City are a lot more rowdy and antagonsitic than they are when they're in Seattle. Mainly because it's a division rival. There were several fans that were just annoying and it didn't help that there were some Royals fans that were egging them on. Which brings me to...
Two, though the Royals haven't been as good as in the past, they have some rowdy fans. I think it might be that laidback Northwest mentality but Mariners fans aren't as easily beligerant at least when it comes to the other team. They will if pushed far enough, or if it's like the Yankees or the Angels. But otherwise they just cheer for their own team. And it may be it's just because it's a division rival but it seemed Royals fans can get a little rowdy. We'll see how the season goes and if that is a trend or not...
Finally, three, in game entertainment is different between Seattle and K.C. At the game, they had a real easy hat game (you know, ball in hat, follow ball, pick which hat has the ball), a lawnmower race game on the big screen, a way easy trivia game, and one person picked the music for the next inning (kind of like they do in Seattle sometimes, only there it's done by texting on cell phones). They did have two cool things during the game. One was their traditional hot dog race. The other was on the big screen they had Garth Brooks (wearing a powder blue Royals jersey) lead everyone in "Friends in Low Places". I was disappointed that after the 7th inning stretch, there wasn't a fun song played like they do in Seattle (they play Louie, Louie).
Overall, it was fun. I hope to take in a few more games (preferably when the Mariners and Red Sox come to town) but we'll see. Here are some pictures from the game:
This is the view from my seat looking at the new Crown Vision (the HD video screen)
The grounds crew getting ready to take the tarp off the infield
The Twins warming up pre-game
Old 80s highlight of Harold Reynolds of the Mariners at the old Kingdome...about to get thrown out at the plate by the great Bo Jackson
The great Bo Jackson shown on highlights promoting the old Powder Blue jerseys
Royals getting ready for the first pitch in their new Powder Blue uniforms
The view of Crown Vision during the game. Crazy all the stats they have on that board (the other board that has the out of town scores is on the left field wall, it's a video wall as well)
The replay of the Hot Dog Race. Mustard took a spill (seen here) as Relish easily took the victory...
Garth Brooks as he's getting ready to lead the crowd in "Friends in Low Places"
Royals getting ready for the pitch
The Royals lost...but the fans won a free coke or coffee and a Snickers Bar at Circle K stores because the Royals struck out 6 batters
Here's me with my new free Royals jersey
So this is my first report from a game. I'll do these every so often on here. It should be fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)