Monthly Archives: November 2016

Best of 2016 Moments

08 Tuesday Nov 2016

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A reverse top 10 list. It was a great season. Proof offered below.

10. When I came out of the bathroom at the Diamondbacks stadium and realized there was sky everywhere.  When I went into the bathroom there was no sky anywhere.

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9. Getting an unexpected bobblehead at the Diamondback game. Which I gave to someone who PROMISED to give it a child.

8. Watching Reds/Giants game in Great American Ballpark next to Strawberry Plains native who was at her first MLB game.  Her awesome parents also joined her.

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7. Not getting sick from eating food-like substance at Wrigley.  Being surprised at how good the food was at the White Sox park. (Soon to be called: Competitive Rates Field. GAG.)

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6. Getting laugh-inducing texts from Giants fans all throughout the year.

5. Taking the Megabus with Charlie Thomas to see the Braves.  We loaded up at 6 AM and were back home by 9PM. Buster Posey being brought in during the 9th was added thrill.

4. Even though UT Baseball wasn’t so hot this year, it’s still a treat to take advantage of those free games for staff members. Great seats, friendly fans, and only a slight shortage of beer. But I’ll take that as a fair trade for the lack of between innings sausage races.

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3. Watching Hunter Pence returning to baseball during spring training after finally recovering from injury.  He homered at his second at bat.  Bonus: Watching Cueto’s debut as a Giant in spring training.

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2. The thrill of the Wild Card game between Giants and Mets.  I wasn’t in NY, but I was at home with my favorite human and favorite dog. All I wanted, I told myself, was just at least one post season game.  Until I got it.  Then I wanted more. And I got it.  For a while.

And numero uno- drum roll please:

First game at Wrigley. See previous entry.

And Bonus Round:

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On The Evening Of Game 7

02 Wednesday Nov 2016

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I don’t need to tell any of you Indians and Cubs fans about the absolute tense, terrifying, thrill of an impending game 7. So I won’t.

Instead, here’s a love letter.

We booked an AirBnB in Chicago that was walking distance from you. I had heard all of the stories and accolades about you for years. Your ivy, your history, your vibe and your sad selection of nasty food and antique bathrooms. Yes, I know you are a bit older than some of the others, it’s in your profile. You were already swaying in the wind when the Golden Gate Bridge was on the drawing table. But some of us prefer a little age.  It gives us time to see where things really stand and how steadily they stand there. You are beauty that defies numbers, categories and adjacent parking lots.

Best way to get there? Best way to get anywhere: walk it.

We left two hours before the first pitch from North Hamilton.  There are a dozen routes to get to it, but we went through the streets of old neighborhoods with no shortage of trees, character, breezes and brownstones.

Meander. Stroll. Take a photo. Grab a sip. You’ll get there. You can’t get lost. Follow the happy people.

And then, like the Grand Canyon it just sort of appears out of nowhere. And like the Grand Canyon or the Brooklyn Bridge- you have seen the pictures but you have never felt the place. You will. You do. It does.

I definitely have my preferences.  Here they are in a tidy list:

Month: October

Food: Thai, Chinese and Greek

Instrument: Guitar

Traffic: None

Composer: Zappa

Sport: Oh, come now

Team: Giants

Baseball Stadium: AT&T in San Francisco

Uh, except that last one.

It just changed. To Wrigley. It blew me over like a Champman fastball.

Wrigley is the home plate of baseball parks and I hope to see a thousand games there.  Or just one more inning.

So tonight, I am throwing it in for the Cubbies and their team of dreamers, most of whom made a pitstop or two in Kodak, TN to gives us all a preview of possible greatness until we can get to Wrigley.

So, let it be done. Raise the flag or break a million hearts