Baseball?

Last night I caught a beautiful independent league game in Florence, Kentucky.  The River City Rascals went down hard to the home team, Florence Freedom.   11-3.  It was a hitter’s ballpark. Unless, of course, you are a Rascal.

I could happily regale you with tells of the perfect temperature, the solid home team  homers, the fabulous bathroom decor, the friendly locals, the great vibe, the acceptable eats, and the exciting game.

Instead, just a quick pregame pitch.

About ten minutes before the singing of the national anthem, the woman singing the national anthem decided to rehearse with her mic, somewhere off field. Unfortunately for her, and fortunately for those who show up early, the mic was live and broadcast to the entire crowd.  People heard the national anthem and got confused.  Do we stand? Hats off?  Where IS she? I stood up and removed my Giants spring training cap. I mean, it doesn’t matter if it’s early, that’s the national anthem she’s singing there pal, not Tie A Yellow Ribbon. 

Other folks started standing up.  Hats quickly off. Vets sternly saluting.

Some remained seated, unpatriotic and confused.

And then….she… messed up.  Bad.  Then messed up again.  She started back up in the wrong key.  And then cut it off completely right in the middle. Someone probably stopped her, both out of mercy and a desire for correct scheduling.

People slowly sat down.  Hats went back on.  In section 110, we mostly laughed.  But not too loudly.  I mean, it wasn’t Tie A Yellow Ribbon.