I'm not sure when exactly I turned that corner, but I'm sure many of you can remember the days when I used to tailgate and drink adult beverages all day before Phillies (or Eagles or Flyers) games - maybe I even did this with you - and at the time that exemplified how I liked to enjoy the games. Those types of experiences don't happen very often of late, but I still find myself attending sporting events and enjoying them just as much, if not more.
For starters, I've begun to appreciate simply seeing my teams in person more since I moved to Ohio because my teams are no longer in my back yard. "Going to the game" is now a once or twice a year rarity, not an everyday possibility. I was extremely lucky to have two such opportunities within three weeks of each other, beginning with a Labor Day trip to Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati:
I believe this is the fifth different Major League ballpark I've visited, and visiting a new park for the first time is yet another layer of the experience. Each one offers its own unique atmosphere. True to my roots, I always try to find a Philly connection:
That's Charlie Hustle, more commonly known as Pete Rose. He was pretty good at baseball, I hear. For those of you who don't feel like clicking the links and who don't know the history, he spent a lot of time in Cincinnati on some of the greatest baseball teams in history during the 1970's, and helped the Phillies to a World Series victory in 1980.
It's always appreciated when the ballpark has something for everyone. For the younglings, a playground on the concourse:
Out of respect for POW-MIA families, an empty seat sits in the outfield:
And one of my favorite things to do at the ballpark, keeping score:
It really is becoming a lost art, as I don't know many people my age who still do this. My grandfather used to do this while listening to the radio at home, and my Dad still has some of his old score books at home, so it always holds a special place in my heart (I'll have another score keeping story later too).
To tie this all in, I got to enjoy this particular game with the man that taught me how to keep a score book, my stepdad:
And isn't that what really makes attending sporting events special? Spending time with family and/or friends. It brings people together, literally. In a randomly awesome turn of events, this game ended up bringing me back together with my friend Josh that I hadn't seen in more than 10 years:
Oh, and "we" also won. At the time, we were still very much alive in the playoff race, so that was a pretty special cherry on top.
Three weeks later, the fam and I ventured up to Cleveland to visit my girlfriend's sister and brother-in-law. I'd pitched the idea to them a few months in advance because they'd just moved in late last year, we hadn't yet seen their house, and I knew the Phillies would be in town. Perfect excuse to come visit, right? An added bonus, none of us had ever been to Jacobs Field (yes, I'm not calling it by its corporate name), nor had we ever utilized Cleveland's rapid transit system:
I felt right at home on the train. It reminded me a lot of my days taking SEPTA to the South Philly Sports Complex. Just ignore my extra cheese:
Other than a lengthier-than-anticipated walk from the transit concourse to the stadium itself, the experience was quite pleasant, efficient, and affordable. Yet another reminder of why I continue to champion public transit (*cough*Columbus*cough). Anyway...
Two things I can't appreciate enough are that both games featured excellent weather, combined with excellent seats (thanks to my boss for the assist on these beauties):
Of course, with each new ballpark, you have the opportunity to experience new local beer:
And if you've been waiting for my Philly connection, here it is:
Jim Thome was also pretty good at baseball. He spent most of his career with Cleveland, but also had two separate stints with the Phillies, and is enshrined on both teams' Walls of Fame AND the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Of course, I also kept score:
This particular scorecard has some extra special meaning. I found out that they don't print game day programs any more. Sad. I mean, interacting with the program guy on the way in was one of those extra little things that made baseball special. But I digress...at least you can still purchase a score card from the team store, which I got in line to do about 20 minutes before first pitch. An older gentleman behind me noticed my Phillies t-shirt and asked me if I was from Philly or just a fan of the team. I told him I was born and raised on Philly sports, and I may have mentioned that it went all the way back to my grandfather keeping score at home. After we exchanged pleasantries and I assumed we'd be on our way.
When I got to the front of the line moments later, I told the cashier I only wanted a score card. The gentleman behind me, probably not expecting this kind of request to come from someone my age, was overwhelmed with joy. He said "Oh man, I love this guy! Here, let me buy that for ya." Granted, it only cost $1, but it was an incredibly warming gesture and I couldn't express enough thanks to him. It was the icing on the cake of another fantastic evening at the ballpark, one in which "we" won again:
As I sit here typing this, the Phillies have lost four straight since Saturday evening when that photo was taken, and have long since been eliminated from playoff contention (perhaps I need to go to more games - haha!). Neither of these things will change how special these couple of September afternoons were to my family, and especially to me. It's not just baseball, and it's not just about the game. It's about the experience.
