The normally full day –
Jay – Walk 17 miles in the morning
Ashlan – Go to work – 8 hours or so
Carl – Mariners are in town – so some sort of basebally thing.
Well – the 17 miles and 8 hours got done in a fairly usual fashion, but the basebally thing took all sorts of interesting and different turns.
First of all it is one of the two days per year when the Mariners “appreciate” the fact that people pay lots of money to them to get the privilege of watching the team win some and lose more. They let us in an hour earlier, and gave out long sleeve t-shirts and hats.
It was also trading card day, for all fans. They give every fan a pack of Mariner cards that have all but 6 cards from the set and then 7 cards of one player. The idea is that you trade your extras to other fans that have the ones you are missing. It is actually my favorite give-away. It is fun when everyone is trying to find cards. We established quite a trove of cards and I was trading like crazy. Giving someone that last card they need is fun – especially the kids.
Now the early opening and cards were for everybody.
But Carl’s ticket person had asked him to come in really early and do an interview about the Mariners, family and Safeco field. Since I had finished my walk and didn’t want to walk to the bus later I decided to go with Carl, early, and so did our two friends and seatmates Kevin and Mark. They interviewed Carl and then all of us as well. I am not sure what they are using this for, but they were interesting questions.
Then – out to our seats before just about anyone else was in the ballpark. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon. Watching the Mariners warm up on the field. Others arrived, batting practice was on, and then
Carl’s ticket person contacted Carl again, and asked him if he wanted to throw out the first pitch before the game – Season Ticket Holder Appreciation Day. So – Off we go – got to stand on the field during a few openning acts, the national anthem, and then Carl got to throw out the pitch. A strike, right over the plate, thrown to Cesar Jimenez, a Mariner reliever.
What fun – Ashlan had arrived from work and was cheering from the really expensive seats right next to the field (no she didn’t get to sit there).
Then the game started. And ended in another loss, but still – a really full and fun day.
I think it was so much fun because we didn’t know what to expect from the interview and everything after that was unplanned, and just happened.
(Oh – and in the 3rd inning they have a contest where two rows compete to try and pass a stack of empty pizza boxes from one end to the other. The first row to finish got free pizza. Well our row tried, but fell apart just before us.
And now I am tired and ready to go to bed.
This has not been particularly witty or erudite, but it really was a fun day.
Raincharm's Weblog 
August 3, 2008 at 5:58 pm |
I take it Carl has recovered enough that throwing out the first pitch did not mess up his elbow. Or is it his catching arm that was discombobulated? Yay to the fantastic-est fan!
August 3, 2008 at 8:30 pm |
It was his left elbow – his glove hand.
Yes – he is left handed, but normally plays like a right-hander.
He had my glove on his left hand, but did not need to catch, so only for show. He had a left-handed glove (for the right hand) that he uses for trying to catch balls while his arm heals.