Visited another ballpark for the first time last night. And, in keeping with my longstanding tradition, picked up another miniature bat. This one represents the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds.
It was a big series for the Redlegs - at the start of Monday's game, they had a 2-game lead over the very team against which they were about to play: The St. Louis Cardinals. Mike Leake, as fantastic as his rookie season has been, had his work cut out for him facing All-Star Chris Carpenter. Monday also saw the Reds debut of centerfielder Jim Edmonds, putting him in the lineup with his former Cardinals teammate Scott Rolen. Channeling the past success of their rivals much? - Edmonds and Rolen won a World Series together in 2006.
I was late arriving to the city, so by the time I scalped a ticket and made my way inside the gates, it was already the top of the 2nd inning. No score. I was fairly starving, not having eaten anything since 6am, but I stood by the field long enough to watch Edmonds's first Reds at-bat: a hard hit line-out to center field.
Hot dog and beer in hand, I wandered around the upper level trying to find an empty seat. The ticket I bought was for way down the 3rd base line in the second deck, and I thought I could do better. Just as I settled in to a seat in my section (but 20 rows closer to home plate) the gentleman sitting behind me informed me that the people in these seats would surely return soon, they having just got up to get some food. Looking down at the bottles of water in the drink holders I realized he was right. I should have been more observant, but I just wanted a place to sit down and eat.
I moved across the aisle and chowed down during Leake's disastrous 7-run 4th inning. While watching, a kindly older fan sat down next to me and claimed mine and the surrounding seats, but said I could sit there until the rest of his party arrived. He told me all about how back when the Reds played at Riverfront Stadium, he would buy the cheapest seats in the house and gradually migrate down to behind the Reds dugout. "If a seat is open at a baseball game, you can sit in it!" was evidently his philosophy.
When his party did arrive, I moved on and decided to inaugurate a new tradition: drinking a beer at the highest point in the stadium. I trudged all the way to the very last row of the upper deck, just adjacent to first base, and enjoyed the view across the scenic Ohio river into Kentucky. These seats also allowed me a straight-ahead view of Albert Pujols at bat. He has a crazy batting stance, with so much power coming from his legs (his back knee is bent almost like a pitcher pushing off the mound) and his core area (notice how when he takes his practice swings, his whole body pivots; there's almost no wrist or arm action). His swing is truly a thing of beauty.
After picking up my mini-bat, a mini-chili-dog, and another beer, I headed to the field-level seats behind left field to heckle Matt Holliday a little. He made a pretty good running catch, but he couldn't stop the Reds from getting two runs back after the 7th inning stretch. Notice how in middle-America we sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and only "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"... sometimes we even sing it twice!
For the ninth inning, after most everyone was shuffling out before the sure-Reds loss, I made my way to the field level seats next to first base. There I overheard a couple of older fans recounting a story of how some kid had confronted an usher after getting caught in a seat that wasn't his. Migrating is a fine way to watch a game, but you have to do it respectfully - keep in mind that it's actually not your seat by rights, and when confronted with evidence of the fact, you have to cede to its rightful owner. Or renter?
They shut up when Ramon Hernandez hit a home run and kindled small hope for a last second rally. But Kyle McClellan held on to shut down the home team. They didn't win. And it was a shame.
This mini-bat brings my total stadiums visited up to 14. Actually the criteria should be home games watched, since I've been to both Veteran's Stadium and Citizen's Bank Park but have only one bat to show for it. I'm ever so close to halfway there! I'd better hurry up before talk of contraction starts up again...
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