Take Me Out To The Ball Game Cause I Got Me A Fiddle!!!

So back in February, my birthday gift from Kalyn was to go up to Boston to see the city and catch a Red Sox game.  But now that I am moving back to Alberta before the trip could happen, we decided to catch a game anyways and knock something off my list to do.  As luck would have it, the Red Sox were playing on Kalyn's birthday up in Baltimore and so we made it a birthday date night and went up to Baltimore to see the Harbour and catch the game. We got a little rained on but for the most part, it was a fantabulous trip and I am so glad Kalyn allowed me to accompany her on her birthday.  Getting older sucks, I know, but Kalyn took it with the grace and ease as she takes everything else.  Until next year.  When the big year hits.  I am for surely coming back for that birthday.  And take you to a ball game in Fenway.   

The Harbour is gorgeous.  Not as big as I thought, even though I really have nothing to compare it to so I don't know what I was expecting now that I think about it.  There were a lot of boats (fancy that hey at a harbour??!!) and the boardwalk around the Harbour to the Aquarium.  A boat that apparently shoots off cannons (I really don't know what it is about cannons and me but seriously, they need to start giving some sort of warning when those things go off.  Especially if one isn't ready for it.  Like I seem to never be ready for it.  I don't know if it is reasonable that I walk around everywhere, all the time, expecting a cannon to go off).  There was the neatest Barnes and Nobles there that looked absolutely massive and would have been wonderful to go chill in but then we would have missed some of the game.  And I would have bought some books.  Both not good. 

While down at the Harbour, there was a Ripley's Believe it Or Not and we decided to check it out.  It is pretty nifty, the things that we in there.  The world's tallest man (when he moved, to stand up, beside me, I freaked - was not expecting that), the world's fattest woman (I think that was what she was but I didn't go up to read the sign as I was afraid she was going to move as well), the world's skinniest man, crowns from the royal family, swords, the oddest looking chair that supposably people sat in during a trial and if they were found guilty, they would be executed right there (Kalyn and I pulled a catafluque moment trying to figure out how a person sat in the chair and also how they would be executed in the chair), a porcelain pillow (which would not be good for me since I freeze my pillows in the summer), Hogwarts made out of matchsticks (massively huge - the patience needed for that would have been incredible) and many other wonderfully interesting things.  We could have spent way more time in there but we were pushing it as was but I suggest people go check one out as the things Ripley found on his travels was amazing, some gross, some wildly fantastic and some that makes you go 'huh?!' 

We made our way to the game and Camden Yards is quite beautiful.  There is so much stuff to see while inside it - so many shops, restaurants, vendors, stuff like that.  We made our way to our seats, which were 24, 24!!!, rows behind home plate.  They were kick ass!!!!  And as luck would have it, we were sitting beside other Sox fans so we were not alone.  I was worried about getting beat up as I have heard horror stories from girls at school who are from the Baltimore area, but apparently baseball fans aren't as ruthless or rough as hockey fans.  But they do get drunk, fast, before the game.  We ran into many a drunk people.  From Boston.  With irish accents.  It was awesome!!!  Now, usually for me, one of my favorite parts of going to see live sports is the National Anthem, and I was slightly disappointed as they performed the anthem with a mandolin and no singing.  I felt gyped on the experience.  And there was no PLAY BALL!!!  I was hoping to get that movie experience as well.  Oh well.  We settled into our seats to watch the first inning.  And then it got rained out.  At first tiny rain and we were fine with it.  But then it started coming down in buckets and heaps and like plopping drops.  So the ump called the inning and we made our way into the covered area.  

To watch Bugs Bunny play some baseball on tv (if you can't watch the real thing, Bugs Bunny is the closet second).  It didn't seem to take too long that the rain subsided and the game was back on.  So we settled into our seats to watch the second inning.  And the rain hit again.  At first they were still playing in it even though it was coming down pretty good and Kalyn and I were determined to not let the rain 'dampen' our spirits (hehehe so punny) but then the ump called it again.  So off we went inside again.  Where we got some ice cream.  And stood.  And stood.  And stood.  Discussed the benefits of having a closed roof dome for games like this.  Cripes almighty I was starting to get worried that they would call the game as a whole and my baseball experience was truncated down to 2 innings.  

Finally the rain let up and the game was back on.  But not quite yet as they had to get the field back in working condition and I have all the admiration for the people that do it as we got to sit and watch the field hands get everything back to good condition.  2 hours later (game started at 7:05), at 9:05, the 3rd inning started.  And the rain had left and the game went on without a hitch. I did get some of my movie experience - watching the third base coach do the signs to the guy on second base, see a guy go sliding into base, the meeting on the mound and the pitcher doing the walk off, and the constant view of guys looking like they were touching themselves.  One thing I will say about Camden Yards though is that if you have a fear of birds, like me (thanks Ma for that), and a fear of mascots, like me, it is not the place for you.  That damn bird.  I think I almost broke Kalyn's hand from gripping it so tight when he was passing by us.  I had nowhere to escape and had to sit there and be tortured and have a heart attack. And miss some of the game from keeping my eyes closed. See - nothing ever comes good from having a mascot around.  The end of the game was so nerve wracking - Boston was up 1-0 (which I totally didn't get a picture of the home plate touching because I was cheering too much) and Baltimore was up to bat.  Everytime they swung I think my heart stopped just a little, good lord.  I get way too invested into sports.  They struck him out and game was done.  So good.  Such a wonderful experience and actually I enjoyed watching the game itself.  I would totally go see another ball game.  

I felt bad for Kalyn as since I didn't really know anything about baseball, I was asking her a plethora of questions.  I think I remembered the bulk of them, which are below and in no particular order:  

• who do I need to know on the Red Sox?
• what happens if there are too many players on the field? do they get a penalty of some sort?
• why do the fields get mowed the way they do?
• why is the pitcher on a mound higher than the hitter?
• why are the bullpens away from the team dugouts?
• how does an ump become an ump for the major leagues?
• how often do bases get stealed?
• what is better to cheer for - the offensive (batting) or the defensive (playing in the field)?
• if a person isn't hitting very good, would they put in a pinch hitter or let him play if he is doing really good catching the ball?

• where is the second baseman (I know he usually isn't right at second base but in this case he was really far away and shortstop was covering the second base)?
• why are people booing?
• why does the catcher call what ball the pitcher should pitch?
• what would happen if the pitcher doesn't pitch what the catcher wants the pitcher to pitch?
• how much does it have to rain in order for the game to be called?
• what are those circles for? (apparently the base coaches and the on-deck hitters were supposed to stay in their designated areas - they did not)
• why are there so many pitcher changes at the end of the game?

• why is Jonny Gomes called crazy?
• what is the difference between the American League and the National League and how do the two work with the World Series?
• was there an 'original six' thing like in hockey?
• can you have a pinch runner if the hitter is robust?
• what is around the bat when they are on-deck?
• what do the players talk about when they are on base (hitter and baseman)? (I imagined it went something like "yo dude, your sister last night....."
• why does it say KKK on the board? (first thought was something about the Klu Klux Klan, but that would make absolutely no sense at a baseball game)
• when doing the YMCA, do you do the C for you or for people watching you do the YMCA? 
• do players prefer to play in natural light or the artificial lights?

And these were some statements, observations or conversations Kalyn and I had during the game:

• "wow, Uehara has been on deck for a very long time" (on the scoreboard it said on the bottom RHPD - Uehara.  Apparently that was not the next hitter but the next pitcher coming in)
• "you mean we went through all the players that fast for the batting order?" (no, not the case - only the players actually playing the game get to bat)
• "good job on catching the ball - you just earned $5000"
• "oohh  not good on dropping the ball - you do not earn your $5000"
• "if I was a base coach, this is what I would say 'when the ball is hit, run really fast.  If it is caught, run faster back here'"
• "well that 7th inning stretch was a little underwhelming" (a)  when they played Take Me Out To The Ball Game, people didn't start singing until the end; b) when they played Thank God I'm A Country Boy, that is when everybody got into it.  I don't know if that is a Baltimore thing, a Maryland thing or what.  It surprised me though; and c) apparently the 7th inning stretch at Fenway is much better.  Apparently everything at Fenway is much better.)
• "where was the PLAY BALL!!!" (I wanted to hear the baseball version of Lets Get Ready to Rumble)

• "is the ball coming our way??" "no" (everytime, EVERYTIME, the ball was a foul ball.  But it really wasn't a foul ball.  But I thought it was.  And there was no netting above us so I was constantly on the lookout for foul balls. I learned that I suck at understanding which way the ball was being hit)
• "I wonder what the game would be like if everyone had designated circles they could stand in and could not leave their circle to catch a ball"
• "I should take a slow motion picture of the signs the third base coach is doing and sell it to other teams" "There is no point as they watch the game tapes.  But I like your thinking"
• "I am sporting some cleavage.  We may get on the jumbotron" "No we won't as we are rooting for the away team"
• "don't do that" (for EVERYTHING that was sports related - couldn't dance to Seven Nation Army, couldn't clap to car wash, couldn't yell charge, NOTHING as apparently it was all against Red Sox and for the Orioles.  Cheering for the away team kind of sucks)
• "throw it!! throw it!!!" "we don't want him to throw it because then we will be out" "oh, right, their jerseys look too much alike in color"