"Here you go future hall of famer"
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Originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.
B’more! Represent.
AJ with the game winning sac-fly. Another one for the AL.
Even the Babe made it to the Koshien
Babe Ruth Plaque, Koshien Stadium
Originally uploaded by preachercasy.
We’re going to the Koshien!
“I got it! I got it!”
The first half of baseball season is done, and the wretched Orioles have completed it with a 40-48 record. I’m hoping for slightly better after the All Star break, at least 43 wins. Yet, that doesn’t sound so good, but if you know the Orioles, you know that they traditionally fade in the second half. Wait, fade is too nice of a word. They disappear. They get losing streaks that are absolutely crazy: 12 games, 10 games. For them to win 43 games and finish with a 83-93 record would be progress. One step, one season at a time.
But that’s something to look forward. The ultimate optimism of a fan of a terrible team.
Let’s look back. We’ve gone to 8 games (7 home, 1 away), and we’re 4-4. In fact, we caught the first two games of this past weekend. I haven’t been to back to back games since I was a kid: 1982 and the chase for the AL East title versus the Milwaukee Brewers. Friday’s was a loss. The O’s got no runs.
And it was sad, but we got fireworks!
And I got to talk to the ballgirl. She tells me they have to try out for the position. Cool. I don’t think I get to ask her about her health benefits. Those screaming line drives could hurt!
We had so much fun, we decide to go back for Saturday’s game. We make a day of it, by stopping by the Sports Legends Museum. Cool, but I just like the baseball part. Then the Babe Ruth Museum. Strange to be in Baltimore and see NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox to be feted. I couldn’t wait to get out of there quick.
Then we finally get to the park. I get the tickets in right field. Just where I really always want to sit. We watch Nick Markakis dawdle out the game. Nothing coming his way. We’re bored. Before the game, the gentleman two rows back talks to his son who was excited. His son wants to catch a foul. “Not if I don’t jump in his way,” I blurt out. The man wasn’t amused. A family sits right down behind us. During Aubrey Huffs first at bat, he taps me on the shoulder and says, “Watch out, Huff pulls lots of balls down this way.” Ooo. The fourth inning arrives and there is a ball hit our way. It’s coming, fading slightly to my left, three seats over across the aisle. A guy in a Pujols jersey is gonna get lucky. It hits him in the palm, pops out, he tries to snag it, bobbles it, and watches as his neighbor gets it. Too bad! “Sorry, man.” Buy that guy a beer.
Seventh inning. The next foul ball.
It’s hit right at me. I know. It is hit RIGHT AT ME! I stand up! Now, I’m not really good at fly balls, but this one I know: IT IS HIT RIGHT AT ME! I’m tracking it. It’s all mine! I reach to catch it. *POCK!* It’s hit my palm. I don’t got it. I look it to see where it is. It’s in some other guys hands as he picks it up off the floor. In all my years no foul ball has ever been as prettily hit towards me as that one. And I fucking drop it. My palm stings. Even more so because the ball is not in my possession. The dude in the Pujols jersey consoles me, “I know how you feel.” I’m still thinking about it.
But the MelMo comes through with a walk off homerun. What a game! This one and baseball. I can’t wait for the next half.
Baseball bat bags
I want a cool baseball bat bag from Japan. They look like you’re carrying your sword in it.
Why does the American ones look like your suitcase? Are you going on a trip? Or are you arming yourself for war? War! Baseball is war!
Yakyuu on the mind
It’s a Sunday. It’s a day game. It’s the finale of a series. It’s a loss. With the home team, Orioles, continuing their less than mediocre ways, it’s time to look in to the game around as its played in Japan.
Here’s the NY Times writing about the
atmosphere in the stadiums of Japan. Very much different than the quiet of Camden Yards. If we could only get as rowdy, we wouldn’t have to worry too much about the awful Red Sox fans who visit our lovely park.
Then there is the adopted team of BrowserMetrics, the Hiroshima Toyou Carp. They’re playing better than the O’s but not much better. They too are below .500 in winning, but the distance to respectability is shorter for them than for the hapless O’s. Plus they’ve got a new stadium, Mazda Zoom-Zoom Park.
Finally, about some manga and anime. Mitsura Adachi’s Cross Game is an amazing manga. The anime only slightly less. We’re going to the Koshien! Taishou Yakyuu Musume is just starting up. I’m not sure I like it, but it’s got baseball, anime girls, sailor uniforms, and kimonos. It’s got the game.
Link of the Day [6.29.09]
A few weeks back, me and Marge from the FishTank went to catch Seattle at Baltimore down at the yard. We got very good seats. The best ever.
I went, because I wanted to see two future Hall of Famers, Ken Griffey, Jr. and Ichiro. Although, Griffey is no longer the kid, and he did not have a good outing, going 0 for 3 with a walk (I think), it’s still good to see the last of the great Mariners play. Then there is Ichiro. Ichiro! He’s awesome. He hit a double that looked to be a homer into deep right center. There’s no one who’s a better hitting machine than him. And he’s got a cannon for an arm. He threw a frozen rope from the corner in right field to home plate. Wow! Ichiro!
The home team lost that night, but it was a fun time.
I wore my Ichiro jersey and cheered for him whenever he was up. On the way home, Seattle fans were cheering. One of them saw my jersey. He looked at me and began to cheer again, “Mari-?” He saw my Orioles cap. “Hunh?” The look of confusion on his face was priceless. “WTF?!”
Anyway, watching Ichiro play is just about the best thing in baseball.
BrowserMetrics 3, Other teams 3
Mets @ Orioles, June 17, 2009
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.
We get to the .500 mark. In games watched.
It’s a win.
And Matty Weit Weit hits his first home run. The gentlemen behind us wonder what the fan that caught it can expect from the team for exchange of this memorabilia. I think signed catching glove, ball, bat from Matty Weit Weit may make it all square. Plus lump in some nice tickets at the club level.
Mets fans were out and about. I was sitting next to one. David Wright, he of .360 batting average, gets called strike out king. All hail strike out king. I get heckled for it. ALL HAIL STRIKEOUT KING! 😛
It rains, but it don’t keep the fans away. They come for the Adam Jones bobblehead souvenir. His facsimile does just as much as the real thing who goes 0 for 4 on the day. The Orioles table setters, Roberts and Jones, bat a collective .000, 0 for 9. B-Rob may be going into another slump.
Would be nice to keep winning.
MVP Rookie of the Year
Matty Weit Weit does it all!
Seattle v Baltimore: June 10, 2009
Seattle v Baltimore: June 10, 2009
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.
Went to the Yard to catch future Hall of Famers, Ichiro and Ken Griffey Jr play with hometown Birds. It was one of the better times we’ve had at a game.
First, we walked up to the box office looking for the best tickets, and we got ’em: section 86, lower box, left-center, row bb, seats up against the bull pen wall.
Second, we get three beers and hot dogs and nachos. Just little dinner.
Next, we chat up our fellow neighbors. A couple from NC who got engaged in at the Yard. They’re watching the next couple of games. The gentleman and his kids in front of us. He was a Phillies fan. I had to get Marge in trouble with him as the Mets were leading the Phils. He didn’t care. Then we had the youngsters behind us. “Get ready.” With the glove, Matty Weit Weit’s gonna hit a homer. Instead it was all Seattle. They were hilarious.
The game was too. No hitting for the Birds. Matty Weit Weit upped his average. B Rob is hitting. AJ isn’t. Not much runs. Loss 4-1.
Still fun. See you next Wednesday.