Miss us?

So it has been quite a while since I've posted. Like 2 years-ish. We celebrated our third anniversary not that long ago. And that meant more baseball for us.

It all started on the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend. We traveled all the way to Syracuse, NY to watch the Syracuse (Sky)Chiefs with my parents.

I say (Sky)Chiefs because the website still says "SkyChiefs" but everything at the stadium, including the PA announcer, called them the "Chiefs." There was even a conductor mascot that had a baseball for a head.

Since the Chiefs are affiliated with the Washington Nationals, and the Nats were on a road trip, the famous racing presidents were at the stadium for our entertainment. They wandered the stadium for most of the game. When they did race, of course, Teddy lost. I almost feel bad for Teddy. (Thomas Jefferson was the winner.)

Alliance Bank Stadium was beautiful. I had been there before thanks to my younger sister's involvement in marching band growing up. Justin had never been. We sat behind home plate, about 7 rows up. The seats were fantastic. This was our view.

What was really awesome about this ballpark, was that there was a concession stand that served local favorites. I got to get salt potatoes at a baseball game. It was the first time I had them in a long time. And the first time Justin had them ever. He found them nothing really special. They tasted like childhood summer to me.

They also had an all-you-can-eat section. For $16, you could get unlimited hot dogs, hamburgs, peanuts, sodas, etc. The only catch was you had to eat them in the roped off area in the left field stands. The drinks you could wander out of the area with. And, if you're my dad, you could wander off with peanuts in your hat to share with your folks back at their seats.

All-in-all it was a good experience, even though the Chiefs lost the game. And the intent for our trip was to see the phenom Bryce Harper up close before he got called up. We ended up a bit late, but we didn't let that spoil the fun of a baseball game.

The difference between Boston and Brooklyn

I am a baseball fan. I like to go to games, as you have probably already guessed. I also like to wear a hat every time I go to a game, as I am fair-skinned and a sunburned scalp is no fun at all. I also feel that wearing a Mets hat everywhere is not exactly the best idea. So, several years ago, I got a Brooklyn Dodgers hat. I thought that this hat would be a message to other fans that I am like Switzerland, totally neutral. To me, this hat screams "I like baseball, integration and awesomeness. I will root for the home team and eat a hot dog. I am just a regular fan."

Apparently, what it actually makes people think is "Where did you get that blue Boston hat?" or "You're a Red Sox fan? What are you doing here?...Oh...Brooklyn...So you're a Yankees fan then!" And frankly, I am sick of it.

So here is a photo of my Brooklyn hat next to Justin's Boston hat. There is a huge difference, at least visible to me, and it goes beyond the color. The Brooklyn B is in an obviously different font that is wider and has a cutout at the back of the B. The Boston B also has an outline. The Brooklyn B is all white. Is it just me who sees this? Or can others tell the difference when they are side by side?

Also, it bothers me that most people's reaction when I said Brooklyn was to immediately think Yankees. The Yankees have NEVER played in Brooklyn. There was a time in the 70s when their stadium was being remodeled that they played in Queens. (Poor Shea, two baseball teams and two football teams. I feel for that grounds crew and hope they got a big bonus those years.) The Yankees play in the Bronx, which for you non-New Yorkers, is NOT Brooklyn. Also, the Dodgers were National League. The Yankees play in the American League. The Dodgers moved to California in 1958. The Yankees have gone nowhere. The Brooklyn Dodgers won just one World Series while they were in New York. We all know how many the Yankees won (several against the Brooklyn Dodgers).

So, in conclusion ladies and gentlemen, my Brooklyn hat does not mean I am a Red Sox fan (though I have been known to root for them to win when they are not playing the Mets). It also doesn't mean that I am a Yankee fan (I have never once rooted for them to win). It means that I am a fan of the game itself. I am a fan of history. It means that I can actually take pleasure in watching a game that involves two awful teams, because it is not the teams that matter to me. It is the game itself. That is what I enjoy. I could watch the New Britain Rock Cats and be just as happy as I am at a major league game. Because I enjoy the game. That is what my Brooklyn hat means. So please, if you don't know what that B is, just keep your mouth shut. I am so sick of hearing "Boston? Oh, then Yankees?" That I could scream. And I really don't want to scream at you. So keep it in your head. Thanks.

The Much Anticipated Pink Hatter Post

This is the post you have all been waiting for. The one where I explain to you what at pink hatter is.

A pink hatter is usually a female (though there have been some males witnessed exhibiting their behavior) who is at the game with her male companion. She has no idea or care about what is going on on the field. And she is making this known to everyone around her and disrupting their enjoyment of the game. What are some of the actions of a pink hatter you ask?

1. The most obvious, and usually an easy way to pick them out in your section right away, is that they are wearing a pink hat with the team logo. I hate these hats. I can't even fathom why anyone would want one. If you want to have a hat to protect you from the sun at the game, but don't want one with the team logo (ugh...letters...that is almost like reading...eww), go for one with the mascot on it (pictures...easier to understand...and usually a cute animal). I own a St Louis Cardinals hat with Fredbird on it. No shame it that. It is still in team colors (ok, just one color really, red). It says "I am a girl, but I still know how to dress at a game. Worry not, I will not annoy you for 9 innings."

2. Working on your tan at the game? You are a pink hatter, no matter your gender. If you want to sit 10 rows behind home plate and work on your tan, you are wasting your money and annoying all of the fans around you who just want to watch the game. Instead we have to hear about your bicep tan lines (a guy) and see the straps of your tank top pulled down to prevent tan lines on your shoulders (hope you enjoy the tan lines randomly on your arms lady). The alternative to this is that you go to the tanning salon to fix your tan and then go to a night game if you really want to see baseball without wrecking the tan. Want to save even more money? Sit out in your backyard. Don't be talking about your tans for 2 innings. Even though this is Kansas City, some people want to see the game. Shush!

3. If you take a photo with the margarita vendor without even buying a margarita or at the very least giving him a tip, you are worse than a pink hatter, you are rude beyond belief. Newsflash to all baseball fans: vendors in the stands work purely on commission and tips. They only get paid for what they sell, not for how long they stand there yelling about their wares. So when you make a guy walk up 20 rows in the upper deck and then only want your girlfriend to take a picture of you with him (and yell at him to stand sideways so his pack of frozen goodness can be seen), you are the worst baseball fan ever. At least slip him a 5. You just wasted his time. He could have been selling actual drinks and making actual money. And for all you regular fans, make sure to tip your vendors. They get pennies for a commission (about .50 per 5 dollar hot dog). And they carry heavy containers up steep stairs just to make the game more convenient for you. Respect that please.

4. This last thing makes you just about as recognizable as a pink hatter, without the hat being needed. If you are sitting in the upper deck and reapplying your makeup, you are a pink hatter. No ifs, ands or buts about it. You ARE a pink hatter. Bathrooms are no more than 200 feet from each seat in modern stadiums (sometimes a lot less). You seriously can't walk 200 feet to the bathroom (and mirror) to apply your blush? You should have your ticket revoked. Forever. No more games for you. That is just a disgrace. Chapstick and sunscreen are the only things you can apply to your face in the stands. Anything else and your neighbors have free reign to apply a beer to your face. Just saying.

And that, my friends, is why you never ever want to be called a pink hatter. It is okay to go to a game when you have no clue what is going on. Just don't act like you can do whatever you want while you are there. Other people have come to enjoy the game. No one will really mind if you quietly (and that is the key, people 3 rows back don't need to hear it) ask your significant other (or whomever you came with) what is going on on the field. That is fine. But don't make a spectacle of yourself. Or you will one day be surfing the internet and find that someone like me complained about your actions at the game for the whole world to read.

Rest Stops: Finally a good hot dog and Jon Gosslin (?)

We made many rest stops on our journey last week. Some of them were just run of the mill rest stops. Others had sinks that seem like they were designed by George Jettson. You would just put your hands in (it was a hole in the wall kind of thing) and the water would run, the soap would automatically spit out and when the water shut off, the dryer would come on. I pulled my hands out and felt a little lazy. I didn't have to do a thing really. It felt very strange.

On our final journey from the Pittsburgh area to Springfield seemed so very long. We stopped to visit my uncle on the way, which was great. We also stopped on the Jersey Turnpike, where I got a real hot dog (Nathan's) with real mustard (spicy brown). All of the hot dogs at the stadiums we visited left something to be desired. They were all rather plain. For one thing, they all only offered plain yellow mustard. In most cases, it was also watered down. So by the time I got the dog back to my seat, the bun was yellow because the mustard had soaked through. In Pittsburgh, the bun was stale. Like rock hard. But I will let that slide, seeing as there is hardly anyone to sell a hot dog to there. I thought spicy mustard was standard in ballparks. I guess that is what I get for having my first ballparks be the ones in New York. And in New York, as with the Nathan's in Jersey, they don't call it spicy mustard. They just call it mustard. And it is your only choice. Because that is the only mustard for a hot dog. It was great to finally have a good hot dog. Even if it was eaten in Jersey while some guy put gas in our tank.

When we stopped at the CT welcome center (almost home!), we both went into the bathrooms. Justin came out and informed me that there was a guy in there that looked uncannily like Jon Gosslin, of Jon and Kate Plus 8 fame. I said, yeah, okay. Since Justin has never seen this show. But, since Jon and Kate were all over the supermarket tabloids, I figured there could be a chance. And there were a strange number of people dressed in black pants and white shirts lining the way from the men's room to the exit. Was it the father of 8? We will never know. The place was so crowded that we went out to the car to eat our McDonald's.

It was a great trip, I am glad and sad that it is over. Glad to not have to be in a car every morning. Sad there is not a ball game every day. But that does not mean this blog is going away. Oh no. This will still be updated. There are many more stories to tell you of our baseball journeys past. And I realize that I never explained what exactly a pink hatter is. And I would love to explain to you the difference between Brooklyn and Boston. It is obvious to me, but I have come to realize that the difference may not be as easy to spot as I think it is.

So you can look forward to more of my postings about baseball this summer. And hey, maybe we will even get to another game this year. Who knows. If all else fails, I can take Justin to Rock Cats Stadium. I don't think he has ever been there. :-)

JRB's #'s 4

Hours late this post is: 48
Souvenir cups acquired: 13
... Bought: 3
Games seen: 3
Games canceled: 1
Games we would've seen but didn't because they should have been rained out: 1
Hours driven: 43
Miles Driven up to STL: 1408.9
Miles Driven up to KC: 1999.2
Approx. total Miles Driven: 2400
Hours left to drive: 9
Days with T-storms: 4
Number of guy who won Frozen Custard contest in KC: 3
Number of food places never visited before this trip but now visited: 3 (so far)
Travel tips you followers are owed: 2

Tip #1: Don't let the driver be the only one awake in the car. It's courteous, as they can't read, play DS etc... Also safer.

Tip #2: Don't forget to pack extra batteries. Even if you have a battery charger & AC adapters. You never know.

More rain!

So, we are now in Pittsburgh. And we are not at the game. Which as I am writing this, is in the bottom of the 5th inning. At 11:19 p.m. We left around 8 p.m. The game was supposed to start at 7:05 p.m. There was a lot of rain and a lot of lightening in the area. The scoreboard said they were expecting another bout of bad weather. It was also showing a replay of the 2006 All-Star game to keep fans occupied. Since the rain delay lasted 2 hours and 55 min according to mlb.com, I am guessing that anyone who stayed got to see all of that All-Star game (which was played at PNC Park, so it was not totally random game they happened to have video of).

Once the scoreboard told us to not stay in the open portions of the stadium due to the lightening and potential high gusting winds, we decided that they were probably not going to play the game (we were wrong) and that we didn't want to be there even if they did. If it had been just regular rain, you bet we would have stuck it out, even for 2 hours and 55 min. But with lightening and a warning to not be outdoors, we figured it would be in our best interests to just go to the hotel. Which we did.

But not before we got a shot glass that said "PNC Park" and Justin allowed me to take this photo of him in a poncho. Priceless.

The game in Kansas City

Sorry this post is so late. The hotel did not have internet last night. And we were very tired anyhow. The game was pretty good, even though the home team lost. The seats were amazing. Unfortunately, it was very very hot. And the seats were in the sun. We ended up spending some time walking around the park, just to be out of the hot sun. On our journey around the park (and we were able to walk all the way around the park), we discovered some interesting things.

There is also a chance we were on DiamondVision, but since we were on the outfield concourse, we will never know if we really were on DaimondVision. I can say there was a camera pointed at us. We were walking by and noticed that they appeared to be setting up for some kind of eating contest. There were Royals girls there (I don't know what they call them in Kansas City, I know in St. Louis they were "Team Fredbird"). One of them, Lauren, asked us if we would stay and cheer so that she would have a crowd. They should put her out on the road in front of the stadium to ask people to come and cheer so she has a crowd. Attendance at games would increase. So we stayed and rooted for #1 to win the ice cream eating contest. By the time the half inning ended, it was more like an ice cream drinking contest and two rounds of whip cream had melted on their servings already. For the record, #3 won. But we cheered, just like Lauren asked us to. It was fun.

We also encountered this statue on our way around the outfield (before the camera battery died thankfully). I found it very interesting. Lady Liberty was a Royals fan. Who knew. Too bad she can't make it to a game. Her presence would make the stadium seem more full for sure.

It was at this game that we had the best seat neighbors. Before the game started, I was taking photos of the field. One of the men in the group of three (2 men, 1 woman) asked if we would like a picture taken. I said yes and he took a great photo (as you can see). I returned the favor for them. When we got back from our about 2 inning jaunt around the park, our friends were still there. The lady had put her purse on what was my seat. Since there was no one else in the row, this was no problem. I told her so. She then offered to share the seat so I could have my purse off the ground. I was glad to accept the offer. The ground was looking a little sketchy and in front of my former seat there was a puddle that had formed from the condensation dripping off of the souvenir cup in the cup holder. So, if you are reading this lady in the green shirt, thank you. I am glad we had you three as our neighbors. Even if we weren't in the seats all that much.

Justin's BT# 3

Approximate Miles: 1400
Hours of driving today: 7ish
Hours of driving tomorrow: 10ish
Consecutive days with Thunderstorm: 3
Games seen with more than 5 HPB: 1
Hats bought at lids: 3
First Ballot HOF'ers Retiring Today: 1
Approx. Hours before next posts: 24

Travel Tip of the Post: Always get two card keys for hotel rooms. Fronk desk personnel are not friendly at 1:30 am when you need a new one, and if you are locked out, you may not have proper ID to prove you should be un-locked out.

Rainy in St Louis, but AFTER the game

Right now, there is a raging thunderstorm going on. I am in the basement, hiding and pretending it is not happening. We are staying with friends, so thankfully there is a basement or you wouldn't be getting a post until tomorrow night. As it is, I left the camera in the car, and there is no way I am going back to get it. So photos tomorrow.

I will admit that I was wearing a Cardinals hat to this game. I had Justin stop at a Lids in a mall before the game to get a new hat. Not that the hat that I brought was not good. I love it. I just hate people thinking it is a Boston hat, or that wearing a Brooklyn hat means that I am a Yankee fan. So I got a new Mets hat (mine got shrunk in the dryer) and a Cardinals hat. The Cards hat has Fredbird, the mascot, on it instead of the STL logo. I enjoy it. I got a Cardinals hat for a very good reason. I am a baseball fan. First and foremost, I am a Mets fan. I do have other favorite teams. They are, in order, Dodgers, Cardinals and Red Sox. I have gotten hats in that order (though no Red Sox yet). So I wore the Cards hat to the Cards game. Made perfect sense to blend in there.

The Cardinals game was great. Since it was on ESPN, I don't need to tell you how it ended, other than to say Cards won. I was shocked with the number of hit batsmen. I was totally prepared to see a brawl. Instead, I saw a security guard tackle an idiot who ran onto the field. Which was pretty cool. Darn good tackle. Kid evaded 2 security guards before the third threw him to the ground. Stupid kid. Awesome security guard.



Tonight we were sitting field level in right field. The seats were really sweet. One of the fringe benefits of sitting in "good" seats was that there were few stupid fans or pink hatters. There was one pink hatter who was sitting in our row and being pink hat-ish but doing it in a way that didn't really bother those around her. She was listening to her iPod and playing games on it and playing with her cell phone. That I am totally cool with. Do what you want to do as a pink hat as long as it doesn't bother me.

And the award for the smartest fan goes to the guy who was sitting behind me. He said Mike Piazza was the greatest catcher of all time. :-)

Also St. Louis wins with their shot glass. They are the first stadium we have been in since Shea Stadium that had shot glasses with the stadium name on it. Which is what we wanted from each stadium. Chicago White Sox did not have nor did Philly or Pittsburgh, so we have team shot glasses. Here's hoping Kansas City has some that say Kaufman Stadium.