My First Big League Game
Boy was today a big day in my life as I finally made it to a big league ballpark to watch a Major League Baseball game.
Boston hosted Oakland and I was thrilled and awed to see everything I had only before seen on TV. It was a great game to boot.
Starters were Matt Clement for Boston and Barry Zito for Oakland -- two well-respected pitchers. Boston fielded their expected lineup and my only disappointment was that Trot Nixon didn't play in right field with Jay Payton taking that spot.
Still Manny Ramirez went deep early in the game as Boston built a 4-1 lead and looked like that's the way it would end.
Red Sox closer Keith Foulke, however, had other plans, giving up four runs in the top of the ninth inning in what looked like a 5-4 letdown. Eric Byrnes hit a two-homer to put the A's up 5-4 and the crowd went completely silent except for a few people yelling at Foulke: "F*** You Foulke" and "Theo, we want a trade!"
I couldn't believe the home town boys had given it up and ruined my inaugural trip to Fenway Park.
In the bottom of the ninth, however, David Ortiz walked. Kevin Millar, who had hit a ninth-inning walk-off game-winning homer the previous night flied out to left field. Up walked catcher Jason Varitek who promptly poled the game winner just inside the Pesky Pole in right field for the perfect ending to my first Major League Baseball game.
The place went nuts for five to ten minutes as the entire 35,000-plus jumped up and down and high-fived each other while the team mobbed Tek at home plate.
Wow!
I don't know how long the link will be accurate, but you can see photos and plenty of other funny stuff at "BostonDirtDogs.com," which is the hard-core fan's team Web site. Check it out at: http://bostondirtdogs.boston.com/Daily_Headlines.html
