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Put down another Turner Field visit for me tonight. Row 15 behind home plate. I scored a last-minute invite of sorts to go and sit in company seats (again) with a friend.

wilson wrote:Put down another Turner Field visit for me tonight. Row 15 behind home plate. I scored a last-minute invite of sorts to go and sit in company seats (again) with a friend.

HOLY CRAP. This is not a proclamation that I toss around lightly, but tonight seriously was probably the best Braves game I've ever been to. With two outs in the seventh inning, the Braves had zero hits. That's right...none. But Chipper poked one through at that point to break up the no-no, and then the good guys broke through with three runs in the eighth. Jeff Francoeur hit an improbable 2-out, 2-run homer in the ninth to tie it, and then Chipper did it again with the game-winning base hit in the 12th. Braves win, 6-5. Absolutely amazing.
Two wild comebacks for two of my teams in two nights. I love it.

wilson wrote:

wilson wrote:Put down another Turner Field visit for me tonight. Row 15 behind home plate. I scored a last-minute invite of sorts to go and sit in company seats (again) with a friend.

HOLY CRAP. This is not a proclamation that I toss around lightly, but tonight seriously was probably the best Braves game I've ever been to. With two outs in the seventh inning, the Braves had zero hits. That's right...none. But Chipper poked one through at that point to break up the no-no, and then the good guys broke through with three runs in the eighth. Jeff Francoeur hit an improbable 2-out, 2-run homer in the ninth to tie it, and then Chipper did it again with the game-winning base hit in the 12th. Braves win, 6-5. Absolutely amazing.
Two wild comebacks for two of my teams in two nights. I love it.

I saw you on TV tonight. I mean, I actually watched part of the game. I didn't know that you were there at the time, but I probably saw you in one of those wide crowd shots.

Glad you had a good time.

wilson wrote: HOLY CRAP. This is not a proclamation that I toss around lightly, but tonight seriously was probably the best Braves game I've ever been to. With two outs in the seventh inning, the Braves had zero hits. That's right...none. But Chipper poked one through at that point to break up the no-no, and then the good guys broke through with three runs in the eighth. Jeff Francoeur hit an improbable 2-out, 2-run homer in the ninth to tie it, and then Chipper did it again with the game-winning base hit in the 12th. Braves win, 6-5. Absolutely amazing.
Two wild comebacks for two of my teams in two nights. I love it.

One more time...Holy poop.

wilson wrote:

wilson wrote:Put down another Turner Field visit for me tonight. Row 15 behind home plate. I scored a last-minute invite of sorts to go and sit in company seats (again) with a friend.

HOLY CRAP. This is not a proclamation that I toss around lightly, but tonight seriously was probably the best Braves game I've ever been to. With two outs in the seventh inning, the Braves had zero hits. That's right...none. But Chipper poked one through at that point to break up the no-no, and then the good guys broke through with three runs in the eighth. Jeff Francoeur hit an improbable 2-out, 2-run homer in the ninth to tie it, and then Chipper did it again with the game-winning base hit in the 12th. Braves win, 6-5. Absolutely amazing.
Two wild comebacks for two of my teams in two nights. I love it.

That does sound exactly like the ECU win the night before!

wilson wrote:

wilson wrote:Put down another Turner Field visit for me tonight. Row 15 behind home plate. I scored a last-minute invite of sorts to go and sit in company seats (again) with a friend.

HOLY CRAP. This is not a proclamation that I toss around lightly, but tonight seriously was probably the best Braves game I've ever been to. With two outs in the seventh inning, the Braves had zero hits. That's right...none. But Chipper poked one through at that point to break up the no-no, and then the good guys broke through with three runs in the eighth. Jeff Francoeur hit an improbable 2-out, 2-run homer in the ninth to tie it, and then Chipper did it again with the game-winning base hit in the 12th. Braves win, 6-5. Absolutely amazing.
Two wild comebacks for two of my teams in two nights. I love it.

Ugh the life of a Cubs fan. Shit like this always happens. I'm ready top give up on the Cubs and change my allegiance, but my only option would be to switch to the Pirates because I'm going to Pitt, but I'm not sure that would be any better.

Ben63 wrote:
Ugh the life of a Cubs fan. Shit like this always happens. I'm ready top give up on the Cubs and change my allegiance, but my only option would be to switch to the Pirates because I'm going to Pitt, but I'm not sure that would be any better.

I'm sure that wouldn't be any better; in fact, it'd be considerably worse. The Cubs a) are not out of this year's race yet, and b) have a far greater chance of being winners in the near future than the Pirates do (especially once the Cubs sale goes through, which should happen soon).

Speaking of the Pirates, great article in last week's SI (Tom Brady on the cover) about the "perfect game" pitched by Harvey Haddix in 1959. SI calls it the greatest game ever pitched and, after reading the article, I may have to agree. Haddix pitched 12 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves before a baserunner got to first on an error in the 13th, ending the perfect game but keeping the no-hitter intact. Later that inning Haddix gave up a walk-off 2-run HR to lose the game. Perhaps most amazing is that 30-years later, at a dinner commemorating the game, the Braves players admitted to stealing signs the entire game (the bullpen was using binoculars to see the signs and towels to indicate the pitch). They knew what pitches were coming and still couldn't get a baserunner until the 13th. In 1991 MLB changed its definition of a "no-hitter" and retroactively stripped Haddix's game from the list of no-hitters because he did not get out every batter he faced that night (prior to that a no-hitter was 27-up-27-down).

Highly recommended reading for baseball fans.

wilson wrote:

Ben63 wrote:
Ugh the life of a Cubs fan. Shit like this always happens. I'm ready top give up on the Cubs and change my allegiance, but my only option would be to switch to the Pirates because I'm going to Pitt, but I'm not sure that would be any better.

I'm sure that wouldn't be any better; in fact, it'd be considerably worse. The Cubs a) are not out of this year's race yet, and b) have a far greater chance of being winners in the near future than the Pirates do (especially once the Cubs sale goes through, which should happen soon).

Wilson, I'd be willing to bet a few beers that the Pirates will win a World Series sooner than the Cubs will. Now I'm only 17, but by the time either of them win one I should be of age.

Ben63 wrote:
Wilson, I'd be willing to bet a few beers that the Pirates will win a World Series sooner than the Cubs will. Now I'm only 17, but by the time either of them win one I should be of age.

As long as baseball has no salary cap, I'll take that bet eight days a week. The Pirates have been "a couple of years away" for fifteen seasons now. The Cubs can compete in the current financial structure, whereas the Pirates decidedly can not.

So it sounds like we have ourselves a deal.

There's just something about the Cubs that will not allow them to win. People were in such a tussle over the Red Sox 86 years, well the Cubs 86th year came and passed 15 years ago. Do I think the Pirates are even close, hell no. But I know the Cubs cannot win a World Series. They had the best team in baseball last year and got manhandled by the Dodgers in the playoffs. There is too much pressure on the Cubs come the postseason and even when they are in a good position to win, there is always that feeling in the back of their mind like "Ok, we're in a good spot, what is going to go wrong?" With that thinking, something bad will always happen, and if you play for the Cubs that feeling is unavoidable, you can't put it out of your mind.

Wislon, the better bet is if either of these teams will win a World Series before both of us die. I'd say no.

Ben63 wrote: There's just something about the Cubs that will not allow them to win. People were in such a tussle over the Red Sox 86 years, well the Cubs 86th year came and passed 15 years ago. Do I think the Pirates are even close, hell no. But I know the Cubs cannot win a World Series. They had the best team in baseball last year and got manhandled by the Dodgers in the playoffs. There is too much pressure on the Cubs come the postseason and even when they are in a good position to win, there is always that feeling in the back of their mind like "Ok, we're in a good spot, what is going to go wrong?" With that thinking, something bad will always happen, and if you play for the Cubs that feeling is unavoidable, you can't put it out of your mind.

I agree with your points here. But remember, about five years ago, you could have written basically this same paragraph, replacing "Cubs" with "Red Sox," and now look where we are. They've gotten good enough as to be totally insufferable, with legions of bandwagon "fans" everywhere.

Ben63 wrote:Wilson, the better bet is if either of these teams will win a World Series before both of us die. I'd say no.

I of course have no idea how long either of us will live, but I think they'll both do it. Sports is cyclical. Remember...the Royals have won a Series in my lifetime.

wilson wrote: I of course have no idea how long either of us will live, but I think they'll both do it. Sports is cyclical. Remember...the Royals have won a Series in my lifetime.

Yes sports are cyclical, but considering the fact 99.9% of the people on this planet were not alive when the Cubs won last, don't you think maybe the Cubs got left off the cycle and are stuck forever? I do. Hell, most people weren't even alive the last time the Cubs even MADE a World Series in 1946.

I understand what you said about the Red Sox, but they at least had been close before. Even if Steve Bartman doesn't interfere with that ball, the Marlins would probably still have won that game. Moises Alou was never gonna catch that ball anyway. The result was the same, a foul ball strike. And the Marlins still had to win game 7. The Cubs had their chance.

wilson wrote: I of course have no idea how long either of us will live, but I think they'll both do it. Sports is cyclical. Remember...the Royals have won a Series in my lifetime.

I am donating my Sports Illustrated from that victory and the I-70 Showdown video tape to the church rummage sale this weekend. I'm not sure we will see another World Series title for a while around here.

I have been out of pocket lately to reply, but saw this and have been thinking about it... my list is short like some others....
- Camden Yards - great ball park
- the OLD O's stadium .. can't remember the name
- The NATs ball park .... another winner

Hmmm... I think there are others, but can't recall at this moment and when I was in St. Louis, I was right outside of Cubs or Cardinals (at the time, back in the 80's) stadium ... (maybe they were playing each other at the time....), does that count?

I too have been to alot of minor league stadiums and love that also, seen quite the antics and also some really good ball play that made we wish I would have stuck with my talent rather than sitting behind a desk.

The last minor league game I went to was in Oklahoma City, Razorbacks I think back in 2007 on work travel (took my team out for fun), farm team for Nationals) and saw a grand slam homerun hit on Saturday night behind home plate (IT WAS AWESOME) and while in my hotel room Sunday night (watched a whitesox game and they also hit a grandslam)..... ALL I CAN SAY IS.......

WOW - Two HOMERUNS back to back in 1 weekend, how often does one get to experience that?

windsor wrote: San Diego (it was Qualcom then...don't know about now)

The Q is still there, but it's the home the Chargers now. The Padres have a great new ball park called Petco.

In order:
1. Wrigley
2. Fenway
3. The Q
4. Dodgers Stadium
5. Petco

I need to go see more games.

Ben63 wrote:My list is weak, but here it goes

Camden Yards
Nationals Park
RFK
Citizens Bank Park

But I will add the new Yankee Stadium later this week, and as I'm going to Pitt PNC Park will be added in the near future.

Chalk up the new Yankee Stadium, just got back.

Ben63 wrote: Chalk up the new Yankee Stadium, just got back.

OK, now I'm jealous. Where were your seats? How much did the tickets cost?

OZZIE4DUKE wrote:

Ben63 wrote: Chalk up the new Yankee Stadium, just got back.

OK, now I'm jealous. Where were your seats? How much did the tickets cost?

Sat out in the bleachers. Face value was $14, but because I didn't decide to go until Tuesday, I had to buy them from StubHub, so they were $20. Thought it was a solid price for the seats. Beautiful ballpark, but from what everyone says its just not the same. (I never made it to the old one, so I don't know the difference.) I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon, considering the price and I'm not a Yankees fan, but the one time experience was great.

If you are ever in the Toledo area during baseball season, catch a Mud Hens game. The stadium is great--and you can walk a block to a Tony Packo's. My wife and I saw a game in Fenway a few weeks ago. We stayed in a hotel close enough to walk to the game. This was overall a great experience.