Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I really like baseball, to be honest as a kid I thought baseball was OK, but the older I get the more I like baseball. I've caught myself recently listening to the Durham Bulls radio broadcast. Why would I do this? Well, besides the fact that I hate the radio down here, it's because I enjoy it. So when the Toledo Mudhens came to town this weekend we had to go.

Durham Bulls Atheltic Park is a nice new stadium and since there were fireworks tonight it was nearly a packed house. We got two tickets in the outfield, the seats weren't too bad, but The Wife was worried about home runs and I was told "You are to protect me!" Of course I am wearing my Mudhens jersey and well, I'm the only Hens fan in my section and well the next section and maybe the section... OK I think I was the only person in the outfield with a Mudhens Jersey, so this will be fun.

We find our seats and at this point we can tell we are the only ones in the right seats. More people start filing in and trio of people start complaining because someone is in their seats, but live with the ones beside us.

Early on Durham was mowing down the Hens and Yorman Bazardo was all over the place and the Bulls were getting to him. Even with that it was only 1-0 Bulls at the top of the 4th. The Hen's get a man of first and things start to change, Kevin Hooper hits a line drive to center and the Bulls Jason Pridie picks up the rolling ball... or does he? I misses the ball and the man on first is on third and Hooper is on first.

After another hit the game is tied at 1-1 with men on second and third and then the man of the night comes to bats... SLOTH! No it's not really the guy from the Goonies, but Chris Shelton who could win The Next Best Thing as Sloth. At this point more people are coming in, which makes me wonder how can people come this late to a game? It's the fourth inning and you are NOW GETTING TO YOUR SEAT? I could understand if they were visitors to the area and thought, "Hey isn't that the team from Bull Durham? Lets get some tickets!" No, they were local, and personally I hate to miss anything and always want to be on time. I will a little upset at myself for leaving late and missing the first batter, but at least I got their before the 4th! While Sloth is looking for a hit a Bulls Seat Guy asks to see our ticket. I stand up and The Wife and I look for our tickets and that's when I hear CRACK! Sloth crushed the ball over the Big Blue Monster and the Hens are up 4-1. I missed the hit and never saw the ball go over the wall but I knew it did. I cheer, and then tried to find my tickets. We get everything figured out and everyone has a seat.

That was not all for the inning, Jack Hannahan smacks a laser into the outfield one section over from us. Everyone stands for a chance to catch a home run ball and a little boy catches it... with his face. OK if you have a kid your first thought should not be "Hey I'm going to catch this ball." It should be where's Billy. get behind me. I cheer for the homer and then stop because I noticed a bleeding kid. He took it in the nose so he should be OK. Hens are up 6-1

The Mudhens go nuts and for the next two innings the jump all over the Bulls and are up 9-2. Everyone finally realizes that I'm wearing a Mudhens jersey and figures out that I am cheering at the wrong times. Then the fun starts, the trio of people from earlier are now behind us and a 2 and a half sheets to the wind and the college age guy wants to start the wave to "Get the team going.., THEY NEED US." He tries it once and gets it barely out of the outfield. He is crushed and the Hens score again. Some security guy comes over and I'm thinking they are going to throw him out. Excuse me sir, the people in the patio are ready for the wave." Yes, other drunk people send someone over to get the guy to do it again. This time they try to get me to do it. "Come on, we need this." I respond "I'm here for Toledo." with a slight slur "Did you travel from Toledo for the game?" We explain that we are now living in Wake Forest, but I use to live in Toledo. We come to a compromise and the next time I come to a Bulls game I have to cheer for them and I need to do the wave. With goating from The Wife I do it. Amazingly enough the wave went around four times, I was shocked and the wave must be Kryptonite to the Bulls because they allow three more runs.

With fireworks being launched we had to leave our section for "security reasons" or as I like to put it we don't want you to be hit by flaming balls and sue us. We move around the top of the 9th and we find some seats down the first base line. The Hens bring in some kid I can not find on any roster, they must have brought him up after this little fight that left closer Jason Karnuth has his face broken by another pitcher Ramon Colon. With a 13-4 lead he allows them to get to 13-7. The Hens could not get that finally out so they brought in Corey Hamman and he stops the bleeding and the Mudhens win. 13-7.

With the game over it was time for fireworks. For some reason the Bulls brought out a Boston Globe reporter to start the show. I seriously think there was something wrong with Mr Reporter (Glug Glug) the first thing he asks is "Hey, does anybody know the score of the Red Soxs game?" Silence. "No really, I don't know, I've been here all day." Hey moron... so have we, and why would the people of Durham care about the Red Sox. The Bulls are affiliated with the Devil Rays so you might want to work on your opening line.

We finally get the fireworks going and I think someone might have not done their job. They set the fireworks off in front of a new building that is still under construction. Every once in a while a round would hit the steel beams and go off inside the new building. I thought that was the best part. It would give off a weird ecko once it goes off and Vere off in weird direction... usually near the second we had to clear out.

It was a good night, I got to see the Hens play, Sloth crushed one over the wall, we did the wave, saw some fireworks and I messed with Wooly E. Bull.