Saturday, April 14, 2007

Now that's a Ball Game!

Friday night's Red Sox game was a lot more fun to watch than the last one. Things that ruled included:

  1. Actually having seats. I bought a 10 game package of seats on ebay for this year, and this is the first time we got to see them. Turns out to give a heck of a view (section 12, unobstructed view, etc), quite a bit more fun than the standing room seats.
  2. The offense actually supported Wakefield, who pitched a hell of a game. This stands in stark contrast to his last game where he also pitched a hell of a game, but got screwed because the rest of the team couldn't get any runs.
  3. After some slightly strange moves in the 8th put us in a bit of a sticky situation Papelbon came out and took care of things. I'd never actually seen him pitch in person, and man was it something. The crowd really went nuts, and he certainly delivered.
  4. The crowd continued singing "Sweet Caroline" well past the point where the music faded out and the bottom of the 8th started. I always wonder what the opposing teams must think of that when they play in Fenway...
  5. Once the bottom of the 8th yielded its 6 runs they decided not to waste Papelbon on a situation where he really wasn't needed and Timlin came in to finish things out. I definitely like the idea of using Papelbon when he's needed and pulling him out when it's clear that he's done the job.

Anyway, a great time was had by all. Next time I'm going to have to bring my camera, as those seats have a great view of home plate and a pretty decent view of the rest of the field. With any luck I'll be able to come home with some great shots.