The game at Balco Park
Ok, ok, AT&T Park, or whatever. It was a terrific game, particularly if you were wearing an away "New York" or home "Yankees" jersey. The Yankees won comfortably against an offense about as anemic as any in the Major Leagues, and we got to witness an incredible line drive homer by Bonds, that cleared the fence in deepest right center, about 463 feet, or something. A mammoth shot, but one -- with no one on and the Yankees well ahead -- that was essentially meaningless. Not to get too deep, but that could be a pretty good metaphor for Bonds' career.
The fans went wild, though. They love them their Barry (except that a constant refrain I heard from the Barry-adoring Gi'nts fans was that, "as soon as he breaks the records, they gotta trade him").
Bonds is an albatross for this team, that's for sure. But they only have themselves to blame. Forget about the recliner in the clubhouse. On the left field wall, directly behind where Bonds lumbers about on defense, is a sign that reads "a giant among legends," showing Barry's face along with Mays and McCovey. That's like retiring his number before he's...you know...retired. And there was an unbelievable campaign -- complete with between innings commercials and stadium workers wearing badges -- to get fans to "vote Barry" for the all-star game. I've never seen a team work so hard to get a single player elected. This year's game is being played in Frisco, but it was weird. Unseemly. Maybe the other members of this old, washed up*, never saw a pitch they wouldn't swing at team, don't mind. But between the constant losing, this attention on one player -- albeit, the only one with an on-base percentage higher than a mediocre .350 -- has to get old after a while.
As for Giants fans, like 49er fans, they're about as tribal a bunch as you'll see. It was a sea of orange jerseys, though it mysteriously morphed into blue and white jerseys as the game progressed. And they had a real hatred for the Yankees, even though most hadn't been born when the two teams last played. It went so far as them cheering for the Red Sox who were at the time beating the Padres, the Giants division rivals. I turned to Madam Cura at one point late in the game (the booze does flow very, very freely at this place), and noted, they're about as vitriolic as Red Sox fans, without Red Sox fans' appreciation for the game.
On the Caltrain back to the sourthern suburbs it was fairly tense for the four or five of us wearing Yankee insignia. Like I said, the booze does flow freely in the late innings.
Oh, but the food is really good. Heartily recommend the Neiman ranch organic hot dogs ($6.50) and the clam chowder soup in a sourdough bowl. Gets cold there late at night. And if you're in the upper decks, as we were, the view at night is gorgeous.
* Omar Vizquel can't hit, but he is as pretty a shortstop as you'll ever see out there.
The fans went wild, though. They love them their Barry (except that a constant refrain I heard from the Barry-adoring Gi'nts fans was that, "as soon as he breaks the records, they gotta trade him").
Bonds is an albatross for this team, that's for sure. But they only have themselves to blame. Forget about the recliner in the clubhouse. On the left field wall, directly behind where Bonds lumbers about on defense, is a sign that reads "a giant among legends," showing Barry's face along with Mays and McCovey. That's like retiring his number before he's...you know...retired. And there was an unbelievable campaign -- complete with between innings commercials and stadium workers wearing badges -- to get fans to "vote Barry" for the all-star game. I've never seen a team work so hard to get a single player elected. This year's game is being played in Frisco, but it was weird. Unseemly. Maybe the other members of this old, washed up*, never saw a pitch they wouldn't swing at team, don't mind. But between the constant losing, this attention on one player -- albeit, the only one with an on-base percentage higher than a mediocre .350 -- has to get old after a while.
As for Giants fans, like 49er fans, they're about as tribal a bunch as you'll see. It was a sea of orange jerseys, though it mysteriously morphed into blue and white jerseys as the game progressed. And they had a real hatred for the Yankees, even though most hadn't been born when the two teams last played. It went so far as them cheering for the Red Sox who were at the time beating the Padres, the Giants division rivals. I turned to Madam Cura at one point late in the game (the booze does flow very, very freely at this place), and noted, they're about as vitriolic as Red Sox fans, without Red Sox fans' appreciation for the game.
On the Caltrain back to the sourthern suburbs it was fairly tense for the four or five of us wearing Yankee insignia. Like I said, the booze does flow freely in the late innings.
Oh, but the food is really good. Heartily recommend the Neiman ranch organic hot dogs ($6.50) and the clam chowder soup in a sourdough bowl. Gets cold there late at night. And if you're in the upper decks, as we were, the view at night is gorgeous.
* Omar Vizquel can't hit, but he is as pretty a shortstop as you'll ever see out there.
posted by John at 1:17 PM
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