it's me.
Been here a couple of days actually. My wife and I started a tradition five years ago of coming here the last full weekend in July. We see a few shows, shop, do some museums, eat too much, that kind of thing.
Baseball moves to the backburner, which these days isn't a bad thing.
It never totally goes away though.
Last year, by chance, the Nats were in town that weekend. My wife, bless her, actually agreed to go to the day game Saturday.
Thursday, the day of our arrival, we returned to our room mid-afternoon to rest for the evening's activities. We're old and a four a.m. wakeup means a mid-day nap. It dawned on me that the Nats were playing in the afternoon, so I turned it on the radio via computer and listened while trying to sleep. It did serve as a reminder of how much I enjoy baseball - even bad baseball - on radio. I should probably listen more often than I watch (and that is not to be interpreted as a knock on the TV folks).
Yesterday, my wife says at lunch: Is today another afternoon game? Nope, in LA at night. Good, she says, we can listen when we get back to the room. My boyfriend is back! My wife absolutely loves Lastings Milledge, so much that I've dubbed him her "boyfriend." Unfortunately, he didn't do much.
We're seeing Damn Yankees tonight and going to a baseball and music exhibition this afternoon at the New York Public Library.
Saw Hair in Central Park on Thursday and 2008 Tony Award winner In The Heights last night. Both were incredible. I'm continually amazed by the ability of actors to perform live on stage as many as eight times a week. They pretty much have to bat 1.000 all the time and, from our experiences, they pretty much do.
Water is $4 a bottle at the theaters, too. I kept looking for El Jefe and Uncle Stan's name in the programs. They have to have a hand in that.
Anyway, it makes for a nice annual break. I love this town. I'm even going to wear a Yankees hat today, one with the "VT" logo on the side. In all my travels in my previous life, I've somehow never been to Yankee Stadium. Won't go this time either. They're on the road.
So the Nats' march toward 100 losses continues but I'm happily distracted for a few days.
10 comments:
If you want a pretty close representation of Yankee Stadium, when you get home, jam yourself into the crawlspace in your basement and have your wife shout obscenities at you while throwing ketchup.
A friend of mine went once and paid $50 to buy his car battery back after the game.
I never felt unsafe outside the place. Just inside!
Back when Mariners/Yankees was a big rivalry, I was at a game where some 8-year old girl was wearing a Griffey t-shirt. "Take off the jersey you stupid [what's the absolute worst thing you could call an 8 year old girl]"
At a Yankees/Sox game, despite it being one of those 100 degree oppressive NYC kinda days, the bleacher creatures had the energy to chant 'bragg is a fag' for 3 hours.
Fun place!
How could you go to the dark side? Thought you were a true fan.
Having been to Yankee Stadium only three times, each visit has been an event that has overshadowed any shortcomings. I plan on going one last time, three weeks from today.
My grandfather was born and raised on 161st Street and my mother worked for the Yankees for a couple of years. The Yankees are in my blood. Despite that, I was till able to enjoy Damn Yankees during its revival Arena Stage a couple of years ago. :)
Never been to Yankee. Been to Shea, once, for a Nats game. That went fine.
Best part was talking with the fans on the train back to Manhattan. They know their baseball -- which is to say, they tend not to be Sox-hating drunks or football hooligans in baseball caps -- and love to talk about it.
Try to have a chat like that in Philly and they look at you funny.
Mama, I didn't exactly go to the dark side. When the Yankees visited VT in March, my son called from the stands. He was deeply affected by the shootings (one of his classmates was a victim) and he was near tears as he said, "This is about the coolest thing I've ever seen. Just one problem."
What's that?
"It's going to be hard to hate the Yankees anymore."
Johnny Damon said he wanted to go to a VT football game and my son and his buds are trying to make it happen!
We took a "movie tour" of Central Park today before the baseball exhibit. Both were really cool. We saw a clip at the exhibit for an old version of Damn Yankees.
A bad baseball team in D.C. Imagine that.
The Mets fans we met last year were very cool. One was rather upset when I explained how Flores ended up a Nat. Flores threw out Milledge and Reyes that day.
Enjoy the break, and don't bother looking at the scores, it's not worth ruining a good break.
I hope you're enjoying spending a few days in a town with a real baseball culture. That's what I miss about being in Washington compared to New York and Philadelphia.
Maybe we'll build one in D.C. in a few years, but attention, Lerners: Clowns like Clint and ripping off the Red Sox's "Sweet Caroline" (ugh!) won't get it done. We need our own identity!
We need some runs, too! Sat down for dinner tonight and got a quick text from my son - "no runs for your team again. Mine, meanwhile, scored 10. And lost. Again."
Ain't it just a grand time to be a Nats or a Braves fan?
But we are having a blast. Hate to see the trip end.
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