It's OK, Adam! I still love you...

I guess if I'm honest I don't truly love Adam Lind, not in a personal sense. As a fellow man, sure. But no. Poor guy had the pressure of 40 000-ish fans stomping, yelling, cheering, clapping his two-out bottom-of-the-eleventh two-on-base full-count down-by-one-run at-bat. The guy is the Designated Hitter. He gets things done. He's solid, faithful and a very hard-worker. Can you spell PRESSURE? Poor guy. He swings, the umpire makes the call, 40 000 of us "awww;" Lind and the runners head to the dugout, we head to our deisgnated exit. Simple, simple. It's funny how we can get incredibly built up and then plummet in a second when it comes to sporting events.

I suppose it didn't help that the two on base had gotten there when there were two outs so we were primed to expect a miracle. (It was shaping up to be a good, re-tellable story for whoever asks how the game went.)
I guess, also, with rising blood-alcohol contents as the innings wore on, people were thinking less critically and taking the game less seriously ...which could easily lead to mad cheering and high expectations.


First time Alex Rios fielded a fly ball, people booed moderately. First time he came up to the plate, people booed mercilessly. (I didn't catch on til the plate appearance.) It was harsh (sounding harsher because the official head-count for the evening was 46 321 and I might have been the only one NOT booing) but funny in a sick way. My gut-reaction is sympathy and I utter, "Aww, poor guy!" and my Dad is quick to point out, "Ah, he's a professional. He can take it." Ah, dads.

I had suspected it at first and later found encouragement in my Dad's confirmation that this kind of booing (Rios is a former Jay, just to clarify) is actually about 98% endearing. The other two percent is a mix of bitterness, disappointment, pining but none of it intense. (Fans who are genuinely upset probably wouldn't give him the time of day by booing so their percentages would be different - but actually irrelevant.)


Something I would do differently next time is try to not have a bag or anything with me that can't go in my pockets. It's simply annoying! I also mightn't go with anyone else because, well, I'm not there to socialize and I don't know anyone who would go and not expect to talk at some point. Unfortunately for them, I DO want to see every pitch.

Nice end to a long day that started at 5.38. I don't know how I'm still up considering the day before was similar. Well...adrenaline? Who knows. I'm up.


I'm slightly disappointed to say that no one player stood out to me particularly. Vernon Wells did amaze me with several stellar catches but he is always on top of his game. Johnny Mac is more solid than I give him credit for and I hope he gets an appropriate place in the line-up. I finally accepted John Buck into the roster in my head...and sad to say it was because he hit a gorgeous two-run homer on his first pitch. I won't talk to you about how effortless it looked but it sho was beautiful. I suppose I "accept" him now because I see his effort..though me saying that is perfect evidence for the argument that catchers are consistently underappreciated and unnoticed by onlookers.


I don't know anything. I should be sleeping.
I need to watch I don't turn a pseudo-pastime into some kinda deadly monument.