Onslaught
Game 89: July 15, 2005
Yankees (47-41), 1
Red Sox (50-39), 17
L: Tim Redding (0-6)
W: David Wells (7-5)
Things not involving actual baseball that deserve mention:
- I went to the game with Joe. Joe is eight feet tall. Well, not exactly, but since I’m 5', it certainly seemed so. I felt like I was conversing with his navel.
- Joe and I saw Hazel Mae in person before the game. Joe fell in love and I saw living proof that the camera does add weight. She seemed genuinely nice in person, stopping to introduce herself after she heard Joe yell, “Hey, that’s Hazel Mae!”
- I finally got to see the Red Sox take batting practice. I come two hours early for every game possible and had yet to see them in the cages. Ortiz, of course, put on a show.
- Someone in the roof boxes ordered a bag a peanuts from a vendor in the right field box. The seller threw it up to buyer with excellent aim. The buyer wasn’t sure how to get the money down, and the vendor said, “Just throw it down.” The bill just wafted down right into the vendor’s outstretched hand. If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it. The crowd in my area cheered vigorously.
- There was an insanely entertaining Yankee fan in my section carrying a wad of cash. He wasn’t obnoxious, just very vociferous. There was something weirdly endearing about him because, despite his team being down the entire game, he never bowed in the face of adversity, talking smack throughout the game. This is more than you can say for most Yankee fans. You’ll see his picture below.
- A father with his son and daughter sitting to my left had the chance to see an unbelievable game. The son, the older of the children, was keeping the score. The daughter sat in her father’s lap while he explained the finer points of the game to her, such as, since the score was 17-1, it would probably be a lead that even Alan Embree couldn’t blow. He told her, “You can tell your grandkids you went to a game where you saw an inside-the-park home run and a grand slam.”
- Watching the players leave the park and knowing that Trot Nixon drives a Mini. Did he lose a bet or something?
These things and a win alone would have made it a great night. But it was incredible because of:
- Trot Nixon’s inside-the-park home run in the 2nd inning. The only other time I had heard the crowd be so loud was when Shea Hillenbrand hit a home run off of Mariano Rivera on April 13, 2002, before there were Monster Seats, so his ball sailed into the screen. Gary Sheffield left Melky Cabrera hang out to dry like Lou Piniella does with his pitchers. When Cabrera successfully made the next catch of Kevin Millar’s fly ball, we sarcastically cheered.
- The implacable David Ortiz. With Jason Varitek, Alex Cora, and Edgar Renteria on base, Ortiz hit a grand slam in to the visitor’s bullpen in the 6th inning. I’m more than a little spoiled; this was the third grand slam I’ve seen this year.
- The emergence of Adam Stern. He his first major league hit, a ground ball single to left, in the 8th inning. When he left the park, no one would get his car for him, so he and his girlfriend had to walk to the player’s parking lot themselves. Someday soon you’ll have more pull, Stern!
Quite simply, one of the best games I have attended in person. I’m interested to see how tomorrow will shape up in comparison.
Also, I figured out how to make the pictures below link to larger versions, so if there’s anything you would like to see in greater detail, just click on the picture for a larger version.
Francona with Eric Frede for the pre-game interview. Francona is probably thinking, “Redding? Oh yeah, we’re going to shell this guy.”
What he’s probably actually saying would be more like, “Ah geez, the Yankees have a tough lineup; it’s going to be rough.”
Hey, Dan! I have a joke for you: What did the ocean say to the beach?
Nothing. It could only wave.
Mike Timlin and John Olerud, probably talking about how being on the Red Sox is more fun than being on the Blue Jays.
Chad Bradford, whom Joe Morgan wouldn’t be familiar with because he has not and never will read that book by Billy Beane.
The obstreperous Yankee fan.
Thank you for letting me see my first inside-the-park home run in person.
Joe said, “I hope he gets his first major league hit.”
And he does.
An accounting of Ortiz’s feats with a picture of Stern.
Comments
Inside the park HR's are fun, huh? I saw Pokey's last year and let me tell you, it's just as exciting the second time around. Sorry I missed you guys after the game and have a blast today!
BlackJack ∙ 16 July 2005 ∙ 9:52 AM
I saw Pokey's inside-the-parker....if I was there, Stern probably would've had one cuz it's always teh little guys with me. I swear if I had season tickets last season, Pokey would've been like Willie Mays at Fenway
PTH ∙ 16 July 2005 ∙ 11:52 PM
Excellent game Friday.
BlackJack, you missed a bit of stalkerish behavior. We went to watch the players leave and we had fun telling everyone who was who; funny how some of these purported fans don't know the players without their uniforms on. Joe and I had fun naming more obscure Red Sox personalities, and Joe claimed that every player that pointed, waved, or smiled did so directly at him.
Piney, can you adopt a bullpen pitcher this year? Halama or Embree perhaps?
Empyreal ∙ 17 July 2005 ∙ 7:41 AM
Hey, how can I deny they weren't waving to just me? For the most part, I was the first to recognize the player and yell out. You think what you want and I think what I want. Regardless, it makes me happy. :) And y'know, we were the only stalkers standing there when Trot left on his mini-coop, so of course I KNOW he was waving to only us. ;)
Also, Empy, I'm surprised to failed to note the hilarious advertisement on the back of that guy's OFFICIAL scorecard. It said "YANKEES SUCK" in big letters and some stupid "but we don't" slogan, etc. Go figure, they won't let "Yankees Suck" merchandise into the park but official endorsements are A-OK. It was really funny.
And yes, Hazel Mae wants me. Woohoo!
Joe/gerky ∙ 18 July 2005 ∙ 9:19 AM
Btw, great pics. I see you're keeping the one of Timlin's crotch all to yourself. ;)
Joe/gerky ∙ 18 July 2005 ∙ 9:20 AM
That Timlin picture was a mistake. And how it ended up as my wallpaper is a mystery as well.
Empyreal ∙ 18 July 2005 ∙ 9:35 AM
I think I read that Nixon drives the Mini Cooper because he belongs to a Protestant church that believes in Stewardship (Must take care of nature because God made it and entrusted it to humans. Taking care includes recycling, hunting, and driving an efficient car unless you really need a truck or SUV.), but I can't find a reference when I google. His church in Boston is apparently Athletes in Action, and I can't find a name for his church in North Carolina, but it appears to be a faith not works type evangelical Protestant church.
twitch124 ∙ 18 July 2005 ∙ 10:29 AM
I don't know about that, twitch. I once saw Trot leaving the park in a sweet Mustang GT. I can't imagine that's a very fuel-efficient vehicle.
Joe/gerky ∙ 18 July 2005 ∙ 10:35 AM
*shrug* He probably drives a truck in NC, too. I can't find a cite and don't know where I heard it.
The 2005 Mustang GT is pretty good on gas usage, actually. It gets 17/25 with a manual transmission or 18/23 with an automatic transmission. The CAFE standard fleet number is 27.5 mpg for cars, 20.5 for light trucks and SUVs. So it's a cost to Ford because it's a car, but it would be a credit if it was an SUV.
For comparison, Ford Cars range from the smallest Focus at 26/35 to 16/23 for the Freestar and unknown for the actual GT racecar, which they don't release numbers for.
Ford SUVs range from 36/31 for the Escape Hybrid (or 22/26 for Escape regular) to 14/19 for the Expedition and unknown for the Excursion, which they don't release numbers for. Ford doesn't release the numbers for its commercial trucks, which includes the F-150, apparently, but the itty-bitty Ranger pickup meets car standards with the smallest engine option.
So the Mustang GT is a bit below average on fuel economy for a car, but better than most SUVs and trucks.
twitch124 ∙ 18 July 2005 ∙ 11:33 AM
I don't think Trot is too concerned with gas mileage. Here is a shot of his muscle car Mustang GT. This thing probably gets 2 gallons to the mile!!
http://community.webshots.com/photo/399633435/399678235akcMJu
David ∙ 8 August 2005 ∙ 10:31 PM