Take Me Out To The Ballgame

I came here for a game in 2003 and saw Roger Clemens win his 300th game and collect his 4000 strikeout in the same game against my beloved Cardinals. Quite the game for my first ever! Now I was back! Back in 2003 I have felt that the game I was watching might just be the only time i ever got to see a live MLB game. I savoured every moment, was amongst the last to leave the stadium that day and wished i was going to see more. It might not be the same series, or even the same year but I was back!

A big part of this trip for me was about watching baseball. The US portion of things had more or less been defined with when the Cardinals were playing at home and tickets for 3 games at Busch stadium had been purchased before I'd even left home. I wasn't just about watching the Redbirds though. I wanted to go and visit some of the great stadiums, let the history of the places surround me as I was there.


I was getting my first chance to take it all that in now. The House that Ruth Built, where Jo D played, Where Mantle would have strolled on a daily basis and now, where ARod and Jeter were ruling their own roost. I'd seen Clemens pitch last time I was here, now I was getting teh chance to watch another future Hall of Famer in the Big Unit, Randy Johnson. To top it all off, he would be facing the man I had been collecting cards of since his young days as a Cardinals, Dan Haren.

I had gone along to the game with 3 others from the hostel and found out as we arrived there that we could only get tickets together in the bleachers. a little disappointed we accepted it all and payed our money. Following a near death experience with a stadium hotdog we found ourselves in the pre-game bar just outside the stadium. Enjoy a Bud a woman caught our attention. She had 4 tickets to the game that she couldn't use. They were ours if we wanted them. "How much?" we asked. "Oh, nothing. I cant sell them, they're yours, take them." she replied. That'll be The story of how we ended up NOT in the bleachers but with tickets behind home plate!

I remember so little about the actual game. Haren outpitched The Big Unit and Oakland took it 6-1. I couldn't tell you who hit the rbi, who scored the runs or anything like that now. I can tell you that I had a thoroughly great time though. After all its about the event, the atmosphere, the just "being" at a ball game that makes it so cherished.