One major theme to our trip was baseball. I know...shocking. We ended up going to three games during our trip (we also went to an Orioles game the day before our trip). We pretty much picked our vacation days based on when we could fit all these games in, and despite one of the games being delayed a day by rain, we managed to make it to all three: a Cape Cod Baseball League playoff game, a Red Sox game at Fenway, and a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium.
The Cape Cod League is the premier summer baseball league for college players. We caught one of the very last games of the season. It's a very cool atmosphere. Admission is free, the games are played at high school fields, pitchers who aren't in the days rotation walk around selling raffle tickets and giving out high fives, and boy do the fans come out in support. The hardcore fans come out in advance of the game and leave their lawn chairs to mark their spots. Later fans crowd in so much that I counted people ten deep around the first and third base lines. And kids are everywhere...watching, playing, hoping for foul balls, collecting player's autographs. Two Rice players were on the team we watched play. I think this picture shows one of them at bat.
Fenway--hallowed ground in the world of baseball and Jeff had never been. It's a small, intimate stadium that's home to a popular team so tickets are hard to come by. It's not uncommon to have to pay an arm and a leg for tickets. Fortunately, we were able to get two tickets down the right field line for only an arm. It was worth it. Here's Jeff outside the gates.
And here's a view of the stadium from center field. We got there quite early so that Jeff could check out the place.
I think Fenway has to be one of the best places to watch a game. All of the seats are close to the field...none of the nosebleed sections so popular in today's gigantic stadiums. And the atmosphere is fantastic. Everyone is at the game to watch the game and cheer for their team. The lead was traded back and forth in the last few innings of the game, and the Red Sox fans were on their feet the whole time. In the end, the Red Sox couldn't pull it off, but the game was great fun anyways.
Completing Jeff's visit to the three classic baseball stadiums (we visited Wrigley a few summers ago) was a trip to Yankee Stadium. It couldn't compare to Fenway, but I'm glad we got a chance to see a game there before it becomes history.
Jeff had fun playing sports photographer during the game. He caught some good action shots. Here's two of them.
More vacation posts to come, but probably not until next week. We leave for Asheville tomorrow.
2 comments:
Vacation without baseball would be, well, vacation without baseball. I'm sure a large percentage, think 99%, of the population vacations without baseball in mind. But who's to say who's right?
If you enjoyed the Cape League, you(and/or Jeff) should read Jim Collins' The Last Best League: Baseball, Cape Cod, and Dreaming the Dream. In it, the author follows the 2002 season of the Chatham A's. It's an easy read, but does contain alot of good history and details on the ins-and-outs of those wooden bat college summer leagues, which Jeff should be familiar with.
I don't actually own a copy, but it seems like I have gained ownership of Willy G's copy, now that I've had it for 2 or 3 years. He's fine with me having it, and I'm sure he's fine with me loaning it out. Remember to ask me for it when you come to town next weekend.
BTW, Yankee stadium did little for me. I saw the Red Sox play there, and the experience was much more about the fans, especially since William and I were in the bleachers.
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