The Boston Red Sox vs. The New York Yankees

Saturday morning opened cold and clear, a real New England Autumn Day.  Beautiful, refreshing and making you know why people love New England.  We got a phone call from our neighbor down the hall saying that she had tickets to the rivalry Red Sox vs. Yankees game that afternoon and they were stuck with them at the last minute.  Lee and I jumped at the chance to go.  This was our first major league baseball game.  I think it was the first baseball game I had ever attended, to be honest (outside of gym class).  And it was the Red Sox against the Yankees, the biggest, oldest rivalry in all of American sports!

Fenway was on our list of things to do in our ever decreasing time here, but we didn’t think we would make it to a baseball game.   As we drew near Fenway Park, the excitement was palpable.  Everyone was heading the same direction with the same intention.  There were people searching for anyone to sell them a ticket.  Their was a guy on a Segway selling them.  People shouting out to buy programs.  I was handed a rose from a tall black man with a huge smile in a giant bee costume.  Bagpipes.   The atmosphere was carnival with all the food vendors, the shouting, the people and it was so fun.

The park itself is the smallest major league field, but they keep it that way on purpose.  

 

I do wonder how old the  seats we sat on were.  They were wood and needed a paint job and were built in a day when most peoples hips were smaller.  I have no idea how the guy next to me even sat down.  But we had a girl on each lap and got to enjoy the ball game.

But wait, who is watching the ball game?  I was constantly distracted by the coming and going: the many vendors selling peanuts, cracker jacks, hot dogs, soda, cotton candy and more; people shuffling into seats for most of the game; the obnoxious Yankees fans yelling behind us; the people; the talking; the toddler;…. It was quite an experience.  You would see the pitch, but they had no announcer.  I was amazed at how many Major League Baseball Players struck out.  There’s a man on 1st and 3rd, 2 outs,  you’ve had 3 balls and 2 strikes and you only get one more pitch.  And you strike out.  Innings over, play some music, put someone’s name up the the huge screen.

We loved it.  Eliora fell asleep soon after we got there and Kaela was so good.  She sat on our laps most the time.  I don’t think she saw much of the game, but she loved the atmosphere.

We went home tired and excited, after having had a great outing with the family.

Oh, and the Red Sox won.