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Drooling on the Pillow

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

At The Old Ball Game 

I went to Yankee Stadium tonight with one of my few old friends. In fact, he was Benvolio when I played Mercutio about twenty years ago. Today he manages an Applebee's and I manage a conference center. It happens.

He had corporate seats a couple rows behind the Tiger dugout. Just about my favorite place to watch a game.

I hadn't been to the stadium in a few years and neither had he and it occurred to neither of us that things might be a little different since 9/11 so we rolled up there about 7:00 thinking we were just in time for the first pitch. Maroons.

There were enormous lines to get through security and around 7:15 when we got to the front I discovered you couldn't bring a backpack in the park. I had to go all the way back to the subway and pay a bowling alley $5 to check it. What a business they were doing. Two guys, thousands of backpacks, $5 a pop.

Back to the security lines, which were even longer. They weren't waving wands over people, they were patting down everybody. Had to turn on your phone, your camera, your iPod. You had to take off your hat. We got to keep our shoes on.

We made it to our seats by the middle of the third inning. But it was a good game. That Taiwanese kid, Wang, looks very cool out there. Timely hits. Great play by Jeter behind second. Couple beers and a dog. The seats we had, if they hadn't been season tickets, would have sold for $90.

The other surprise I had was that I felt somehow comforted, rather than annoyed, that the Sluggo Rule is still in effect. No matter where you sit or when you go, you're never more than three seats from a jackass. This guy's deal was bellowing constant verbal abuse at selected Yankees and the umpires. Unfortunately the guy was pretty funny so he was developing a following and several others tried their hands at it. Loud, yes. Funny, no. Annoying, very.

$8.50 for a beer. $8.00 for a Yankee foam finger.

I had a pretty nice time.
Posted by: Sluggo / 11:32 PM
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