GameChat – Angels @ Twins #3, 7:10pm

So far it appears that the game will actually happen but it has started to drizzle at my house.. makes me nervous. It’s going to be cold again tonight AND tomorrow isn’t looking any better. It could be a dicey situation..

Heads up on the roster situation:

  1. Mastrioanni is officially on the DL with what’s being called a “stress reaction” which was aggravated by an outfield mistep, twisted ankle. He could be out for 3 weeks. That means Arcia is back up. 
  2. Ramirez is feeling ok after a scary moment at 1B last night – he took an errant throw to first right on the spine. In fact, he’s the backup CF if anything happens. Let’s cross our fingers that nothing does. We’d like to make sure he’s doing fine when that brand new baby girl, Venus (born Sunday) arrives to see Daddy playing baseball.

The Twins started the first two games of this series with an offensive streak that none of us probably expected. It would be really great if they could figure out a way to keep that up. But like everything right now, it all depends on pitching which suffers a lot in this cold. I really would like to see Vance keep things under control.

LA Angels

@

Minnesota
Shuck, LF Dozier, 2B
Trout, CF Mauer, DH
Pujols, DH Willingham, LF
Hamilton, RF Morneau, 1B
Trumbo, 1B Doumit, C
Kendrick, H, 2B Plouffe, 3B
Iannetta, C Arcia, RF
Harris, B, SS Hicks, CF
Jimenez, L, 3B Florimon, SS
  Hanson, P   Worley, P

well that was somewhat predictable… Game is officially postponed – date TBD.

baseball-in-snow

Ballpark 10 Commandments Part 5, revisited – FINAL!

We have finally arrived at the original conclusion – have I had suggestions for additional Commandments in the intervening years? yes. But I think if these simple guidelines for Ballpark Interactions were followed, we would enjoy ourselves a LOT more attending games.

And to the Target Field STAFF PERSON who thought it was funny to deliberately PHOTOBOMB my attempts to get pictures of Pelfrey? No, I was NOT joking when I said “I will take you OUT”… just try me.

I really need to go dig up the bookmarks I made with the Commandments on them so I could have handed him a copy and told him, “if you’re going to work here, study up.”

This is the final installment of the series for the 10 Commandments at a baseball game.  For a sport that is 150 years old, I would like to see it continue for at least another 150 years!

10. Thou shalt teach thy children the commandments.

This final commandment is near and dear to my heart.  I didn’t discover baseball when I was a child so I had to learn all the commandments the hard way.  It may seem counter-intuitive to include children in a discussion of societal rules and structure but the earlier they are exposed to how to work well with their neighbors the more natural it will be for them to respect others.  These lessons will carry on into their interactions at school, during other sporting events and at home with the family.  How can you argue with that?!

Please, bring kids to the game!  Let them enjoy baseball!  Let them enjoy the ballpark!

But understand that your unruly four year old kicking the seat in front of them (mine) or fighting with his six year old sister and knocking their soda onto the ground and into the row in front of them (mine) or just in general demanding constant attention, food, potty breaks, and distraction breaks the fundamental concept of respecting the other fans at the game (commandment #2).  I have taken more kids to games than I can literally count – I have a huge family and believe it’s a fundamental joy I can provide.  So I know what I’m talking about when I say it isn’t just expected that kids should be allowed to do whatever because they’re kids and others should be expected to deal with it.  B as in B and S as in S.  If you cannot control the kids you are bringing, take them away.  It’s your responsibility.  You are the adult – supposedly. 

But put in that effort!  Start early!  TEACH THEM!  There is nothing more emotive than a kid at a game who gets his/her first foul ball or learning about rally caps or catching that contagious enthusiasm from 35,000 people all screaming at a fantastic game of baseball.  I have experienced those exact things with various youngsters and I’ll remember those occasions for the rest of my life – and they have brought new fans to the game each time. This is a gift you can give the children in your life.  But again, it’s a privilege – and you BOTH have to earn it.

For those who have lost track of all the Commandments or would like to see them all together and share them, here’s a Powerpoint presentation.  Just click and save AND SHARE: Ballpark 10 Commandments or a the PDF