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Post by inger on Mar 3, 2024 13:29:36 GMT -5
Since baseball time is measured only in outs, all you have to do is succeed utterly, keep hitting, keep the rally alive, and you have defeated time. You remain forever young. Sitting in the stands, we sense this, if only dimly. The players below us - Mays, DiMaggio, Ruth, Snodgrass - swim and blur in memory, the ball floats over to Terry Turner, and the end of this game may never come."
Roger Angell is the author, from The Summer Game (1972)…
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Post by rizzuto on Mar 3, 2024 13:47:05 GMT -5
I'm glad someone else has witnessed this. I saw way more actual fisticuffs in Los Angeles than I ever did in New York or Philly. One cliché about Dodger fans that I did find to be true was arrive in the fourth inning and leave in the seventh. Slight exaggeration maybe but it wasn't uncommon. You could win a few bets on Coors being the third-oldest stadium in the NL. Good one. Sadly Wrigley and Fenway are the only stadiums that were built before my memory. I suppose a few of us on here can make that claim. I like that museum on stadiums across from Coors. Did you know that Yankee Stadium was the first baseball venue to be called a stadium when it was completed in 1923? Before that it was either park or field or grounds. Hah, the White Sox. They always seem to make the wrong choice. And I should have listed PNC in Pittsburgh among the best to watch a game as well. Just a great setting. I'm sure if I'd been to the Giants place that would be on the list too. Candlestick on the other hand was closer to the bottom. Most are aware of the Giants fan who was almost beaten to death at Dodger Stadium. I don’t know if fights in the stands have become more commonplace or just more widely publicized because of cell phone videos & the internet. There’s a well-known video of a Rockies fan being KO’d by a Padres fan at Coors Field. Pretty vicious…I won’t post it, but anyone can google it. Arriving late and leaving early is absolutely true of many Dodger fans…not so much for the fans in the (relatively) cheap seats. Although I’ll admit it’s been quite a while since I’ve been to Dodger Stadium…one of my most memorable was the ’74 WS when the A’s beat the Dodgers. When I lived in SoCal Anaheim Stadium was my go-to ballpark, for obvious reasons. I still usually go out there to catch a few games when the Yanks are in town, which this year will be in late May after a series vs Padres at Petco. We always make a visit to at least one, usually two ballparks during our summer road trips when the Yanks are visiting. It’ll be relatively easy this year since the Yanks come here in early April, then San Diego/Anaheim in May. PNC (Pittsburgh) has been on our list for quite some time…had it & Progressive (Cleveland) scheduled, and tix bought in ’22 but had to cancel. Not sure when we’ll get back to that part of the country. As for the use of the word “stadium”…I prefer “ballpark”. Stadium sounds more like a football venue to me. When I attended games in California, my favorite ballparks were San Francisco's PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park (not Candlestick) and San Diego's Petco Park (not Jack Murphy). Though they were not cathedrals of architecture, I nevertheless enjoyed seeing the Yankees play at Anaheim (stupid beachballs) and Oakland (knowledgeable and friendly fans), even though the Coliseum was made for football. The first MLB game I attended in California was Dodger Stadium. Of all of the venues, fights seemed obligatory at Dodger games - often multiple fights in different parts of the stands at a single game. Too many thugs and fans of uniforms rather than devotees of the game of baseball. The stereotype of arriving late and leaving early was definitely evident. More annoying were the number of attendees who spent the entire time (five innings) talking to friends behind them or constantly on their phones - hardly ever glancing at the game on the field. Leaving Dodger Stadium is a great time for a picnic. Essentially, one way out and one way in - horrible traffic. The easiest in and out is Petco. It took me nineteen minutes to leave my seat to entering my hotel room - and I drove to the game. Of course, if you have a room at the Omni, you can walk from inside the hotel straight into the ballpark. The fastest trip from my home to a game was riding my motorcycle to Oakland - though there's always the problem of carrying my helmet while lugging nachos, a hot dog, and a large drink to my seat. San Francisco - prior to its demise - was one of my favorite cities, and the ballpark's views and relaxing atmosphere are definitely worth it, though the Garlic Fries are a bit overrated. Of course, Candlestick Park is the only place I ever had to buy a sweatshirt during a ball game - and I did that twice. And, I love cold weather. |
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Post by inger on Mar 3, 2024 13:49:32 GMT -5
3,000 hits but no batting titles?
Cal Ripken, Derek Jeter, Adrian Beltre, Rafael Palmeiro, and Craig Biggio… that is all…
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Post by rizzuto on Mar 3, 2024 13:52:51 GMT -5
I visited it when it was "US Cellular"...think it was after the renovation. Not too bad but, as you said, no Camden Yards. The renovation was a major improvement, the second deck was so steep you felt like you're on a hike just to get to your seat! And some fans complained that the place looked too much like the renovated Yankee Stadium since all the seats were blue. My last time at Dodger Stadium, I was not able to obtain great tickets, and the higher the tier of seats there, the steeper the climb and the individual steps become. Not for the faint of heart, infirm, or elderly. |
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Post by kaybli on Mar 3, 2024 13:54:27 GMT -5
Most are aware of the Giants fan who was almost beaten to death at Dodger Stadium. I don’t know if fights in the stands have become more commonplace or just more widely publicized because of cell phone videos & the internet. There’s a well-known video of a Rockies fan being KO’d by a Padres fan at Coors Field. Pretty vicious…I won’t post it, but anyone can google it. Arriving late and leaving early is absolutely true of many Dodger fans…not so much for the fans in the (relatively) cheap seats. Although I’ll admit it’s been quite a while since I’ve been to Dodger Stadium…one of my most memorable was the ’74 WS when the A’s beat the Dodgers. When I lived in SoCal Anaheim Stadium was my go-to ballpark, for obvious reasons. I still usually go out there to catch a few games when the Yanks are in town, which this year will be in late May after a series vs Padres at Petco. We always make a visit to at least one, usually two ballparks during our summer road trips when the Yanks are visiting. It’ll be relatively easy this year since the Yanks come here in early April, then San Diego/Anaheim in May. PNC (Pittsburgh) has been on our list for quite some time…had it & Progressive (Cleveland) scheduled, and tix bought in ’22 but had to cancel. Not sure when we’ll get back to that part of the country. As for the use of the word “stadium”…I prefer “ballpark”. Stadium sounds more like a football venue to me. When I attended games in California, my favorite ballparks were San Francisco's PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park (not Candlestick) and San Diego's Petco Park (not Jack Murphy). Though they were not cathedrals of architecture, I nevertheless enjoyed seeing the Yankees play at Anaheim (stupid beachballs) and Oakland (knowledgeable and friendly fans), even though the Coliseum was made for football. The first MLB game I attended in California was Dodger Stadium. Of all of the venues, fights seemed obligatory at Dodger games - often multiple fights in different parts of the stands at a single game. Too many thugs and fans of uniforms rather than devotees of the game of baseball. The stereotype of arriving late and leaving early was definitely evident. More annoying were the number of attendees who spent the entire time (five innings) talking to friends behind them or constantly on their phones - hardly ever glancing at the game on the field. Leaving Dodger Stadium is a great time for a picnic. Essentially, one way out and one way in - horrible traffic. The easiest in and out is Petco. It took me nineteen minutes to leave my seat to entering my hotel room - and I drove to the game. Of course, if you have a room at the Omni, you can walk from inside the hotel straight into the ballpark. The fastest trip from my home to a game was riding my motorcycle to Oakland - though there's always the problem of carrying my helmet while lugging nachos, a hot dog, and a large drink to my seat. San Francisco - prior to its demise - was one of my favorite cities, and the ballpark's views and relaxing atmosphere are definitely worth it, though the Garlic Fries are a bit overrated. Of course, Candlestick Park is the only place I ever had to buy a sweatshirt during a ball game - and I did that twice. And, I love cold weather. San Fran's PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park is the most beautiful ball park. I haven't visited that many ballparks besides Yankee Stadium but that one was amazing.
Rizz riding a motorcycle is badass. 
Didn't you hurt your knee riding your motorcycle though?
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Post by azbob643 on Mar 3, 2024 14:10:46 GMT -5
When I attended games in California, my favorite ballparks were San Francisco's PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park (not Candlestick) and San Diego's Petco Park (not Jack Murphy). Though they were not cathedrals of architecture, I nevertheless enjoyed seeing the Yankees play at Anaheim (stupid beachballs) and Oakland (knowledgeable and friendly fans), even though the Coliseum was made for football. The first MLB game I attended in California was Dodger Stadium. Of all of the venues, fights seemed obligatory at Dodger games - often multiple fights in different parts of the stands at a single game. Too many thugs and fans of uniforms rather than devotees of the game of baseball. The stereotype of arriving late and leaving early was definitely evident. More annoying were the number of attendees who spent the entire time (five innings) talking to friends behind them or constantly on their phones - hardly ever glancing at the game on the field. Leaving Dodger Stadium is a great time for a picnic. Essentially, one way out and one way in - horrible traffic. The easiest in and out is Petco. It took me nineteen minutes to leave my seat to entering my hotel room - and I drove to the game. Of course, if you have a room at the Omni, you can walk from inside the hotel straight into the ballpark. The fastest trip from my home to a game was riding my motorcycle to Oakland - though there's always the problem of carrying my helmet while lugging nachos, a hot dog, and a large drink to my seat. San Francisco - prior to its demise - was one of my favorite cities, and the ballpark's views and relaxing atmosphere are definitely worth it, though the Garlic Fries are a bit overrated. Of course, Candlestick Park is the only place I ever had to buy a sweatshirt during a ball game - and I did that twice. And, I love cold weather. I’ve also been to all California ballparks…”Oracle” when it was AT&T and Oakland Coliseum, in which the concourse was somewhat reminiscent of YS1 to me. Another oddity is that Anaheim Stadium is the 2nd oldest ballpark in the AL, after Fenway, yet still looks and feels almost new to me. Absolutely right about getting out of Dodger Stadium, and everything else you said about it and the “fans”. Never stayed at the Omni in SD but have stayed at the historic Horton Grand in the Gaslamp District several times, which is within walking distance of Petco. Never saw a game at Candlestick, which is just as well…I’m definitely not a fan of cold weather, especially for a baseball game.   |
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Post by kaybli on Mar 3, 2024 14:16:36 GMT -5
When I attended games in California, my favorite ballparks were San Francisco's PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park (not Candlestick) and San Diego's Petco Park (not Jack Murphy). Though they were not cathedrals of architecture, I nevertheless enjoyed seeing the Yankees play at Anaheim (stupid beachballs) and Oakland (knowledgeable and friendly fans), even though the Coliseum was made for football. The first MLB game I attended in California was Dodger Stadium. Of all of the venues, fights seemed obligatory at Dodger games - often multiple fights in different parts of the stands at a single game. Too many thugs and fans of uniforms rather than devotees of the game of baseball. The stereotype of arriving late and leaving early was definitely evident. More annoying were the number of attendees who spent the entire time (five innings) talking to friends behind them or constantly on their phones - hardly ever glancing at the game on the field. Leaving Dodger Stadium is a great time for a picnic. Essentially, one way out and one way in - horrible traffic. The easiest in and out is Petco. It took me nineteen minutes to leave my seat to entering my hotel room - and I drove to the game. Of course, if you have a room at the Omni, you can walk from inside the hotel straight into the ballpark. The fastest trip from my home to a game was riding my motorcycle to Oakland - though there's always the problem of carrying my helmet while lugging nachos, a hot dog, and a large drink to my seat. San Francisco - prior to its demise - was one of my favorite cities, and the ballpark's views and relaxing atmosphere are definitely worth it, though the Garlic Fries are a bit overrated. Of course, Candlestick Park is the only place I ever had to buy a sweatshirt during a ball game - and I did that twice. And, I love cold weather. I’ve also been to all California ballparks…”Oracle” when it was AT&T and Oakland Coliseum, in which the concourse was somewhat reminiscent of YS1 to me. Another oddity is that Anaheim Stadium is the 2nd oldest ballpark in the AL, after Fenway, yet still looks and feels almost new to me. Absolutely right about getting out of Dodger Stadium, and everything else you said about it and the “fans”. Never stayed at the Omni in SD but have stayed at the historic Horton Grand in the Gaslamp District several times, which is within walking distance of Petco. Never saw a game at Candlestick, which is just as well…I’m definitely not a fan of cold weather, especially for a baseball game. Cool pics!  |
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Post by azbob643 on Mar 3, 2024 14:23:05 GMT -5
Cool pics! Very exciting WBC games at Petco in '17...  |
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Post by rizzuto on Mar 3, 2024 14:32:09 GMT -5
When I attended games in California, my favorite ballparks were San Francisco's PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park (not Candlestick) and San Diego's Petco Park (not Jack Murphy). Though they were not cathedrals of architecture, I nevertheless enjoyed seeing the Yankees play at Anaheim (stupid beachballs) and Oakland (knowledgeable and friendly fans), even though the Coliseum was made for football. The first MLB game I attended in California was Dodger Stadium. Of all of the venues, fights seemed obligatory at Dodger games - often multiple fights in different parts of the stands at a single game. Too many thugs and fans of uniforms rather than devotees of the game of baseball. The stereotype of arriving late and leaving early was definitely evident. More annoying were the number of attendees who spent the entire time (five innings) talking to friends behind them or constantly on their phones - hardly ever glancing at the game on the field. Leaving Dodger Stadium is a great time for a picnic. Essentially, one way out and one way in - horrible traffic. The easiest in and out is Petco. It took me nineteen minutes to leave my seat to entering my hotel room - and I drove to the game. Of course, if you have a room at the Omni, you can walk from inside the hotel straight into the ballpark. The fastest trip from my home to a game was riding my motorcycle to Oakland - though there's always the problem of carrying my helmet while lugging nachos, a hot dog, and a large drink to my seat. San Francisco - prior to its demise - was one of my favorite cities, and the ballpark's views and relaxing atmosphere are definitely worth it, though the Garlic Fries are a bit overrated. Of course, Candlestick Park is the only place I ever had to buy a sweatshirt during a ball game - and I did that twice. And, I love cold weather. San Fran's PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park is the most beautiful ball park. I haven't visited that many ballparks besides Yankee Stadium but that one was amazing.
Rizz riding a motorcycle is badass.
Didn't you hurt your knee riding your motorcycle though?
Re-injured my knee and hurt my shoulder - but I wasn't "riding" my motorcycle; I was trying to load it into a Hertz truck when we were moving from California. Essentially, a Seinfeld episode of not honoring a reservation. Sarah had reserved (three weeks in advance) a 27-foot moving truck three minutes from my home. The night before I was to pick it up (right about 9:00 PM), Hertz called to say they were out of trucks, though I had a confirmation and reservation and had already paid. If I still wanted a truck, I had to drive three and a half hours to Antioch to pick one up at 7:00 AM! Sarah wasn't doing well - we thought it was her MS, but it turned out to be her cancer had returned (we would find that out five months later), so I didn't want her to have to travel with me so early all the way to Antioch and then drive back by herself. So, I decided to ride my motorcycle, carrying my straps and come-a-longs in my backpack to lock down the bike in the back of the truck. When I arrived in Antioch, the truck they had for me would not maintain oil pressure, so they gave me an older truck with a modified ramp, which was only about six feet long rather than twelve or fifteen feet (probably augmented for the steep streets in San Francisco). There was no way I could get the motorcycle (1600 cc) into the back of the truck even when four other patrons attempted to help. So, I had to try to drive it up the ramp, as there were no depressions or even a ditch to try to lessen the grade. Essentially, I crashed head first (with no helmet - it was in the cab of the truck) into the back of the truck, like I was a clown shot out of a cannon. My motorcycle, which didn't have a scratch on it, was ruined. An ambulance was called but I refused to go to the hospital, having to drive back home, load the truck, and drive to Iowa the next morning. Sarah had already arranged for a hotel and plane flight back ( I had to make five trips to and from CA). The best part was that when the inspectors went to investigate my complaint, the shortened ramp was no where to be found having been replaced by a brand new twelve-foot ramp. Sarah once asked how I was able to load and unload five moving trucks on one leg. I told her it was all rage - I was so angry at Hertz and wrecking my motorcycle, my adrenaline never stopped until we were all moved. I was also in pretty good shape back in 2015 from playing tennis regularly - and essentially a decade younger than now. Incidentally, on the way to unload the first truck, I found that our realtor in Iowa had sold our house out from under us to another couple for less than we paid. So, I had to leave five truck loads of our belongings at five different places in different parts of Iowa, until I would find us another home. So, I actually had to move everything a second time weeks later, while Sarah stayed in Minnesota with her father and our three dogs and two cats. Then, Uhaul tried to sue me for a missing moving truck that I left at the airport in Des Moines - as arranged - on my last flight to CA to get Sarah and our animals and drive them to Minnesota. Eventually, they found the truck, but not before threatening and initially charging me for the value of the missing truck. Years later, when I was moving in Texas, Uhaul refused to rent a truck to me because their computer claimed I had neglected to return the last truck I rented from them. It took two days for me to find the receipts in boxes to once again prove that I had indeed returned the truck to the airport in 2015. You cannot buy that kind of luck, Kaybli! Where are Pipps and Desousa when I need a drink...  |
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Post by kaybli on Mar 3, 2024 14:41:09 GMT -5
San Fran's PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park is the most beautiful ball park. I haven't visited that many ballparks besides Yankee Stadium but that one was amazing.
Rizz riding a motorcycle is badass.
Didn't you hurt your knee riding your motorcycle though?
Re-injured my knee and hurt my shoulder - but I wasn't "riding" my motorcycle; I was trying to load it into a Hertz truck when we were moving from California. Essentially, a Seinfeld episode of not honoring a reservation. Sarah had reserved (three weeks in advance) a 27-foot moving truck three minutes from my home. The night before I was to pick it up (right about 9:00 PM), Hertz called to say they were out of trucks, though I had a confirmation and reservation and had already paid. If I still wanted a truck, I had to drive three and a half hours to Antioch to pick one up at 7:00 AM! Sarah wasn't doing well - we thought it was her MS, but it turned out to be her cancer had returned (we would find that out five months later), so I didn't want her to have to travel with me so early all the way to Antioch and then drive back by herself. So, I decided to ride my motorcycle, carrying my straps and come-a-longs in my backpack to lock down the bike in the back of the truck. When I arrived in Antioch, the truck they had for me would not maintain oil pressure, so they gave me an older truck with a modified ramp, which was only about six feet long rather than twelve or fifteen feet (probably augmented for the steep streets in San Francisco). There was no way I could get the motorcycle (1600 cc) into the back of the truck even when four other patrons attempted to help. So, I had to try to drive it up the ramp, as there were no depressions or even a ditch to try to lessen the grade. Essentially, I crashed head first (with no helmet - it was in the cab of the truck) into the back of the truck, like I was a clown shot out of a cannon. My motorcycle, which didn't have a scratch on it, was ruined. An ambulance was called but I refused to go to the hospital, having to drive back home, load the truck, and drive to Iowa the next morning. Sarah had already arranged for a hotel and plane flight back ( I had to make five trips to and from CA). The best part was that when the inspectors went to investigate my complaint, the shortened ramp was no where to be found having been replaced by a brand new twelve-foot ramp. Sarah once asked how I was able to load and unload five moving trucks on one leg. I told her it was all rage - I was so angry at Hertz and wrecking my motorcycle, my adrenaline never stopped until we were all moved. I was also in pretty good shape back in 2015 from playing tennis regularly - and essentially a decade younger than now. Incidentally, on the way to unload the first truck, I found that our realtor in Iowa had sold our house out from under us to another couple for less than we paid. So, I had to leave five truck loads of our belongings at five different places in different parts of Iowa, until I would find us another home. So, I actually had to move everything a second time weeks later, while Sarah stayed in Minnesota with her father and our three dogs and two cats. Then, Uhaul tried to sue me for a missing moving truck that I left at the airport in Des Moines - as arranged - on my last flight to CA to get Sarah and our animals and drive them to Minnesota. Eventually, they found the truck, but not before threatening and initially charging me for the value of the missing truck. Years later, when I was moving in Texas, Uhaul refused to rent a truck to me because their computer claimed I had neglected to return the last truck I rented from them. It took two days for me to find the receipts in boxes to once again prove that I had indeed returned the truck to the airport in 2015. You cannot buy that kind of luck, Kaybli! Where are Pipps and Desousa when I need a drink... Wow, thats quite a story Rizz! What a headstrong guy you were, unloading the trucks on one leg.  |
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Post by rizzuto on Mar 3, 2024 14:41:43 GMT -5
Cool pics! Very exciting WBC games at Petco in '17... I attended the first WBC games with my late wife and my late Yankee buddy and his wife. Fantastic vacation. Great friends, fantastic food, perfect weather, and exciting baseball. I recall being so impressed with the fundamentally sound play of South Korea and Japan. It was and is like the US had/has forgotten the basic rudiments of the game. |
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Post by rizzuto on Mar 3, 2024 14:52:04 GMT -5
Re-injured my knee and hurt my shoulder - but I wasn't "riding" my motorcycle; I was trying to load it into a Hertz truck when we were moving from California. Essentially, a Seinfeld episode of not honoring a reservation. Sarah had reserved (three weeks in advance) a 27-foot moving truck three minutes from my home. The night before I was to pick it up (right about 9:00 PM), Hertz called to say they were out of trucks, though I had a confirmation and reservation and had already paid. If I still wanted a truck, I had to drive three and a half hours to Antioch to pick one up at 7:00 AM! Sarah wasn't doing well - we thought it was her MS, but it turned out to be her cancer had returned (we would find that out five months later), so I didn't want her to have to travel with me so early all the way to Antioch and then drive back by herself. So, I decided to ride my motorcycle, carrying my straps and come-a-longs in my backpack to lock down the bike in the back of the truck. When I arrived in Antioch, the truck they had for me would not maintain oil pressure, so they gave me an older truck with a modified ramp, which was only about six feet long rather than twelve or fifteen feet (probably augmented for the steep streets in San Francisco). There was no way I could get the motorcycle (1600 cc) into the back of the truck even when four other patrons attempted to help. So, I had to try to drive it up the ramp, as there were no depressions or even a ditch to try to lessen the grade. Essentially, I crashed head first (with no helmet - it was in the cab of the truck) into the back of the truck, like I was a clown shot out of a cannon. My motorcycle, which didn't have a scratch on it, was ruined. An ambulance was called but I refused to go to the hospital, having to drive back home, load the truck, and drive to Iowa the next morning. Sarah had already arranged for a hotel and plane flight back ( I had to make five trips to and from CA). The best part was that when the inspectors went to investigate my complaint, the shortened ramp was no where to be found having been replaced by a brand new twelve-foot ramp. Sarah once asked how I was able to load and unload five moving trucks on one leg. I told her it was all rage - I was so angry at Hertz and wrecking my motorcycle, my adrenaline never stopped until we were all moved. I was also in pretty good shape back in 2015 from playing tennis regularly - and essentially a decade younger than now. Incidentally, on the way to unload the first truck, I found that our realtor in Iowa had sold our house out from under us to another couple for less than we paid. So, I had to leave five truck loads of our belongings at five different places in different parts of Iowa, until I would find us another home. So, I actually had to move everything a second time weeks later, while Sarah stayed in Minnesota with her father and our three dogs and two cats. Then, Uhaul tried to sue me for a missing moving truck that I left at the airport in Des Moines - as arranged - on my last flight to CA to get Sarah and our animals and drive them to Minnesota. Eventually, they found the truck, but not before threatening and initially charging me for the value of the missing truck. Years later, when I was moving in Texas, Uhaul refused to rent a truck to me because their computer claimed I had neglected to return the last truck I rented from them. It took two days for me to find the receipts in boxes to once again prove that I had indeed returned the truck to the airport in 2015. You cannot buy that kind of luck, Kaybli! Where are Pipps and Desousa when I need a drink... Wow, thats quite a story Rizz! What a headstrong guy you were, unloading the trucks on one leg. Remembering my physics classes - fulcrums and sliding friction - helped. Also, there wasn't much I would not do or could not do for Sarah. Yesterday, I went to have my vision examination for a new pair of glasses and prescription sunglasses. It was just after Sarah died that I got my last pair - five years ago. The Russian woman in the store in Plano, Texas, remembered me from then. I also recalled her and the way she said the word "miserable," like in the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show: |
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Post by kaybli on Mar 3, 2024 15:13:47 GMT -5
Wow, thats quite a story Rizz! What a headstrong guy you were, unloading the trucks on one leg. Remembering my physics classes - fulcrums and sliding friction - helped. Also, there wasn't much I would not do or could not do for Sarah. Yesterday, I went to have my vision examination for a new pair of glasses and prescription sunglasses. It was just after Sarah died that I got my last pair - five years ago. The Russian woman in the store in Plano, Texas, remembered me from then. I also recalled her and the way she said the word "miserable," like in the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show:  |
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Post by azbob643 on Mar 3, 2024 15:18:28 GMT -5
Very exciting WBC games at Petco in '17... I attended the first WBC games with my late wife and my late Yankee buddy and his wife. Fantastic vacation. Great friends, fantastic food, perfect weather, and exciting baseball. I recall being so impressed with the fundamentally sound play of South Korea and Japan. It was and is like the US had/has forgotten the basic rudiments of the game. Yeah...really good baseball. The USA/DR game in '17 was maybe the the most excited I'd been at a baseball game in quite a while. The fans of the Caribbean teams are by themselves great entertainment...love their baseball. Went to last year's games here...not quite as much excitement playing against Great Britain & Canada, but the game vs Mexico understandably packed. Higgy was very happy and proud to be there..   |
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Post by inger on Mar 3, 2024 16:49:11 GMT -5
San Fran's PacBell/AT&T/Oracle Park is the most beautiful ball park. I haven't visited that many ballparks besides Yankee Stadium but that one was amazing.
Rizz riding a motorcycle is badass.
Didn't you hurt your knee riding your motorcycle though?
Re-injured my knee and hurt my shoulder - but I wasn't "riding" my motorcycle; I was trying to load it into a Hertz truck when we were moving from California. Essentially, a Seinfeld episode of not honoring a reservation. Sarah had reserved (three weeks in advance) a 27-foot moving truck three minutes from my home. The night before I was to pick it up (right about 9:00 PM), Hertz called to say they were out of trucks, though I had a confirmation and reservation and had already paid. If I still wanted a truck, I had to drive three and a half hours to Antioch to pick one up at 7:00 AM! Sarah wasn't doing well - we thought it was her MS, but it turned out to be her cancer had returned (we would find that out five months later), so I didn't want her to have to travel with me so early all the way to Antioch and then drive back by herself. So, I decided to ride my motorcycle, carrying my straps and come-a-longs in my backpack to lock down the bike in the back of the truck. When I arrived in Antioch, the truck they had for me would not maintain oil pressure, so they gave me an older truck with a modified ramp, which was only about six feet long rather than twelve or fifteen feet (probably augmented for the steep streets in San Francisco). There was no way I could get the motorcycle (1600 cc) into the back of the truck even when four other patrons attempted to help. So, I had to try to drive it up the ramp, as there were no depressions or even a ditch to try to lessen the grade. Essentially, I crashed head first (with no helmet - it was in the cab of the truck) into the back of the truck, like I was a clown shot out of a cannon. My motorcycle, which didn't have a scratch on it, was ruined. An ambulance was called but I refused to go to the hospital, having to drive back home, load the truck, and drive to Iowa the next morning. Sarah had already arranged for a hotel and plane flight back ( I had to make five trips to and from CA). The best part was that when the inspectors went to investigate my complaint, the shortened ramp was no where to be found having been replaced by a brand new twelve-foot ramp. Sarah once asked how I was able to load and unload five moving trucks on one leg. I told her it was all rage - I was so angry at Hertz and wrecking my motorcycle, my adrenaline never stopped until we were all moved. I was also in pretty good shape back in 2015 from playing tennis regularly - and essentially a decade younger than now. Incidentally, on the way to unload the first truck, I found that our realtor in Iowa had sold our house out from under us to another couple for less than we paid. So, I had to leave five truck loads of our belongings at five different places in different parts of Iowa, until I would find us another home. So, I actually had to move everything a second time weeks later, while Sarah stayed in Minnesota with her father and our three dogs and two cats. Then, Uhaul tried to sue me for a missing moving truck that I left at the airport in Des Moines - as arranged - on my last flight to CA to get Sarah and our animals and drive them to Minnesota. Eventually, they found the truck, but not before threatening and initially charging me for the value of the missing truck. Years later, when I was moving in Texas, Uhaul refused to rent a truck to me because their computer claimed I had neglected to return the last truck I rented from them. It took two days for me to find the receipts in boxes to once again prove that I had indeed returned the truck to the airport in 2015. You cannot buy that kind of luck, Kaybli! Where are Pipps and Desousa when I need a drink... I clicked on “like” but it doesn’t cover what I actually feel. I Almost share your rage and indignation. I hear stories of the crazy experiences others have had with the company, though I did lease a car trailer from them once without incident… |
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