A couple of years ago, we were surprised when Ben chose baseball as his sport of choice. Because of his slight autism, Ben isn't really known as a "team player". Still, despite never watching a game completely through, he wanted to play baseball.
We signed him up for the local league and he did really well for a couple of seasons of coach-pitch. He loved the game, was making friends and achieved his long-held dream of winning a trophy. Unfortunately, kid-pitch wasn't so kind (note: kids suck at pitching) and after Ben got hit by a pitch, he became too anxious to continue playing.
Surprisingly, Ben still has some interest in the game. Every summer we go to at least one game of the local minor league team, the Frederick Keys, but we've never taken the kids to a major league game and Ben has been wanting to go. So, Friday night after work I met the family on the Metro and we went to watch the Nationals play the Braves at RFK stadium.
On a side note, RFK is an old but decent stadium built in 1961 during the era when stadium design seemed to consist of pouring a lot of concrete into a bowl shape and installing seats. I guess it was cheap to build them that way but the contrast to modern stadium design is glaring. The new Nationals stadium opening next year should be spectacular.
The game itself was good despite the constant rain. (We relocated under the partial roof and so were spared a soaking.) The Braves scored three runs in the first inning but the Nationals kept at them, scoring three runs over three different innings to tie the game. Then, during the seventh, the Nationals took the lead 5-3. Sadly, they weren't able to maintain it and after the Braves scored a run in the eighth and one in the ninth, the score was tied at 5-5 going into the bottom of the ninth.
Things quickly looked good during the ninth innnng. The Nationals filled the bases with only one out. Any hit or a sacrifice fly would win the game for the Nats. Pinch hitter Tony Batista then struck out and with two outs, things suddenly looked bleak. Could no one save the Nats?
We were sitting in an uncrowded section of the stands but I could hear people whispering around me. "Help us, Jesus," they were saying. Their entreaties did not fall on deaf ears. Jesus "took the wheel" and stepped up to the plate.
Jesus Flores, the catcher, is apparently a good hitter. I'm not a particularly knowledgeable baseball fan so I tried very hard to have faith in Jesus. Surely he would save us.
The crowd was on their feet with excitement. You could see the question on everyone's lips. What would Jesus do? Praying for a hit, the multitudes were ready to praise Jesus. Unfortunately, with bases loaded and two outs, Jesus popped out. I thought the crowd was about to crucify the poor guy. The game went into extra innings.
As it was late, we watched one more inning and left at the end of the tenth with the game still tied. On the Metro ride home, once we left the tunnels I monitored the game stats on my Blackberry and was surprised to find them still playing the 13th inning! It was kind of cool getting updated play-by-play via Blackberry.
At the top of the 13th, Jesus returned. Relief pitcher Jesus Colome has many saves to his credit. Many fans think the guy walks on water. Once more the game was on the line and Jesus could damn the team or be the saviour. Alas, Jesus gave up three runs and the Nationals lost 8 to 5.
It was a great night and we all (except maybe Rachel who is too cool for baseball) had a good time. Ben was incredibly attentive to the game and cheered louder than anyone for the Nats. Literally. That kid really has a loud voice.
As for me? Despite my faith, Jesus let me down twice in one night.
Maybe I should get interested in basketball instead. I've been hearing good things about Nazr Mohammed of the Detroit Pistons . . .
2 comments:
Just a comment about stadium design. During the sixties, the rage was for multipurpose stadiums (ie, suitable for both baseball and football), thus the proliferation of round stadiums with symmetrical dimensions and, even worse, artificial turf, the worst invention ever foisted on mankind. Typically, these were especially bad for baseball b/c the seats had to be so far away from the field.
Nevertheless, the one thing I can say in favor of the round stadiums is that, however unattractive, they reflected the zeitgeist of the times, ie, modernistic, can-do, and functionalistic. While I like the new stadiums, there is something phony about them because they are really an effort to wrap the game in a faux nostalgia. The classic stadiums with funky shapes like Wrigley Field and Fenway Park reflected the architecture of their times and their quirks exist not because of some desire to be quirky but because they were built to fit in around the neighborhood. Fenway Park was built the way it is, with the Green Monster in left, I suspect, so that balls wouldn't be hit into the street. My objection to the new stadiums is that they are purposely designed to be quirky, with different dimensions and odd shapes. This affects, unfairly I think, the game itself. Maybe this faux nostalgia does reflect our times in a way in that it is artificial and market-driven (note the various money-making features in the new parks) and really has nothing to do with making the game a fair test of abilities. IMO, the 60s stadiums were more honest reflections of the times.
Actually, baseball is probably a pretty good game for someone like Ben because, while it's a team game, it essentially operates through individual actions. For example, hitting doesn't involve working with a team and, except for throwing the ball to first base, neither does fielding. It's not like basketball, where you have to pass to other people. In baseball, when it's your turn, you hit. And pitching is even more individalistic--the pitcher is involved in every single play.
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