View My Seats

At the Intersection of Sports and Culture

Photo Credit for Header: Alex Foucre-Stimes

View My Seats: Citi Field Edition

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Citi Field Cinco de MayoCiti Field on a Tuesday evening in early May is a friendly place to watch a baseball game. Even the parking lot attendant who directed us down the dark, dingy lair beneath the Whitestone Expressway couldn’t have been more enthusiastic about the season to date. And who can blame him? The Mets are playing great. Attendance is up. And on this night fan/internet favorite Bartolo Colon was taking the mound for the home town team.

A few other highlights from our trip to Queens:

1 – Citi Field still has that new car smell which might have had something to do with the Mazda 5 they were raffling off by the Shake Shack. In all seriousness, the concourses are spacious and the bathrooms clean, the latter somewhat surprising given that it was Cinco De Mayo.

2 – The food is as good as advertised. We went with sandwiches from Pressed by Josh Capon which if you’re going to spend $12 on a grilled cheese you might as well make sure it comes w/ pepper crusted bacon.

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Lipstick On A Pig

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When does a hot dog become more than a hot dog and turn into a gastronomical event worthy of equal parts praise and belt busting gluttony?

The 21st century has brought with it some futuristic alterations to the ballpark. High definition jumbotrons have changed the way we absorb blooper reels and wider, brighter concourses have created the appropriate amount of space for various children’s amusements in case the slow play on the field cannot keep up with the attention deficient synapses of America’s hyperactive youth.

But above all these things the hot dog, that stadium staple dating all the way back to the time of Abner Doubleday, has experienced the greatest culinary metamorphosis. Long are the days when a ballpark frank, steamed to perfection and left sweating in its own meaty juices, came delivered by an equally pungent and aromatic vendor who could offer you nothing more than the simple choice of mustard or ketchup. If you were lucky there was relish readily available and  only on those very special occasions, when the sun and stars aligned, could you find a spoonful of perfectly chopped onions. Ahhh simplicity in the design.

But today the ballpark dog comes adorned with more accoutrements than a supermodel at a fashion show. The hotdog has gone from star to sidekick with the role of alpha belonging to stand alone artists formerly known as chili, candied bacon and even a churro, a pastry most prefer as sugar treat at the state fair. Stadium concession purveyors have gone to great creative lengths to deliver fans with the latest taste bud treat.

Cooking shows have been dedicated to less material than the 21st century ballpark hot dog. Which begs the question, where should I begin?

Go West, Baseball Fans, Go West

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Without the West Coast there would be no Vin Scully. I wasn’t born when the Dodgers played in Brooklyn but I’m alive today and thankfully so for otherwise my eyes and ears would mourn the absence of baseball. Pacific Standard style. With the crashing surf of the Atlantic Ocean bellowing in the distance, I peacefully drift to sleep with the symphonic melody of America’s Pastime cascading over deserts, mountains, rivers and time zones until finally arriving at it’s final destination. In my wildest dreams could I envision a better cure for insomnia. Nightmares be wary, there are Angels between these ears. Giants and Mariners too. Alphabets and Oakland may begin with A’s but my nights end with Zzzzzz.  My father taught me well. Now these Padres help me sleep. Manifest Destiny meets the major leagues. Until another dawn. Until another day. With gratitude. To West Coast baseball.

Congrats Kansas City or Screw The Royals

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Time to reflect. Take the positives with the negatives. Even if the sting of the ALCS lingers long into the bleak, dark winter it’s important to remember that the Baltimore Orioles were not expected to make it this far, not by most measures. “Sabermetrics can kiss my ass.” That’s what Orioles manager Buck Showalter should say but won’t because he’s smart enough to understand that baseball is a game of numbers. Like 8-0 as in the Kansas City Royals have yet to lose a game in the 2014 postseason. (Ned Yost is the undefeated champion of the world!!!!) Or .533 as in Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain’s batting average in the ALCS. (Raise your hand if you had ever heard of Lorenzo Cain before these playoffs? Figures. Now he’s your ALCS MVP. The Yankees and Red Sox can begin their salivating.) And 15 as in the number of infield hits the speedy Royals have accumulated this postseason. The other nine playoff teams? 14. (Bloops, bunts, and broken bats carry with them carrying degrees of luck.)

Add it all up and the Orioles run has come to an end. With or without injured all-stars Manny Machado and Matt Wieters or the suspended Chris Davis it’s difficult to imagine any single player slowing down the Kansas City buzz saw as it slices and dices its way to it’s first World Series in 29 years. Could the Baltimore starters have gone deeper? Sure. Was the lineup outside of an occasional blast from Nelson Cruz and Ryan “Flash” Flaherty fairly anemic? Absolutely. Does Adam Jones remain the most confoundingly frustrating player on the roster? Double yes. Credit Royals pitchers, especially the bullpen, for making the Orioles hitters look so overmatched. Herrera, Davis and Holland are the most dominating threesome since Caesar, Pompey and Crassus.

A healthy and hearty congrats to Kansas City Royals fans who have waited a long time for their team to be good again. And while some may fault you for failing to show up and support your squad during the lean years, nearly three decades worth, Orioles fans can relate to the apathy. So enjoy this run, for us.

And too much good happened in Camden Yards this year to write the entire season off as a disappointment. This iteration of the Baltimore Orioles should be back and better than ever next season.

If not, well then the Royals can go screw themselves.

 

Weather Permitting: Orioles vs Royals

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Weather permitting the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals will open the 2014 ALCS tonight at Camden Yards.

Here’s a sample of a few other moments from game 1. Weather permitting.

 

Fans will get their early for batting practice and Boog’s BBQ.

Somebody important, maybe a senator or reality tv star will throw out the first pitch.

The announcers, including Cal Ripken Jr., will make over 100 references to the 1985 and 1983 ALCSs, the last time the Royals and Orioles won the pennant respectively.

Chris Tillman will throw a first pitch fastball strike to Royals leadoff hitter Alcides Escobar at approximately 8:07.

Tillman will end up walking Escobar on 8 pitches leading Orioles manager Buck Showalter to ponder when is too early to go to Andrew Miller, Darren O’Day and Zach Britton in the bullpen.

The next batter Nori Aoki will hit into a 6-4-3 double play and Showalter will instantly regret thinking about bringing in a relief pitcher even though we will never know or hear about his indecision because he is a baseball genius who never makes mistakes.

In between the top and bottom half of the 1st inning, Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy will use some of that $40 million extension to buy everyone in the dugout a soft drink of their choosing.  [Read more…]