I decided that yesterday was the day for my son's first baseball game. It was a day game against the Phillies and perfect timing after Ryan's nap and before bed time.We got down there just as the game started and purchased one $6 seat. We started by going to the stadium shop to see if I could get Ryan a hat or a shirt. Once I saw the $17 prices, I decided that a inflatable bat was better suited for him.
We spent some time in the kids' playground area horsing around on the oversized bat, ball and glove that are there for the kids to get out some energy. Ryan enjoyed it to the fullest and climbed all over everything, taking time out to come and 'boom' Daddy with his new bat.
We then proceeded up the elevator to the nose bleed section of the stadium, section 301, row 9 seat 12. After a few rest stops, the sherpa showed us our seats. Ryan thought it was so cool. He got to sit in his own seat (the sherpa said that others hadn't "made it") and enjoy or smuggled in snacks while watching the baseball game. Ryan's favorite part was watching the replays on the jumbo-tron and often asked for the "ba-ball" on the big "tee-ee " in between pitches.
The game was an 'old-school' pitching matchup between Randy Johnson (age 43) and Jamie Moyer (age 44), the oldest combined age of two leftie starters in MLB history.
Johnson struck out the first 6 he faced and 9 overall. He got into trouble in the 7th when he loaded the bases. The unfortunate part for me is that as Johnson loaded the bases, I noticed that Ryan had loaded his diaper. We proceeded to head off to the bathroom to change the diaper. I heard some moderate cheering while in the bathroom and assumed that Randy had gotten out of the jam. In reality, they brought in a new pitcher and Ryan Howard (premier young homerun hitter of the Phillies) came in to pinch hit and hit the first pitch that Brian Medders offered out of the ballpark to give the Phillies the lead they never gave up. Not only did I have to change the stinky diaper, I missed Ryan Howard hitting a grand slam. If they are going to beat us, I at least want to see one of the best hitters in baseball hit a homerum. Ugh.
This was the first of what will be many father-son games. We both had so much fun.
