Best SOX Game Ever

I will write much more about yesterday's SOX game later. Alex and I have to help Momma today. Thanks and much love to Di for the photos and the fun - you can see more pics at her page. Thanks and much love to Ms. E for getting the original tix (a steal lemme tell ya) and for some mighty fine seat weasling during the game. We ended up with a perfect view of Crede's grand slam (that's three this year ohmiyouknowwhat)...also thanks and much love to the Cousin Mike crew for understanding why we had to move Sunday's festivities back a week. The patient is doing better and we are all hopeful. It's actually good that we moved the golf thing back since we've gotten some rain here in the place where God lost his shoes.

I don't know what that means.

Saturday was the best SOX game I ever saw in person. Unbelievable!

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ok, it is later and I've helped Kim so I have some time to recap Saturday's game

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Dr. Jerk Off & Ms. Hyde Park

Saturday. Made it to the OF to pick up the boy at Kim’s folks by 10:30am or so…fought the good fight on the Dan Ryan and made it to Ms. E’s in a reasonable amount of time. I zigged when I should’ve zagged through the botanical mayhem of the University of Chicagoland but I found the joint. Ms. E had to fly me in at the end as I got closer…but no one died. Went & picked up Di, had total rock star parking within perfect walking distance to the park. I had too much food but it was way fucking tasty. The girls even found soft serve chocolate ice cream for the boy. Thanks ladies.

Before the game, while E & Di were looking for lemonade in which to put some vodka, Southpaw (the SOX mascot who kinda looks like a monster) wanted to shake Alex’s hand. The kid freaked out big time, screamed, ran behind me and grabbed my nuts harder than they have ever been grabbed before. Southpaw is pretty freaky looking, no doubt – but what did I ever do to the kid? Sure I make him finish his cereal – but he wants a brother or sister – he better be careful. Poor kid was really scared.

SOX got the first run on a sac fly to right by Thome. Not long after that I saw the wheels turn in Ms. E’s head. She couldn’t see the fly ball too well because of one beam to our right in the way-upstairs. I didn’t mind being so high up because the sight lines are so much better after the improvements to SOX park. We could see everything else well because we were behind the catcher. Later after a coupla moves – E & Di got us in great position to see the best parts of the game. I’ve never seen a grand slam home run in person…I don’t think I’ve ever seen a three run home run. When the bases were loaded in the 7th and Scrap Iron took out the kid who’d shut down the SOX all day and put in Qualls…I told everyone around me “This is the jerk off who gave up the grand salami to Paulie in the WS.”

One pitch later…ecstasy. I’ve never been at a ball park when anything like that’s happened. The place went absolutely nuts. By the 7th we were a lot closer and behind the catcher. The ball’s angle of flight was obscured by the brightness of the sky. I wasn’t sure if it was going to stay fair or hook foul. I never saw it land in the stands but I could tell from the eruption that Crede did it. I think I could even hear Hawk yell “JOE - - CREDE!!!!” In my section we all shouted “Joe! Joe! Joe! Joe!” (Alex too, he was sooooo great) – Crede came out of the dugout to tip his cap and the place fucking exploded again. God love you Joe Crede. Good woodwork young man. Alex was excited. When he plays pretend baseball at home, he always pretends to be either Joe Crede or AJ. He has stopped pretending to be AJ lately because he said he doesn’t want to get punched. Alex said: “I can’t believe my favorite pretend player hit a glam slam.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant but I gave the boy a big ass hug.

He did a great job even though the game went extra innings. Daddy isn’t complaining that we got free baseball, but c’mon, the kid is 5. When Alex Cintron got the game winning hit (his 2nd this year for the SOX) Alex thought everything was worth the wait. Alex said: “Hey that guy’s got my name!”

Di had to take off right after the game. E, Alex and I hiked back to the vehicle. We stopped by Grandstands and saw John and Janine. Fantastic – gave them big hugs. What an incredible day! We’re going to SOX-Tigers with them on 12 Aug. Dropped off E after a wonderful tour of some of the great homes around the Hyde Park zone. Zone? I got lost trying to get back to the OF so I ended up going the backward ass way around wherever I should’ve been going and finally caught plain old 90 West out of the Big City and took it on home.

Alex slept a little bit – but after we stopped for dinner, we talked baseball all the way home. Doing stuff like this with my son is pretty close to heaven on earth for me. Thanks to Kim for encouraging us to still go even though there was some tough stuff going on with our family this weekend. Thanks to Di and E for kicking my ass and saying ‘Don’t be such a stuck up farm boy. Get your ass out to the city for a SOX game.’

Sometimes I need a kick in the ass. When I get one, it is usually worth it.

Thanks and much love to the SOX for not mailing it in after the Astros’ pitcher shut ‘em down in the first six innings. People say all the time ‘Dees guys git paid so much $$ they should play like dat all da time.’

Those people don’t know shit about sports (and to their credit, probably don’t care to know anything either). There are a lot of teams with guys who make a lot of money. It takes something special inside of players that keep them competing no matter what is happening. I am the kind of person that is never jealous of how much money someone makes. I’m a teacher/hearing aid repair guy and I don’t care that DH’s make more in a year than I will in my entire life. I love seeing thrilling games. I don’t care about the business of baseball. I care about how it can bring friends together. I care about how it can help build common ground for fathers and sons. I care about baseball’s beauty.

Saturday was beautiful.