Kim, Kirsten, Rita, Amanda, Chad, Kris, Adam, and I were all in Baltimore this weekend, hoping to see Manny hit his 500th homerun. We were not alone. Baltimore has slowly turned into a "home away from home" for the Red Sox who now draw the majority of fans to Orioles Park at Camden Yard.
Kim and I started the trip on Friday when we went down to Philadelphia to stay with Kris and Kirsten and watch the Celtics clinch a spot in the NBA Finals. Saturday, we got to Baltimore around noontime, along with an accompaniment of foul weather. But a hearty lunch and vast libations did much to cure our worries...and the weather.
By 7:05pm, we were ready for the game and the Sox did not disappoint! Not only did they play a lot of "longball," but the atmosphere was uncanny. Manny's quest only added to the fortuidous tension and when he connected, in the top of the 7th, the adrenaline rush was unbelievable. I don't know how else anyone could feel such intense ebullience in a 5 second period. There aren't words to describe the sensation, but it was awe-inspiring. For the rest of the night, Sox fans shared an even closer bond, readily greeted each other, and shared the good company of Orioles fans who could not deny their appreciation for witnessing baseball history first hand.
Following the game, it was back to the hotel for some late night eats, water to rehydrate, and sound sleep so that we could all recuperate before Sunday's afternoon game. In any event, let's get on with the photos. Please enjoy them.
The first photo shows us at an Irish bar overlooking Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The drinks were cold, the company was warm, and the view was beautiful. The second photo is a view from our seats while the third and fourth photos are of the emblematic Mark Hathaway. As you might have seen from the video, he exemplified the fervor all Sox fans felt. Originally from Newburyport, MA, and now living in Virginia Beach, VA, he's been a "Die Ha'ad" Sox fan for 28 years and came into town just to see the Sox. He left immortalized: a person you'll see on every video you'll ever watch of Manny hitting his 500th homerun. Don't believe me, see for yourself not only in my video, but on this one, offered by RedSox.com: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200805312811215.
The last two pictures were from the Sunday game. Please excuse any inaccuracies of the last pic; I'm working on a "splicing" technique and it's always better from a tripod. Anyways, best regards. Thanks for the memories, family, friends new and old. Can't wait to do it all again!
No comments:
Post a Comment