One of my younger brothers was very interested in Baseball, and he had made a decision to "attempt" to attend a baseball game at each and every one of the baseball fields in both the American and National leagues. And he had been to quite a few. One trip to Texas, to visit my older brother, we stopped and and watched the St Louis Cardinals at Bush Stadium . . . due to a couple rain delays, and the time needed to have the zamboni clear the water from the field, the zamboni blew up and they had to push the thing off the field. We laughed like crazy - BOOM - and the big cloud of black smoke rose into the sky from the Zamboni . . . it was a long night.
Then I moved to NC, and he came out to visit me - so we continued the venture . . . took a trip down to Atlanta, to watch the braves at Turner Field. Found a guy scalping tickets, and asked where they were - he told us they were behind the 1st base dug out ( wish we had a map of the seating ). We paid, I think it was $50 for (2) tickets that had us sitting in the middle section out in right field . . . ugh . . . that lasted only one inning, and we moved over to our pick of empty seats over behind the 1st base dugout like we were told the seats were located. Enjoyed the game from this viewpoint.
The very next day, got home from work and he asked if I wanted to go to a game in MD - to watch the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards . . . Why not . . . so of we went to Camden yards to see if we could get tickets. Going with "this" brother was always an adventure as he had the best luck with getting great deals. So we got there early and didn't really see many scalpers, so we wandered over to the ticket office and started waiting in line. While there a couple got behind us, and a man approached them and asked if they wanted to purchase a pair of ticket to the game ( they were really good seats - I've heard that before ). He gave some lame excuse that he wanted to put the tickets on his credit card . . . my brother, already had left my side and was talking to the gentleman - negotiating the tickets. I heard him say $5, and my brother said $5 each ?, he replied, no $5 for the pair - he just wanted a couple bucks back for his empty season tickets where his friends backed out. So my brother bought them, and the guy said to us - I'll see you in the stadium . . . So now we begin to wonder . . . we go in the stadium and checked the seating, it was row YYY . . . and we figured, like Bob Uecker - we're in the nosebleed section. We had the tickets to the usher, who walks us down the main aisle for a ways, and then we figure we're heading for the TOP of the stadium seating. WRONG. Instead of turning left to the TOP, he turns right, toward the field ! ! We keep walking, down the steps, farther, and farther until I asked my brother - if we go any farther we're going to have to sit on the field. He stops at the 3rd row of seats off the field and shows us our seats. These seats were incredible - and the guy didn't hand us a line of BS. So we sit down, and low and behold, the guy we bought the tickets from shows up and sits next to use with a huge bag of peanuts - he said he bought them with the $5 we gave him for the tickets and that we could share them with him. So we sat there, sharing his bag of peanuts, watching the game, chatting with this guy about all kinds of stuff, and had the best time ! ! That's the luck my brother has ! !
So the $50 junk tickets were made up for by the $5 specials that were absolutely incredible ! !
Great times, with one of my younger brothers, that I would not have given up for anything . . . still puts a huge smile on my face . . . I don't think he ever achieved his goal - I'll have to ask him how many he DID actually make it to watch a ball game ( then there's all the new one that have been built too ).
ottytrain5:
