Winning at Baseball

I acknowledge that I have never loved baseball.  It seems slow and repetitive, with only short bursts of activity, and good-looking men wasted in baggy pants.  But that is just me. Millions, clearly disagree.

Nonetheless, I do think it is fun to go to a baseball stadium, every once in a while!  You get to sit outside....I love that, particularly if its a warm-but-not-too- hot night.  Then, you usually go with family and friends, not alone or with enemies, so the company is pretty good.  Finally, and this is a biggie for me, the food options are stuff you never eat anywhere else, including hot dogs, peanuts in a shell, ice cream bars etc.  (I am laughing because I've just realized that this is exactly what Bill does eat everyday at home. Please don't tell him I mentioned it.!! ha ha)

So  we heard that Charleston has its very own baseball team, I was curious and the first thing I learned was that it was "Single A". And a minor team to the Yankees.  AND, part-owned by the very cool/funny Billy Murray, who goes to the games often!

Now what is this Single A buniess?? Turns out, and you may already know this, there is Single A, Double A and Triple A....and which do you think is closer to being in the major league?  Well I thought the purity of the Single, but no.....Triple A.  So again, in Charleston, we have the Single A Riverdogs....who play in a brand new stadium, 14 minutes from the house.  Of course, I wanted to get the best tickets possible, and assumed they were probably going to be less than the worst Yankee seat, which costs $80, not including parking..

When I looked online and scoured the stadium seating chart, it looked like I could get seats in row 2, behind home plate for $14.  Even my baseball naivite questioned that, but the chart said what the chart said, so with a leap of faith, I committed. When we went last night, I realized the chart was wrong.....but so in our favor I burst out laughing.....it wasn't the 2nd row....Row 2 is the first row!!!! As in, right behind the umpire! I was beginning to like Single A.

Things were going well....I had smartly invited a new friend of ours, Frank, to sit with us.....one, to thank him for all the help he has been in our move and two, to give Bill someone to talk baseball with.....I am a good wife, but can't fake everything.

We were all eating our dinner....there is a waitress with these seats, and Bill had a hot dog, Frank opted for beer and peanuts and me, a bbq chicken sandwich....(total cost $12)....I was concentrating on my sandwich, determined not to stain my white pants, when Bill turned to me and said he actually thought my name was just spoken by the stadium announcer.  What? Who? When? all came out of my mouth, as the corner of my eye saw a bbq dribble land on my pants....and he repeated that he really really thought he heard the announcer say:  "And tonight's winner of the internet ticket contest was ______ , as in, he got your first name right and mispronounced our last name the way most people do!  Could that be I wondered....I have never won anything! 

Frank, being a gentleman and I think intrigued beyond, jumped up and said he was going to investigate.  I continued munching on my sandwich, staring at my stained pants and wondering when the washing machine would make the renovation list.....soon Frank returned, with a triumphant gleam in his eye!  He held up a single ticket and announced gleefully that I had indeed won a free ticket on any return night of my choosing.

As this all registered, I let the thought that I would now be coming back sit on the side of my brain, and realized the bigger news:  How did Frank get MY prize?  Frank, I asked in as nice a voice as I could muster:  "What did you say about me that they presumed you really knew me and gave you my freebie ticket?"  He cocked his head a touch and said, "What do you mean?  I told them I was here with you and they gave me the ticket!"

I was mulling my next comment, when Bill, realizing where my head was going, started to laugh and said to Frank:  "But you didn't have her power of attorney!  You didn't show any I.D.!  In NY, they'd never give you her ticket!!"

Frank then got our reaction, and spoke the quote of the day:  "Relax, you're not in NY anymore.  Welcome to Charleston>"

I nodded and realized we'd moved to a place where your name is your word, and your word is good enough!  What a concept!

sending love from Charleston...