Perfect Cain Night

[kevin_standlee]

iamradar very generously gifted me two Giants tickets she could not use, provided I could get up to Fremont by 4 PM to collect them, which I did manage to do. Alas, none of my friends in Fremont whose phone numbers I had were answering when I called, or if they were, they were out of town, so I had both seats to myself. Since I had to go to Fremont, I rode BART to the game, then walked down to AT&T Park. Friday's game was also "Perfect Cain" night, as the Giants celebrated Matt Cain's perfect game that he threw a few weeks ago. I got a commemorative pin, and there were ceremonies on the field honoring Cain's first-in-franchise-history perfect game. I ended up with several extra pins, in fact, as the family sitting next to my two seats was visiting from Chicago and didn't want their pins, so they gave them to me. While talking to them, I mentioned that I'd be at Wrigley Field in a few weeks along with a bunch of my friends, thanks to there being a Giants-Cubs game going on the Friday of this year's World Science Fiction Convention in Chicago. (As usual, I had to explain what Worldcon was, how it wasn't always in Chicago, how I've attended every one since 1989, how it's in different cities and not always in the USA -- he seems startled at the idea that I'd travel to a science fiction convention in Australia or Japan or Great Britain, but that's typical.)

A foul ball was hit into my section, which was in the lower level down the left field line (section 130, for those familiar with the park). It landed only ten seats to my right, but that was I think closer than any ball has ever come to me in my years of attending Giants games.

Unfortunately, the Giants bats fell asleep tonight, and the Rockies, the worst team in the division, were able to score three runs. The Dodgers won as well, so now they're tied with the Giants again for the division lead.

Since I was on BART rather than Caltrain, I didn't have to rush out of the game and hotfoot it to 4th & King to catch the post-game express train. Instead, I took the longer walk down the Embarcadero along with many other people and rode BART back to Fremont, arriving there just before midnight. After finding a gas station whose pumps were still working (I was almost out of fuel), and picking up a few things from Walgreen's (saving me having to go out and do those errands tomorrow) I headed back to San Jose.

As it happens, I'd planned on some errands in Fremont on Saturday anyway, and between getting the tickets from iamradar and catching BART to San Francisco, I was able to get them done. This means I have no plans to go anywhere on Saturday and will stay in the apartment, probably getting some "home" work done that's been pending since Westercon. But more importantly right now, I don't have to set that dratted alarm clock this weekend.

Comments

[travelswithkuma.livejournal.com]

nots knows whys worrys abouts catchings balls, nows if theys was throwings fishs.....

[lisa-marli.livejournal.com]

Bummer about the game. If you really need to, call me. I'm not that far from your home, and sometimes I can sneak away.
Unfortunately, Friday of Worldcon is Westercon 66 Party night, so I'll either be running around with the boys with a checkbook, or sitting at a fan table while other people set up. Where ever I am most useful. But sitting at a baseball game is unfortunately, not useful. *sigh*

[a-cubed.livejournal.com]

Ah, time differences. I'm reading this on Saturday evening feeling confused as to why you're talking about not having to set the alarm on Saturday morning.
The weeks I've spent in California, mostly your area as it happens, I always felt a little like I was at the end of the world, since by Monday morning everyone else in the world had had a day's work and the Asians had already quit for the day before I was starting out. Tokyo is sort of the other end of the scale in that Monday morning is great - there's almost no work email and I can start out defining my own pattern before everyone else kicks in.

[rwl.livejournal.com]

You aware that the Giants are in Chicago to play the Cubs during the week of Chicon V?

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

Yes, although it's this year's Worldcon, not two Chicons ago. That's why I was telling the family next to me from Chicago that I'd be attending the game on Friday afternoon. As it happens, it won't be a new venue for me because I attended a game during a time my company had me out in Aurora for two weeks, but it's the first time I'll be seeing my team play there.

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

An unexpected Saturday lie-in is always a good thing.

[regfoghorn.livejournal.com]

If you want to sell one or two of the pins you got, I'd be interested. I know Radar wants one, and you probably do, bur extras I would be interested in for relatives/friends who are Giants fans.

[jcbemis.livejournal.com]

And we' re in Fremont today...

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

There's an irony, all right.

[ericlarson.livejournal.com]

Aggh! I haven't given you my phone #?!?!

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

I didn't have a cell phone for you. I called what I thought was your home phone, but got no answer. Sorry!