(With apologies to the Grateful Dead)

I promised in my previous blog entry that I'd give an update on my trip to the Giants game. I'll keep it brief (as brief as I know how, anyway) because I'm not home yet, but writing this on my father in law's computer. Plus, I need to write it now, because once I get home, things get real busy and I may not post too often.

In a nutshell, the pregame stuff was odd and stressful.  We did battle with the rental car company (which has since been resolved...never try to rent a car with a debit card). Riding BART was indeed strange...at one point there was a fire at Embarcadero station, so our train STOPPED before going under the Bay, and eventually headed back the other way. We had to get off the train and wait for another one. We rode under the Bay (without me totally freaking out) and went to the next station. We had to try to figure out how to take a bus from there to the ballpark. We eventually got there.

While at the ballpark, almost nothing was normal. To wit:

1. The trip to the Giants Dugout Store was much cheaper than anticipated. All-Star Game stuff was slashed...I bought a jacket for $35 (regular $80), a cap for $10 ($25), and a shirt for $5 ($40). Talk about a kid in a toy store at Christmas time!

2. Free orange T-shirts given away before the game! My wife even got her hair sprayed orange.

On to the game:

3. Noah Lowry did NOT look at all like one of the league's ERA leaders. He allowed 3 runs in the first, and 6 total in 5 innings.

4. Noah Lowry DID look like one of the league's premeir hitters. He went 2 for 2 with a single and a home run. His batting average went from .057 to .074 to .093.

5. The Giants scored 6 (yes, that's six from an anemic offense) in the first inning alone, and 11 total runs on the evening. 

6. Omar Vizquel didn't field a ground ball that he should have gotten to (although it showed up in the box score as a base hit).

7. The umpires actually lost count during one of Omar Vizquel's at bats. He should have walked, but they were a ball behind in the count. On the following pitch, Omar hit a bases clearing double.

8. Kevin Frandsen, who entered mid-game for Ray Durham, hit a home run to left.

9. The bullpen had 4 scoreless innings (although Kline and Chulk did make it interesting).

However, there were a few normal things that happened. Giants fans were out in droves, showing a ton of spirit and pride in a last place team. We had great seats, sitting next to a guy who went to the same college at  which my wife got her Master's degree. The garlic fries were heavenly, the beer was expensive, and a spectacular time was had by all.

And, oh yeah...Mr. Bonds hit career homer number 761, a majestic splash hit into McCovey Cove. It is something that will stick in my mind for the rest of my life.