The World Frickin Series People

For those of you who want the short version: The World Series was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We waited endlessly for the rain to let up but when it did... THEY WON!

For those of you who want all the gory details, here goes:

My Dad and I left home at about 4:15. We figured we would check out all the tail-gaiters, catch batting practice, walk around the stadium and get something to eat. We also anticipated at least an hours worth of traffic. Oddly, we arrived at the stadium in under 45 minutes. We sat in the parking lot amidst the partyers and laughed at their drunken stupidity. We ended up parking in the "party lot" which we thought was going to back fire on us when it was time to leave. Our $12 had been paid so what were we to do. We were a little disheartened that the weather had turned from slightly questionable to downright awful. The revelors had to literally hold down their tents to keep them from being taken by the wind. We hunkered down for about 45 minutes before heading to the stadium.

Here are some shots of the revelry that occurred outside the gates of the game:




A little after 5:30 (when the gates opened) we headed to the game. We joined the sea of red and entered THE BIG GAME.
To say I was excited was the understatement of the year. To digress slightly I have been a Phillies fan my entire life. I devote hundreds (yes, hundreds) of hours each year to my beloved Phils. I know stats, I know records, I know which players are married and have kids. You might say I am a little obsessed. So to go to this game was one of the highlights of my 30 years thus far.

Ok, back to the story. So as we walked through the gates we were immediately plied with gifts. We received the cherished rally towel (mine will be framed with my ticket) and a thing to wear our tickets around our necks. My Dad bought be a program (ok, so I am a kid at heart) and I clutched these things like they were made of shear gold.





We started to walk the loop around the stadium. When we got there the tarp was on the field:
The rain was not terribly heavy, more of a mist. The news predicted that it should stop around 8 to 8:30 so we hoped the game might get off in time. The problem is that we were there 3 hours early to watch batting practice and there was none. So my Dad and I walked, talked, stood around, talked baseball and other inane subjects. We reminisced a little about times passed which was fun. By about 7:30 the rain had turned into sheets. No one said it out loud but all of us, more than 45,000 fans, started to wonder if we would see this game tonight. Fortunately for me I was there with my Dad... someone who I have always enjoyed spending time with and didn't mind the four hours of standing around with.

My Dad and I staked a claim near a wall and a TV (penn state was playing... Go Lions!!!) and waited it out.

By 9:30 the rain had stopped and the tarp would soon be removed. At about 10 o'clock I suggested to my Dad that we get close to the field and see if the grounds crew was out to remove the tarp. At this point no announcements had been made. We were shocked to see the player on the field warming up. So we made a bee-line for our seats (Section 305, row 9, seats 4 & 5... on the end!). It was a little disappointing that they didn't announce the start because we (and most of the fans) missed some of the introductions.

Our View:



Once we got settled in in very dramatic fashion Jamie Moyer (our aged but successful pitcher), Carlos Ruiz (catcher) and Rich Dubee (pitching coach) walked across the field from the bull pen and it was underway.
Taylor Swift sang the National Anthem and it was a lovely ceremony.
At the end of the national anthem when the rally towels were waving, the fans were in pandemonium and all you could see was a sea of red and white I have to admit by eyes got quite teary. I was at the frickin WORLD SERIES! This is amazing.

Oh, and Steve Carlton threw out the first pitch of the game:


The game was full of weird plays, blown calls and general zaniness. To be there hearing the fans jeering the Rays was hysterical. You probably all know the reputation we Philadelphia fans have. They heckled Evan Longoria will calls of Eva, Eva, Eva at an ear-drum bursting volume. Their pitcher, Garza, made a statement that pitching the Phillies would be easy compared to the Sox. So you can imagine the reaction he got.

A couple very memorable moments were the back-to-back Utley and Howard home runs. When Howard hit that ball for a moment, time stood still. While it wasn't coming right at us... it sure looked like it was. That is something I will never forget. And once that ball hit the stands my Dad grabbed me around the shoulders and along with our kindred fans we jumped and screamed and felt like we were a part of something special. It literally and figuratively felt like the stadium was swaying. The cool thing is both homers were hit right below us. When things got going in any particular inning you could not hear past the deafening screams of the 45,900 in attendance. The rally towels not only impeded your view if you are short like me but they also let off little rally towel fuzzies because of the furious waving that was going on. A few times it almost looked like it was snowing.


Then in the 9th inning the Phils had the bases loaded, no outs and up came Carlos Ruiz. When he hit a little topper about 25 feet and Eric Bruntlet scored the sound that erupted was like nothing I have ever experienced. They had won it and the air was positively electric. Fans high-fived perfect strangers but for that moment none of us were strangers. We were all fans (or should I say Phans) that had experienced this together as a unit of 45,900. We were friends.

Last night they won in smashing fashion and I anticipate tonight will be the same. On Wednesday I will be standing on Broad Street waving my rally towel one more time before it's framed taking in the Parade. I have looked forward to this experience, of my home team making it to the World Series, my whole life. Not only did they make it, but I WAS THERE!

My Dad:


And to the Rays fans... THIS is a bell: