At this time in 2008 I made a decision. I chose to further delay a much needed vacation to enjoy some baseball…
For those of you who don’t know me well, I haven’t been on a real vacation since.. well I was about 13 years old. That was quite some time ago. I’m not saying I haven’t traveled. When they say, “Join the Marines and see the world!” Well they mean it. Add in some travel for work in recent years and I can’t claim to have cabin fever.
What I do have is baseball fever! It’s opening day week for our beloved Ironpigs!! The first week of baseball is always the most exciting for me. Yes, 4 years ago I was a casual fan. Still bitter about the 1994 MLB strike. But then our town got a team! Our town! Our Team! I went out and got myself an 18 game package. Yes, only 18 games… but I had a plan. Throughout the 2008 season (I only missed 3 games) I sat in each and every section on the field level. I wanted to find the spot where I could most enjoy the game. That turned out to be in the outfield with the 2nd row of section 120 coming in a close second.
Baseball Week! That same year I also bought a bunch of tickets for the Phillies, Reading Phillies and took in a game in the final years of Yankee Stadium. I wanted to go just once before they tore down that irreplaceable part of history.
One week, that I am referring to, was a great week. I started off with an Ironpigs homestand. Added in a Businessman’s special at Citizen’s bank park on a Thursday followed by a direct to Coca Cola Park drive on the PA turnpike arriving just in time for the first pitch at the Coke! 7 days, 8 games. The following week I got to see the Red Sox play the Yankees at Yankee stadium. I have to say this was one of my best baseball experiences ever…
I bought the tickets on ebay. Was hoping to get cheap tickets, just to see one game at Yankee Stadium. That’s all I wanted. The first pair of tickets popped up and they were Red Sox/Yankees, Upper level between home plate and 3rd. Buy it now price of $85. I smiled and I bought. The seller sent me the tickets with a letter. He accidentally set this to Buy it now when he wanted to set it up for bidding. He normall gets $400-500 a seat for these tickets. First stroke of luck. Along with a Red Sox fan we set off to the game. I also wore a Red Sox hat to give some moral support for my pal. The drive there was quick, no traffic and arriving about 45 minutes before the first pitch, a parking spot opened up 1/2 block from the Stadium gate. We sat in disbelief for about 10 minutes and headed to the field. The ticket takers saw our Boston hats and happily welcomed us to their home. (Isn’t there a rivalry?) Went to our seats and began chatting with fans around us. Had some laughs, shared some memories… had a great time until one of them turned around and said.. “You guyz iz Sox fans?” I thought to myself.. uh oh, here it comes.. The guy shook his head and said, “You guyz is good guyz.. glad to have ya here!” Here are two Red Sox fans sitting in a sea of Yankee season ticket holders having the time of our lives. Throughout the night a few drunks would stagger by and try to start trouble with us only to be shut down by our protective group of new friends. I will forever remember this game, even if the final score wasn’t 15 to 9 the Yankees coming out on top. There was a total of 30 hits and 9 pitchers between both teams. The icing on the day was a 45 minute return trip home.
That was my first baseball week. I had another in 2009 and 2010… this week is 2011’s. While I won’t be going too far this year, I will be attending the Exhibition game at The Coke on Tuesday, Opening weekend at the Ironpigs, the Steelhawks on Saturday and the Reading Phillies home opener next week.
While baseball has been my “vacation” for so many years, it is nothing in comparison to what Tug Haines is doing this summer. He is traveling the country attending as many different ball games as he can. Check out his blog here.
Also of note, The Reading Phillies opening day raffle includes a life sized 500 lbs Ryan Howard Garden Gnome. If I should happen to win… any suggestions where I should have it delivered? š
OinK!
noisenation.mlblogs.com 
Glad you got to see the old Stadium before it was wrecked.
I was lucky to go there 4 times; two I sat in the loge, one upper deck, the last was down the LF line by the pole. Also went to Shea once.
Kid brother’s been to many more games than I, in the old and new versions.
The kids and I had our own “baseball summer” last year. After getting rained out of a chance to see Strasburg at Reading, we saw him pitch in Washington against the Giants. Then we saw the Giants in Philadelphia at the Bank, and the Nats in Pittsburgh at PNC. We also took in a random Reading game with our rain checks (wing night!) and an IronPigs away game in Moosic (missed ticketholder party for that one). It was a blast. Here’s a capsulated experience ranking:
1. PNC, Pittsburgh. I already love the city, but that was the nicest club level and the best view of the game and city, from behind home plate.
2. Washington. Electric atmosphere with Strasburg on the mound. Best scoreboard. Metro = no parking fees or difficulty.
3. Reading. Wing night is all you have to know!
4. SWB: hated missing the ticketholder party and that stadium is horrible. Didn’t realize how much I looked at the video board before. I hope somebody gets that restaurant back up and running. We had a great time there enjoying batting practice and field drills while consuming mass quantities of BBQ and beverages.
5. CBP. Really just horrible seats. Kids couldn’t see. We’ll try again. Liked McFadden’s before the game, though.
Hey Dan, you and I have alot in common when it comes to baseball week. I too in’08 got only an 18 game plan and purchased tickets and sat around to get a different perspective of the game and to determine what section I liked. For me it was behind home plate, behind the ‘Pigs on deck circle and behind the visitors on deck circle which is where I eventually wound up. That 1st year I missed a few more than you but after that year I upgraded to the full season and the rest they say is history. I’ve met alot of new friends, including you, throughout the years and hope to meet some more this season. Already started with our new team the Steelhawks!!
My baseball week started by seeing two of the 1st 3 Phillies games at CBP, Opening Day was one of them. Haven’t been to Phils Opening Day since CBP opened. I too will be at the exhibtion game, haven’t missed that one yet, as well as ‘Pigs Opening Day, haven’t missed that one either. To continue the fun filled week, I’ll leak out something few know, I too will be coming to the Steelhawks game on Sat. and then back to CCP Sunday for the ‘Pigs. So all I can say is let the games begin, baseball is back!!!
OinK