So C’s birthday present to me last month was tickets to Tuesday’s Red Sox/Yankees game. If only she had stuck with me a few more weeks — I would have taken her, and was planning on getting her an iPhone for her birthday in a few days! Oh well. I ended up taking co-best friend K. It was a good game despite the outcome, and we had good seats. Afterward we were taking subway back and struck up a conversation with this Yankee fan on the train. He talked about how for the first time the Red Sox didn’t scare him with our bats, but they did with our pitching. (I say “our” like it’s all me, but hey). We discussed the pitiful state of J.D. Drew.
“Well, there’s Lowell,” I offered.
“Yeah, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” he replied. “He’s having a great year.”
I cocked my head. “Do you work in baseball?” He said he did, sorta. He knew Lowell from his time in Tampa? I wasn’t really clear on the details. But before he got off he said I should go check out where the Red Sox were staying, this hotel in Times Square. It just so happened that I was going to be by there anyway on my way home, more or less. As I get off the subway I see a bus pulling up and scurry over. Huge men are departing, clutching their girlfriend/wife/mistresses hands. They were all wearing street clothes — I recognized Youkilis and another guy I later identified as Eric Hinske. There may have been a few others. You hear about players getting mobbed, but I was really the only fan guy there, and I was just sorta standing there slightly in awe on the sidewalk. (I wasn’t going to interrupt anyone with their S.O. there, obv.).
So then I have to call my friends, natch. As I’m doing so, some autograph seekers do arrive — mostly teenage boys and this one guy who seems like a professional — and I get caught up in the excitement of it all and stick around another 20 minutes. Supposedly I just miss Papelbon, walking away up Eighth Ave. with his wife. Eventually another bus pulls up and more people get off and walk into the hotel. I snap this pic of Bobby Kielty and so miss the shot of Jason Varitek, the last to get off. D’oh! Oh well, it was a little bit of excitement.
LET’S GO SOX!!
My birthday is in seven weeks, you can get me the iPhone…
Wait — isn’t his father more deserving of the iPhone!
same sort of ‘street clothes’ experience happened to my in philly with the Mets last month. We saw them all walk to the bus, though some wanted to take cabs (Shaun green couldn’t get anyone to split his with him!). We too got carried away and went to the hotel after the game, where almost the entire pitching staff was at the hotel bar! I was nominated to approach Feliciano, where i came up with the beautifully awkward, “pedro? good game.” No game, rather. They are big dudes!
Now, if you are into spotting things, the Speights pub is coming to New York, on its way to Europe. It is loaded onto a boat, which has been to Samoa and Panama. It is going to the Bahamas and then New York, before heading to London. Have a beer for me!!