My First MLB Game

Today I went Johnny, Nathan, and I went to the Tigers-Twins game at Comerica Park, my first ever MLB experience. It wasn't what I expected, and that's what made the day so enjoyable!

I expected the baseball game to be constantly loud, with fans wild with cheering and highly emotionally invested in the game. While I won't say that the fans there were bad, there is just a whole different culture of being a baseball fan as opposed to being a football fan. When I first entered the park, the thing that hit me first was that there were people reading newspapers in the stands. This may not seem like a big deal, but can you even imagine anyone reading a newspaper at the Big House at a game?! The atmosphere was relaxed and social. The buzz often wasn't about what was happening on the field at that moment, but there was constant baseball talk in the background about different games, different teams.

The game was exactly what American tradition always said baseball games were supposed to be like. There was a great family atmosphere (although we had no idea what so many kids were going out of school). The weather was perfect with a little bit of breeze and a whole lot of fun. Food was expensive. There were the vendors who kept shouting for us to buy stuff (reminded me a little of Dim Sum). After today, I have to say that the baseball environment is really something I could get into more. Football games are way too draining. This baseball game was the opposite. I felt rejuvenated, ready to conquer the world (and conquer the road...boo).

The game went be quickly, much more quickly than I imagined. It wasn't just that Pavano threw himself a gem of a ballgame with a little over 10 pitches an inning, it was that the entire game was so engaging. The time between innings wasn't spent yawning at commercials and waiting for advertisements to end; it was spent observing players and watching how they warmed up and interacted with each other. The game went by so quickly that I really couldn't believe that it ended when it did.

I left the game today totally relaxed. I wasn't emotionally drained or pumped up with adrenaline. I was just totally relaxed. (The two hour drive home in the rain and traffic proved to disturb my relaxation, but that's besides the point).

I have a new appreciation for baseball - for the environment, for the fans, for the players. The environment was probably the most ideal for a college student who just finished finals. The fans reminded me of the unifying effect sports can bring to a family. The players reminded me how effective steroids are. =P (I totally forgot how big and strong baseball players are! Also, their throwing range doesn't really look like that much on television, but mannnn these guys are athletic...also much faster than I had imagined).

Oh, and the Tigers won =)