Take Me Out to The Ballgame

Last night, The Hubs and I went with our friend Lisa to the Giants game. I hadn't been to a game in a few years and after the excitement that was last season (2010 World Champions Baby!) and the last few games (the TORTURE continues!), I was really looking forward to a night at the ballpark

When we arrived, we took our token pictures outside of the ballpark in Willie Mays Plaza.

 

 Then we headed up up up to our seats in the nosebleeds. You can't get any higher than the third deck, last row! Good thing there isn't really a bad seat in the house!  AT&T Park is gorgeous! I haven't been to many ballparks, but you really can't beat the view of the bay on a sparkling day. The weather last night wasn't spectacular, but the view was still really pretty.

Here's a picture of my favorite player, Buster Posey, at bat. He didn't do much during this game, but he sure is cute!

Although the Giants weren't able to pull out a win against the rival Dodgers, my favorite parts of the night happened before the game even started.

First, the entire Giants team went out on the field along with the organization's president, vice president and general manager. At first I wasn't sure what was happening... Then I saw the box... You see one of our crucial players from last season now plays for the Dodgers. Juan Uribe was critical in getting the Giants into the World Series. We all loved him. So it was only fitting that he was presented with his World Series Ring yesterday evening! There were some boos, but mostly cheers and chants of U - RIBE (a common occurrence last season). I thought it was nice of the organization to recognize him in front of his old hometown fans.

Image Source: AP

 The second most touching moment put a lump in everyone's throat. I'm not sure how many of you who don't live in the Bay Area have heard about this, but a Giants fan - Brian Stow - was brutally beaten at Giants v. Dodgers game in LA a couple of weeks ago by two Dodger fans. He's currently in a medically induced coma and it is believed that he has severe brain damage. Such a sad thing to happen on what was supposed to be a fun night at the ballpark.

To honor Brian and his family, both teams took the field before the game for a moment of silence. It was a show of unity and sportsmanship. Then a member from each team - Jeremy Affeldt for the Giants and Jamey Carroll for to Dodgers - both said a few words. They reiterated the fact that a game is a game. That even if a rivalry is present, they leave the competition on the field. Each player then goes home to families and is a father, husband, son, friend. You could feel the emotion these two ball players felt, especially Jeremy Affeldt. It was truly touching and a great way to honor a man and a family who are going through such a difficult time in their lives.

Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

In addition, some of Brian's coworkers were around the ballpark collecting donations. KTVU reports over $50,000 was donated. The generosity of people reminds me that even though there are a few bad people in this world, the majority genuinely care.

Although in the end the Giants lost the game last night and we were all disappointed, I think it was not lost on any of the fans afterward that a game is just a game. Something we all need to remember in many aspects of our lives.