Whereas, whereas, whereas

[jmc_bks]

Okay, here's the play by play...at least for the opening of the game.

We arrived before game time, at around 6:35. The drive out was lovely -- I hadn't driven further west than Frederick since college, and I'd forgotten how beautiful the landscape is as you ease into the Appalachians. Parking was free and close to the stadium. The crowd was very friendly and our seats were right behind homeplate. My companion, not a minor league fan, was pleased with the seats and the food. I too was pleased with the seats, meh about the food, and thrilled with the pregame presentation and the game. I'm reminded how much I like minor league ball -- if there was a team closer, I'd attend more instead of the ~10 O's games I catch. The feeling of the minor league stadium is much more intimate...and the tickets are much less spendy. There are still lots of ads in the outfield, but the crowd and the atmosphere are less corporate.

Three honorary first pitches were thrown out, then there was a pause. I looked over at the hometeam's dugout and saw a scrum of people. Almost hidden in the scrum was a woman with red-brown hair topped by a ballcap, standing next to a Very Tall Husband. After a little more chatter, La Nora, the Very Tall Husband, a county commissioner and announcer made their way to the pitcher's mound...well, in front of it anyway. Welcome everyone (including people from across the country) to Nora Roberts Bobble Head Night! Followed by a recitation of the Awesomeness of Nora (# of weeks on NYT list, # of books, a paean to her work ethic and her family's investment in the business community, Washington County's pride in its most famous resident). After that, the county commissioner (John Barr, I think his name was) read a proclamation declaring July 6, 2007 to be Nora Roberts Day in Washington County. The proclamation was lovely, despite the fact that one of the whereas clauses ran on painfully. I'm thinking that NR's editor would never let her get away with a sentence that long, but probably no one was editing the proclamation. Still it was nice, the kind of thing you get framed and hang on your ego wall. Loud cheers from the crowd, including a section in the bleachers along third base that was waving red, white and blue pompoms.

It looked like it was time to throw the first pitch, but the announcer stopped the wind up. Turns out that July 6th was the 22nd wedding anniversary of La Nora and the Very Tall Husband, so the team gave them jerseys with their names and the number 76 on the back. Then the wind up and the pitch. It was a ball not a strike, but that's okay, because 2 of the 3 earlier pitches were balls, too. ETA: And as Ms. Nora points out, the important thing is getting it over the plate. Me, if I had to toss a pitch, it might bounce over the plate; I have a pathetic arm -- to say I throw "like a girl" would malign athletic girls everywhere.

Rumor had it that Ms. Nora would sign books and bobble heads after the first pitch, but when we walked in the line was long, so I decided to watch the game instead.

There were no fewer that 10 American flags on display: one in the outfield with the state and city/county flag; 5 in a row lining the first baseline bleachers; and another 5 along the third baseline bleachers. A young girl (maybe 9 or 10?) sang the national anthem; she made a couple of word errors, but didn't get too flustered, and the crowd gave her a lot of cheers.

As to the game itself: The Shorebirds had the better record; generally that translates into being a better team, which was the case through the first four innings last night. Lots of bobbled infield hits that could've been outs. The Suns' second baseman made a gorgeous leapfrog catch that ended up doubling up the lead runner who couldn't get back to second in time to tag. We stayed through fourth inning, when the Suns were down 3-2; they ended up losing 8-3. (My companion for the evening bitched and moaned about the drive back and being bitten by bugs. I'm leaving him at home next time.)

People watching: the dance for your dinner contest between innings? Very funny. Basically, three people went out on the field and had to dance; crowd cheers determined best dancer and winner of a gift certificate. Wozzie the mascot? Sort of strange looking and amorphous, being orange with black stripes on his legs, with blobbish features. The crowd was interesting, having a much larger age range and socio-economic range, on the surface at least, than MLB games. More small children were in attendance, too. And the couch on top of the dugout for relax viewing? Inspired.

Now that I'm home with my Nora Roberts bobble head doll, I must decide where she should stand. In a place of honor on a bookshelf, I think, where I can look at it and ask, WWND? (TM to the SBTB or one of their commenters Annie Dean, who coined WWND here). The doll, btw, is wearing a blue pantsuit and a necklace (sound familiar?) and is holding a book with the initials NR. It's ceramic and heavier than I expected. The Biochemist tells me that I haven't verged on RFG behavior yet...but having a bobble head of a favorite author? Mm, I'm not so sure.

Comments

[sarahf.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's so cool! Congratulations on your bobblehead, and I envy you!

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

I tried to get a second bobblehead, to have one to give away, but we were too early. I'm thinking if I'd gone back a little after the start of the game and there had been any left, I could've talked the staff into giving me one ;) Or not -- maybe they were all given away.

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, I wish you'd come by. We were right over on the first base side.

A ball? Who made you ump!! Actually, I was just tremendously relieved to get it into the glove--and not into the dirt.

Nora

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Well, I thought about wandering around on the pretext of looking for your group, but that seemed stalkerish and like an imposition, especially if you were trying to watch the game with family and friends.

I would LOVE to be an ump! Along with working on the groundcrew at Camden Yard (headed by a woman! the first in the ML!), being an umpire is a secret dream of mine.

[riley-merrick.livejournal.com]

That's sooo cool! You have been scoring big in the swag department lately!

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

I -have- been very lucky lately. I'm trying to remember if I picked up a heads-up penny or did anything else that's supposed to be good luck.

*raises hand*

[anniedean.livejournal.com]

I'm the commenter. WWND appeared here (http://www.anniedean.net/2007/05/thursday-13_17.html).

Re: *raises hand*

[jmc-bks.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link! I've updated the post with credit to you :)