Take Me Out to the Ballgame

For the second time in less than a week Drew hit up another baseball stadium - I think this is the first time he's been to the Oakland Coliseum.  This game was not on our agenda at the beginning of baseball season, I just stumbled onto some inexpensive tickets thanks to Groupon.

So Friday night after work and school we put on layers since it's mighty cold in Oakland, and got to the ballpark to pay an arm and a leg for dinner from the concession stands and took our seats - which were in right field near the foul pole line.  Pretty awesome seats I may add - we were in a row of three chairs giving Drew some room to play without annoying anyone next to us (I can't say for the people in front or behind us...).

Before the game against the Rangers got crazy we snapped a few shots.

Every time Josh Hamilton or Vladamir Guerrero came up to bat, Daddy grabbed his glove - you know to protect the family from home run balls.  Not to to score himself a game ball or anything.  Drew thought this ritual was pretty cool, so he too wanted to protect the family from rogue balls.

As the game went on, it became colder and colder.  Thankfully I came prepared not only with layers of clothing but blankets as well - since it was a fireworks show after the game.  Drew who usually hates blankets on him happily let us cover him with not one, but two different blankets.

Shortly after this picture was taken, Daddy did have to "protect the family" from a stray ball - one that the A's right fielder tossed up into the stands.  It was coming right for us, so Daddy with his outstretched glove tried to shield us.... only to topple the poor lady in front of us and to injure himself pretty bad.  He has to screw gouges in his left leg where he stepped down the stairs behind the chairs and very large bruises on his upper hamstring where he was pushed into the chairs in front of us by a very large man from across the aisle from us - who then jumped on top of Dave thinking he could get the ball.  Needless to say Dave did not walk away with the ball making the injury all that more painful.  The man sitting next to the crushed lady caught it and gave it to her for getting buried by three men.

Poor A's couldn't come out with a win:

But as I hinted at earlier, just because the game was over doesn't mean that the fun was!  We got to head to the field for fireworks.  First we had to wait in line for them to prep the field for our entrance.  And while we were in a mob of people many of whom were more than a little inebriated, Drew managed to entertain himself with some old turnstiles.  He thought it was great that when you turn the arm, the number on the side changes.  Kept him busy while Daddy nursed his injuries.... which were now bleeding.

Then it was time to hit the field!

After playing "When the Lights Go Down in the City" - well the lights went down in the stadium, but they lit up the sky!  Since we missed a big fireworks show on the 4th of July - this more than made up for it!  It was a production playing to a montage of Beatles songs.  It was absolutely AWESOME!

I was a little nervous that Drew would have a hard time with the fireworks.  One because they were so loud and two because it was so far past his bedtime I fully expected a meltdown.  Thankfully neither was an issue and we made it home without much incident - other than having to wait out the massive crowds trying to get on BART after fireworks.