A friend of mine has a clergy pass to the Red Sox and I had the pleasure of going to the ol' bandbox with him last night. It's a pretty good deal. You show up 2 hours before game time, pay $7 each and get a standing room ticket. We ended up behind home plate in very nice (read expensive) seats for the first 3 full innings. Beautiful night and a great performance from the Sox' big free agent signing this year.
But recent events in Boston, including our trip to Fenway, stir an age old question in me. On Sunday, the Sox were being shut out into the 9th inning down 5 runs with one out and no one one. By that point in the game, many of the Fenway faithful had left. The sox then proceeded to put up 6 runs and win the game on an error at 1st base. Many people missed it. Last night, Rick and I decided to leave the game during the bottom of the 8th because Matsusaka had pitched well, Papelbon was warming up and the Sox scored 4 insurance runs in that inning. We figured they wouldn't send Daisuke back out. But they did and we were on a Green Line train while he was finishing off the first (perhaps only) complete game by a Sox pitcher this season.
When I was a kid, our trips to Fenway usually included 55 of our closest friends. They were most often Sunday School or Vacation Bible School trips from Manchester, NH to reward those who came every Sunday or who attended every session of a VBS. With that big of a crowd and our vans parked at the ARC (Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center) which was near Fenway but on the exact opposite side from the bleachers where we always sat, we would ALWAYS leave before the game was over. I would agonize about that as a kid and resent my father for being so cruel as if those aluminum bleachers with no backs weren't cruel enough in the hot summer sun. Anyway, now as an adult, I have long ago forgiven my father (and understand his reasoning), but I still get a pit in my st0mach somewhere between the 7th inning stretch and Sweet Caroline thinking "oh no, I might have to leave this game early. I don't want to miss anything." So I hardly ever leave early now. Last night I did and I missed something special.
So here's the question all this brings up. Do you leave games early? How do you decide whether or not to leave early? Have you ever missed a big comeback or something special by leaving a game early? Just wondering if anyone out there shares my sports-related issues.
9 comments:
I have been to many baseball games and we never left early. I always wondered about those groups of people who seemed to already know enough.
I know I would have felt like I was going to miss something and I wonder if that is why my Dad always stayed to the last moment too.
I think this is the same reason as a kid I always tried to stay awake as long as possible. LOL!
I don't want to miss a thing!!!
I've left a couple games early, but it's rare, because I usually show up late. What else is new?
Tell Rick that he needs to call me so we can go to the Braves/Sox game on Sunday.
Seth, Scott, and I were there with my parents last night for Mothers'/Fathers' Day - neither of my parents had ever been to Fenway. And no we did NOT leave early. Never. I'm still not quite sure what you were thinking... it was amazing.
I have adult ADHD. What do you think? Want to ride bikes now?
Since I was a teenager, I have stayed for the whole game no matter what. I had the privilege to attend the first game at Gillette Stadium when the NE Patriots played the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night football. The Pats had just won the Super bowl and they were on a roll! Myself and a friend both huge Steeler's fan watch our beloved Steelers get absolutely destoyed. We sat there in our Steeler decor but we stayed. The whole game one of the toughest I had done up to that point.
Stay enjoy the game even if your team is getting destoyed or if your team is up by 5.
I'm from Toronto - The Jays haven't done really well since the early 90's - what do you think? Do we leave early? Of course...the stands aren't full anyway! It was fun back in the day, though, when the dome was first built and there were a lot more fans.
However, I may stick around if I ever make it to Fenway, just b/c of all the hype behind the place! Its a stadium, how different can it be from the next?!?!
**now I'm going to turn and run before anyone attempts to catch me and the flogging begins!**
I've been to one Red Sox game in the past five years. It was last May. It rained the entire game, prompting them to call the game after the sixth and they lost 6-0. And it was a downpour. Torrential downpour. We didn't leave early. Didn't even think about it and booed when they called the game.
You do not leave early. Not from Fenway. Not from the Red Sox. Not ever. I once wrote and will write again that people who leave after the seventh inning are the same people who leave church during the altar call. That those innings are what the game, the story, the current has been culminating too. That's why you come. And that's why you stay. Win or lose, you sit through it for those of us that can't be there.
And I loved that pastor's pass. I saw dozens of games each year -- rotating in and out with my brother for each game. Always got great seats too. Oh. And I always stayed.
Drew I completely relate and for the excat same reasons. My dad would always leave early usually because he isn't much of a sports fan and just wanted to get us home because he would have to also drive half adozen corps kids to all of their houses. And its for that reason that i hate leaving a league game early.
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I don't have a story about leaving early but I can tell you that it was amazing to be at the Park when The Sox hit 4 back to back to back to back (4) consecutive homeruns in one inning. The place was electric and we were there on a whim. We ahd to take Greg's sister to Logan and Greg said let's just stop by gate E and see if we can land some tickets! I love that guy! We landed first base grandstand in section 17 ot 19 looking out at Dice-K as he took on the Yankees for the first time at Fenway. OH WHAT A NIGHT!
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