yes, I know that education is important. Certainly the US government is paying through the nose for me to entertain myself with attending classes. But really, one has to set priorities.

My choice this afternoon was being a good kid and attending my Health Law class with an alternative of going to the As game. Now, for those of you who are not in any way a baseball fan it might seem as a little to no choice. I actually made that choice last night when I turned in my Thursday afternoon ticket for a second seat on Friday evenings game. It wasn’t an easy decision but a practical one: the game starts at 1235 and class doesn’t finish till 1530. I didn’t think there was any chance that the game would still be going long enough for me to get there.

As it turned out, I wouldn’t have made even the final out but in this case absolutely the game was still going on when class ended. That means over three hours. It means that I missed a great game.

Oh, I didn’t mention that the As wiped the Angels off the diamond?

Since class didn’t start till 1310, I watched the play-by-ply on my phone for the first couple of innings. And then, the third inning started shortly after the start of the class. I couldn’t resist and kept phone running while I desperately attempted to pay attention to the class. I mean really, defending medical malpractice vs watching the As score six runs in an inning?

It got worse, or better, depending on whether or not you want to feel sorry for the LA Angels.

Finally score? 21-2.

I didn’t last the whole game. It was cool. I can’t say it was cold; not when Minnesota or northern Sweden are my comparisons for what is really cold. Rather, my nose started to run, there ere way too many Yankee fans in our seating area. Once the sun went down, I was no longer blinded by the glare but the breeze came up.

All of this is either my excuse or explanation for heading home early. It explains why I missed seeing the As lose in the last couple innings.

And I survived my classes…

Since George went with me to the baseball game last night, I owed him. Well, sort of.

Anyway, I went along to the Cal football game this afternoon. He has season tickets in Section E which turns out to be well placed as far as being out of the direct sun by the time you hit half time, but not as great since there are no backs to the seats. The couple sitting next to us were great, one of those behind ran his mouth continually until well into the third quarter. An amazing number of opinions. Can’t judge their accuracy, I just don’t care that much about American Football. I don’t dislike it terribly, not like boxing which I firmly believe needs to be outlawed completely in all education to include the military (hint – the sport in which you win by inflicting brain damage on your opponent. Yes, I am Army, but that doesn’t mean that the Navy or Air Force need their heads rung…).

From there it was on to the As game by way of BART. Unfortunately, the As didn’t manage a complete come back and lost 8-7. I made it to just about the end of the game…..

I don’t think I am going to go for two games in a day again.

Not counting an As doubleheader of which there is maybe one every few years.

There seems to be a general opinion that my life currently seems to be all about baseball. Not exactly true, but since I am really not traveling anywhere in particular, it is something that is going on regularly in my life. Further helped, of course, by the fact that the As are actually playing decent ball a year or more ahead of what everyone predicted. They entered this season stating that this would be a year of rebuilding; surprising everyone but their dedicated fans on their play. Especially repeated success in coming back from a deficit in the 7th or later innings to pull off a win.

And then there was tonight’s game which turned out to be a battle of the bullpens which left most of us wondering how many relief pitchers were going to be activated by the time the game finished. Not counting the fact that Anderson pitched for seven innings you would predict 1-2 relief pitchers.

Did I mention that this bit of insanity lasted 13 full innings? With NO score till the bottom of the 13th? There were a couple of times when each team managed to get a runner on base, but then, between pitching and excellent fielding that last out was accomplished.

By the end of the 11th, I was completely wiped and it was barely 2200. Then I got a txt from George saying he was at North Berkeley to pick me up. Why? Oh, I read that you were on BART, but that was yesterday wasn’t it? Yep. Do you want me to head home? He went off to fuel the car and head home. I considered the game and superstition kicked in.

Every time I leave, the As win. If I stay? 50/50. I headed to BART and watched the rest of the game on my phone on the way home. Six to seven pitchers for each side, The new kid on the team, just called up from Nashville came through in the bottom of the 13th. His single brought in the first (and last) run of the game.

And we will do this again tomorrow, and Sunday, and Monday and ….

you get the idea.

I am long past the point where I am interested in fireworks or large crowded holiday celebrations. So why in the world, you wonder, am I at the ballpark with thousands of others on a sunny Wednesday afternoon? It might be because I actually enjoy watching baseball live. It might be because I really enjoy the griup with whom I sit.

It also could just be that I really didn’t want to clean and organize house, stufio, or garage.

Or more than one if the above. Don’tyou just love multiple guess?

Today’s score biard

The As won, pulling off their – come back in later innings game.

But really. I came to see what André was wearing.

In celebration of the 4th

there were more attending today’s game than were here last night. While the attendance might not seem much to you, it is impressive for a Wednesday afternoon, especially during the school year.

Apparently it was student day. I am used to seeing buses during the summer as teams, programs and summer camps fill Wednesday afternoon’w with trip to the Oakland Coliseum. But in May?

Since I was running late to the game and actually didn’t arrive until after the first pitch, I didn’t notice the dozens of school buses in the parking lot. Since I normally come in the ADA entrance on the BART side of the stadium, there weren’t lines of young people to wade through. But what became obvious early on was that there were a LOT Of young voices yelling. And yelling interesting chants at strange times.

There must have been 16 high schools, a dozen middles schools and an equal number of elementary schools with their names prominently featured on the big boards in the 4th/5th inning breaks. Then there was the great camera work featuring, it seemed, every last group at one time or another.

Even given a 4:2 loss, the kids seemed to be happy with their outing. A cluster of them, high school age, were on my BART headed toward MacArthur. A rather harried late 20s was with them. I asked her how many she had. Only this dozen. Are they all here? I certainly hope so! But most of them ride BART regularly and they all are interested in heading home….