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OBSERVATIONS FROM THE UPPER DECK - NLCS GAME FOUR
1. OCTOBER BASEBALL KICKS ASS
I've never been to an October baseball game. Until last night.
I thought I may have had a line on NLCS tickets a week or so ago...that was until my 'hookup' got a DUI and needed to scalp to raise some funds. I feel bad for him, but felt a little cheated at the same time. That was before I brought up baseball at a friends b-day party in Denver last Saturday. A good friend of ours said she had an extra ticket for game four (for $75) and she hadn't asked anyone yet. So, she asked me, and I looked straight at my wife (I think I pulled out the puppydog eyes, but I can't quite recall). Happily, I found myself accepting, and I was all set to make the trip.
I've been to lots of Rockies games over the years - I've been getting a Tuesday home game package for the past four years - but I've never experienced a baseball game with the atmosphere I witnessed last night. Pure electricity...for about 6 innings...
2. CAN THE HOME TEAM TAKE THE CROWD OUT OF IT?
Okay, the crowd wasn't really 'out of it', unless you count the belligerent b*tches that got hauled out of our section by the cops for being, well, belligerent.
The game was incredibly tense for the first four innings, especially after the D-backs struck first. It seemed they had begun to figure Morales out before the Rockies had much of a bead on Owings. I wondered how the Rockies would respond playing from behind - a situation they hadn't been in very much throughout the NLCS.
So, how do they respond? By putting in a rookie to pinch hit for Corpas (in the 4th inning!) with 2 on and 2 out. And how does *he* respond? By hitting a 2 run double, of course. What followed was a joyous 6 run 2-out rally that really showed how the Rockies have gotten it done the past month. They've lived on 2-out rallies.
So, with a 5 run lead after 4 innings, it seemed all that had to do was coast to the finish. It really did kind of take the tension out of it (which is nice) but it also sorta made it anticlimatic....through the 7th at least...
3. BROOMS
The brooms were kinda funny, but a little annoying. Especially when wielded threateningly by belligerent b*tches a few rows in front of us. I should have bought a wisk broom on the way in - I could use one in the garage.
4. NEVER COUNT A TEAM OUT OF IT
So, there we were, coasting to a franchise first World Series berth when the other team *gasp* made it a game. From where we sat, it looked like that deep ball to left was going to go foul, but the collective groan of the crowd indicated otherwise. Our setup man was beginning to come unravelled. We got tense again, and the game got much more interesting. Especially when we brought in out closer with 2 outs and the tying run at the plate...and Corpas came to the rescue.
5. NACHO REPORT
Sorry, Oh8ch, I don't dig on stadium nachos, though it looked like the people leaving the concession stands were satisfied, and they didn't seem to be skimping on cheese or jalapenos. Sadly, I don't think the cheese hombre was your type.
6. ANYBODY, ANYTIME
I know, the D-backs were using that motto, or something like it, but it's truly fitting for the Rockies this year. Rookie pitchers, #8 batters, rookie fielders, you name it, they've contributed. The Rockies are really playing as a team, and it shows.
7. FIREWORKS
I've never been closer to fireworks. I was in the upper deck in left field, and they shot them off over the scoreboard. They were almost at eye level. Quite impressive, and fun too.
I'd never witnessed any sort of trophy presentation. It was a ball. We didn't want to leave - I think at least 90% of the crowd stuck around to witness it. It was so nice to see a long suffering team (I know, we got nuthin' on the Cubbies) win the pennant. It's a moment I'll never forget and look forward to trying to score World Series tickets...
All in all, it's been a great ride so far and I look forward to seeing how the World Series plays out, whether or not I make it back to the stadium. Here's hoping the Rockies can continue to play solid baseball and show the rest of the country how far they've come...in the last month...
Go Rockies!!!
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