take us out to the ballgame

Take us out to the ballgame...to be photo-bombed.

Although it always inspires debate, especially amongst football fans, it is said that baseball is America's game. As a girl my uncle would occasionally take my little brother and me to the LSU baseball games on Friday nights. I wouldn't say I ever really enjoyed the game. However, I enjoyed the snacks, the t-shirts, souvenirs and the people watching. I don't believe I ever really got into the game of baseball until 2004. It was then that my gut told me that the Red Sox were going to win the World Series and the Curse of the Bambino would be broken. The 2004 American League Championship made me a Red Sox fan and a baseball fan for life.

I was living in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania at the time. I was an assistant aquatic director. Basically that means you work a lot of hours and you wear many hats. One of the hats I wore was swim coach. I had no idea swim team parents could be like those crazy soccer parents until I moved to Pennsylvania. The stories I could tell. I coached with three male coaches and one other female coach. Two of the guys were pretty hardcore into baseball. We had a die hard Phillies fan, an Orioles fan, and (I save the best for last) a die hard Cubs fan. I fell into baseball, essentially, so the pool desk conversations consisted of something other than swimming.

Eric,on the other hand, grew up loving baseball. He played every summer as a kid, collected the cards and afternoon Cubs games (before there were lights at Wrigley Field) were always on after school. 

Cool Cats

This is all a backdrop to our recent trip out Alex Box Stadium to watch the LSU Tigers take on the Nicholls State Colonals. To say it was perfect conditions for baseball would be a less than accurate statement. Rain was on the way, but we would not be deterred. Also, our seats were under the grandstand. We weren't exactly going to actually get wet. 

Cloudy conditions loom over Championship Plaza.

The weather was clear when we first arrived. People congregated outside the stadium snapping photos with the Mike the Tiger statue and taking in LSU baseball history at Championship Plaza.

The Swamp Sausage Dog

Once inside, we hit up the concession stand. We usually don't eat before or after a game. We enjoy eating at the ballpark. It's part of the experience for us. I got the Swamp Sausage Dog. Basically a sausage link on a bun that's covered in red peppers grilled onions. I added jalapeno peppers, because hot makes everything better. Eric stuck with a plain sausage poboy. Booorrriiinnnggg!

First pitch!

As the game played on, the weather rolled in. Specifically in the fifth inning. The rain hit hard and the tarp was rolled out. The rain cleared out after about a 45 minute delay and the Tigers were back on the field and in control. Some of the crowd cleared out, so those who were caught in the rain moved under the grandstand and were obvious. They were the wet ones. The new crowd included the Nicholls State softball team. They played Southern University earlier in the day and were grouped together routing on their Colonel brothers. It was cool to see students routing for their peers...as long as LSU won. Then a weather alert came on my phone. Another band of rain was on its way. We love LSU baseball, but...we still had work in the morning. Did we really want to be here all night? Answer: we cut out in the seventh inning. We all won that night. LSU secured a 10-1 victory and we made it home dry.

Aaaaand...here comes the tarp.

It is becoming a popular opinion that baseball's position as America's game is over. Football is taking its place. I will admit that watching a baseball game on television doesn't seem as exciting as watching football on television. Even though they both essentially last about three hours on average. Baseball has its challenges with capturing the attention of young fans. It's our opinion that baseball is best experienced at the ballpark. Get out to a ballpark soon. You'll have a great time!