SpringTraining

Fort Meyers, City of Palms Park, March 2005

Yep, I broke down. I couldn't stand it. They won the World Series, gosh darn it! I had to go and besides Meg wanted to go to.

So, I surfed ebay in February for tickets and found some reasonably priced tickets for this once (maybe more, wink wink) in a lifetime event. I booked a couple of tics on "Run For You Life" Air and away we went. It was a Thursday game so we arrived on Wednesday, scoped out Fort Myers and City of Palms Park, checked into our roach motel and bedded down for the night.

The next morning we arrived at the ball park well before the gates opened and hung out around the outside of the park. Preceding us onto the property was Dan O'Shaunessey. I was tempted to ask him how the sales of his "Curse of the Bambino" book was doing since the Red Sox became world champions but, alas, I am a coward and lack the cojones.

Through the chain link that separated us from the bullpen we watched David Wells, Wade Miller, and that Korean side arm throwing fella take some warm ups.

The gates were manned by snowbirds who's migration from the Boston area and love of baseball brings them to the City of Palms Park every winter. Now that's the kind of retirement I could sink my teeth into. Walking past the Boston Globe newspaper dispensers into the park and listening to the absent "r"s in the accents of the patrons made me feel hauntingly at home.

Our seats were in the newly created third base side "dugout" section which is a very glamorous way of saying a section that provides an ants view of the field through green netting and thick padded bars. The seats were not ideal for watching the game but did provide a very close proximity for getting autographs. Meg was into the autographs and managed to obtain Luis Tiant, Mike Timlin, Johnny Pesky and a journey man from Oakland whose name escapes me (Johnny Pesky called Meg "Angel" -- what does he know that I don't -- just kidding, Meg) Bill Muellar and Kevin Millar came over to the fence right by us but the crowd was too large at that point and Meg couldn't muscle over although she tried like a real trooper.

The game was against the Cards and was actually a very entertaining one. Lots of hitting and scoring. Tim Wakefield started and gave way to Keith Foulke and a whole host of pitchers. Manny and Papi jacked a couple and the Red Sox managed a victory.

Little did we know, Curt Schilling was pitching a simulated game in a field adjacent to the playing field. It was the first real pitching Schilling had done since his ankle operation but we missed it.

Following the game the fab five from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy skipped out onto the field and presented some player makeovers. Johnny Damon, Doug Mirabelli, Kevin Millar, Tim Wakefield, and Jason Varitek all strutted out to the pitchers mound in Versace and sandals, looking hot and tastey to the women in the stands and the Fab Five on the field. It was a little too much for me and Meg so we departed before the charade was complete.

Definitely a good time. I hope we can do it again sometime.