It’s the Best/It’s the Worst
We knew this day was going to be special. We had been talking with our friend Wade, groundskeeper at AT&T Park, and he was saying cool words,
We’ll get you on the field at AT&T Park.
Some of us had been on a field before. Growing up playing Little League ball in Kansas City, we were able to walk around the warning track of Kauffman Stadium and be displayed on the JumboTron. 4th of July fans at Coors Field, if you sit in a certain section, are moved down to lay on the outfield grass and look up at the fireworks display overhead.
Being “on the field” was nothing new. It was HOW we got on the field that was new.
We started in Union Square at a sports bar watching the NFL draft and putting on our orange colors for the “Orange Out” that was to occur at the game. Biking to the game was a whiz. Right by traffic, at the game in no time.
We arrived at the game and immediately looked for a good bike parking lot. There IS a bike parking garage. However, we were staying after the game to run around on the field, and the bike parking lot was only open for 30 minutes following the game. So, that wasn’t an option.
So we asked the police around the stadium what would be the most secure. They mentioned, without too much advice, that we could park our bikes near their vehicles, and they should be OK. So we parked ‘em near, hoping for the best and headed into the game.
We hustled in to make sure that we were 3 for 3 in terms of seeing the first pitch of the game. After seeing the first pitch delivered by Eric Hacker (was hoping for The Freak), we made our way to our Standing Room Only (SRO) seats in right field looking out over McCovey Cove. Even though Bonds, who we collectively agree was enhanced with something other than natural power, is the player we remember most for smashing homers into the cove beyond; it’s still cool to imagine a ball flying over your head and into the Bay.
*There have been 60 home runs that have been hit into McCovey Cove. Barry Bonds has hit 35 of them. The next closest hitter has 6 and he’s Pandarrific
We met with Wade, our groundskeeper buddy who got his start in Denver for the Rockies and chatted for a bit near the right field foul pole to talk baseball and the city life in San Francisco. Real funny guy. It was nice knowing someone at the ballpark as well to tell us, even though Xtra-Large needed no pushing, to “eat the garlic fries cause they’re fantastic.” Xtra-Large loves garlic fries, FYI ladies.
We got to see the Panda, Mr. Pablo Sandoval, extend his hit streak to 20 games! 3 shy of the Giants record (since 1900) which is held by…
For the second half of the game we moved over to the iconic Coca-Cola and baseball mitt section of left field. The game atmosphere was getting cold and so were the fans toward the Giants. AT&T was full of roaring energy and excitement after Angel Pagan’s leadoff homer in the first, but had since turned to a “mumble shuffle” (quieter crowd) after the 7th inning. It was Friday night at AT&T and the fans out in left field seemed to focus more on the weekend than on the Giants.
We performed, what has become, our classic rendition of the 7th inning stretch sing-a-long, Take Me Out to the Ballgame. A late homer from Buster Posey got the home crowd excited for a short stretch, but it wasn’t enough to provide the spark they needed. The Giants fell to the Padres 5-3.
We made our way down to the backstop behind home plate to wait our turn to head out onto the field. We met Ike on our way to the field, a quad roller skater, who had done some skate touring back in the day. That would be a workout!
As Wade welcomed us onto the field for the first time, we quickly shed our cycling backpacks, helmets and extra layers so that we could run as freely around the infield as humanly possible for five 27-yr olds.
We took turns throwing imaginary pitches like The Freak and taking grounders like Joaquin Arias (Giants SS for the night). I hope we get to do this in more ballparks, but with 60 kids! Imagine the chaos! Would be so fun! And a dream come true for them as well and at such an early age. We’ll make it happen this summer.
After we had caused enough ruckus on the field, it was time to grab our bikes, lay our weary eyes to rest and head to Los Angeles. But, we needed to get our bicycles first. Herein, lay the problem.
I’m going to throw it out there, that walking back to your bike and seeing your lock in two pieces and the empty bike rack where your bike used to sit, is top 3, worst feeling in the world. It definitely is to a cyclist. Even more so, when you’re on a bike tour across the country. Unfortunately, this was the fate that waited for B4B riders Steve and Adam this night.
Friday night was a pretty up and down night for us. HUGE emotion swings. Super jubilant for the game and on the field, then, one of the most depressing moments we’ve ever had. Which, probably says something as to how privileged a life we’ve led.
But having the bike stolen was more than just the bike being stolen. It was what surrounded the bike. The bike was just the metaphor. The bike gets us from point A to point B. And gets us there in a cool and slow way. But we’d given our lives to this cause, to this vision, to “changing the world.” And at that moment right there, sitting on the pavement, not wanting it to end so early, trying to spin things in a positive way and thinking,
Why does the world make it so hard to change it?
Well, it’s because it’s testing you. Seeing how much you want it. Making sure you’re in it to win it.
Today is a new day for the Biking for Baseball team as it is a new day for everyone else in the world. We’re excited to put one pedal in front of the other, excited to get to LA, and excited for our next youth event with BBBS of Orange County. B4B ON!
Gm 1– 4/13 @ Safeco Field – Oakland A’s @ Seattle Mariners
Oakland wins 4-0 (WP – Colon, LP – Hernandez)
Gm 2 – 4/24 @ O.Co Stadium – Chicago White Sox @ Oakland A’s
Oakland wins 2-0 (WP – Milone, LP – Floyd, SV – Balfour)
Gm 3 – 4/27 @ AT&T Park – San Diego Padres @ San Francisco Giants
San Diego wins 5-3 (WP – Luebke, LP – Hacker, SV – Street)
Next up… Los Angeles!