Game #162 of the season rarely culminates in the kind of drama that was seen in Oakland. My beloved A's spent the entire regular season shy of first place until they found themselves heading into the final game tied for 1st with the Texas Rangers, which just happened to be the team they were playing. Only one team would end the day on top of the AL West.
Thankfully my boss, Cat Collins, fully understood the importance of the game (albeit his love for baseball was the result of being a San Francisco Giants fan) and gave me the thumbs up to sneak out for the Wednesday day game at the coliseum. The fact that most in attendance likely had to make similar arrangements at their respective places of employment or learning underscored the level of fan who comprised the sold out crowd. We all knew how special this game had the potential to be, and the energy was electric from the very first pitch.
It was a neck-to-neck game until the bottom of the 4th inning. With the score tied at 5 apiece and two outs, Yoenis Céspedes hit a lackluster fly ball to center field. It should have been an easy catch for Josh Hamilton. Now I don't want to take ALL of the credit for what happened next, but I did yell "DROP!" at the top of my lungs in the split-second before... Josh Hamilton missed the catch.
Did Hamilton hear me? Was it my shout that broke his concentration and disrupted his ability to make a routine play? I'm not sure. However, it was an awesome feeling when everyone in the section I was sitting in spun around to gave a moment of recognition my way before erupting into a unified cheer.
One thing is for certain. The likelihood of me attending another game that would surpass the experience I had on this early October afternoon is very low. It'll be an experience I'll never forget with an Athletics squad I will forever respect. My 2012 AL West Division Champs hoodie will remain part of my wardrobe for the rest of my life.
It was quite the adventure for the little guy and me! Jackson and I woke up with the sun and hit the road. Our mission? A journey that would take us through four countries in a single day. Stop number one was Chateau de Bouillon, just across the Belgian border. It was fun to explore a legit castle that has existed well over a thousand years. Jackson had fun in the dungeon, and it really was amazing to explore and imagine all of the history that has taken place within those walls through the ages. Following our castle adventure, it was off to a pirate ship adventure... in the form of a pirate ship playground in Luxembourg. We spent at least an hour climbing, swinging, steering the ship and having a swashbuckling-good-time. Lunch was also had in Luxembourg. While my ballcap certainly wasn't representative of the cosmopolitan fashion on a workday, I had a cute little kid with me... which is a path to get good service just about anywhere. Thankfully, the establishment we chose had a so...
Despite having a reputation for being one of the busiest airports in the world, living within proximity of LAX has its advantages. The Friday before 3rd grade began for the kid, he and I set off for a 3 day adventure in Idaho via quick nonstop Delta flight to Boise. We travelled light - with just a couple of carry-on's - but picked up some pre-ordered items at Walmart upon landing. Cheap bedding, firewood, marshmallows and bottled water. Totaled about $30 bucks! From Walmart, we drove southeast for just over an hour to arrive at Bruneau Dunes State Park where we had the "Orion Cabin" booked. Grand total of $82 for one night. The cabin had a bunk bed (bedding not provided, hence the Walmart order), a fold-out futon and - perhaps most importantly - an air conditioning unit! After getting settled into the cabin, we headed to the town of Bruneau - population 552 - which was about a 15 minute drive from the state park's entrance. We ended up at The Cowboy's Pastime f...
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