First Game of the Season

Saturday my father and I went to the Athletics game versus the Rangers.   I was extremely excited because it was my first game of the season so far and it was a give away! We got to the stadium super early as we always do and after getting our free hats decided to eat in the Westside Club.  I was so happy to be back in what I once heard called "the concrete ashtray"  also known as the Coliseum.  It will not win any marks for the best looking ballpark but so many of my childhood memories are rooted in the slabs of concrete that I would not change the Coliseum for anything. 

We went to the game with my neighbor who is apart of my extended baseball family.  Every hardcore baseball fan has a baseball family and by watching films such s Bleacher Bums and Fever Pitch one can see baseball families in action.  As we walked over the BART over pass to the stadium and looked out at the garbage infested estuary (what would you call it?) my neighbor Rita said, " I always expect to look over and see a body floating in it."  That sums up the aesthetics of the coliseum right there.  So the three of us went to the Westside Club for dinner and I have not seen such a non vegetarian friendly menu in a long time.  Actually being a vegetarian for 8 years had made going to games hard because most food is not vegetarian friendly but thank goodness for the potato stand at the coliseum! Cheese, potato, and broccoli never looked so good.  My father ordered the one vegetarian item on the menu and actually it was really good mini mushroom sandwiches.  I give the stadium props on that one item for being good.  It was so nice to sit and enjoy good baseball conversation and to seem my father after 6 weeks. 

I must say that was the most exciting part of the night because the Athletics must have missed the memo that I wanted to see a good game.  They did not hit well. They can have amazing games like the ones they played against the Angels and then get swept by the Rangers.  There are days when they get 20 hits and days where they have 1 hit. It is so frustrating and I would love some consistency in the lineup.  It was nice to see Frank Thomas back on the Athletics and the rest of the guys since I usually just listen to the radio.  Gaudin did not have a good game which was surprising because he has been pitching so well as of late.  My father and I stayed the whole game even thought the Athletics lost.