YES!!!! It's Opening Day!!!! All is right with the world!!!
There's always great anticipation going to the park for the first time in a season, especially TPFKAC™, now known As U.S.Cellular Field.
Outside, the parking lots are jammed with people tailgating before the gates open. Near the gates, there are bands playing. A great festive atmosphere. Inside the park, it still has that same familiar feel, but things are changing. The biggest noticeable change is the huge multistory Fundamentals kids training facility in left field. Unfortunately, I couldn't go in to check it out - an adult needs to be escorted by a kid! Now, I don't have a kid to bring to the place, but I'm all for the rule - it'll help keep the rowdy drunks out of there during a game and spoiling it for the kids.
The next change is the new seating area behind the plate called "Scout Seats" (sponsored by United). These are large upholstered seats with small side tables that cost at least $190 for the privilege to sit in. I wrote about this last year. The area looks gorgeous. Around the Scout Seats, where they had to pour new concrete for the area, they replaced some of the old "pool blue" seats with brand new green seats. YESSSSSS!!!!!! The park is turning green!!!! But, it was a clear case of "be careful of what you wish for..." as I decided to sit one for a test drive... they're narrower! Bastards! There's another small problem around the Scout Seats - the new concrete has stairs of differing heights, which is going to make for some bad navigating by drunken fans. Anyway, the entire Club level has the new green seats, this patchy area around the Scout Seats, and they replaced the bleachers in left-center with green bleachers.
The Weather - for the season opener being at home for the first time in a long time - was really quite pleasant - sunny and 64 degrees. Our seats were in the 10th row, way down the 1st base line. In fact, we were sitting one section closer to the plate than when we first go our season tickets almost 10 years ago. We've only moved 6 sections, but there's a big difference in visibility.
The game itself was a bit boring, if you mean a pitcher duel as both teams only had 2 hits each up until the 7th. Mark Buehrle pitched a good game - and quick, as usual: 1:51. The attendance was a sell-out - 38,141 - but I really don't have a clue any more on what capacity is for this place (they've made so many seating changes to it, it's hard to tell... I'm going to have to look it up in the Media Guide. The only other problem: anarchy in the men's rest rooms. Lines for the women's rest rooms? Non-existent. The men's? Long. Brutal. People giving up and going in the exit door, screwing it up for the rest of us. Bring back the trough!
After the game we had dinner at Janie & Gary's condo.
(Boxscore)
2006- White Sox 2 - Indians 8
2004- Peeps!
- TAR6 Casting, TAR5 Sighting, new rules... and a Big Brother Tie-in?
2003- White Sox 5 - Tigers 2
- This is not going to be fun...
- Friday 5 - Stand in the place where you live
2002- Survivor Marquesas - Episode 6
- Final Day of Radiation Therapy Chauffeur™ duty