Going to the Ballpark With My Baseball Scorecard

I don't really care whether we win or lose, but it's always nicer if we win. The walk back to my car after a winning game is a lot more fun. When we lose, just about everyone is down in the dumps, and it's hard to engage any fans in conversation after a loss.

What I like about going to an Orioles game is being at the ballpark. I look forward to buying my peanuts, sodas, and other munchies for the game from the outside vendors. Outside the ballpark you can get a soda for one or two bucks, but inside you're looking at four bucks for a soft drink.

Same thing with peanuts. Outside you'll spend a couple of bucks. Inside, a small bag will cost you three bucks or more. It's not that I can't afford the extra money inside. But I know the vendors outside the park are trying to make a living and working hard. I usually buy from the same people each time.

I'm one of those baseball score-keeping fans. I used to pay $5 or so for a program, but Outside Pitch sells their newsletter outside the ballpark for only $2, and that includes a stapled-in scorecard and a pencil. I regularly buy the newsletter for the articles, but I don't like their baseball scorecard, so I print out a few before I leave for the ballpark and use my own.

After the ballgame I look forward to a couple of musicians who always play outside the game. Yes, they're looking for some money ... the hat is always out front when they're playing. The trumpet player, though, is good enough that I'll stand and watch/listen to him play for ten minutes before I walk away. Both my son and I generally add a buck or so to the pile in the hat.

We used to have a drummer outside the park who played upbeat rhythms as we walked to our cars. I haven't seen him for about a year. I hope he's back this year. He was worth a buck or two for the entertainment. Instead of a drum set, he was using upturned plastic tubs. And he was good at it. He usually drew a crowd. Again, I hope he's back this year.

I also have a favorite place to park. It's a few blocks away, but by the time I get to my car, all the traffic is gone and I never have a wait in traffic (except maybe a wait to get out of the parking lot). Once I leave the lot, I'm home in 20 minutes (I live about 10 miles away).

Oh, yeah, I enjoy the game too. Keeping score of a baseball game means I don't worry so much whether we win or lose. I'm keeping score on my baseball scorecard. That's the important part of the game for me. I hope that there's more high numbers on the Orioles' side of the card. But just keeping score alone keeps me interested in the game, no matter what happens.

Hope to see you at the game.



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