Games Attended 2009 Part I

Ok, so I broke out the scorecards and began to sift through them. Here's a little of the early data.

I attended 22 Tiger games, 20 at Comerica and 2 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Get ready for it, the Tigers won 18 of the games I attended in 2009! I'm way ahead of you here. I must purchase season tickets for 2010, because clearly I am a charmed woman who conjures Tiger victories out of my magic giant yellow knockoff Dolce bag that I take to every game (because each item necessary to a prepared fan can fit inside its capacious confines). Donations may be submitted to fund the aforementioned season tickets. A worthy cause, no?

Here are the starting pitchers (and the corresponding Tiger victories):

Verlander: 6 starts, 5 victories

Porcello: 3 starts, 3 victories (the kid likes cougars, what can I say?)

Jackson: 4 starts, 3 victories

Galarraga: 2 starts, 2 victories (no doubt, Armando needs me at each and every one of his starts)

Robertson: 3 starts, 2 victories

Figaro: 1 start, 1 victory

Bonine: 2 starts, 1 victory

Washburn: 1 start, 1 victory

Yes I saw the one good Washburn start, yes, believe it, revel in it. AND Inge hit the walkoff winner in the bottom of the ninth, AND my friends surprised me with tickets and a group outing, AND put a birthday greeting on the CoPa scoreboard for me, it's beyond storybook, kiddies.

Now it all began on April 14, when the first game I was slated to attend got rained out, and I found myself in a rank mood for a couple days. I mean, the season started late because of the World Baseball Classic, I didn't go to the opening series, I was supposed to see Porcello's CoPa debut that day...the gripe list goes on and on.

My first game of the year would then be the Yankees on April 27, which I happened to attend with a couple blokes you might know, Blake of the Spot Starters and Rogo from DesigNate Robertson. Ian, distinguished Editor Emeritus over at Bless You Boys, was supposed to join us, but had a better offer. I assume it was the likes of Zooey Deschanel, because what other influence could cause someone to ditch three such illustrious bloggers? It was great meeting Blake and talking some baseball, but Rogo kept interjecting details about his mancrush on Derek Jeter the whole game. It got a little nauseating after a while.

Part II coming soon to a theater near you.

Grand Finale

Some dear friends of mine surprised me with tickets to Friday night's game for my birthday--Thank you Patty and Joe! A group of nine of us went down to the CoPa to take in the game, and several of our party had never been to the new ballpark. We had a few kids along, too, and while the game wasn't necessarily suited to kids' or the casual fan's taste, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a Washburn and Greinke duel. I even started to get nervous as Washburn took a no-no into the fifth, but that was broken up before my stomach turned into a knotted mess.

I became very spoiled as the night wore on. My friends insisted on paying for everyone's snacks all evening. Then they made sure I watched as a birthday message from them flashed on the jumbotron. Mercifully, they left off my age, which, let's just say is no longer a spring chicken's.

We enjoyed warm summer weather, good conversation, bad-for-you ballpark food, and a terrific pitching matchup. As the ninth inning came around, my little 6 year old friend started getting antsy for the fireworks. I told her not to worry, we'd score here and end the game so the fireworks could begin.

Voila! My wish is Brandon Inge's command, as he parks one over the left-field fence into the bullpen. A walk-off home run winner! Could I have scripted it any better? Surely this too was another of my friends' efforts to make the world revolve around me for one night.

We stayed for the fireworks, but as I watched them, I couldn't get my mind off Brandon's grand finale to the game.

Friends, Tigers, Jerrod, Brandon, I thank you!

(And I guess I'm going to have to issue that apology to Brandon Inge after all.)

Catharsis

Well, yesterday began with anticipation. At lunchtime, I was aflutter with excitement, by 4:00 I was awash with anger and envy, and at around midnight, deep disgust set in.

Quite a day for the emotions all in all. I was very anxious to see whether we'd make any moves all day at work. At lunch, I had to run out, so I got the news on sports talk radio that we'd acquired Jerrod Washburn. Instant excitement! If you read my previous post, I had requested Jerrod Washburn, so my wish came magically true. Then, I was REALLY figuring we'd get that bat, since we didn't have to part with all our chips to get Washburn.

As the deadline approached, I got home from work , and tuned in to MLB.TV and frantically scanned the Internet for news. When four o'clock came and went with no word of a deal, I held out hope that one was made just at the deadline and would shortly be announced. A deal was announced shortly thereafter, but it was one that stunned and sunk my emotions simultaneously.

The Sox get Peavy? No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

I know they gave up a lot to get him. I know he's on the DL, with an uncertain return date. It still squashed all my newfound swagger. Now our failure to add a bat feels that much more crucial. Ugh.

To add insult to injury, we lost to what my Indians fan neighbor now calls a minor league team. I stayed 'til the bitter end, and a bitter pill it was indeed. What the stink was Mark Shapiro thinking giving up VIctor Martinez, who wanted to stay, who cried in his press conference. Don't you want to keep a player like that? A quality talent who wants to be with your club? Boggling my mind all day long.

Anyway, Indians are inducting Sandy Alomar Jr. into the team's Hall of Fame tonight, so expect a big crowd.