Welcome to FanPost Friday! It's that time of the week when I ask you to write something about the Orioles for a change.
Last week's topic was to write about the Oriole from our past who you think doesn't get remembered enough. I wrote about Jim Gentile. You all gave me five responses with the top three being:
- Lee May, by 33
- Mike Cuellar, by Fart_Shoes
- The Orioles Team Doctors, by O's-less in Seattle
We're going to take a different turn this week. I want you to write me a FanPost about your Orioles game day experience. You can frame it in your own way, but here are some questions that could help you build your narrative:
- What are your pre-game rituals? Do you have a restaurant or bar you like to attend before heading into the park? Do you get to the park at 5 p.m. or just as first pitch is about to be thrown?
- Who do you normally attend games with? Where are your favorite seats? What things do you go inside the stadium other than watch the game?
- Do you eat at the game? What's your favorite ballpark food? Do you buy it inside the stadium, or pack your snacks at home?
- If you take your kids to the game, are you the kind of parent who lets them jump in the bouncy house and play the kid-themed games, or do you all stay in your seats and watch the game?
- When the game is over, do you go straight home? Hang around for autographs? Head to Pickles Pub?
My pre-game experience has become almost non-existent at this point. Back in my younger days I'd drink a few beers at Pickles or somewhere similar before almost every game. But now those days are pretty much gone, I may do it once or twice a year if I'm going to the game with a group. I'm not as young as I once was and I don't generally drink during the week.
I go to almost every game with my husband, and we sometimes get dinner out before the game somewhere near by like Chipotle, Pratt Street Alehouse, or we walk to Federal Hill if there is enough time. When we do that we usually get to the game just about at first pitch. In the most recent game we attended we had to wait in the tunnel until the national anthem ended before we could go to our seats.
More often, though, we get to the ballpark a little bit ahead of time and get food there. It's more expensive, but it's all part of the experience in my opinion. Paul always gets the crab dip waffle fries, I'm usually with him but sometimes get a sausage and peppers or hot dog instead. We usually bring bottles of soda in from the outside, because paying $4.25 for a coke is is just too much.
If it's the weekend or it has been a stressful day, I'll buy a beer instead of drinking a soda. Right behind our seats in the concourse are stands for Flying Dog, Dogfish Head, and Heavy Seas, so there are plenty of options. If it's >85 degrees I like to get Bud Light Lime.
Speaking of our seats, we have a season ticket plan in section 334, row 2. You can get better seats in house, of course, but I don't think you can beat the value of upper deck seats right behind home plate. Sometimes fellow Camden Chatter Gamecock24 is there as his seats are one row up, two seats over from ours.
I don't usually get up except to use the bathroom once the game starts, although if it's hot out I might go get another drink or an ice cream. But mostly I just watch the game and Tweet between innings. If they're winning I'm happy, if they're losing I'm cranky. But either way after the game is over I realize that I'd rather have spent the evening there than doing pretty much anything else.
After the game we go straight home, again something that has changed since my younger days. If the Orioles won I can't wait to turn the car radio to Joe Angel to listen to the highlights. If they lost we listen to music.
So that's me. What about you? I want to hear all about your personal game day experience, so head over to the FanPosts and write me something good.