Baseball and Browncoats

I watched the pre-game Ring Ceremony and the raising of the Championship banner of The Sox on NESN. And, dammit, I should have been there. But what can you do? Actually, I can be pissed but I’ll get over it eventually.

This is the first home opener that I have not been to since 1986. Every year I made sure I was front and center in the ticket line, on the phone or whatever. A couple of years I even paid a scalper just to make sure I was there. But this year, with the Yankees playing and the banner being raised, it’s a “plasma” ticket: So much money that you are better off buying a HD plasma TV and watching it on that. That way you have the same memory and a nice TV afterward. I did put some money aside to buy a ticket off EBay even if it meant that I would get a standing room ticket by myself, but I was outbid at every turn.

So after it was evident that I just wasn’t gonna get a ticket at the price I was willing to pay. So I took my "set aside" money and I went to I-Con, a SF convention on Long Island. And I had the greatest time. I made new friends, met new guests and drank many a beverage with both. One of the people I met was author Keith DeCandido (his blog link is on the right). When I first met him I cringed upon seeing his Derek Jeter jersey, but once we got to talking, I found him and very cool guy and a great drinking buddy. He is a true baseball fan, not just a Yankee fan. I also met actress Jewel Staite and her husband Matt. She is a really nice person that is very comfortable with her fans and Matt is a very fun guy to be around. I truly feel that I made the right choice in making the trip.

The next con for me is Shore Leave in July, which will be doubly cool because The Sox will be playing The Orioles in Camden Yards that weekend and I got myself, Bismo and others tickets to games on Saturday and Sunday. And later this week I am going to the next best thing to a Red Sox opening day - The PawSox Opening Day at McCoy Stadium.