Smokies vs. Lookouts

Monday evening I had an opportunity to attend a Smokies' home game with my family. We were guests of Caroline's cardiolgist and it was fun.

The weather was warm. I took the family up to the veranda / patio where the festivities were being held. Plenty of burgers and hot dogs, chips and chili awaited, as well as a tub of cold soda and a platter of cookies that were as big as your head.

I got them settled and headed down towards the first base dugout where a line had formed for autograph seekers of Ryne Sandberg. I waited in line for about 15 minutes before he arrived and then the line moved along. I guess I was there for about 35 minutes or so. When it was time for him to sign my card I offered him my new pointy Sharpie. He picked up one that he'd been using. The point was dulled, but it doesn't really matter in the long run. I said something like, "Thanks, Mr. Sandberg. Good luck tonight." He sort of grunted back. Not in a Get away from me kid, you bother me tone, but more of a It is in the mid '80s, I've been signing for 20 minutes, there's another 20 people that want things signed and my team is about 10 games out of first place type of grunt.

I let the ink dry, secured the card in a top loader and headed off to get some photos. Papelbon was pitching for the Smokies. Jeremy, not Jonathan.

Overall, I wasn't watching the game super close. I couldn't tell you who popped up when, which player made that great sliding catch or which pitcher couldn't catch the soft toss from the umpire.

I was taking some photos, talking with friends, corraling Caroline, explaining errors to Edison, enjoying the evening.

We left at the end of the ninth. The score was tied at 2. It was after ten o'clock and Caroline was fading fast.

This is what a full day of playing, reading, watching Dora the Explorer and nine innings of baseball looks like...

We had fun. So did this runner...

The Smokies won, 3-2 in the tenth. Here's the boxscore and the local newspaper writeup.

I'm going back.