So You're Saying There's a Chance?!

Yesterday evening I got to go see our Angels take on those lousy Cleveland Indians. There's a bit of history here with this ballclub- it seems that everytime we go, there ends up being some sort of conflict between Halo and Tribe fans. Tonight's game was no different.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we? It's running diary time!

4:06 Find a Rite-Aid that's shutting down. Everything is 40-70% off. Bryan, Anthony, and I are ecstatic. Bryan purchases a remover, I buy all the remaining Polaroid film.

4:40 Arrive at 99 Cent store. Purchase sunflower seeds, peanuts, chips, and cups. Grand total- $4.07. I love it. Today is good. Here is also where Anthony explains to me a grading scale- more on that another time.

4:55 Get to Vons to buy some brew to fill aforementioned cups. Decision is made quickly with Sam Adams Seasonal White Ale. At this point Tony and I are getting hungry. Hunger level teetering in the high 8's. While Bryan was being rung up, he was asked if he wanted to donate money to a foundation. He obliged, and was rewarded with a PA announcement and standing ovation from the grocery. Kudos, Bryan!

"Man, if I would have known they would have done that I wouldn't have donated." -Bryan, always embarassed at the sight of any sort of recognition.

5:11 Arrive at Mike and Melissa's. We hustle it all in and we're on our way.

5:14 Our friend Michael Dogger calls in, and asks if my phone receives email. I say yes, and give him the address, half worried and half excited as to what would pop up in the inbox.

5:24 A story is told about a license plate seen on the freeway yesterday. It reads, THEFN91. Picture to come in future post. Hunger level in the 9's. Not sure how much longer I can take. Did we leave the chips in the trunk? Oh no. Wait. There they are. I think I'll hold off. I hope we eat.

5:30 Michael Cox informs us that we will not break stride and will consume food at our ritual spot- Del Taco. Inside I scream. Hunger level starts to subside at news of potential food intake.

5:42 Arrive at The Del. Bryan gets strange looks for his beard. I order food. I am happy. Today is getting even better. Anthony and I spot a man who is on break from Medieval Times.

5:46 Phone vibrating. Dogger's email chimes in. It reads..

Just felt like I needed to add my touch to the night! I'm sorry you will be witnessing a tough game for the A Team! I am there in spirit. Love, Mike

Oh! An attatchment. It's a picture...let's see.



Why are we not surprised? We continue eating our food.

6:19 We enter the gates, park, and open our brew. Eclectic parking lot tonight. Jeep with a raccoon tail on it's antenna. Truck with a lone wolf decal. Anyone remember Pick of the Lot at Angel Stadium where they would pick the dingiest car and enter it to win a chance at a new gas guzzling one?

6:40 Beer gets a little heavy. We realize that this kind of beer isn't good for tailgating, and that we should have stuck with the cheap stuff. We start throwing the ball around. Hunger level at -6, regurgitation imminent. I hand my glove to someone else and sit down. Whew. Ok, I'm ok. Let's go.

7:11 We get to our seats, and hey! It's Garret Anderson Clock Night! Pretty ugly, but at least it came with a battery. One more and I can put them in my camera.

7:40 Not too many tribe fans tonight. Usually they come in droves, but tonight I think they stayed home. Maybe it was Jason Michaels' batting average that scared them, or maybe it was Torii Hunter's face on the ticket that had them with their tails in between their legs. Gosh, I really don't like Cleveland.



8:29 Great game so far. Pitching duel to say the least, but lots of walks issued. We start to get hassled by this little kid. Annoying doesn't do the little grom justice, but we commend him for his bravery. We likened it to a young gazelle wanting to make fun of the lionesses in the lion's den.



9:18 Torii breaks the tie with a shot to left! Tonight really is my night! Explosions! Fireworks! Rally Monkeys! Oh My!

9:34 In between innings I joke that Frankie's on his way out of the 'pen to blow us a save. A few minutes later it's 2-2, Cleveland. Now it's 3-2. Scratch that. 4-2. Baby Grady in the first row starts yelling all sorts of jeers. Says it's over, to kiss it goodbye. I turn and look for his parents, and spot his father in a cutoff denim jacket a few rows behind me. It looks like he's wearing a Led Zeppelin tour shirt.

9:44 Fairweather fans start to exit and beat the traffic. Nothing makes me more upset to see this. Two runs isn't insurmountable. Shame on you, Angel fans. Shame on you. Meanwhile, we flip our caps and hope for a rally and start the obligatory Angels in the Outfield wing wave as seen below.



Our friends in front of us go rally style and show the skin.

9:57 We've got hope. We have runners aboard for Garret Anderson, and there's only one out. And the 3-2 pitch is....outside for a walk! Bases loaded for the $90 Million Dollar Man, Torii DiBiase. I mean Hunter. Conference at the mound. Borowski looks shaken. I ask Anthony how amazing it would be if we saw a walk off, game winning grand salami. He looks at me and smiles. If Only.

10:02 The pitch....BELTED! Is it fair or foul? Fair or foul? Fair? Foul? Wait. Why are the Indians outfielders running for the bench?! OH MY GOD! IT'S GONE!!!!

There really are no words to describe it. Complete pandomonium. Hugs to complete strangers, high fives, "oh my f-ing gosh"-es. It almost felt like a playoff game in there. There aren't too many thing better than seeing your home team with a walk off home run, a grand slam no less, in the bottom of the ninth.

This video is a couple minutes after he hit it out. There's a few f-bombs, so be warned!


I am completely overjoyed at this point. My throat hurts, my head is light, and I am in sandlot euphoria. I mean do you hear me at the end of that video? It sounded like I was crying. What a game.

Light up that Halo!



I get home, immediatley put on SportsCenter and see the following.


Catcher = PWNED


Coincidence the game winner was on the face of the tickets today? I think not.


To wrap things up, I wanted to end with a story about our friend Will. See, Will wasn't too hot for Torii to begin with and couldn't understand why we'd pay $90 mil for a center fielder when we already have one (and by one I mean seven). Here's a text after the game.

Me: So how do you feel about the 90 mil man? :)

Will: Wanted to have his baby in the 8th, when he hit the walk off I couldn't believe it.

Neither could we, or the lady on the left.


Welcome home, Torii.