This needs a lot of explaining but I will try to make the intro short.
There is this Pitcher name Stephen Strasburg for the Washington Nationals who reminds me a lot of my hero Nolan Ryan. He is only 24. I first saw him play in HS when they had a few of his games on ESPN. They had a few of his college games as well. He was striking out batters after batters. Could pitch 100MPH and also had a knee-buckling curve and a changeup that leaves batters scratching their heads. So I said to myself, when he gets to the majors, he’ll be my next favorite player.
There is this guy I went to college with for a year. He dropped out after our freshman year. I had not heard about him since… Then a few weeks ago, when I was in TX, he had fb me, and we reconnected.
The Washington Nationals are in the National league, so they don’t play in Boston much. Something like once every 3 years. So last week, I had figured out that the Following Friday, Strasburg would be pitching. I HAD TO go to the game. I asked Justin, my twin, and he was kinda iffy because his wife would be working till 5 and blab la bla, he would go if I could not find anyone else go to but He would be able to get there till game time. Ok.
I had put it on fb, Matt said he would love to go, but didn’t have money. I said I would take care of the tickets if he could drive. He said no problem
Not only would I be meeting up with a college friend I had not heard from in 14 years but we were going to see my favorite player, pitch his first game at my home away from home, Fenway Park.
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An email I wrote to my twin after the game
Words can not express the baseball high I felt tonight.
We had seats behind home plate but like the last row. Well, we had planned to go over to the pen to listen to Strasburg warm up, so we did that after we ate in our seats. So… we stood right next to the visiter’s pen. My hand was on the side fense of the pen. I was in disbelief and excited that we were able to get that close. My friend Matt, he was saying “He’s doing his stretches on the field” “he’s doing his long tosses.” “he’s in the pen” and, and then I heard a sound that I NEVER heard before. I could hear every pitch POP!” for about 15-20 pitches. It was amazing! oh, but wait, then I heard a “pop” that was even LOUDER! The innicial pops were his changeup (during game clocked at 89-91) and then came the fast balls. (during the game clocked at 97-99) And as hard and loud as those were, there was one that when I heard it, I said to Matt “that hit 104 (MPH)” he said yup, probably” amazing. I was just in awe.
(to make a long part short) we swopped seats with an older couple who probably didn’t want to be in the rain, since it was coming. So we sat for the first 6 innings, in the 6th row, 7 seats
from the visitors pen. I’m not sure what inning this happened, but a red sox attendant came over to us. Matt figured he wanted to see our tickets. He said “I think your friend would like this…thank you for coming to fenway park. Have a good time” It was an authentic never used MLB baseball. So now I’m flying, I cant believe this. This is amazing. So Matt had saw that there was 2 ladies who got up from the front row and after an inning, didn’t come back. He told me as much and then said, “If they don’t come back by the top of the inning, those are ours” so, the ladies didn’t come back and for the last 3 innings, we sat in the front row one section over from the pen in right field.
OH and I guess there was a game too?
We were counting each strike out on both sides as the Red Sox starting pitcher was matching Strasburg for the first few innings. With every strike out, I was like, this is amazing, this is what I came to see. Stephen Strasburg did not disappoint. (stats at end) Harper had a single, double and hr, we were pulling for him to get the triple in his last at bat for the cycle. He ended up flying out. Oh well.
And I was at Adrian Gonzalez’s 200th hr game and the red sox made the score respectable. I should have had someone recorded it because going to the 7th inning stretch, our section was on tv. A guy behind us got a text from a friend saying we were on tv.
(and it is confirmed. Matt just sent me a message, saying that he got home in time to watch the replay of the game and saw us TWICE!)
Strasburg did hit a new career high at the game… the most pitches thrown for him in his short career.
Ok, I’m going to go read the espn.com article on the game and relive it
06-08-12 will be a date I will never forget
Red Sox 4 R 8 H 0 E
Nationals 7 R 12 H 0E
Stephen Strasburg box score
6 innings pitched
13 strikeouts
2 Walks
4 hits
2 runs
119 pitches thrown
75 strikes 44 balls
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