(from the movie "Field of Dreams")
The good thing is that the store will open for business again next April. The sad news yesterday was that AT&T park was hosting the final Giants game of the season and we fans are going to miss our San Francisco Giants, the ballpark and all that comes with being baseball fans who attend games.
What a Wednesday afternoon it was. It was the final home game and I really wanted to just take it all in. The Indian summer weather, the Oz-like shine of the ballpark, the enchanted fans. Every morsel of the final home game I ingested with sentimental hunger. I knew I'd need to store every bit of it in my cells for this winter's season of baseball hibernation.
How do you explain to non-sports fans what it feels like to end a baseball season? I suppose its like watching the summer fade to autumn, only its a more abrupt change with so much to let go of. Sure the football season has already come to life as a tell-tale sign of baseball's coming hibernation, but you still find yourself unwilling or unable to fully put away those summer shorts and begin sporting corduroys just yet.
I suppose what makes baseball so near and dear to my heart immediately following the season is its lasting impact on all my senses. Baseball and baseball parks have a way of captivating the senses of a fan. You may not realize it while in its summertime midst but once you return to what military personnel call "civilian life" you know you've just returned from a sort of "tour of duty" that felt dangerous yet exciting.
When I'm not at the ballpark during a game, I'm usually listening to the game and seeing the sights through the sensational Jon Miller's play-by-play radio broadcast on KNBR. Whether at the park or while listening to the game on the radio my ears take in every subtle sound of the game; the crack of the bat, the yelling of the fans, the disturbing voice of public announcer Renel, vendors in the stands (Ice Cold Lemonaaadddeee), the seventh inning stretch's "take me out to the ballgame" jingle and of course that AT&T Ballpark traditional victory song, "I left my heart in San Francisco," sung in a way that only Anthony Dominick Benedetto , 'aka' Tony Bennett, can.
Visuals of the game can all be had just from the sounds. Benji Molini (Bullet Benji) stretching a single into a double, Eugenio Velez hitting a leadoff single or turning a doubleplay, Tim Lincecum pitching seven shutout innings with seven "K-ville" strikeouts, Rich Aurilla getting a standing 'O' for what was likely his final game as a Giant in SF, Randy Johnson unexpectedly pitching the final inning, the Diamondbacks pitching coach and manager both getting thrown out of the game within minutes of one another in the fourth inning, a Home Run by Andres Torres and triples by Pablo Panda Sandoval and Andres, doubles by Bullet Benji Molina and Ryan Rohlinger. The SF Giants had it all working on this day of finality with a 7-3 win capping a three game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Believe it or not there is a smell to all this that one remembers and savors. Nothing says baseball like the smell of a leather glove. I brought mine for this final game along with a ball. The garlic fries, hot dogs, infield dirt & grass, the tension of the players and fans, I smell it all. The feel of a game is all in the vibrations & pauses. The crisp air carries the action from the field right to your seat where you smell the bat smashing the ball or the ball smacking the dirt from the leather glove. Let's not forget the sting of a high-five slap from fellow fans, electrifying.
All other senses combine to culminate in a taste of the game. Like ingredients in a recipe the game is seasoned to perfection, never tasting quite the same and always flavorful. Belching up polish hot dog and kraut flavors hours after the game is a common game day occurrence.
So here I am, writing to keep from moping around, tossing my ball into my leather baseball glove over and over like a child who's playmate had to leave much too early. The baseball season is officially over at my home ballpark and sure there's the playoffs and a world series approaching, but without my Giants in it life just seems to carry a bitter taste about now.
There is however one consolation we Giants fans can look forward to the rest of this season that gives us reason to possibly watch the playoffs:
Dodger fans blogging their disgust at their team's losing slump going into the NL playoffs. See what Dugout Daisy says about her loveable bums. All ain't well in Mannywood.
Baseball is definitely more than just a sport.
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