A frustrating day at the ballpark

Each year I try to get to a Braves/Mets match-up. As the Braves rivals in the NL East, the Mets series always seem to have lots of drama and are typically lots of fun. I was at a game a number of years ago when Brian Jordan hit a walk-off grand slam against Armando Benitez and that remains one of my best memories at a ballpark.

With the Braves so far out of first place the games last weekend lacked some of the usual drama, but it was “Bat Day” and my wife was throwing my sister a baby shower, so I needed to be out of the house anyway. I bought my ticket for Saturday’s game over the internet last Thursday and was looking forward to a day at the ballpark.

Had I known what I was in for, I wouldn’t have been so excited.

The trip to the stadium was fine, but as soon as I got to the stoplight at Hank Aaron Drive, I hit a mess of traffic. Like the last time I had come to a game, there were police officers in the middle of the street (sort of) directing traffic. They weren’t helping things along and I was stuck in gridlock for close to 20 minutes before I reached the parking lot. I usually go to the lot directly across the street from the Hank Aaron Drive entrance and the price has always been $10.

Not on this day though.

They had raised the price to $20 and the best part was they didn’t advertise the rate hike with a sign, so I didn’t know it was $10 more until I was already too far in to turn around.
Fun.

I am tempted to write the Better Business Bureau.

I got to the will call machine in front of the stadium and that worked like a charm, but the traffic delays had prevented me from getting a coupon to receive a Braves bat on the way out.
Oh well, man doesn’t need material things.
I got my snacks, entered the “win the shirt off their backs” contest a few times, because sometimes man likes to win material things, and took my seat. Now that I was sitting in the shade in the upper deck and looking out at the stadium, I was settled down and ready to have some fun.

Then the game started and Tim Hudson gave up three straight hits, including a blast from Carlos Beltran.

Here we go.

The Braves came back each time they got behind the Mets, but eventually Hudson and the Bravos fell apart, giving up seven runs in one inning.
As frustrated as I was, what really got me going was watching Braves fans, many of them drunk, start to yell, not at the Braves, but at Mets fans in their area.

Two sections over, one man, who was wobbly on his feet, started shouting something at a guy in a Mets shirt. The altercation caught my attention as people in my section started to glance over and I soon saw the Mets fan leave his section, most likely to get the attention of the ushers or the police. That was my guess because soon the drunk dude was leaving his seats with his wife, his two shirtless kids (one boy and one girl) and his friend. His charming friend flipped everybody off as they left their section.

Soon after this scene, this guy that was two seats away from me, started yelling something at the Mets fans two rows in front of us. Now, the first irritating thing about the obnoxious guy to my right is that he and his buddies came to their seats in the fourth inning. That really bugs me. What’s the point of getting to a game, no matter how bad it is, that late? Anyway, this guy starts yelling and his friends laugh, but they are embarrassed. I lean over a bit and tell him to take it easy.

“Relax, let them enjoy the moment,” I said. “The Braves aren’t going to win the division. We’re practically 20 games out.”

At the end of the inning, I decided to walk around and look for a stray bat coupon, which I didn’t find.

I did a lot of thinking as I shuffled around the plazas and concourses. I used to be a yeller at baseball games - nothing like these drunk guys, I think (I hope) - but I used to get passionate at these games. I haven’t been like that in several years and any remnants of being “that guy” were eliminated by seeing these dregs look like idiots.

Is this what Braves mediocrity produces?
I’m all for having a passion for the game and living and dying with each pitch - heck, I’ve been a Red Sox fan my whole life - but spoiling a good time for the people around you isn’t and shouldn’t be part of the game.

I violated one of my cardinal rules of attending a game on Saturday and left the park early.
As far as I was concerned, the Braves season was over and I was done coming to games, at least for the remainder of the year.

Of course, since then, they have defeated the Pirates twice and are only four-and-a-half back in the wild card race. They could make the playoffs but I wonder if they should and if they could even compete for a title.

I guess if it gets close, I could be persuaded to go back to “The Ted,” but I promise not to be a yeller.