NLDS Giants Game One

So I succeeded yesterday in getting tickets: 

After a stressful 2-3 hours on stubhub, and craigslist and all these secondhand ticket sites I called my mom and requested that she buy tickets.

Her response: "You wanted tickets? Oh! I had pre-order!"

I think I died a little bit inside, but I was resurrected after I had seen the physical paper print out tickets from stub hub that reassured me that I was going.

It was a somewhat crazy day. My friend's parents had been trying to get tickets for several hours on Wednesday night, but the computer they were using wasn't cooperating. So after a frustrating evening, they decided that she couldn't go, but of course, she didn't tell me that until after I got the tickets, and then she remembered her parents said she couldn't go that morning during breakfast.

Anyway, I presented her the tickets, and she decided that she HAD to go, I mean it was play-off game one of the NLDS and the most amazing Giants team of all time. After me having a panic attack that my NLDS tickets were going to go to waste, we sort of hatched a plan.

So my father is a dictator.

I know all children try to say this, but this is the honest-to-god truth. For example, I'm not supposed to be keeping this blog, or ever speak a word about baseball -- you can only imagine how difficult that is for me, especially during this time of year.

Anyway, my mom was covering for me, saying that I was at a PSAT prep class or whatnot at the high school. My dad isn't a genius, so be bought it.

I was covered, but my friend wasn't. After attempting to tell her mom the truth, her mom said no -- and I was like, "what do I do now?!" She calls her mom back, tells something of a lie and then comes over, and we head over to the game via BART. The thing is, her dad didn't have a clue, and he was going to the game. Our goal: don't run into her dad.

Our seats were in the outfield and her dad's were behind the first baseline. She refused to stand up the whole game...though honestly I highly doubt anyway one could see a specific face from that far away...without binoculars, I mean.

Unfortunately, we were right below where all the cameras were, so every other inning, my friend had to duck to avoid being on the screen. We also couldn't see the screen because we were right under it -- so it was quite the dilemma. In the end though, we had a lot of fun, you know, all that lying to your parents stuff, you shouldn't do it, unless your dad is like mine and wants to keep you in a math prison for the rest of your life because you're his unsuccessful-selfish-failure-of-a-child, then go ahead and lie to go a play-off game, it was all worth it.

it's put through photoshop a little...makes them look cooler.

an awful attempt at a picture of my favorite outfielder (well tied with Torres) from an iPhone camera.

do you see the camera man from the news?

we spent a lot of time avoiding him.

lou seal out front.

Fight.

Police came down to break it up.

right before or after the fly over started the game.

my friend and I with our backs to the play field.

the wind was sort of picking up.

It was definitely worth it.

I couldn't have asked for more.

After all the effort I spent on my Microsoft Paint piece in my last post (it actually wasn't much work at all), I'm glad that Bochy actually took it to heart! Kidding, he's just a lot more logical than I thought he was.

I can complain no more about Jose Guillen! He's not in the line-up at all, apparently with some kind of disk injury. Bummer -- for him. Of course, Zito isn't in that line up either, but I still cheered for him. I'm sad he's not in there because I felt like we really did need that play-off experience, but it'd be hypocritical to say that Bochy should look at the numbers for Guillen and kick him off the roster, but not look at the numbers for Zito so he can stay. I guess he did what had to be done.

I'll miss him though. :(

Anyway, I couldn't have asked for more from last night's game.

Lincecum 14k?!

That would have been a lot more exciting of Halladay hadn't just thrown a no hitter the day before, but nevertheless it was impressive.

In a hundred and something pitches, Lincecum also threw a complete game.

The game did not move at a fast-pace and like any good play off game, it was low scoring.

(1-0) to be precise. The score came after Buster Posey singled himself to first, and then stole second. Whether or not he was safe, or he was tagged out was...quite frankly unclear. From the angle we were at, it looked like he was safe, but we couldn't really see the glove of the second baseman. But you know, in the end them ump, "calls 'em as he sees 'em," and he called our rookies first base stealing attempt safe, so I guess it was what it was. The next to at-bats turned into two outs. Sandoval came up, and Lowe decided to walk him intentionally, bringing up (cheers loudly) Cody Ross.

As always, I stood up on my seat, and jumped and cheered and chanted Cody. Cody is likely going to be primary right fielder now that Guillen isn't playing. During the switch, as I predicted, he would move to left. Of course, instead of Guillen replacing him in right, it would be Scheirholtz. Anywho, Cody was up at bat with two outs and man in scoring position.

I was holding my breath during Cody's at bat as he took a hard swing at the ball. I watched the ball skip to right field into the grass and Posey speed off to home, scoring the only run of the game on Ross' single. 

Kudos to the both of them!!

One helluva base steal for Posey and a huge single for Cody!

Guillen not in the line up, Lincecum striking out 14, Posey scoring the winning run and Cody Ross knocking in the winning run -- err, only run...see what I mean by, "I couldn't have asked for more?"

San Francisco Giants fans have got the beard thing going on. They're putting on beards to match the players on the team. Sergio Romo, and Brian Wilson. Honestly, their facial hair means nothing to me as long as we keep winning. Cody's got the scruff thing going on too, works I guess because he doesn't have hair on his head...I love though that each of our players has a distinct personality, but I like it more than our team has personality. Their personalities come together to make the team work.

We don't play as a whole bunch of individuals who play well. Honestly, sure certain games are going to have heroes, but it's a team thing.

They obviously got here as a team, and playing like a team with a shitload of personality is what's going to push them through the play-offs.