"It's a Hot Pudge Sunday!": Game 8 of 22+

Summary:
Score: Texas 7 Tigers 6
Temperature: 79 o
Attendance: 39, 071
Winner of the Dunkin' Donuts Race: Dashing Donut

Someone once advised me that writing is "all about peaks and valleys." Baseball is a lot like writing in this regard. This Tigers season is magical but not magical enough to avoid those valleys. Sunday's game had its peaks but it also had its valleys. In particular, the Tigers blew a 6 run lead to lose 7-6. On the upside (if indeed it is an upside), I got lots of practice discerning hits from errors and learning how to enter errors into my score card. Although the jumbo-tron twice claimed that it was "A Hot Pudge Sunday," I'm not sure even Pudge could save the game.
Earlier, I had written about sitting in different parts of the ballpark offered different vantage points from which to see and understand the game. Our seats for yesterday's game offered a clear view of the Tigers dugout which I'd not had before. From this perspective (and with the aid of my new zoom-in capabilities) I got some insight into dugout culture and also some behind the scenes strategizing. I was intrigued to see My Favorite Player (who was not in the lineup) doing some weird little dances to the amusement of the other players. I could also watch players watching the game; I got a better sense of their personalities watching the dugout. Interesting as that was, I was perhaps most interested in being able to see what was about to happen on the field before it actually happened. For example, you could tell a new pitcher was about to come in when the manager's pacing picked up. And, I knew something was up once My Favourite Player picked up his ball glove in the ninth inning. Sitting here again offered more insight into the various nuances of the game and into baseball culture. Much of it remains elusive though. Attempting to glean a deeper inside knowledge of the game, I asked Dave (a pitcher himself) what the manager was telling the pitcher when he walked out to the mound. Dave thought for a moment and said, "He's saying, 'Don't suck, ok?'" The many mysteries of baseball may remain mysteries. And then there's the mystery of Dashing Donut's victory. My section really thought Biggie Bagel was going to take it. I think someone should check what's in his sprinkles.