Baseball Blog: Rally Caps

August 8, 2007
Game Time Temperature: 79o
Attendance: 37,777
Winner of the Dunkin' Donuts Race: Biggie Bagel
Final Score: Tampa Bay: 7 Detroit: 1

Leaving the park tonight, I found myself rethinking and unthinking my previous blogs. In a matter of days, I'd seen a stunning victory and a crushing defeat. Last night, we were reminded of the Tigers of last summer: perfect, elegant, and sharp. Tonight, as the park emptied around the 6th inning, we chatted with our fellow season ticket holders and we commented that tonight felt a lot like the Tigers of a few years ago. The exception, I said, was that a few years ago, we would have paid 11.00 for tickets way up there and then migrated down here. By the time the 9th inning rolled around, the sky was dark and the park practically empty. As my father often says (and has proven himself correct many times), it's not over until it's over. It's sobering to look around a dark and empty park to see exactly how few people seem to believe that too. When our section cleared out, I recognized almost everyone who remained. And, though I'd never talked to many of them, I felt like I knew a little something about them from the way they watch baseball. All season, I'd noticed a guy one row up and a bit down from us. He's always there, he watches the game carefully and with an eye for detail. I learn a lot about the game from watching him. Unbeknownst to him I am sure, he has helped me see a great pitch or be alert to an upcoming play. Over the season, I've grown to respect him. At the end of the 8th inning, I was feeling a little disheartened about the team and pretty disappointed in its fans. Sure they were down by six runs but if they load the bases and someone hits one out of the park, they're only down two. At the height of my disillusionment, my accidental baseball tutor in the row ahead of me stood up and my heart sank. "Please, not you too," I thought, "Surely you can't be leaving." And then, he did the most remarkable thing: he took off his ballcap, turned into a rally cap and started to cheer his team on. Suddenly, the park didn't seem that empty anymore.