Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

The Panda (Pablo Sandoval) heading for third base as the San Diego Padre's third baseman watches the ball go over the back wall headed to Escondido. Go Giants!

Baseball games are family fun. Food, humor, songs to sing, humungous screens to watch (you might be featured!), fan participatory activities, and even a baseball game to watch.

MzTeachuh and niece.

We got really good seats over third base (Pablo Sandoval's position) because this Panda can fly--when he catches line drives near third. It was also near the visiting dugout where our visiting Giants' team would be.

Panda headgear-muy suave.

Never knew Superman liked baseball.

Lots of San Francisco fans at the Park for the game; many Panda fans, too. They had to wait til the fourth inning for a homerun from their favorite.

San Diego, more specifically Chula Vista (where I went to high school), hosts a gargantuan Little League Tournament of champions and the team members marched around the perimeter of the field prior to the game. Then the players, and families watched the game, as well as the giant screen that frequently focused on the fans. A girl's team brought someone's little brother, who was hoping to catch the eye of the cameraman.


A baseball stadium is also a food court and shopping mall.

Chocolate gelato with a smile

I checked online prior to the game to get a feel for the Park layout, and it was very helpful. The gelato was exactly where is was supposed to be. And it was yummy, too, on a moderately warm, perfect San Diego day.

Later we had to have a Friar Frank (named after the Padres.) They were kosher, and pretty good.
We resisted all the great stuff the concessionaires hawked up and down the stands, except for Cracker Jack--I knew we would be singing, 'Take Me Out To The Ball Game' and you really should have some cracker jack to make it authentic. However, to receive a toy, you need to go online for it. Seriously.


Here we are singing during the seventh inning stretch. I'm clearly still not very good at video.

Both teams were excellent. One of the newest Giants--Kensuki Tanaka from Japan--had an RBI 
bringing in Brandon Belt at a crucial time. I like the international aspect of baseball. Several Giants are from Venezuela and other nations south of our border. MLB is very one world. That's very cool.

Tanaka on his way to first, Belt on his way home.

Post Script. I better explain the Escondido comment. Although I went to Chula Vista High School, I'm a San Francisco Giants Fan because my grandpa and I would watch Giants games when I was little still living in the East Bay. But I know the San Diego area because I lived here in middle and high school. And I'm kind of a smart alec. So, shouting out to Pablo Sandoval while he's up to bat to 'Hit it to Escondido!' is sort of like, well, if you're in San Francisco saying, 'Hit it to San Raphael!' Or if you're in Chicago saying, 'Hit it to Winnetka!' 'Hit it to Jersey!' if you're in New York. In Boston, 'Hit it to Roxbury!' And what's funny, is that the Panda pretty much did hit it to Escondido (north about 30 miles.)