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WBC at Petco Park

 

After watching Tuesday night’s exciting game where USA came from behind to beat Venezuela Puerto Rico I decided I had to go to at least one game while I still had a chance.  So Jbox and I headed down to watch Ichiro take on our Red neighbors to the south.

Every game on TV thus far has shown little if any crowd, so I knew getting tickets would not be a problem.  I figured we could even scalp some real good seats for practically nothing.  I was wrong.  Jbox and I approached a few scalpers on the way to the outfield gates.  We offered around 15 bucks for tickets, but no luck.  I don’t get these guys, I even told one "Hey I can walk up to that ticket window right behind you and get tickets for 15 bucks.  We’d be idiots to pay you more," I guess they were just waiting for some real suckers to come along.  Not us I tell you, not us.

So Jbox and I got our $15 park passes and made our way down to Field Level.  We strolled through a very ghostly stadium, filled with fog and a vast emptiness of seats.  Good thing we had our thunder sticks brought to us by the good people of visitpuertorico.com to fight off Fidel’s spirit or whatever else might try and frighten us.

Thundersticks_medium

With all but a few hundred fans we decided on seats in row 2 next to the photographers box down the third base line.  Not bad for 15 bucks…stupid scalpers.  With the game about to start we were feeling really good about getting back to Petco.  Even though I haven’t missed the Padres, I realized I had missed just going to a game.

After only the second batter of the game we had our first occurrence.  Japan’s Nakajima shattered his bat while grounding out.  I didn’t see the play because this big ol’ harpoon comes flying towards us and slams into the wall in front of the camera men.  Ten more feet and one of us would have been dead.

Everyone around us gathered their cool and the seats around us started filling in with some of the greatest fans in the world.  On our side of stadium it was mostly Japanese fans.  It was a good thing I wore my M’s cap, everyone knew Jbox and I were Ichiro fans and not a bunch of "comunistas de mierda".  A fan behind us was really giving it to Cuba’s third base coach all night long.  Yelling and cussing at him, making fun of Castro, etc.  I started feeling bad for the guy.

Cepebo_medium

Anyway, the true real Japanese fans were great.  I’m pretty sure a lot of them flew in for the games.  Including the Ichiro party girls and some crazy wearing a goat’s head.  They’re so passionate.  I wish Padre fans could get this fired up.  Jbox and I couldn’t help but get excited, we were high fiving everyone when Japan would score or Cuba would strike out and even when I caught a foul ball.

Ichirofans_medium

Goathead_medium

 

Foulball_medium

That’s right I caught me a foul ball.  It was the bottom of third and Cuban DH Enriquez grounded a slow roller towards us.  Nobody seemed interested in going after it so I jumped up, slid past Jbox leaned over the wall as far as I could without falling and grabbed it.  I stood up, pumped my fist and started celebrating with my new friends.  Everyone was excited, that is except one camera man.

Turns out as I was leaning over trying to balance on the top of the wall when my foot lightly grazed his back.  Boy did he let me know about.  At first I thought he was excited for me, then I realized this Japanese photographer was pretty pissed.  He pointed to his back then my foot then gave me the thumbs down sign.  I said I was sorry, but he gave me another thumbs down sign and went back to work.  I mean you know disrespect dude, but seriously.  I don’t know the protocol in the Tokyo Dome, but that’s just the way it works over here.  Foul balls are like gold and casualties are bound to happen.

The game wore on and after 4.5 innings it was already 10 pm.  These WBC games seem to take forever and it was getting cold.  So Jbox and I decided to pack it up after the sixth and a commanding Japanese lead that eventually eliminated Cuba.

All in all, it was a great time and if you have the chance head out to tonight’s final game at Petco or drive on up to Dodger Stadium.

This FanPost was written by a member of the Gaslamp Ball community and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Gaslamp Ball managers or SB Nation.

4 recs  |  Comment 27 comments |

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Great post and cool pics…

by ByrnesWhenIPeavy on Mar 19, 2009 8:47 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Nice write up Jonny

You know there could not have been more than 6000 people there, but that crowd was alive. It was pretty exciting. Who won? I’m assuming Japan.

by jbox on Mar 19, 2009 8:55 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

In Tokyo

you’d be arrested for putting your feet on his back.

Don't hate the game, hate the nerds!

by thenerdhater on Mar 19, 2009 9:09 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

I also think you meant to say

that Tuesday night’s game was against Puerto Rico..not Venezuela…but who cares..who knows the difference anyway?

Don't hate the game, hate the nerds!

by thenerdhater on Mar 19, 2009 9:11 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

This was awesome

Makes me even more disappointed that I didn’t make the drive from Vegas last weekend to see Petco again. :(

No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.

by royhobbs on Mar 19, 2009 9:45 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Thundersticks

The Padres need to hand out those inflatable thundersticks at games. They are better than a rally towel.

by jbox on Mar 19, 2009 9:48 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

You will get shushed so fast

And then some usher will take them away and pop them.

1-10-DEN 18 (9:52) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 19-E.Royal INTERCEPTED by 93-L.Castillo (95-S.Phillips) at DEN 18. 93-L.Castillo to DEN 14 for 4 yards (62-C.Wiegmann). 6-J.Cutler pouts ob to DEN 25 for 11 yards.

by Wonko on Mar 19, 2009 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I've always said that rally towels are bad ideas

They give them out before the most important Chargers games (MNF, playoffs) but they just make the crowd quieter because they can’t clap. Not to mention the haze of lint that gets in your lungs.

by 'Eaters on Mar 19, 2009 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Thundersticks

are the work of the devil. They are awful..especially if you get stuck next to some group of kids (or drunks) that don’t know how to use them..so they just constantly bang on them.

Kind of like that annoying whistle and other sounds of the WBC. Just shut the hell up and watch the game.

Don't hate the game, hate the nerds!

by thenerdhater on Mar 19, 2009 11:20 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I went to a Ducks hockey game

and apparently they give/gave kids duck calls. Now that was annoying.

Why is it always Anaheim doing these things?

by 'Eaters on Mar 19, 2009 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Somehow I don't recall seeing said foul ball

I must have been zoned out at the time. Either that or from the third level I couldn’t see it through the fog.

1-10-DEN 18 (9:52) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 19-E.Royal INTERCEPTED by 93-L.Castillo (95-S.Phillips) at DEN 18. 93-L.Castillo to DEN 14 for 4 yards (62-C.Wiegmann). 6-J.Cutler pouts ob to DEN 25 for 11 yards.

by Wonko on Mar 19, 2009 10:27 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

What were you doing way up there?

Were the ushers not letting you down?

The foul ball was a weak rolling ball, so he picked it up instead of catching it.

by jbox on Mar 19, 2009 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

The ball had come to a stop by you

You getting it wasn’t weak, you were practically doing a hand stand on the field while kicking a photographer in the back… that was strong.

by jbox on Mar 19, 2009 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

They told us

That we had to go to the side sections on field level. On Monday we went down to section 102, which was awesome. But I’ll take section 300 over outfield seats.

1-10-DEN 18 (9:52) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 19-E.Royal INTERCEPTED by 93-L.Castillo (95-S.Phillips) at DEN 18. 93-L.Castillo to DEN 14 for 4 yards (62-C.Wiegmann). 6-J.Cutler pouts ob to DEN 25 for 11 yards.

by Wonko on Mar 19, 2009 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

Plus

I was just kidding about the fog. It wasn’t that bad:

1-10-DEN 18 (9:52) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 19-E.Royal INTERCEPTED by 93-L.Castillo (95-S.Phillips) at DEN 18. 93-L.Castillo to DEN 14 for 4 yards (62-C.Wiegmann). 6-J.Cutler pouts ob to DEN 25 for 11 yards.

by Wonko on Mar 19, 2009 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

And we did move around a little

1-10-DEN 18 (9:52) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short right intended for 19-E.Royal INTERCEPTED by 93-L.Castillo (95-S.Phillips) at DEN 18. 93-L.Castillo to DEN 14 for 4 yards (62-C.Wiegmann). 6-J.Cutler pouts ob to DEN 25 for 11 yards.

by Wonko on Mar 19, 2009 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions   0 recs

I'll say this about the ushers though

They weren’t their usual hard ass selves last night, I only got one lady asking to see my ticket. Which was nice since nobody was sitting in their real seats.

by jbox on Mar 19, 2009 10:39 AM PDT reply actions   0 recs

"I wish Padre fans could get this fired up."

They can, it’s the people that complain that are the problem

DODGERS, RED SOX, YANKEES, BRONCOS, PATRIOTS and RAIDERS all suck. Especially the Dodgers.

by LJbumfool on Mar 19, 2009 2:59 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Great post!

I was at the game last night too. Sat with the Japanese fans. I was also at Tuesday’s game, Korea v Japan. That game had better attendance and much better energy. Sat on the Korean side. Loud and raucous. Overall, I’ve been impressed by both games I’ve watched. It’s a shame it’s not as well attended.

by psychotron on Mar 19, 2009 3:22 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

Over there...they just call them fans.

"We're not going to be as bad as you think."

by Drama on Mar 19, 2009 7:10 PM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

New Slogan

The 2009 San Diego Padres – Foul Balls Are Like Gold

by Winfield's Ghost on Mar 19, 2009 5:01 PM PDT reply actions   0 recs

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