Take Me Out to a Ball Game

I had never been to a baseball game until this semester. And my first outing was kind of ironic: The Philadelphia Phillies were playing against the Miami Marlins, and I’m from Florida. Which meant my Arcadia friends were now my rivals (ha!).

The smell of fried food and buttery popcorn and the air of excitement were overwhelming as I took my first step into the stadium. We sat in section 429, row 3, the “nosebleed” seats, but they were perfect for us. I could see everything, with the whole field below and giant screens all around. I happily cheered along with the crowd when the Phillies did something right and booed loudly when there was a bad call. Full disclosure: I had no idea what I was doing, but I went with the flow of the fans around me. So much for representing Florida.

Though we didn’t do a wave like I was hoping, the kissing camera made up for it. I always thought that was only in the movies! The kiss cam was entertaining on its own. The people in our section joined us in our laughter and we joined in their chants.

Call me cheesy, but as much as I enjoyed cutting up with Phillies fans, I didn’t realize how much I would be affected by having a piece of home with me that day, too. I mean, I am not a baseball enthusiast, so I didn’t know the names of any of the Miami Marlins players. But knowing they call the same place home that I do left me happily nostalgic.

Philly meets Florida. My first Phillies game definitely made for a day to remember.