Category / baseball

by Bethe

World Series

I forgot to mention that I went to this little thing called the WORLD SERIES last week. When someone gave me the tickets behind home plate, I almost peed in my pants. But I’m classy so I refrained.

It was the greatest sporting event I’ve ever attended, and after 24 years as a Rangers fan, I cherished every minute. It doesn’t matter that we suffered a heart breaking loss. It was still amazing.
by Bethe

October 1996

My beloved Texas Rangers are back in the playoffs after more than a decade of disappointment, and not only are we playing, but we are winning. That hasn’t happened since October 1, 1996. I remember because I was glued to my television when they took their first game against the Yankees in New York. I remember because a few days later I got to witness the first ever Rangers playoff game in Arlington… at home… in our stadium. It was one of the most electrifying games I’ve ever been to, and I’ll never forget sitting 20 rows behind home plate, cheering on Pudge and the rest of my boys as they fought a hard fight… and lost.

But October 1996 holds a special place in my heart for another reason. Because two weeks after that playoff game, I got to go on my first ever date. With a boy.
I was a month shy of turning 16, the magical dating age my parents had set years ago. I was like Cinderella, dreaming of the world outside as I was locked away in a far-off attic, unable to go to the ball. Okay… so maybe I wasn’t locked in an attic… actually I was quite busy cheering on the JV squad, competing on the debate team (I know… debate kids don’t usually get a lot of dates…) and hanging out with friends. But I was forbidden from going anywhere with a boy. Alone.
Despite these hard and fast rules, somehow I was able to convince my parents to bend their rules ever so slightly so that I could go to Homecoming with the heart throb from my church. I had a crush on Dustin since we met back in the elementary school. He had one of those super cute bowl cuts, and his sandy blonde hair made me melt even as a 10-year-old. Fast forward to 1996, and I somehow managed to score a homecoming date with this mysterious boy who happened to go to another school. I was in love.
Okay, so it wasn’t exactly love. It was more like giddy with 15-almost-16-year-old school girl excitement. I picked out a hot new outfit (brown cigarette pants with tapered legs, clogs, and a mock turtleneck… such high fashion), ordered him a garter with all my saved up babysitting money, and curled my bangs so that my amazing beauty would completely overwhelm this poor boy when he saw me and he would immediately drop to a knee and propose, right there in my doorway.
It didn’t exactly happen like I had imagined it. My overwhelming beauty was more like awkward teenage gawkiness, and he ended up buying me a rather ugly mum that I was almost too embarrassed to wear. Since we were 15, my parents had to drive us. I remember finding the whole evening to be horribly unromantic, and it didn’t nearly live up to the unrealistic expectations I had created in my head. That poor boy never had a chance.
But 14 years later, as the Rangers win their next playoff game, I find myself in a slightly better situation. I’m now with a boy who makes me giddy with 15-almost-16-year-old school girl excitement, even though I’m 29. I’ve dropped the bangs, replaced babysitting money with a full time job (and a car), and I learned that cigarette pants and clogs are a huge fashion no-no. If only my 15-almost-16-year-old self had only known that someday those dates WOULD live up to my expectations. That someday I would find a boy who would make me melt… again and again and again.
Go Rangers.
by Bethe

It’s the little things

I’ll admit, buying a can of air was the highlight of my day. Oh, the possibilities… I got to clean my keyboard, my mousepad, and all sorts of nooks and crannies around my office that I have never been able to reach before.
I wanted you to be able to appreciate the beauty of the can of air. I put her on my work bookshelf, next to my friends Josh Hamilton and Michael Young in honor of tonight’s All Star game. Too bad I don’t have a Nelson Cruz bobblehead, but alas, a gal can’t have everything. I’ll settle for owning air. 
by Bethe

This is what happens when you sell your soul…

A-Fraud finally speaks out… see it here.

Blah blah blah.

“I was young.”
“I felt so much pressure.”
Blah blah blah.
“I was naive.”
“I’m not sure what substance I was guilty of using.”
Blah blah blah.
“Everything was so loosey-goosey back in those days.”
“Everybody was doing it.”
“The popular kids told me to.”
Okay, so the last one was my contribution to this ridiculous nonsense.
Did you notice the red friendship bracelet given to him by Madonna? I’m so surprised that such a deeply religious man of high moral character — a family man — would ever betray his fans by taking ILLEGAL steroids. I mean, look at how well he treated his beloved wife.
A-Fraud, this is so unexpected of you… I thought you were such a good guy. I’m afraid this is what happens when you sell your soul to the devil, for $252 million.
Oops. I just threw up a little in my mouth. 
by Bethe

Storybook Ending

Josh Hamilton’s performance at tonight’s Home Run Derby was absolutely amazing. It can only be explained as a miracle. Here’s a guy who was a heroine addict just a few years ago, and in his first full year back in the Major Leagues, he breaks the Home Run Derby record with 28 homeruns in the first round. I was near tears by the end of that historic round. And even better, he gave all the credit to Jesus.

We Ranger fans don’t have many opportunities to celebrate. So I will enjoy tonight.

by Bethe

New York, New York

I just got back from my whirlwind trip to New York. It was an AMAZING trip. God really blessed us during these past few days–literally every detail worked out in our favor, every single time! I’ll post more soon, but here’s some pictures to get you started.

Cheering for the Rangers at Yankee Stadium

Final Score… Rangers 3, Yankees 2

And you might recognize this lady from The TODAY Show…

More to come later!

by Bethe

New York and a small bag

I’m going to New York tomorrow to see a Yankee game! Hooray! I’m so unbelievably excited!

Of course, not excited enough to have started packing yet. And with school tonight until 9:00, and then a 2-hour special of The Bachelorette to watch on my Tivo after that, I need to get started on that packing NOW. Since we’re only going for a few days, sister Sarah and I aren’t going to check any bags so we can save our $15 surcharge for checked luggage. The only problem is, I pack more than any human being on earth EVERY time I go ANYWHERE. I’m a regular pack-mule, only cuter and sweeter. I could live for a week with what I bring in my bag every day to work, much less packing for an actual overnight trip. So this will be a nice challenge. Luckily, it’s summertime, and shorts and tank tops don’t take up much space. So we’ll see if I can do it!

by Bethe

Random hilarity (at least, to me)

I was shopping at Target tonight, and heard the following page over the intercom:

“Pam Beasley, please report to Register 26. Pam Beasley, please report to Register 26.”

It’s good to have The Office back. Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Then tonight I saw this story on Yahoo. I love how superstitious all sports fans seem to be. Apparently when you put on the jersey, you check your sanity at the dugout. But I support anything to make the Yankees lose.