The Seattle Mariners completed a delightful four-game sweep -- i.e., they were swept -- against a mediocre Toronto team yesterday, and this evening they come home to face Oakland here at Safeco Field.
I'll be there watching them, along with Pat, a friend from law school days. Seattle is now nine games behind AL West division leader Houston. Second from the bottom place in the division. The only consolation being that Oakland is smack dab at the bottom, and a half game behind the Mariners. That positioning may well change by the time I leave the ball park this evening.
Predicted temperature of 50 degrees, 50 percent chance of rain. Lovely.
A friend buys a couple of season tickets every year, chooses the games she wants to see, and then sells the rest of them to Facebook friends. Pat and I have bought tickets for three or four games each season for years now. "The triumph of hope over experience." It's been a long time since the Ken Griffey era, and since Seattle won 116 games in 2001.
Nevertheless, the Seattle Times greets every loss with stunned amazement, and every win as auguring a bright new era of post-season triumph and joy.
I don't really care. I just enjoy the game. Our seats are always in the same great location -- third deck immediately behind home plate. We can call the balls and strikes better than the umpire can. And we often do.
But mostly, of course, I go to catch up on Pat's life -- recently retired, he and his wife just returned from a cruise from Australia, through Indonesia, and on to Malaysia. And, of course, to indulge in "peanuts and Cracker Jack" -- or in my case, hot dogs and beer.
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