By Calvin Li
No one’s first game experience could ever top the one that I had last Wednesday, where the Seattle Mariners took on the Texas Losers, AKA the Texas Rangers.
This trip to the Mariners’ Game couldn’t have been more authentic. Gregor – my American co-worker – and I left SCC an hour early for Safeco Field in Downtown Seattle. Despite the light traffic, we were still 40 minutes late because of the parking.
Yeah, fuck the parking.
People were legitimately charging 60 bucks for parking, and street parking in downtown wasn’t even an option as all the spots were occupied. We ended up parking at Uwajimaya and paid over 20 bucks for 4-hour parking.
Be smart people, take the bus.
Parking aside, I’m so glad that I had Gregor as company since he showed me exactly how to watch an American game the American way. He made sure I got the whole experience by getting himself a beer right after we stepped foot into the Stadium. “That’s what baseball is,” he said. “A drinking game.” Now those are some words of wisdom. Lesson learnt. Thanks Gregor!
As for the game itself? It lasted all the way to the tenth inning. Steve Cishek, the pitcher, was on fire and striking people out and hitter Nelson Cruz was on first base. Then all of a sudden, a few Asians sitting in the next section jumped up and started screaming. The video board asked us to sing “Dae-Ho,” and it turned out to be the name of a Korean player, Dae Ho Lee, who was recently signed by the Mariners.
The next thing I knew he hit a home-run, sending the Rangers home, and the entire stadium went crazy, literally crazy.