Friday, July 4, 2008

Anaheim

On Questionable Patriotism

Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Major League Baseball, American League
Anaheim, CA
6:05 PM


Outside the Game:
I was able to get up the next morning and run down to get (as the sign at the hotel advertised) a "nice breakfast" before leisurely packing up to get on the road. I was about forty-five theoretical minutes from my hotel at LAX, but all I had in front of me was LA, a holiday, and wildfires. To my utter shock, I rolled into my hotel forty five minutes after starting.

After a nap, I was a theoretical half hour from the stadium, with just LA, a holiday, and Disney Land between myself and my destination. To my incredulous disbelief, I drove into the parking lot at Angel Stadium a half hour later.

After the game, the fireworks kept most the people in their seats, and again, I found myself driving blissfully uninterrupted back to the hotel. Due to the early hour, I dropped off my rental car that night and took the shuttle back to my hotel.


At the Game with Oogie:
For one more go around, I found myself in what would have been called the "upper deck" in olden days, right behind home plate. Except that this time, I was as far as humanly possible behind home plate while remaining in the stadium. I was also in the seat right at the terminus of the stairs, which at least provided some extra leg room. Being in the last row also afforded a welcome breeze, as there was a slight gap between the back stadium wall and the seating floor that let in a gorgeous draft right up the back of your neck if one were to lean back.

Next to me was a family clearly out to have a good time. They cheered when they were supposed to cheer and sang when they were supposed to sing, and seemed to be having a hell of a time. I could only wonder deep in my soul that if I just surrendered myself to such organized fun, could I be as blissfully content as those folks?


The Stadium & Fans:
Trashed flags
Mass Flag Desecration Day
Angels Stadium was a perfectly middle-of-the-road affair, with a standard promenade level around the place, plenty of food choices, the local team Hall of Fame, and the standard kid-friendly amenities in the outfield area. There wasn't anything particularly outstanding about it (beside the giant caps and letter "A" outside), and there wasn't anything particularly bad about it. It was just a good park to watch a game.

Where the Angels really seemed to shine was getting the fans into the game. Every program came with a pro-Angels placard that could be held up, and nearly everyone in the park had some manner of promotional noise maker or accessory, from thunder sticks, to drum paddles, to an infinite myriad of rally monkeys.

It being July 4th, the give away was an American flag, which I'm sure seemed like a good idea at the time. But with a little bit of thought, I'm sure the actual outcome of this promotion could have been ascertained -- Mass Flag Desecration Day, as the give-away flags were chucked under seats or simply thrown away. There was a flag unfurling during the national anthem and a flyover by some manner of military transport.


The Hot Dog:
Another generic "Super Dog."


The Game:
The Angels played the perpetually-on-the-road-on-July-4th Blue Jays. Although the Blue Jays hung in it and mustered a late-inning rally, they were clearly overmatched by the first-place Angels, losing 8-2. Of particular interest in this game was that until the 5th inning, every at bat was official, i.e. no sacrifices, walks, hit batsmen, or the like. At the end of the game, there were only three: a sac fly and two walks.


The Scorecard:
Blue Jays vs. Angels, 07-04-08
Blue Jays vs. Angels, 07/04/08. Angels win, 8-2.
The roomy scorecard was part of the $3 program. Although on glossy paper, it was easy to write on and correct, and provided adequate space.


Oogie's East Coast Connection of the Day:

There are several giant Angels hats that people cower under to avoid the sun before the gates open at the game. Under one, my Brooklyn Cyclones hat was again identified by another patron. Dressed head to toe in Angels gear, the gentleman (with family in tow) was yet another displaced Mets fan who had gone native. We had a nice chat about things as we hid from the burning yellow eye until the gates were opening and his kids dragged him off to the stadium.


The Accommodations: 
Sheraton Gateway at LAX
Sheraton Gateway at LAX
I decided to splurge at this late stage in the trip and stayed at the quite frou-frou Sheraton Gateway at LAX. Upon checking in that afternoon in my disheveled t-shirt and shorts, it was quite clear that I was not their regular patron, although none of the staff would be caught dead even hinting at such a thing.

Due to booking several months in advance, I managed to get a corner king suite for relatively cheap. The bed was the size of my bedroom back home, and I had a separate desk area for "business" and a whole other bathroom with a walk-in closet. Complimentary waters were available for just $6 each.

On getting back from the game, I wanted to ask the consignor about the shuttle service in the morning. But at the restaurant by the pool, there was some manner of hip-hop party going on, and the lobby was filled with thumping base. After trying to communicate with the elderly Asian man, I expressed my admiration of him standing stoically at his post in the face of all this uncommon phatness, to which he smiled wanly and nodded.

Room service
Room service
I then did what I always do in posh hotels: I ordered room service. I ordered a grilled cheese and soup ("three cheese grilled panini and French onion soup"), which was transported to my room by an officious man in a tuxedo, who utterly ignored the exploded suitcase on my bed, cleared off the secondary desk with one hand, put down and opened my tray, and then sat me in the chair and tucked in my napkin before presenting me with the bill and letting himself out. How do you not give 20% to someone like that? The soup and sandwich were, of course, exquisite -- which they had better be for $25.


2008 The West Coast

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