Big As - Angel Stadium, Athletics, Adenhart

Went to Angel Stadium on Saturday afternoon before the Angels-Athletics game... Although I'm a Dodgers fan, I feel connection to both AL teams. I grew up in OC, and the Angels used to provide free tickets to local students that had a certain GPA. That was pretty cool. (I also have a fondness for the Angels' "all-food team" featuring Chili Davis, Stew Cliburn, and Cookie Rojas.) As for the A's, being a fan of the Bay Area but hating the Giants, the Money Ballers from the East Bay have become my default AL team. Gotta root for the small-market underdogs, especially when they have a history that includes big mustaches and Your Black Muslim Bakery. (Athletics' closer Ecks also served up the greatest moment of my lifetime as a Dodgers fan in 1988.)


Armed with a pre-game field-level pass that took months to secure, I freely roamed the Big A's lower corridors trying to find my way to the field. I almost wish there were people around to hassle me, because it wasn't easy. I felt like I was in Spinal Tap.


Stepping out into the blinding sunshine and 100+ degrees heat on the field was a shock. See those non-cleat footprints on the right? Those are mine. (No, I wasn't thinking of "footprints on the sand," but aren't this picture and caption eerily similar to the religious poster?)


The visiting team's dugout was empty when I got there, but not for long. Hawaiian son, CSUF champ, and Athletics backstop Kurt Suzuki showed up sooner than later and turned out to be a very cool and chill guy. The team is having a rough season with its young pitching rotation, but Suzuki is keeping them focused and bringing them closer to readiness for next season and beyond.


As I left, the home team was gathering on the opposite end of the diamond. It was temping to see if Vlad's batting helmet is as scummy as Manny's or Sciosh's belt has gotten as big as Tommy's, but I resisted.


On a more serious note, on the way back to the parking lot I stopped to give a closer look to the Nick Adenhart memorial. The well-liked rookie hurler was killed by a drunk driver earlier this year, and the Halos' season has been dedicated to him.


At the fan-made monument, notes were scrawled on the gloves, caps, posters, and other offerings. The Angels mascot (not the Rally Monkey but the cloud-dwelling harp player) has been sadly appropriate for a situation like this...


Coincidentally, Jon Wilhite, the lone survivor of the crash that took Adenhart's life, threw out the evening's first pitch. Also catching for Cal State Fullerton, Wilhite is a close friend of Suzuki. The Oakland catcher seemed really grateful not only for getting to play in the major leagues, but to be in a position where he could help out a buddy.


Good sports, immaculate field, and a thought-provoking afternoon...