Katherine and I went to the Ballpark in Arlington for the 15th time this season yesterday evening. It was 104º at game time, according to the scoreboard. By the time the game ended, at 9:25, it had dropped to a chilly 99º. Ha! Our seats are so situated that, by the time a 7:05 game begins, we are shielded from the sun. Many fans in other sections (click the image in this post) were exposed to the sun for over an hour. It was scorching.
The game was played crisply, mercifully. The only scoring took place in the sixth inning, when the Toronto Blue Jays scored three runs off Texas Rangers pitcher (and All Star) Alexi Ogando. The Rangers had only four hits in the game, none of them for extra bases. Toronto's pitcher, Brett Cecil, shut down the Rangers' high-powered offense. That's the genius of baseball: On a given night, any team can beat any other team. The best team in Major League Baseball wins only 60% or so of its games.
Someone told me the other day that the Rangers modified the railings in the ballpark to prevent further fan accidents, but the railing in front of us (on the third deck) was the same. The attendance last night was 43,117, which is close to capacity. The game lasted 2:18, which is extremely quick by today's standards. Katherine and I are 8-7 this season in games attended, with at least six games to go. We will try to get playoff tickets, should the Rangers make it. How many Major League games have you attended this year?
