We went down early to try and catch some of batting practice, and were lucky to walk right down to the field level and watch some of our favorite players. We didn’t get to watch for long, because it seemed like the grounds crew cut them off early. There was a storm on the way so they wanted to get the field covered quickly. While the players were being shuffled back into the dugout, I was able to get a few good pictures of some of my favorite guys on the team like Hanley Ramirez and of course David Ortiz. We stood near the dugout for just a few minutes longer and my dad was able to catch the attention of one of the coaches. He tossed us up a ball from batting practice and my dad caught it and gave it to me right on the spot. It was one of those really special moments that I’ll always remember, and I’ll always have that ball that was played with by some of the most respected players in the MLB (my dad has an impressive collection of signed baseballs himself, so now I'll be able to start my own!).
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My dad got a classic IPA and I got the Take Two Pils, a pilsner that I’ve had before and really love. We grabbed some pizza and talked baseball over another beer before we headed out to watch the start of the game. I don’t think we ever sat in our actual seats (shh!), but we sat in at least 5 different sections, taking in all of the different angles of the ballpark and seeing the game from a lot of different views. My dad told me how when he used to watch games at Fenway he’d do the same thing. He’s sat in every section at Fenway Park except for the Green Monster seats (which were added later on). One day I hope I’ll be sitting up there with him.
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It was an awesome game! And I even got to see my favorite player, Mike Napoli, come in and pinch hit for Big Papi. It was such a fun night, and the best way I could imagine to celebrate Father’s Day. I don’t think I’ve ever gone to a ball game just me and my dad, so it was a really special memory for him and I. Can't wait for the next one!
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