Welcome back, Junior. Have a ball game.
Cecil Adams, the noted genius and expert on everything, just published a column called “Take me out to the ballgame: Is there a homefield advantage?“
Tonight’s Safeco Field answer: Hell, no.
The M’s, as you may have heard, welcomed back to Safeco Field long-lost local baseball hero Ken Griffey Jr., now employed by Cincinnati. The crowd gave Junior a warm round of applause, and then the Mariners gave Junior’s Reds a warm butt to kick.
Reds 16, M’s 1. And really, it was all over in the first inning. In classic Seattle fashion, the opposing team may have gotten an assist from the home plate ump in the first couple innings (see also: Seahawks/Pittsburgh Super Bowl), but there was no question about the outcome. The M’s rolled over and played dead.
I finally make it to an M’s game this season and look what happens. Hopefully the next one will be an improvement.
I was at the game - that warm round of applause lasted approximately 6 minutes.
Now that I’m an adult, my values conflict pretty directly with everything about pro sports. But when I was a kid, I grew up following Griffey’s every move and tonight was unexpectedly moving. I felt like a kid again.
Well said Ryan. Couldn’t agree with you more.