"Goodbye old friend"
Oct. 2nd, 2006 07:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lumy12If you don't give a rat's patootie about baseball, feel free to skip the cut. I'm babbling mainly because I can't NOT write about this.
Luis Gonzalez (Gonzo) has been with the Arizona Diamondbacks since 1999. That's 8 seasons. We're only 9 seasons old as a team. There was no baseball here before then - just spring training. I became a fan in 1999 as well. I wish I could convey how odd this was, for me and for my family. I wanted NOTHING to do with sports growing up, couldn't wait to get out of the house and get away from it being on TV all the time and everything. So we were all surprised - myself included - when I fell in love with baseball that year.
And Gonzo was there. He was never "my guy" the way Steve Finley was (still is, though he's long gone from my team), but he's such an amazing guy you can't help but be a fan of him. On the field but especially off the field. I had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions and he's just such a class act. He doesn't just PRETEND to care about the fans. I've never heard anyone have any bad encounters with him. He's involved in many charitable causes and says he's going to continue those, and continue living here, but who knows, he might want to settle in with his next city.
Anyhoo, before I get too rambly - Gonzo WANTS to stay here. He's getting older and will probably only play a few more seasons. This is his home, this is where he got the game-winning hit in Game 7 of the World Series, this is where he really blossomed as a player. But management doesn't want him back. He was willing to negotiate a PAY CUT and they still said "Nope, you're outta here." Bastards.
I went to the ballgames on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday and Saturday were nice, giving him standing ovations. Yesterday was THE DAY, though. Nearly 49,000 people there, a sell-out crowd. Largest regular-season crowd in history. I had gone with Aaron on Friday and Saturday (he wanted to watch his team clinch a playoff spot on our field, and he got his wish!) and with my brother yesterday. I think my bro was more emotional than I was but I had been there all weekend and was getting rather used to the ovations, for Gonzo and another player leaving us (Craig Counsell, who was also part of the 2001 World Series team). Still, later on... it started to really sink in when he took his last at-bat, and definitely when he was brought off the field in the 9th inning - specifically so we could cheer for him as he walked off the field the last time.
I got teary-eyed then. Didn't really cry though.
It was after the game that got me. When they were doing the special ceremonies, showing highlight reels on the jumbotron for Craig and Gonzo. Like my bro said, it's the end of an era.
Gonzo spoke briefly to the crowd. I read in the paper this morning that he purposely kept it brief because he was afraid he might lose it out there. Awwwwwww.
He'll be at Aaron's store signing autographs on November 18th. I will definitely be hanging out there that day. How lucky I am to get to say goodbye in person. (Incidentally, I got to say goodbye to MY GUY Steve Finley a couple years ago too - same kind of situation, an off-season autograph appearance - and he HUGGED ME! I was on cloud 9 for days)
Next year is most likely going to suck for my team. There are now no guys left from the World Series team of 2001. The new management cares more about saving money than winning. They're changing the team colors for the first time in franchise history, for reasons I won't bother going into here. I bet they raise ticket prices too. Greedy bastards.
I will hopefully find out what's wrong with Bailey later today. I'm eager to start him on some kind of drugs to stop his projectile vomiting.
I'm in a writing mood, but it's my busy week at home. I hate how my muse doesn't like to cooperate with my schedule.
I'm still a bit sniffly and a bit cough-y but I'm 1000 times better now than I was last week. I have my energy back!
Shrimp tacos from the place down the street are really good.
I think that's all. I have work to do. Though not all that much considering I was out Friday.
Luis Gonzalez (Gonzo) has been with the Arizona Diamondbacks since 1999. That's 8 seasons. We're only 9 seasons old as a team. There was no baseball here before then - just spring training. I became a fan in 1999 as well. I wish I could convey how odd this was, for me and for my family. I wanted NOTHING to do with sports growing up, couldn't wait to get out of the house and get away from it being on TV all the time and everything. So we were all surprised - myself included - when I fell in love with baseball that year.
And Gonzo was there. He was never "my guy" the way Steve Finley was (still is, though he's long gone from my team), but he's such an amazing guy you can't help but be a fan of him. On the field but especially off the field. I had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions and he's just such a class act. He doesn't just PRETEND to care about the fans. I've never heard anyone have any bad encounters with him. He's involved in many charitable causes and says he's going to continue those, and continue living here, but who knows, he might want to settle in with his next city.
Anyhoo, before I get too rambly - Gonzo WANTS to stay here. He's getting older and will probably only play a few more seasons. This is his home, this is where he got the game-winning hit in Game 7 of the World Series, this is where he really blossomed as a player. But management doesn't want him back. He was willing to negotiate a PAY CUT and they still said "Nope, you're outta here." Bastards.
I went to the ballgames on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday and Saturday were nice, giving him standing ovations. Yesterday was THE DAY, though. Nearly 49,000 people there, a sell-out crowd. Largest regular-season crowd in history. I had gone with Aaron on Friday and Saturday (he wanted to watch his team clinch a playoff spot on our field, and he got his wish!) and with my brother yesterday. I think my bro was more emotional than I was but I had been there all weekend and was getting rather used to the ovations, for Gonzo and another player leaving us (Craig Counsell, who was also part of the 2001 World Series team). Still, later on... it started to really sink in when he took his last at-bat, and definitely when he was brought off the field in the 9th inning - specifically so we could cheer for him as he walked off the field the last time.
I got teary-eyed then. Didn't really cry though.
It was after the game that got me. When they were doing the special ceremonies, showing highlight reels on the jumbotron for Craig and Gonzo. Like my bro said, it's the end of an era.
Gonzo spoke briefly to the crowd. I read in the paper this morning that he purposely kept it brief because he was afraid he might lose it out there. Awwwwwww.
He'll be at Aaron's store signing autographs on November 18th. I will definitely be hanging out there that day. How lucky I am to get to say goodbye in person. (Incidentally, I got to say goodbye to MY GUY Steve Finley a couple years ago too - same kind of situation, an off-season autograph appearance - and he HUGGED ME! I was on cloud 9 for days)
Next year is most likely going to suck for my team. There are now no guys left from the World Series team of 2001. The new management cares more about saving money than winning. They're changing the team colors for the first time in franchise history, for reasons I won't bother going into here. I bet they raise ticket prices too. Greedy bastards.
I will hopefully find out what's wrong with Bailey later today. I'm eager to start him on some kind of drugs to stop his projectile vomiting.
I'm in a writing mood, but it's my busy week at home. I hate how my muse doesn't like to cooperate with my schedule.
I'm still a bit sniffly and a bit cough-y but I'm 1000 times better now than I was last week. I have my energy back!
Shrimp tacos from the place down the street are really good.
I think that's all. I have work to do. Though not all that much considering I was out Friday.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 03:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 04:50 pm (UTC)I dunno. I had something I was going to say, but I forgot because I'm in a deep hole of self-pity.
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 05:28 pm (UTC)It was a sellout. How many does your stadium hold? Or YOUR MOM's since you don't actually care :P so I shouldn't say "your."
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 05:38 pm (UTC)Apparently 46,000. :/ I thought it was more. BUT they sold out every single game this season, so there.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 05:41 pm (UTC)I remember being surprised when Aaron and I were in Cleveland, and he said we might have a hard time getting tickets to the game we wanted to go to because every single game there sells out. I was blown away by that. I doubt we'll ever have that here.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 06:07 pm (UTC)If they hadn't made it to the playoffs this year it would have been the worst collapse in baseball history. You better hope they get their momentum turned around - sorry, not you, YOUR MOM.
I feel immature saying "your mom" all the time like I'm saying it all YOUR MOM!!!-like.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 06:11 pm (UTC)OMG, YOUR mom. :P
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 06:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 05:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 05:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 05:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 06:06 pm (UTC)How old is Akemi?
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 06:11 pm (UTC)There's this show over here called Room 101 where celebrities put things into Room 101 that they hate. And one of the celebrities said pet's lifespans cause we invest so much emotion and love into them and they don't live long enough.
My cat used to puke up on wet food. We had to feed her dry food. But then she started puking up again when we got another cat cause she would scarf the food down so the other cat couldn't.
PS, the dog in my icon is the breed Akemi and Zoe are.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 06:35 pm (UTC)I was thinking when I was in the waiting room with Bailey last week... I wondered how much I would be willing to spend on him. How do you put a price on love? How would I decide how much is too much?
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 06:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 06:46 pm (UTC)I have oodles more credit than I need, so yeah, if they're sick they're definitely going to the vet no matter the cost.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 06:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 07:05 pm (UTC)Also, should Ani and D have their stuff delivered? That's a couple pretty big things to cram into the speeder - and I don't know anything about cellos but seems like maybe it shouldn't get jarred and stuff?
I should probably email you. *babbles in journal instead*
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 07:10 pm (UTC)Well, he's getting a hard case cause I'm a big geek about string instruments needing hard cases so they don't get jarred. But yeah probably better to have them delivered.
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 07:12 pm (UTC)D!: *is evile and used to getting his way about stuff*
no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 07:14 pm (UTC)