It was in a luxury-box seat. Beers and horse doovers come with the package in Fenway’s. I got to go to my former employer’s box there a few times - it’s just like a hotel room, except with more couches and no bed, and if you step outside, you’re in box seats instead of the parking lot. And the fridge is stocked, and the room service keeps the munchies coming.
So it’s like heaven, but better.
I’ve been in a luxury box in Comerica Park, which, admittedly, isn’t Fenway, but it sounds like the exact same kind of setup.
My daughter’s been to one in Nationals Park, and the pictures she sent me look like that setup too.
Did I mention there’s a TV in the room, set to the game, so you can watch it from an air-conditioned sofa instead?
I’ve been to one at AT&T. Same (heaven) deal.
So the Giants offense today consisted of an inning with 2 Cleveland errors, a walk, and a balk. Giants win, 1-0. Amazing.
Was Bob Davidson the ump?
Good guess. 
My shin guards bear the signature of “Balkin’ Bob” Davidson – and I called 3 balks in today’s Little League game.
Holy crap. I was half kidding.
I watched a replay of the call. It’s a bullshit call. I saw no attempt to deceive a runner.
I am sure Balk-A-Day Bob will just say he was following the rules, but given that he’s calling all the balks, maybe someday MLB should sit them all down and say “okay, let’s agree on how the balk rule works.” Davidson surely must notice he’s the only guy calling balks so often, so he’s just doing it because he likes being the center of attention… and that is NOT a good trait in an umpire.
Or because he’s unquestionably sure he’s right, and laments that everyone else is wrong. Which is also not a good trait, in anyone.
Red Sox fan checking in here. Watching the Pirates beat the Sox on Friday and Saturday, I can’t help being impressed with the way the Buccos have been playing. With the competitive balance in both leagues this year, does anyone think that Pittsburg has a legitimate chance at a playoff spot?
I’ll be rooting for the Pirates today. I may be a Sox fan, but I love a good story even more.
As a fan of a team (Reds) that may end up chasing the Pirates, I have to qualitatively state that you are by no means allowed to send the Bucs any positive energy whatsoever. This goes for the rest of you “good story” seekers as well. Root for your own damn team and let the Pirates settle into the miasma at the bottom of the NL Central where they belong!
You claim to be to a Sox “fan”, but are rooting for the Bucs today? I don’t think so. A fan of any team, nevermind a Sox fan, would never root against their team. You are a what we call a “spectator”, who is someone who enjoys watching a particular team.
I’ve been noticing more balk calls this year than in the past. Cole Hamels now has 3 balks called this year when his career balk total entering this year was precisely nil. Has anyone noticed a trend or is there some sort of statistical analysis that charts total balks by year.
I went to a Sox game earlier this year where both Wakefield and Aceves were called for balks and Tito, who was as livid as I’ve ever seen, was ejected arguing one of the balk calls.
I was just noting the other day that the Indians have had 4 balk calls for them (balks called on the other team) already this year. I think 2 of them resulted in us getting a run.
The next day or the day after that, we committed our first balk, Tony Sipp vs. San Francisco. It scored a run, too.
Here’s MLB pitching stats for this year so far, with balks highlighted.
I, too, am curious about the number of balks being called as well as stats for balks against. Or against the other team I guess. The opposite of what MLB pitching stats show here.
A spectator is someone who is physically engaged in watching something.
Someone who wants to call himself a fan is, IMHO, entitled to their opinion. “You’re not a true fan” is rarely a good argumentative path to go down.
Are you kidding?
Ahh, the old jinx. Very clever, sir or madam. Actually, I’ll go out on a limb and go with sir, given the MIKE prefix. Still, 2 out of 3 from the vaunted Red Sox makes this Pirates fan very happy, and props to you for being able to step out of the “rah-rah” fan role and appreciate an underdog. A couple years back, amidst another losing season and the usual accompanying thoughts of seppuku, I toyed with finding an AL team to follow, so as to enjoy good baseball and not cheat on my home team. I didn’t do it, but I had settled on Boston.
The Bucs have been playing without their catching platoon (and their 3rd string backup) and their stud 3rd baseman for about a month, both their 1st baseman and right fielder are under-performing horribly - and they are only 4 games back in the comedy central division. Also, their remaining schedule is arguably easier than whet they’ve endured so far, so there’s that. The pitching has been just leaps and bounds over last year, and when a game gets handed to our closer Hanrahan, it’s over.
I don’t know that the Pirates can compete this year, but they aren’t even playing at the level they should be. If some of that turns around, if the young prospects brought up to fill in for Pedro Alverez and Jose Tabata (injured in today’s game) perform well, who can tell. There’s a lot of fans excited to see some life, and some hope, after 18 consecutive losing seasons. Our last GM, Dave Littlefield, mismanaged the organization from the minors on up. It’s taken awhile to undo that damage, but barring a plane crash or team bus accident, you should be hearing more about the Pirates over the next couple years, and not in the form of bad jokes from late-night talk-show hosts.
For the record, Davidson and Joe West are tied for the major league lead in balks called, with six apiece. Angel Hernandez, Bill Welke, D.J. Reyburn and Gerry Davis are next, all with four. Cite.
It’s official. The Dodgers are bankrupt.