Post by MSBNYY on Aug 26, 2006 7:48:56 GMT -5
Toronto 2005
September 16, 2005—For the first time in 3 years, I decided to venture on to Toronto. The two trips in 2001 and 2002 were both incredible times, and I felt that it was time to take this trip again.
Before I get started I want to take a second to thank Connecticut Jessie for arranging the tickets and dealing with the Canadians. It’s a job I would never take on, with people backing out and eating money and all that, so I appreciate the effort.
My day on Friday started early. I was up at 3:10am, because I had a 7am flight, and decided to take public transportation to Newark Airport. I also like to get to the airport early so I never have to fear missing flights and just get through security with no issues. There were a surprisingly high number of people on that train. Its not like they were all going to the airport. Only a few people got off at that stop. Don’t these people have jobs?
So I get to the airport and through check-in. I have a tradition where on a day I fly, before I get on the plane, I only play songs on my MP3 player from artists that died in plane crashes, or about artists that died in plane crashes. So I was in the middle of American Pie when Uptown Mike showed up.
I know you all realize the importance of this event. This is the first trip to Toronto since The Pimps won the Creature Cup by winning the Bleacher Softball Challenge. The Creature Cup is the most coveted trophy in sports, and when two champions get together, the VIP treatment begins, as you will see.
I knew CT Jessie, Laura, Jessie’s 2 brothers, Laurie, Laurie’s friend Rich, Larry, and his girl Corene were driving in the van. But champions like myself, Uptown Mike, Ignorant Ivan, and his wife, have to fly. Evan and Karen were on a later flight. The most important piece of the puzzle, the coveted Creature Cup, was packed safely in my bag and checked.
The flight was fairly uneventful. But I wonder why there is a guy with a turban on EVERY single flight? It’s like they like to fuck with you.
We took a cab to the hotel and did an early check-in. Uptown and I were the first to arrive, and we each checked in. But strangely enough, despite the fact that I didn’t pay for it, they recognized the captain of the Pimps, and gave him an upgrade. Yeah, I’m referring to myself in the third person, because that’s what many champions do.
Immediately, I was given preferred member status. My room was on the 19th floor out of 20. I had my own balcony with a postcard-like view of downtown Toronto. I could see the Rogers Center and the CN Tower very well. My ceilings were 15 feet high and arched. And of course, my room would not be complete without a Jacuzzi, which I used 4 times during the weekend. Definitely a room fit for a champion.
It was raining in Toronto, but Uptown and I had a mission. The Creature Cup was in another country, and it needed to take its tour around the city of Toronto. There was a rumor going around that Toronto hosts another, lesser valued trophy for hockey. Some guy named Stanley stole our gimmick and named a cup after himself. So every year, these hockey teams play for this cup and treat it like it’s the Creature Cup. Well, it was time the two trophies were brought together. I guess it’s ok that this Stanley Cup exists, since it doesn’t come from a real sport like softball, or an elite tournament like the Bleacher Softball Challenge.
On the way, we passed some old favorite Toronto landmarks. I decided to revisit some of them, but before that happened, we found something in Toronto called the Eternal Flame of Hope. Looked like the Olympic flame. So naturally I gave it a thumbs down picture. But I also felt that the Eternal Flame of Hope was a good place for a picture with the Cup, since maybe seeing the Cup will inspire millions of children to achieve what the Pimps achieved on July 23, 2005—which of course was winning the Bleacher Softball Challenge.
Of course, anyone who has ever read any of my Toronto columns would know that there is only one place in Toronto that I love to eat. East Side Mario’s. And that is where Uptown and I went to eat, Cup in tow. The most famous Thumbs Down picture was taken there, and that lame Mets logo was still there, so I had another picture taken in the same spot, with the Cup, but with a Thumbs Down.
Uptown ordered a beer, which he poured into the Cup, and drank it like a champion.
Canadians loved the Cup. People were stopping us asking what the trophy was for. Kids were asking for autographs. In the elevator, one lady asked us where the media coverage was, but we explained that we ditched them. The waiters at East Side Mario’s were upset they didn’t have a camera, and they lost the chance to have their picture on the wall with us. Several pictures and one excellent pizza later, we moved on to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
I didn’t like the Hockey Hall of Fame last time I was there. I really couldn’t care less if they display the broken condom that led to the conception of Wayne Gretzky. But I will admit that this time, I was looking forward to it. We were there much earlier in the morning this time and really had almost the whole place to ourselves. I guess that shouldn’t be surprising. Champions don’t wait on lines.
We went right to the Stanley Cup and got our pictures taken with it. At first, I was holding the Creature Cup, but that just wasn’t good enough. Recognizing the problem, the guy at the Hockey Hall of Fame moved the Stanley Cup back so that the Creature Cup could take its proper place in front of that bigger, but less important hockey trophy.
Once that photo op was done, we went to partake in some of the games that they had there. They had life size games where NHL players would take shots on you and you would play goalie. They also had a game where you could shoot at various targets. Real hockey equipment, real pucks, and really cool. We took some pictures. I don’t see the difficulty in this hockey goalie thing. I stopped 14 out of 15 shots, and stopped everything at the second level of the game. I guess not all sports are as challenging as slow pitch softball. Uptown proved to be the better shooter though, actually hitting the target a few times.
A comedic moment happened when I spotted, on the floor, a drawing of some hockey player holding the Stanley Cup. Picture the NBA logo, but with a hockey player holding the Stanley Cup over his head. So naturally, I lied down on the floor next to it with the Creature Cup and had a picture taken. Uptown then did the same thing.
After that, the victory tour continued. Got a picture with the Cup by the retarded Yogi Berra sculpture at the SkyDome. Then we took some shots at the Wacky Wall of Death and a nice shot with the CN tower in the background. But at this point, others started to arrive, and it was time to bring the Cup back to the hotel room, where it would be safe for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, the bastards at Skydome wouldn’t let me bring the cup inside. They actually said it was a projectile.
At this point, I saw a midget, not too far from the Wacky Wall of Death. It was a good midget. A female, blonde, wearing all black, in a wheelchair. Doing my duty, I called it in to Tom, who told me that Larry got arrested at the border. I’m not one to kill rumors, so I didn’t bother. Apparently, I got arrested at the border too, but I wanted to wait until I got home to find out what I did.
The van carrying Jesse and company had arrived. Vinny’s flight had landed too, but he was stuck waiting for a Durango to rent. Vinny had a rough travel day too, since he had to turn around and go right back to the airport to pick up Rose, whose flight had been delayed.
A bunch of people went to Tom’s favorite Toronto spot, the Lone Star Café, but I had gone to take a nap for about an hour. The game was at 7pm, and I had been up since 3am, so I wanted to make sure I’d be up for whatever would happen.
Well, we finally got the tickets, and went to the game, which was a pitcher’s duel as the Yanks won 11-10. At this point we were almost all there. Larry and Corene skipped the game, Uptown’s friend Maggie had arrived, and Shane arrived the next day, but all I don’t think I forgot anyone.
At the game, we learned it was possible to take a piece of the Skydome home. So a bunch of us now own new coasters. I’ll leave it at that for now.
Since Rose’s flight was delayed, Vinny missed the start of the game, but that didn’t stop us from doing roll call, which worked very well. Eventually Vinny’s fellow road trippers Ray and Dave joined us. Ray actually didn’t stay too long, since the Yankees started blowing a big lead when he came, and thought it was bad luck. Gotta respect that.
After the game, not too many people felt like going out. I had gone to Subway to get food. A bunch of people went to the Loose Moose after the game, but I only joined them for about a half hour before turning in. We had another big day on Saturday, and I wanted a good night sleep.
SATURDAY
Not much to do Saturday morning. Jessie had arranged a special early entry, so we could see BP live. Met up with Uptown and Jessie’s brother and we ate breakfast at a mall. We had a lot of time to kill so I just ended up chilling on my balcony and testing the Jacuzzi again.
Saturday BP was cool. Pretty much everyone was there. I noticed they had a sign shaped like a stop sign that said “butt stop.” It was supposed to be some ashtray, but I thought it was funny because it said “butt.” Took a picture.
We got in the Stadium early and were right up front while the Yanks took BP. It’s not often you get that close to the action. I didn’t take too many pictures of the players, but other people did. It was cool getting some shout outs. Uptown got a ball from Bubba Crosby.
The funniest part was when Road Trip Dave called Suzyn Waldman his Yankee Mom. She got all pissed at him, and even brought Michael Kay out. She yelled something back at him, though I don’t remember the exact insult. What was funny though was that she said she dated guys younger than Dave. So Dave got bitch slapped by Suzyn Waldman.
John Sterling also came out with a cup of Gatorade, which of course prompted me to yell, “that’s not Gatorade.” There were a bevy of Sterling is drunk jokes. Ruben Sierra started singing one of Ray’s songs. Matsui came out and that rocked because he’s Japanese. I said “hai!”
One thing I had forgotten to mention was that Friday was Japanese night. So the P.A. announcer was also announcing in Japanese, which of course I enjoyed.
There came a point where they let the other peon fans in, and it became apparent that the players weren’t going to get autographs, so fans started approaching the Road Trippers. It’s really funny watching this all go on.
The game was an offensive slugfest, with the Yankees winning 1-0. It gets so quiet in the Skydome that you can yell stuff and the players turn around. I told both the right fielder (Johnson) and Vernon Wells they sucked and they both waved. A shame we can’t get Vernon Wells here.
Got some pictures of how we left our mark on the Skydome as well thanks to the coasters.
Ray, Vinny, and Dave were getting mobbed for autographs throughout the game when they sat with us. They left after the 7th inning when we did the classic “Blue Jays, Are Gay, Suck on My Balls” chant.
As was the case in 2002, we decided to spend Saturday and have a nice dinner. In attendance were Laura, Uptown, Laurie, Laurie’s friend Richie, CBC Guy, Maggie, Shane, Jessie, Vinny, Rose, Jessie’s two brothers (Mark and Frank), Evan, Karen, Corene, Larry, myself, and Road Trip Dave. The restaurant was called Verona. Not a bad meal. Rose had put the reservation in my name. I guess that was the right thing to do, since I am the captain of the 2005 Bleacher Creature Softball Champion Pimps. Service was decent, and the meal was very good.
An interesting side note involved the check. The bet was what the amount of the food, pre-tax would be, a dollar for a guess, Price is Right rules. Rose had guessed $710, which was the highest, but Karen pulled the old one dollar higher trick to take the pot.
I actually liked it better than the CN Tower, which really was only good because of the view.
Finally, it was on to a bar called Duke of Argyle. Most of us went in, though a bunch of people went back to Uptown’s room to take some stress medicine. Nothing too eventful in the bar, though my guess is that Shane has a few stories to tell after he broke off with the group.
The night pretty much ended back with more stress medicine.
SUNDAY
Final day in Toronto. The game was at 1:05, and the flight was right after. The Yanks sadly lost 6-5, which blows in the middle of a pennant race. Jaret Wright pitched like shit, and got literally knocked out of the game when a bat hit him.
I took a ton of pictures at the Wacky Wall of Death, and ate again at East Side Mario’s before heading in. There was some sort of circus theme as the stadium was surrounded by people in stilts.
Evan spotted another midget a few sections over. It was a middle aged midget, wearing a yellow shirt, and a yellow baseball hat. The yellow hat was a different shade of yellow than the yellow shirt.
There was also an obnoxious Japanese Red Sox fan that tried to talk shit. Not very well, but he tried. We booed him of course. Security came down and made him go back to his real seat.
There was also a kid who has a future in yelling. Very loud voice and a Yankee fan. He was cheering for Matsui. So some jerk tried to get him to shut up. And naturally, we had his back and cheered for Matsui too. Too bad the man grounded to second. But such is life.
The game sucked, but at least we’re American.
The best part of the day was actually at the airport itself. After we got through security, Uptown and I had some time to kill. We went to some bar at the airport, but I wanted to get to the gate, and started to walk back. Who do I see? Joe Torre. Following him was Roy White. I start walking toward the gate and see more Yankees. God himself, Mariano Rivera walked by me. We exchanged that champion to champion nod, and I said, “we’ll get em tomorrow Mo,” to which he replied, “YEAH!” So now I’m Mariano’s best friend.
I found Vinny, who was on our flight, and Rose, who was flying American Airlines. They were just sitting to the side, enjoying the Yankee parade. Ray was there too, and soon the other Road Trippers wandered in. Michael Kay was at the bar, and while Christa was talking to him, John Sterling goosed her.
One by one, the Yankees walked by—all of them. Some Yankees were saying hi to the Road Trip group, but most were in a hurry. I shook Jorge’s hand, but the biggest thrill was shouting out Donnie Baseball and having the man say hello back. I wonder if he realized that he was Don Mattingly. So now I’m Don Mattingly’s best friend.
Matsui gave me a hello grunt as well. We’re buddies.
It took a lot of willpower not to take my camera out and ask for pictures. I guess the Yankees must have felt the same way about meeting me, because after all, the Pimps won the Bleacher Softball Championship, and hold the Creature Cup.
Matt Lawton dresses worse than he hits and fields. He was wearing a maroon suit and looked like a movie usher. Randy Johnson is tall. Suzyn Waldman has a face that could cause a tire to flatten.
But damn that was cool. Mattingly was the coolest one to see. Jeter was cool too. Jeter and ARod gave us the “what’s up guys.”
It’s just like being a kid. That was a great highlight.
Why is there a guy with a turban on EVERY damn flight? As fate would have it, this time, turban man, a fat smelly guy, sat right next to me. And he was in the center, and fat. But when he tried to sleep, I got a little lucky. He leaned on the shoulder of the guy on the window seat, not me.
But that was basically Toronto 2005. There may be some stuff I forgot, but I think Jessie will cover it in his column, and I will likely start a separate thread for pictures as well as put them on Kodak Gallery. There were certainly some notable absences, but overall, ti was a decent trip.
September 16, 2005—For the first time in 3 years, I decided to venture on to Toronto. The two trips in 2001 and 2002 were both incredible times, and I felt that it was time to take this trip again.
Before I get started I want to take a second to thank Connecticut Jessie for arranging the tickets and dealing with the Canadians. It’s a job I would never take on, with people backing out and eating money and all that, so I appreciate the effort.
My day on Friday started early. I was up at 3:10am, because I had a 7am flight, and decided to take public transportation to Newark Airport. I also like to get to the airport early so I never have to fear missing flights and just get through security with no issues. There were a surprisingly high number of people on that train. Its not like they were all going to the airport. Only a few people got off at that stop. Don’t these people have jobs?
So I get to the airport and through check-in. I have a tradition where on a day I fly, before I get on the plane, I only play songs on my MP3 player from artists that died in plane crashes, or about artists that died in plane crashes. So I was in the middle of American Pie when Uptown Mike showed up.
I know you all realize the importance of this event. This is the first trip to Toronto since The Pimps won the Creature Cup by winning the Bleacher Softball Challenge. The Creature Cup is the most coveted trophy in sports, and when two champions get together, the VIP treatment begins, as you will see.
I knew CT Jessie, Laura, Jessie’s 2 brothers, Laurie, Laurie’s friend Rich, Larry, and his girl Corene were driving in the van. But champions like myself, Uptown Mike, Ignorant Ivan, and his wife, have to fly. Evan and Karen were on a later flight. The most important piece of the puzzle, the coveted Creature Cup, was packed safely in my bag and checked.
The flight was fairly uneventful. But I wonder why there is a guy with a turban on EVERY single flight? It’s like they like to fuck with you.
We took a cab to the hotel and did an early check-in. Uptown and I were the first to arrive, and we each checked in. But strangely enough, despite the fact that I didn’t pay for it, they recognized the captain of the Pimps, and gave him an upgrade. Yeah, I’m referring to myself in the third person, because that’s what many champions do.
Immediately, I was given preferred member status. My room was on the 19th floor out of 20. I had my own balcony with a postcard-like view of downtown Toronto. I could see the Rogers Center and the CN Tower very well. My ceilings were 15 feet high and arched. And of course, my room would not be complete without a Jacuzzi, which I used 4 times during the weekend. Definitely a room fit for a champion.
It was raining in Toronto, but Uptown and I had a mission. The Creature Cup was in another country, and it needed to take its tour around the city of Toronto. There was a rumor going around that Toronto hosts another, lesser valued trophy for hockey. Some guy named Stanley stole our gimmick and named a cup after himself. So every year, these hockey teams play for this cup and treat it like it’s the Creature Cup. Well, it was time the two trophies were brought together. I guess it’s ok that this Stanley Cup exists, since it doesn’t come from a real sport like softball, or an elite tournament like the Bleacher Softball Challenge.
On the way, we passed some old favorite Toronto landmarks. I decided to revisit some of them, but before that happened, we found something in Toronto called the Eternal Flame of Hope. Looked like the Olympic flame. So naturally I gave it a thumbs down picture. But I also felt that the Eternal Flame of Hope was a good place for a picture with the Cup, since maybe seeing the Cup will inspire millions of children to achieve what the Pimps achieved on July 23, 2005—which of course was winning the Bleacher Softball Challenge.
Of course, anyone who has ever read any of my Toronto columns would know that there is only one place in Toronto that I love to eat. East Side Mario’s. And that is where Uptown and I went to eat, Cup in tow. The most famous Thumbs Down picture was taken there, and that lame Mets logo was still there, so I had another picture taken in the same spot, with the Cup, but with a Thumbs Down.
Uptown ordered a beer, which he poured into the Cup, and drank it like a champion.
Canadians loved the Cup. People were stopping us asking what the trophy was for. Kids were asking for autographs. In the elevator, one lady asked us where the media coverage was, but we explained that we ditched them. The waiters at East Side Mario’s were upset they didn’t have a camera, and they lost the chance to have their picture on the wall with us. Several pictures and one excellent pizza later, we moved on to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
I didn’t like the Hockey Hall of Fame last time I was there. I really couldn’t care less if they display the broken condom that led to the conception of Wayne Gretzky. But I will admit that this time, I was looking forward to it. We were there much earlier in the morning this time and really had almost the whole place to ourselves. I guess that shouldn’t be surprising. Champions don’t wait on lines.
We went right to the Stanley Cup and got our pictures taken with it. At first, I was holding the Creature Cup, but that just wasn’t good enough. Recognizing the problem, the guy at the Hockey Hall of Fame moved the Stanley Cup back so that the Creature Cup could take its proper place in front of that bigger, but less important hockey trophy.
Once that photo op was done, we went to partake in some of the games that they had there. They had life size games where NHL players would take shots on you and you would play goalie. They also had a game where you could shoot at various targets. Real hockey equipment, real pucks, and really cool. We took some pictures. I don’t see the difficulty in this hockey goalie thing. I stopped 14 out of 15 shots, and stopped everything at the second level of the game. I guess not all sports are as challenging as slow pitch softball. Uptown proved to be the better shooter though, actually hitting the target a few times.
A comedic moment happened when I spotted, on the floor, a drawing of some hockey player holding the Stanley Cup. Picture the NBA logo, but with a hockey player holding the Stanley Cup over his head. So naturally, I lied down on the floor next to it with the Creature Cup and had a picture taken. Uptown then did the same thing.
After that, the victory tour continued. Got a picture with the Cup by the retarded Yogi Berra sculpture at the SkyDome. Then we took some shots at the Wacky Wall of Death and a nice shot with the CN tower in the background. But at this point, others started to arrive, and it was time to bring the Cup back to the hotel room, where it would be safe for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, the bastards at Skydome wouldn’t let me bring the cup inside. They actually said it was a projectile.
At this point, I saw a midget, not too far from the Wacky Wall of Death. It was a good midget. A female, blonde, wearing all black, in a wheelchair. Doing my duty, I called it in to Tom, who told me that Larry got arrested at the border. I’m not one to kill rumors, so I didn’t bother. Apparently, I got arrested at the border too, but I wanted to wait until I got home to find out what I did.
The van carrying Jesse and company had arrived. Vinny’s flight had landed too, but he was stuck waiting for a Durango to rent. Vinny had a rough travel day too, since he had to turn around and go right back to the airport to pick up Rose, whose flight had been delayed.
A bunch of people went to Tom’s favorite Toronto spot, the Lone Star Café, but I had gone to take a nap for about an hour. The game was at 7pm, and I had been up since 3am, so I wanted to make sure I’d be up for whatever would happen.
Well, we finally got the tickets, and went to the game, which was a pitcher’s duel as the Yanks won 11-10. At this point we were almost all there. Larry and Corene skipped the game, Uptown’s friend Maggie had arrived, and Shane arrived the next day, but all I don’t think I forgot anyone.
At the game, we learned it was possible to take a piece of the Skydome home. So a bunch of us now own new coasters. I’ll leave it at that for now.
Since Rose’s flight was delayed, Vinny missed the start of the game, but that didn’t stop us from doing roll call, which worked very well. Eventually Vinny’s fellow road trippers Ray and Dave joined us. Ray actually didn’t stay too long, since the Yankees started blowing a big lead when he came, and thought it was bad luck. Gotta respect that.
After the game, not too many people felt like going out. I had gone to Subway to get food. A bunch of people went to the Loose Moose after the game, but I only joined them for about a half hour before turning in. We had another big day on Saturday, and I wanted a good night sleep.
SATURDAY
Not much to do Saturday morning. Jessie had arranged a special early entry, so we could see BP live. Met up with Uptown and Jessie’s brother and we ate breakfast at a mall. We had a lot of time to kill so I just ended up chilling on my balcony and testing the Jacuzzi again.
Saturday BP was cool. Pretty much everyone was there. I noticed they had a sign shaped like a stop sign that said “butt stop.” It was supposed to be some ashtray, but I thought it was funny because it said “butt.” Took a picture.
We got in the Stadium early and were right up front while the Yanks took BP. It’s not often you get that close to the action. I didn’t take too many pictures of the players, but other people did. It was cool getting some shout outs. Uptown got a ball from Bubba Crosby.
The funniest part was when Road Trip Dave called Suzyn Waldman his Yankee Mom. She got all pissed at him, and even brought Michael Kay out. She yelled something back at him, though I don’t remember the exact insult. What was funny though was that she said she dated guys younger than Dave. So Dave got bitch slapped by Suzyn Waldman.
John Sterling also came out with a cup of Gatorade, which of course prompted me to yell, “that’s not Gatorade.” There were a bevy of Sterling is drunk jokes. Ruben Sierra started singing one of Ray’s songs. Matsui came out and that rocked because he’s Japanese. I said “hai!”
One thing I had forgotten to mention was that Friday was Japanese night. So the P.A. announcer was also announcing in Japanese, which of course I enjoyed.
There came a point where they let the other peon fans in, and it became apparent that the players weren’t going to get autographs, so fans started approaching the Road Trippers. It’s really funny watching this all go on.
The game was an offensive slugfest, with the Yankees winning 1-0. It gets so quiet in the Skydome that you can yell stuff and the players turn around. I told both the right fielder (Johnson) and Vernon Wells they sucked and they both waved. A shame we can’t get Vernon Wells here.
Got some pictures of how we left our mark on the Skydome as well thanks to the coasters.
Ray, Vinny, and Dave were getting mobbed for autographs throughout the game when they sat with us. They left after the 7th inning when we did the classic “Blue Jays, Are Gay, Suck on My Balls” chant.
As was the case in 2002, we decided to spend Saturday and have a nice dinner. In attendance were Laura, Uptown, Laurie, Laurie’s friend Richie, CBC Guy, Maggie, Shane, Jessie, Vinny, Rose, Jessie’s two brothers (Mark and Frank), Evan, Karen, Corene, Larry, myself, and Road Trip Dave. The restaurant was called Verona. Not a bad meal. Rose had put the reservation in my name. I guess that was the right thing to do, since I am the captain of the 2005 Bleacher Creature Softball Champion Pimps. Service was decent, and the meal was very good.
An interesting side note involved the check. The bet was what the amount of the food, pre-tax would be, a dollar for a guess, Price is Right rules. Rose had guessed $710, which was the highest, but Karen pulled the old one dollar higher trick to take the pot.
I actually liked it better than the CN Tower, which really was only good because of the view.
Finally, it was on to a bar called Duke of Argyle. Most of us went in, though a bunch of people went back to Uptown’s room to take some stress medicine. Nothing too eventful in the bar, though my guess is that Shane has a few stories to tell after he broke off with the group.
The night pretty much ended back with more stress medicine.
SUNDAY
Final day in Toronto. The game was at 1:05, and the flight was right after. The Yanks sadly lost 6-5, which blows in the middle of a pennant race. Jaret Wright pitched like shit, and got literally knocked out of the game when a bat hit him.
I took a ton of pictures at the Wacky Wall of Death, and ate again at East Side Mario’s before heading in. There was some sort of circus theme as the stadium was surrounded by people in stilts.
Evan spotted another midget a few sections over. It was a middle aged midget, wearing a yellow shirt, and a yellow baseball hat. The yellow hat was a different shade of yellow than the yellow shirt.
There was also an obnoxious Japanese Red Sox fan that tried to talk shit. Not very well, but he tried. We booed him of course. Security came down and made him go back to his real seat.
There was also a kid who has a future in yelling. Very loud voice and a Yankee fan. He was cheering for Matsui. So some jerk tried to get him to shut up. And naturally, we had his back and cheered for Matsui too. Too bad the man grounded to second. But such is life.
The game sucked, but at least we’re American.
The best part of the day was actually at the airport itself. After we got through security, Uptown and I had some time to kill. We went to some bar at the airport, but I wanted to get to the gate, and started to walk back. Who do I see? Joe Torre. Following him was Roy White. I start walking toward the gate and see more Yankees. God himself, Mariano Rivera walked by me. We exchanged that champion to champion nod, and I said, “we’ll get em tomorrow Mo,” to which he replied, “YEAH!” So now I’m Mariano’s best friend.
I found Vinny, who was on our flight, and Rose, who was flying American Airlines. They were just sitting to the side, enjoying the Yankee parade. Ray was there too, and soon the other Road Trippers wandered in. Michael Kay was at the bar, and while Christa was talking to him, John Sterling goosed her.
One by one, the Yankees walked by—all of them. Some Yankees were saying hi to the Road Trip group, but most were in a hurry. I shook Jorge’s hand, but the biggest thrill was shouting out Donnie Baseball and having the man say hello back. I wonder if he realized that he was Don Mattingly. So now I’m Don Mattingly’s best friend.
Matsui gave me a hello grunt as well. We’re buddies.
It took a lot of willpower not to take my camera out and ask for pictures. I guess the Yankees must have felt the same way about meeting me, because after all, the Pimps won the Bleacher Softball Championship, and hold the Creature Cup.
Matt Lawton dresses worse than he hits and fields. He was wearing a maroon suit and looked like a movie usher. Randy Johnson is tall. Suzyn Waldman has a face that could cause a tire to flatten.
But damn that was cool. Mattingly was the coolest one to see. Jeter was cool too. Jeter and ARod gave us the “what’s up guys.”
It’s just like being a kid. That was a great highlight.
Why is there a guy with a turban on EVERY damn flight? As fate would have it, this time, turban man, a fat smelly guy, sat right next to me. And he was in the center, and fat. But when he tried to sleep, I got a little lucky. He leaned on the shoulder of the guy on the window seat, not me.
But that was basically Toronto 2005. There may be some stuff I forgot, but I think Jessie will cover it in his column, and I will likely start a separate thread for pictures as well as put them on Kodak Gallery. There were certainly some notable absences, but overall, ti was a decent trip.