Dawgs Roast Hogs

After a rough eight hours in the office Thursday it was nice to blow out and head to Athens for a baseball game. As usual traffic on Pleasant Hill Road was abysmal, but once I got on 316 the speed increased. I cruised at a leisurely 68 MPH and stopped at a bustling RaceTrac in Bogart for a refill of Diet Dr Pepper. Cruised through town instead of taking the bypass, and arrived at Foley Field with plenty of time to spare. Unlike minor league stadiums where gates open a mere hour before game time, UGA opened for baseball two hours early, allowing fans to watch batting and infield practice.

A small que had formed outside the gate. I lined up behind a fellow in a UNC Charlotte cap. This reminded me I had swapped Facebook messages with a bobblehead addict from Charlotte a few months ago who was thinking about drinking down to Athens for the game. I thought it was just talk, but when I broached the question we quickly realized we had once traded bobbles. Matt Campbell and his dad stopped by the Ty Cobb museum on the way down from Kannapolis. We chatted for a while and they watched my backpack when I went out for a second Alex Wood bobblehead at 5:20 pm.

Few fans trickled in the first hour and a half. We noticed  several young men dressed mostly in golf shirts sitting in the stands when we arrived that were most probably major league scouts, and surmised that players were taking BP with wood bats for the benefit of said scouts. I like to where my orange Nike Kevin Durant KD7 sneakers to games but realized how they stand out when I’m exiting and entering the ballpark several times to collect bobbleheads, so for this game I stuck to my bland grey New Balance 993 running shoes, black shorts, light blue Columbia PFG fishing shirt, and Braves cap. At six I went back for a third bobblehead. There was an older gentleman at the box office asking questions that I took to be in his early 80’s. Later he was introduced on the field as a distinguished UGA alumni that had just celebrated his 100th birthday.

During BP the scoreboard took turns showing UGA baseball players who had made it to the pros, including one New York Yankee from the 1930’s. Then the scoreboard would show other famous alumni from other fields, including Alton Brown, Vince Dooley, golfer Russell Henley,  Johnny Isakson, Ernie Johnson Jr, Julie Moran, Jennifer Nettles, Deborah Norville, Jim Powell, REM, Charlie Trippi, Herschel Walker (twice, as a fighter and Heisman winner), Hines Ward, Bubba Watson (above), and most surprisingly: Seinfeld actor Wayne Knight (aka Kramer’s sidekick Newman, below).

Foley Field is a fantastic venue, surrounded by streets running down the first and third base lines, an unseen parking lot beyond the trees lining the leftfield fence, and student bleachers fronting a bannered right field walkway. Beyond the bleachers sit two old houses with nice decks to watch games, as well as a few banners. The grandstand resembles a small minor league stadium, with nice seats, a press box, luxury seats, and premium seats behind the plate. Personable retirees and other volunteers man the gates. The grass field appeared in great condition, manicured by a crew of student managers.  

With another hour before game time I noticed someone had posted three Alex Wood bobbleheads on eBay for $62.00 each. Matt and I agreed that was way too high. I decided to post one for $40.00, and in ten minutes it had sold. I also noticed an Alex Wood bobblehead photo on Facebook taken from the very same seat location as mine – the guy behind me was also in the same bobblehead club! I decided to have some fun and snapped a photo of the same seat location and post it as a comment below his post. Donald Fish from Avondale Estates got a kick out of this, and Matt and I introduced ourselves. The whole episode must’ve freaked out the Donald, because later he moved to a seat behind the plate.

The crowd was finally beginning to thicken, so at 6:45 I couldn’t resist sneaking out for a fourth bobblehead. Instead of sneaking out the third base gate I went out the special pass gate behind home plate. Last week I had bought two $5.00 general admission tickets in advance and the third at the box office with my credit card, so I paid for ticket four with cash. This time I went in the third base gate, which was now more crowded than before. By game time the stadium was about three-quarters full, a nice crowd for Athens considering school had let out the previous week. There were even a decent amount of students, including one hilarious loudmouth whose witty banter could be heard throughout the ballpark.

The game definitely had a college feel, much more so than Tech games I’d attended in the past. The teams and crowds were into the game, and each time a Bulldog scored “Glory to old Georgia” was played. In the top of the first UGA rightfielder Skyler Weber went all out trying to catch a foul pop, hurting his foot to the point he limped the rest of the game. Most of the player’s walk-up music was of the hip hop variety (including Kanye) but pesky second-baseman Trey Logan’s tune was a worship song sung at Passion City. This led to a discussion about walk-up music between Matt and me. When I mentioned the Gwinnett Braves’ backup catcher’s walk-up music for two straight years had been Justin Beiber (and “Never Say Never” at that), Matt asked “You mean Jose Yepes?” Quite a fan, that Matt.

Five UGA players grew up in Marietta, and another in Woodstock. Three graduated from Walton High School. Arkansas had a player from Hawaii. Both teams made risky, un-needed pickoff throws. One skipped past the Arkansas first-baseman for an error and several others required diving catches to prevent further miscues. On another pickoff play at second base the Razorback shortstop did something to warrant the umpire to award the Bulldog baserunner third base. Perhaps a fake tag or extended arguing – not sure. The visiting third–baseman gave way to the shortstop on a grounder in the hole, giving the batter the extra time he needed to beat the throw to first. Later the pitcher made an error, which led to another UGA run. I wish I had kept score – the nice game program handed out was loaded with information and even had a scorecard in the middle. I wish other teams did this.

In the end Georgia prevailed 10-1. Matt and his dad left after the top of the fourth inning for their long drive home. Needing to pick up Matthew in Cumming, I only stuck around long enough to watch UGA bat one more time. The inning went quick, and I actually saw Matt drive off from the parking lot. I stopped by RaceTrac and Wendys on my way out of town. It was only then I realized the adventure had been the perfect antidote for the stressful week I had.

I took 316 to Highway 20, then made most all the lights while passing CoolRay Field and the Mall of Georgia. The tall row of condos going up beyond CoolRay’s right field fence will make for a more urban feel this year. I like it. After one more RaceTrac refill I picked up M at McKinnon’s, a 60 mile trip from Athens. He wanted to make a Burger King run, and we made it the 23 miles home at 11 pm.

Before bed I posted a second Alex Wood bobblehead on eBay – this time for $60.00. The three $62.00 bobbleheads had yet to sell. My $60.00 Alex Wood only took two hours to sell. And during the game I worked out a trade of my fourth Alex Wood for the sweet Luis Tiant bobblehead the Red Sox are giving away. So for $21.00 in tickets, $4.00 at Wendys, and less than half a tank of gas I got two different bobbleheads, two great cheeseburgers, a small Frosty, three RaceTrac refills, $100.00 in my pocket – and a relaxing evening at the ballpark.