O, Brother…

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Not all that long ago during the height of my college days, I remember skipping class and heading down to Turner Field at around 11am. There was no traffic so I knew I’d get there in plenty of time to watch batting practice and lounge around a relatively empty park eating a hot dog and enjoying the sun, thrilled at what was in store. It was the middle of a work day after all and I was one of the few who was able to blow off other obligations and make it to the park.

And I knew I was in for a treat. I wouldn’t leave Turner Field until late that evening and I’d get to see at least 18 innings of baseball for the price of one ticket.

Gone are those days, my friend. I can’t use the term “Double Header” for today’s billing unless it is in the very loosest of terms. If by “double header” you’re referring to the fact that two games will be played during the same period of the Earth’s rotation.

But let’s face it, these “day/night” bastardized versions of “double headers” are just one more item among rising ticket prices, outrageous beer prices, overblown egos and paychecks, and not to mention rampant MLB drug use, that we fans endure every season to stay true to the game and our teams. And yet like a spouse on the wrong end of an abusive relationship we keep coming back for more thinking someday things will be different. 

In case you’re unclear, a “day-night double header” means that if you really love baseball enough to spend the whole day at the park and back to back games make you as giddy as a school boy…you’re screwed. If you want to see today’s “double header” you must show up for a 1pm start, leave the stadium at about 4 or 5pm, and if you want to see the second game, you buy another ticket and come back for the 7pm game. Meaning that if you actually do want to support your team enough to watch back to back games and you drive half an hour or more to downtown Atlanta you’ve got to buy two tickets for yourself and figure out something to do with the two hours or so in between games. 

Call me old fashioned but I remember when rainouts made me thrilled because I knew the make up would be a day filled with playing hooky and watching baseball until I was exhausted. Now I feel like the people who schedule the games at Turner Field must give prostate exams in their spare time because they like violating people so much. (I thought I heard the snap of a latex glove at the ticket booth one day followed by a blood curdling scream. I thought it was my imagination at first….)

At any rate, you’ve got the second worst incarnation of baseball in the visiting dugout (the first worst, which is debatable, being that team the next borough over) playing our Bravos for two in one day. 

We’ll get it started at 1pm with Glavine (1-1, don’t let the record fool you) taking the hill against John “Batman’s Nemesis” Maine (5-2).

Then we get to see Jorge Campillo (0-0, 1.27 ERA) face off against Claudio Vargas (0-1) in the nightcap. 

As Marty DeBergie would say,

enough of my yacking, let’s boogie!

 

Keep Choppin’ and don’t stop ’til the Metro’s get enough. 

JB in ATL

 

 

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Tags: Atlanta Braves, braves baseball, day night double headers, Mets vs Braves, New York Mets, prostate exams, tom glavine, true double headers, Turner Field