Tuesday, May 17, 2011

At-Game Recap: Misery Loves Company (May 16 vs. Brewers)

Last night's Brewers-Dodgers game was miserable. It was frigid cold. The discounted tickets to commemorate Andre Ethier's 30-game hit streak did not seem to make that much of a dent in the sparsely attended seating areas* (particularly the top deck--which I know was not discounted, but looked like it had 150 people). [The Dodgers' two other comparable Monday games had crowds of 28K and 30K, so I suppose there was a very slight uptick.]

And there was nothing on the field about which to buzz, especially since every RISP would just result in a stranded runner (Matt Kemp's long fly ball scored Jamey Carroll on a sacrifice in the fourth inning, but other than that the Dodgers went 0-for-8 with RISP, an steaming pile of epic failness). Sure, people got excited for Carlos Gomez' robbery of a Juan Uribe almost-homer, and people applauded Jay Gibbons' smacking into the left field scoreboard while making a catch. But aside from that, this was a ghost town of a game.

How impotent are we? Last night, spots 5 through 8 in our lineup (Uribe, James Loney, Jay Gibbons, and Rod Barajas) were all batting below or near the level of the the Brewers' worst batter, the #7 Yuniesky Betancourt (.225). Whoop de frickin' doo.

And so, unsurprisingly, the Dodgers lost, 2-1, in a game that would be winnable by a team with any semblance of an offense. Which isn't us.

Jon Weisman over at Dodger Thoughts already chronicled how painful it was to watch this team tantalize the audience with potential opportunities, knowing that the end result would be another epic fail. Even Vin is losing hope.

It's mid-May, and we are out of it. I feel like a Royals fan. Mr. Customer, who visited SoSG Alex Cora and me, set up the evening by announcing his resolve to the impending defeat--before the game even began. Mr. Customer's friend couldn't even bring himself to wear a Dodgers cap to the game (he wore a Isotopes cap; fitting, given (a) how we're playing and (b) who's on the field, anyway).

And so, AC and I sat there, enjoying catching up (that's the "misery loves company" part), but ultimately watching an exercise in futility. There were more missed opportunities than a middle-school parent-chaperoned dance. In fact, it reminded me of this:

But let's go to the videotape.

No one coming in the Sunset gate, an hour before first pitch.

AC and I spotted this banner on the way in the stadium. At the rate that attendance seems to be declining, I'm expecting to see this additional banner by month's end:

Jamey Carroll was out on the field right after the Brewers' BP session ended, sprinting and doing high steps:

This was my fourth trip to the Stadium this year, but the first time I noticed that Universal Studios had taken over the old Trader Joe's (and older 76 Unocal) sign atop Diamondvision:

And now let's have some Cracker Jack fun! This game was so dismal, AC and I were forced to resort to alternative means of occupying the time. But through the wonders of blog and photographic technology, we'll let you play along at home, too! Get ready, folks!

First, AC gets his toy surprise:

It's so cold, AC's hand will soon disappear.

And here's what the surprise is!

AC is guessing Condoleeza Rice. I am guessing he will be wrong.

Susan B. Anthony, ladies and gentlemen! Throw all of your $1 coins up in the air to celebrate! (I of course was totally thrown off as the picture looked NOTHING like the coin.)

(*) On the positive side, getting 3G coverage was a breeze last night.

19 comments:

Steve K said...

It looks more like Benjamin Franklin from what I can tell!

Loney Fan said...

Wow, Debbie Downer. Living 61.2 miles from the stadium, I would just be happy to go to two games this year, even if they sucked.

But yes, our offense is horrible and boring at this time.

Josh S. said...

My assigned row tonight is Field 44, Row S, but I'll probably end up sitting wherever I damn well feel like.

Steve Sax said...

@Loney Fan: Believe you me, it's tough to be a Loney Fan these days.

I'm feeling you.

Not literally.

(FJL did make a nice catch in the first on a foul ball, however.)

Kyle Baker said...

Since no one has said it yet:

(cries)

Kyle Baker said...

I'm on field tonight, too, Josh. as is [redacted] and [blurred out]. Let's hook up.

And then let's take in some of the game.

Kyle Baker said...

For clarification:

I'm not actually on the field tonight. Just the field level. However, I am currently in negotiations to take on a contract to either be another righty bullpen arm and/or play LF and/or first.

Steve Sax said...

@Dusty: AC was thinking about a "LUCKY FAN OF THE GAME TO PLAY 1B TONIGHT" contest (similar to the seat upgrade and Hangover 2 t-shirt winner). It could be you!

Steve Sax said...

Also, not to schaden everyone's freude, but...

Giants took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth in Colorado, and then Jonathan Sanchez and Javier Lopez combined to give up four runs in the frame.

Then Giants are down 5-3 in the ninth, they get a one-out single...and UJTD! Andres Torres GIDP. Colorado wins.

Steve Sax said...

oops, I forgot this:

in the eighth inning, with men on first and second and none out, Alfredo Amezaga hits a sac bunt. Sanchez fields it and throws it wide of first base, causing a run to score. that made it 3-2.

Jason said...

Are we sure that isn't Jamie's limo in the photo pulling out of the Sunset gate?

Kyle Baker said...

@Sax

I have a one in 6,237 chance of winning, if all actual game attendees are eligible. Fewer than that if they make folks go through a background check.

Numfar said...

Worst prize ever. Matched the game, at least.

BTW, Simers' column today almost made me aspirate my coffee. Made it seem like the days when I paid $8 for Reserve seats was in the Pleistocene.

Josh S. said...

You mean Simers' column: "I paid full price like a moron and then bitched about it."?

Numfar said...

Yes, the one where the Times paid full price and he got to make fun of a) McCourt and b) a fat guy from Wisconsin. Column gold.

Kyle Baker said...

It's really quite charitable to refer to that tripe as a "column."

Numfar said...

Oooh, hateration. It's easy to dismiss Simers, because sometimes he (intentionally) comes across as a douchetard. But for all his clowning -- and yeah, there's a bunch of it -- he's not some moralizing blowhard who clearly thinks it's his job to tell you exactly how you should feel. In other words, he's not Plaschke.

When he feels like it, Simers is as good as there is -- just look at the Killebrew/Bynum column. It's also true that when he feels like it he's as annoying as there is -- just look anywhere. But he's also fearless; anybody else think Plaschke would walk up to Kemp last year and ask him, point-blank, why he was such a pouty-ass jerk?

And in case anybody's wondering, no, I'm not Simers or anyone who's even met him.

Kyle Baker said...

I dunno, Numfar...while no one is perfect and in fact Simers has sometimes been capable of squeezing a decent column inch out (stopped clock and all), for the most part and at most time he's a guy who is paid to goof and antagonize, and is therefore mostly intolerable if not unreadable. He's paid to do what AM radio talk show guys do at drive time: say outrageous and controversial shit so people will phone in and disagree. That doesn't do it for me; I want to see and read about sports, not hear some paid jackass' personal opinion. God, how we miss you, Jim Murray.

Steve Sax said...

@Numfar: Welcome to SoSG, Ms. Simers! Glad to have you here and do say hi to your hubby!