Day 22 (Part Two)

The Boston Red Sox vs The Atlanta Braves

Paulo has been gagging to see the Sox since we arrived in the States. It was especially bad when we were in Boston and couldn't afford tickets because the Yankees were in town. It has been a dream of his to see the Sox in Fenway and it broke his heart to have to miss out on getting a ticket. So, I organised tickets for the Braves game because, having looked at their schedule, it was the only place we figured that we could cross paths with them.

We arrived at Turner field about two hours before the game to take in some of the atmosphere and watch the pre-game activities. We grabbed a bite to eat and settled into things with a beer.

We watched batting practice from the outfield terrace and then slowly walked around (and up) to our seats. They only cost us 15 bucks and were in the 'nosebleed' section but we didn't care. We were just happy to be there. And the views of the city were great as well.

The Sox destroyed the Braves 11-0 in what was a bit like a home run derby. Tavarez pitched a good game (for once) and Papi, Manny, JD Drew, Coco Crisp and Eric Hinske all went deep.

Between halves in the ninth inning, we strolled down to an outfield seat just above the wall in right field for a different perspective. Most people had left and we didn't have any hassle taking the seats.

It was a brilliant night and Paulo got to tick off one of his big to-do things for the trip.

Here are some snaps I took during the evening around the stadium:

Day 11

The Bronx Bombers

We woke up today, actually jumped up today dying to see the Yankees game. First, we went to The Morristown Diner for a breakfast that was way too cheap and way too full of cholesterol for our own good.

It was then back on the train to Penn Station and a quick walk over to 34th Street. Now, as much as I hate to admit it the damn rabbit's foot is still haunting us from that other Caliber somewhere in Massachusetts.

The subway train that we caught broke down after only a couple of stops so we had to get off and wait for a new train. Then, when the next train finally arrived we learned that there were also problems with another one of the tracks and two other trains had to share the same track with us. This meant that we had to stop and wait at every station for the other two trains to unload their passengers. As a result we missed the first few pitches of the game and didn't see Clemens go through his usual pre-game ritual.

But it was fantastic game. The Yankees won 9-3 and the atmosphere was fantastic. I even ate a hot dog and drank two beers which cost me 8 dollars each. The weather was good and the stadium was packed - almost a sell out.

There was Clemens pitching his first game of the season:

There was Fred Schuman or Freddy as he is known in Yankee Stadium. Freddy has spent the last 19 years enlivening the crowds and doing his best to bring the Yanks a bit of good luck. He carries with him hand made signs, a frying pan and a spoon. He walks around the stadium and lets people bang the pan with the spoon for good luck and to help the Yanks find a way to win the game.

Freddy is 79 and used to own a trucking company. When he retired, he was bored and the Yankees were playing terribly. He decided to approach the team's public relations man with an idea to get the fans to wake up and cheer. He has been at every single home game in Yankee Stadium ever since. He even gets into the games for free now although is not officially recognised as a part of the team.

There was also Gay-Rod:

A standing ovation for Clemens after the top of the 6th inning:

The Bucs hangin' out:

A camera guy snoozin':

A few missed foul balls:

And of course Paulo, presiding over everything:

Some other sites around the ballpark: