As expected, the Soxs fans arrived early yesterday. My fave bartender said three were already perched on the stoop at Pickles when he arrived for work. Guess they wanted a cold one before beginning the vigil at Home Plate Plaza.
Sox fans lead the league in lurking. By noon on game day you see clusters of them stationed on the steps at Schaefer Circle, waiting for the players to arrive. Seasoned autograph-seeking veterans know which entrance certain players favor and when they are likely to arrive. (Some enter via the stadium, others prefer the Warehouse)
The real pros are prepared for all contingencies, as I learned this afternoon. On my way to lunch at Pastimes, I passed an encampment in front of the Warehouse. Couple of costumed Sox fans accompanied by bikes (must have been tough pedaling down I-95) were guarding their stash of memorabilia. Not just a few pictures and magazines, but boxes of baseball cards and a golf bag full of baseball bats. I was about to ask what this road show was all about (Soxsters always have good stories) when a cell phone rang. One of the guys answered the phone, grabbed a particular bat from the bag, hopped on a bike and sped in the direction of the stadium.
Seems they had a satellite camp over there, along with a sentry who called just as soon as a player was sighted. These guys are so slick I’m guessing they have it loaded on their Iphones and listed on ebay before the game even starts.
I asked if they do this drill at other stadiums. No, one of them told me. There’s no place like Baltimore. These trips are the highlight of our summer.
Ironic or not, it makes you proud to know people plan their summers around a trip to your ballpark. Particularly when it's a couple hundred miles away and they travel by bicycle.
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