Sunday with the Yankees

Baseball. Americas favorite past time or so they say. I could never agree if that statement was still true today. With the popularity of football and basketball it seemed as though baseball was becoming obscure and I honestly only knew about teams like The Red Sox and The Yankees through my uncle. I have even gone to some games and can only describe the experience as one that dragged as I spent most of the time gossiping with my friends. Now, I can say confidently that going to a professional game, of a team that actually wins, is equivalent to experiencing the American dream if even in a short dosage.

I happened to have gotten tickets to the game for free through my then job, along with my coworker, lucky us. I always feel things are more enjoyable when you don’t have to pay for them. If things don’t go your way at least you didn’t pay to have a bad time. Nevertheless, I would definitely pay to go to another game now that I’ve experienced it. Now, the day of the game was a little crazy. I was making plans and getting ready to go to a BBQ when I decided to check my ticket for the game just to made sure I had it. That’s when I noticed that the game was that day in a few hours! Thank the Lord I didn’t wait till the last minute to check. I spent the morning canceling my plans and calling my coworker, Amanda, who had just spent a night out on the town. If you know what this means and can relate, then you know she was not going to wake up anytime soon. So, I put on my big girl pants and decided I was going to the game by myself. Middle School me would have been terrified of this. I hated doing things alone. Who was I going to talk to? Would I look awkward? How could I really have fun by myself?  I’m glad I’ve grown out of that insecure faze. I still deal with anxiety, but am now much more comfortable experiencing life on my own. Eating alone at a restaurant is my super power at this point. I prepared myself for this solo adventure.

I was let out of my Lyft into the entrance of the Yankee Stadium full of long lines of family and friends. If I wasn’t already insecure standing quietly in a rowdy line, I then realized I was not properly dressed. Mostly everyone was wearing white and blue t-shirts, baseball caps and sunglasses. Meanwhile, I was wearing a lavender turtle neck and black super shorts. I had not yet figured out how to dress for kind of cold but, when you’re in the sun really hot New York weather and it showed. I proceeded through the line and into the Delta Suite as designated on my ticket. I was warned ahead of time that the food would not be free like it is at Delta Suites in some other venues. I had grown accustomed to the lavish life at this point. I walked into the suite and was greeted by the strong smell of beer and popcorn. I was at a baseball game for sure. The suite was a large space with sections of different food and drinks being sold, an area where you can enjoy those items and watch the game from a television in the AC and then lead to the seats in the stadium. In terms of food, they had everything you’d want to enjoy on a Sunday. Hot dogs, burgers, even sushi was part of the selection and alcohol galore. They did have free popcorn and coffee which satisfied my little high maintenance heart. It was cheat day so I ordered cheese bacon fries and a beer and found my way to the seats.

In my seat, I took it all in. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky. The stadium was massive and packed. Luckily, my row was fairly empty. If I’m going to be isolated I want to be isolated all the way ya know? The sun shined down on my now pale legs and the first inning began. I ate my food and drank while watching the players with their cute little butts run around. If you haven’t figured this out by now I’m not much of a sports fan. Lucky enough for me, a family sat right behind me and the enthusiastic dad explained the game to his kids which in turn explained the game to me. Whenever people started cheering, I turned my listening ear on. “Oh so that was a score, go Yankees!” I thought to myself as he taught his kids the rules of the game. I was alone, but didn’t feel it not one bit. I now understand that baseball is not just about the game itself, but the entire atmosphere. I was encircled by family and friends drinking, laughing and celebrating as their team won. It’s impossible to not be happy while there. Unless you were a Red Sox fan. Being in such a historic stadium, I thought of all the generations before me who enjoyed the game in those same seats. It reminded me of apple pie, the american dream and slight racism (can’t forget that, Jackie Robinson was not that long ago). In a time of such turmoil in this country, seeing families of all races, ethnicities, and religions peacefully enjoying the American past time felt truly American. Maybe it was the beer. Maybe the oil from the cheese fries gave me some sort of high, but sitting in that stadium I had an epiphany. This is what Sundays should be about. This is what life should be about. Sunny days, joy and food. In the middle of my epiphany, Amanda finally showed up.

She had overslept and upon seeing all of my messages, promptly made her way to the Bronx. We were only halfway through the game. Who knew baseball games were an all day affair? We spent the rest of the game drinking more, eating more and gossiping. Some things just never change. It was nice to have someone to enjoy the day with as we pondered which player we would hypothetically take home with us. I was also thrilled to have spent that time alone to reflect on what was occurring around me. The game ended with a win from the Yankees, of course. We did one of my favorite activities before leaving, taking pictures. I had reached what I think is a New York milestone, rooting on my home team at the Yankee Stadium on a beautiful Sunday. When my Tinder date asks what I’d like to do on our next date, I’ll tell him to take me out to a ball game.