Take me out to the ballgame

Our seats were in a field box right on the first baseline. The Red Sox were playing the Kansas City Royals, and it was my first visit to Fenway Park.

You have to realize that I am a Tiger's fan through and through-- although until the World Series last year, I hadn't followed baseball since Cecil Fielder was breaking records for Detroit.

These tickets were given to us though along with a free pass for parking in a lot right next to Gate A on the corner of Yawkey Way. I took Jared and two of his friends.

After all, I have lived in New England long enough to consider splitting my allegiance. Just a little. Maybe. And, who couldn't love Fenway Park?

There is something about a stadium, be it on the east coast or in the Motor City, that gets me right in the gizzard. The green, green, green of the grass. The fans bedecked in their caps and jerseys. The smell of beer and hot dogs and peanuts and cotton candy. And, all the excitement of a major league sporting event under the wattage of the field lights on a summer evening.

It was a good game even though they lost. Poppi, Ramirez, Veriteck, CoCo. The lineup was all there in their hometown glory.

The Boston fans surprised me in the bottom of the first inning when they "boooooooed" Red Sox player #20 after his third strike at the plate. Bad form. Bad, bad form. The jeer surely must have been aimed at the ump's call, I thought. Then the next inning the same player hit a ball to right field and got on base. It wasn't a home run or even a triple, but it was a decent hit. I thought. Yet, the crowd still called, "Booooooooooo."

Imagine 50,000 fans booing you. I wasn't at all okay with the lack of respect for this player. I was indignant. We might "blawg" in Michigan, but we would never boo a Detroit Tiger no matter how badly he played. Never.

It took one more roar from the stands before I realized that they were, in fact, saying "Yoooooooooooouk," and not "boooooooo."

Kevin Youkilis, #20. Nickname: "Yoooooooooooouk."

Doh!