Flashback Friday - World Series

If you know my family you will know we are huge Suns fans (really, huge). What you might not know though is that once upon a time in addition to the Suns season tickets, my dad shared D'backs season tickets as well. He picked a great year to have tickets to the D'backs because it was the year they won the World Series!

The season is an easy one to recall as it was the one that was interrupted by the September 11th attacks. If you'll remember all the baseball games were canceled for a couple weeks while our nation came to terms with the great losses suffered. My niece, Emma, was born the day before the attacks & I remember coming home from the hospital in the middle of the night & then waking up that next morning to the horrible reports. But that is another post for another time.

We had all been to several games throughout the season & of course we were excited for the playoffs. We couldn't believe our good fortune when they actually made it to the World Series! My dad had bought the playoff ticket package & so we had 4 tickets to each home game. Our seats were just to the right of home plate...down the first base line. As you can imagine there was some definite begging, jockeying & pleading of our cases to get to go to the games. Early on, we ruled Kevin out of going at all...he was just to young to appreciate such a ticket! Sorry Kev!

Game 1 was the first up for grabs & of course, my dad was taking a ticket & the boys were excited so he brought along, both Ryans (brother & bro-in-law) & lucky me, I got to go too. My mom decided to wait for the girls to go. So off we go. I think it was a Saturday game as it was in the middle of the day. We had lunch at the Arizona Center & then headed over to the stadium. It was mayhem!

We played the Yankees & it seemed there were a ton of Yankee fans in the stadium. Although, I think a lot of people were Yankee "fans" during this World Series given the Sept 11th attacks. I don't think very many people would have been sad if they had won the series.

I remember approaching the stadium very vividly. We always went in through one of the back, less crowded entrances, and there is a road bridge that you walk under to get to the entrance. Under this bridge there were hundreds of national guardsmen in uniform preparing to head into the stadium as well. It was almost emotional given the state of our nation at the time. There were major security checks as everyone was still on red alert.
There was a huge pre-game production in true World Series fashion, but there was an added layer of patriotism. During this "show" we learned why the guardsmen were there. They were presenting the American flag. A flag that required hundreds of grown men to carry & unfurl. It took up the entire outfield. Jewel sang the National Anthem & firefighters from New York were honored with front row seats. If you blow up the above picture you'll see that they re-enacted the flag raising from WWII (I think that was the war?) but then they also re-enacted the flag raising that so many of us remember from September 11th with the actual NYC fireman. The whole time there were helicopters circling the stadium protecting the air space. Following the National Anthem an A-10 bomber plane flew over the stadium. The bomber was huge, so very loud & downright intimidating! Needless to say, it was emotional! Here we are at the World Series of America's pastime on the verge of war, with patriotism at its peak & playing the NY Yankees. I don't think it could have been scripted any better. It was probably one of the coolest things I've been a part of.

We won game 1 by a close margin & game 2 as well (I think my dad gave those tix to a client, or it was on a Sunday as none of us went). Then the D'backs went on the road & lost all 3. Thanks to our previously fabulous closer who lost the lead 3 games in a row!!! I remember one of those games was on Halloween & we moved a TV out into our cul-de-sac. All the neighbors sat in the circle watching the game together & passing out candy. By the 9th inning we had quite a group there as parents taking their kids trick-or-treating found themselves drawn into the game! It was really fun...until we lost! arg!

Game 6 was back in AZ & Randy Johnson was set to pitch. Again the jockeying began for the tickets & again, my dad was for sure taking a ticket. That left my mom & the 2 girls (sis & sis-in-law) seats as well. I was slightly bummed as I was staying home without any of the girls, all the brothers & 2 brand new babies. My dad, being the nicest person ever, took sympathy on me & gave me his ticket so that I could go with the girls! So I ended up going to the most games of anyone!

Game 6 was a blast with the girls. We sat next to a guy that had flown out from NY for games 6 and 7. He was very disappointed with the outcome as the Yankees suffered a huge lost. I think the d'backs scored 15 runs. That is never good.

Game 7 was on a Sunday, so again, my dad gave away his tickets. We were all a little disappointed. But as the game got underway, the d'backs were losing & it didn't look like a win was possible. My mom & I both commented that we were glad to not be at the losing game! Boy were we wrong! Bottom of the 9th Gonzo up to bat, he needs to hit the runner in & the rest is history. D'backs won on a blooper hit. Gotta love it!