Wendy’s meal? Check. Sunscreen? Check. BB-8 Sunhat? Check. Department of Analytics & Laundry T-shirt worn in memory of a dearly departed acquaintance? Check. Galaxy print jeans? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Gray high tops? Check. Clip-on moon earrings? Check. Baby Yoda bracelet, necklace, and ring? Check. Face masks for days? Check. Immense love for a professional sports team that wears black vests and the willingness to scream bloody murder whilst professing my love for them? Oh triple double check!
What is this a checklist for, you may ask? Good question! It’s my checklist of things that got me ready for the Colorado Rockies Star Wars game on Saturday, August 7, 2021. I went with my sister and a very close family friend. I was very happy that I included the friend because I really wanted to show them that I want to make their day. It was a wonderful day and I enjoyed it very much.
After my sister and the friend picked me up for the game, we drove to Wendy’s to pick up some food to “pre-game.” It was delicious. Wendy’s is a good time. I like to associate Wendy’s with sporting events. The reason I do this is for two reasons. Number one, my family went to dinner at Wendy’s after my very first Colorado Rockies game ever. It was the first time I got to experience dipping a fry into their ice cream. Second, my family loved to go to Wendy’s after my younger brother finished playing a club baseball game. I digress.
Anyway, we arrived in Denver about an hour before the gates opened. We decided to stop by this really cute bookstore. It was really cozy, with two levels and an assortment of new and pre-loved books. In fact, I am working on a book of my own, which is about a fictional college exclusively for hockey players. I was inspired to write a little bit more of the first book.
Our seats were right in front of Purple Row, a row of seats that were painted purple as they were officially 5,280 feet above sea level. I was very excited to hear that Austin Gomber was the starting pitcher. I am a major supporter of Austin Gomber. He is a sugar sweet smoke show who has worked to make his place in the Mile High City. Some other people I was excited to see included Brendan Rodgers, Connor Joe, and C.J. Cron.
As soon as C.J. hit a home run, the excitement kicked all the way in. I shouted in excitement and caught the excellent play on video. I knew that C.J. was capable of magical things the second it was announced he would be a part of Denver. His performance in that game was proof. I am so happy for him. He’s been an offensive and defensive gem.
Austin performed quite well, in my opinion. I was live-tweeting during the game, making star wars references. One of the tweets was, “.@Rockies good good, let the strikes flow through you (cc: #austingomber).” Another one was, “GOMBER! UNLIMITED GOMBER! @Rockies #AustinGomber.” I don’t know why I was in a major mood for Emperor Palpatine. I just was.
Something really sad happened later in the game, though. Brendan Rodgers was struck in the hand with a pitch. It was gutting seeing him being in so much pain, and I can’t imagine how badly the pitcher felt after what had happened. Thankfully, I learned later that he was going to be okay. Ryan McMahon did a great job of being a pinch hitter/runner. I hate seeing players get hurt. It’s not something I wish on any player, even if the team they play for or the player themselves make me angry.
The food was excellent. I cannot complain one bit about the French fries or chicken tenders. I wish I had three helpings of those as well as two chicken sandwiches. I would have gotten Dippin’ Dots, but I decided to pass because I already had ice cream with my Wendy’s. My sister and I decided to split a Frosé, which is a rosé slush drink. It was worth it, but it will only be an occasional treat. Side note, I avoided driving at all after drinking the wine, as safety comes before all else. In addition, I made sure to drink plenty of water to make sure that I didn’t get dehydrated or sick. Coors Field is officially my favorite fast casual restaurant.
My group and I decided to leave early in the game to beat traffic, as leaving the parking garage that my sister and I like to park in best, the music garage, while other guests are headed out is not a fun experience. I am happy to report that Daniel Bard helped the Rockies secure a victory over the Marlins. It was a victory in a sense for me in more than one way. One, I had a fantastic time at the ballpark. Two, I saw the Miami Marlins play in real life, which is a promise I made to them and that I almost fulfilled last year (that is, until the pandemic struck and made a dent in not just my plans, but also the plans of people worldwide).
One more thing: Shout out to the Rockies design and social media teams! You are my heroes and made the night extra fun!
Elephants & Extra Base Hits 