Padres: Home opener

Thurs., April 9

11:30 a.m., La Mesa - Half an hour to go till work lets out, then head to Petco Park for the Padres' much-anticipated home opener against the Giants, World Series champions in 2014. The game starts at 3:40 p.m.

12 noon - Administrator announces a meeting for 12:30. Bummer. I explore leaving earlier with my colleagues, but no dice. The meeting is mandatory.

12:30-2:00. The meeting drags on behind closed doors. When a colleague also going to the game begs out, saying he has to go, I likewise beg out and follow him out the door.

2:03 p.m. Speed west on the Interstate 8 toward the Linda Vista Trolley stop. I'm looking at the clock. What would have been an expansive three-plus-hour window to transit to the crowded stadium area downtown is now down to an hour and a half. On the way, I change from shorts into long pants for the cooler later hours.

2:23 p.m. Intersection of Friars and Morena, a short distance from Trolley parking. Trolley guard rails down, no one moving for five or more minutes. Apparently caused by frequently passing Trolley trains called up just for Opening Day. I'm the first car in line, so no room to turn around and try to approach the Linda Vista parking from another direction (via Sea World Drive).

Finally freed from the traffic jam, I find all Trolley parking at the Linda Vista stop is taken. A car is following me. Same predicament.

I decide to race for Fashion Valley. All "transit only" spaces look full. I park on the side of JC Penney. I see a Trolley train pass through the station as I park in the lot. Before leaving my vehicle, I check multiple times to make sure I have my scorebook, multiple pencils, jacket, wallet, ticket, adult Trolley pass, with car locked. I'm already sweating, used to wearing shorts all the time.

2:40. Time's a-wastin'. An hour to first pitch. Numerous people waiting for the train. A lot of blue. Some retro Padres jerseys. Some with "Gwynn" on the back. (Tony passed away earlier this year.) Thank God we don't have to transfer at Old Town from the Green Line to the Blue Line, like in the old days. The Green Line takes us all the way to the Convention Center.

A man and his son and I talk about the upcoming game. I'm ambivalent about the Pads, having grown up a Dodger fan in the days of Koufax and Drysdale and Maury Wills, but then taking my wife to her first major league games to see the Padres at Qualcomm Stadium, back when an outfield ticket could be had for $4 and parking was free in the dirt lot where IKEA now stands.

3:30. The entrance to the park on Tony Gwynn Dr. is jammed with thousands of people trying to get in. New Major League rules require us all to go through metal detectors, with one person passing through each detector at a time. Very time-consuming. As we stand in the street, almost to the curb, we sing the National Anthem and watch the flyover directly over our heads. The couple behind me decides to follow me, since at 6'5" I'm one of the bigger people around. She graduated from La Jolla High in 1987 and is the baseball fan. She's coaxing him to adopt baseball.

3:50. Finally inside the gates. The staff persons were friendly, relaxed, very helpful in aiding us in placing our tickets in the scanner to read the UPC. No one was rushing us, frantic. I really appreciate that in retrospect.

Game has already started. Gotta get food. My ticket is for the Park in the Park, so I'm going to be hoofing it at various counters around the park throughout the game. The hill of the park is loaded with people.

Hot dog. Souvenir Diet Coke--Padres' schedule on the cup. Soft pretzel with salt for dessert. Might as well get them all now, though it is keeping me away from seeing the game, because the concession lines are long and I want to avoid repeating standing in line as much as I can help it.

Counter on the main level, first base side, down the line. Great view. My feet are already a little tired, from teaching during the morning, now standing so much. "No rest for the wicked," as my mother used to say jokingly.

(To be continued)


Copyright 2015 Ed Piper