Play Ball!

We joined 45,823 fellow MLB fans as we watched the hometown favorite Texas Rangers take on the Minnesota Twins. Although we waited until pretty much the last minute to purchase our tickets, we were pleased with our tippy-top row seats. We had a perfect view of the scoreboard, there was a nice, cool breeze, but most important of all, we were on the shady side of the stadium.

This was our view from the upper deck nosebleed section. This shot was taken well before the ballpark filled up with fans. We would definitely pick these seats again, since the tickets cost a mere $10 each. 

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the RANGERS,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

We didn't buy peanuts and cracker jack, as the song suggests, but we did get some fantastic ballpark treats.

We ended up spending more money on food than we spent on admission to the ballpark, as we ordered:

• 1 "Boomstick" -- a two-foot long, one-pound hot dog and bun loaded with chili, melted cheese, grilled onions, and jalapeño peppers - $26  
• 1 normal sized hotdog - $4.50
• 2 Nolan Ryan beef burgers - $14
• 1 pop corn - $4.75
• 1 cotton candy - $4
• 1 bottled water - $3.50
• 1 16-oz. draft beer - $5
• 2 32-oz. sodas in a souvenir cup - $11 (Refills of ice and water are FREE!)

Grand total for ballpark fare: $72.75
(An extra helping of indigestion was included at no additional cost.)

The peanuts and cracker jack route would have been a more economical option at a total cost of $9.00. I'm certain the caloric totals would be significantly smaller, as well.:-P

                      

Who knew that it was so much fun to play with one's food -- or at least the food container?

STRIKE! 

I was pleased with how close I could get to the players by using my 75-300 mm lens. This view made it a lot more enjoyable to sit high atop the playing field. If you look closely, you can even see Josh Hamilton's tattoos. :-)

Beltre and his "boomstick"

Adrian Beltre completed his second career cycle when he hit a seventh-inning single. Beltre hit a triple in the 1st inning, a double in the 2nd inning, and a homerun in the 5th inning to make for a very exciting evening at Ranger Ballpark! 

 Rangers won the contest: 8-0. Woohoo!

"Rangers Captain" (the official mascot of the Texas Rangers) inspected the bats and helped set the stage for an after-the-game exhibition. The Long Haul Bombers showed their skills at hitting softballs 400-500 ft. in a homerun derby. 

A sing-along fireworks display capped off the evening with oohs and ahhhs!

The remains of a "boomstick" of another kind...