Take me out to the ball game...

Happy 4th of July everyone!  It's a day where we celebrate America!  And what could be more American than a day at the ball park!  Luckily for yours truly, I was able to spend a wonderful Sunday Afternoon recently in San Francisco at AT&T Ball Park.

From the moment you enter AT&T it just screams of the ultimate Baseball experience.  Entering in the Lefty O'Doul Gate, you know you aren't in some cookie cutter concrete jungle built a generation ago, but in a place that can only be hailed as a shrine to baseball's rich history, and successful present, in the city that is San Francisco.

All through AT&T you see the tribute payed to those who made baseball great in the City by the Bay.  Statutes and sculptures paying homage to Giant greats Willie Mays and Juan Marichal.  You have McCovey Cove, named after Willie McCovey, who, Bob Gibson (who himself is arguably one of the greatest pitchers ever to play the game) once called "The scariest hitter of all time".  You have the gigantic sculptured glove in left field, a glove with only four fingers, to which the voice of baseball, Dodger's play-by-play great Vin Scully, once said "It only has four, because the Giants gave the finger to the Dodgers". AT&T is, in short, a west coast mecca for all that is baseball, a Ball Park on par with Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and Camden Yards (for those of you asking where is Yankee Stadium, I refuse to endorse the home of A-Fraud, Alex Rodriguez!).

The game itself was great!  The West-Leading Giants took on the play-off contending Contending Cincinnati Reds.  Ryan Vogelsong took the mound for the Giants, giving a strong 7-inning performance that included 7 strikeouts for the Giants Ace.  Alas, the bullpen let the lead slip and the Giants entered the bottom of the 9th inning all tied up at 3.  With two outs, Giant Center Fielder Angel Pagan hit a perfectly placed walk off double to right field scoring All-Star Buster Posey, and giving the Giants the thrilling victory, giving a sell out crowd a reason to go home smiling.

But even if the Reds has managed to steal the victory, the fans would of gone home happy, because they got to spend a perfect summer afternoon, watching a game made for summer, in a Ball Park that is what others strive to be...a mecca for America's past time.

Until next time spot fans....