Let's be clear... I rarely ever watch baseball on TV. I am one of those 'championship' pro sport game watcher. I can get enthusiastic about the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Super Bowl, the NBA championship series, or the MLB world series... but a Red Sox game on TV is too long, too slow, too far away to enjoy... maybe a Yankees/Sox game, maybe! But almost ANY day I could be enticed to go to a Fisher Cats game.

I last attended Friday, April 13th, opening day in Manchester. It was overcast and chilly... and a four-letter word came to mind (starting with R) when I saw the concession food prices... and yes I paid $10 for parking... but everything else was pure joy! (Well, except for the 17 minute wait to buy tickets while management was training new ticket sales talent.)

I took my son-in-law, an honest-to-goodness astrophysicist, and I think he even had more fun than me! Because of the weather and the early season date the stands were only about 15% occupied. But you couldn't tell it from the enthusiasm displayed by the attendees. The 'Cats were behind the entire game, but the crowd was with them the entire way!

The action on the field seemed to move right along. Batters came to bat, balls flew foul or sailed to the outfield, and the innings were brief. The two minutes between innings became show time... Crazy antics of all kinds were performed on the field. Most of it didn't rise to the extent of laughter, but it was amusing. The 'kiss-cam' was a riot though...

The thing I loved the most, was that my Section 104, Row D, Seat 10 vantage point couldn't have been more than forty-feet (2-ish car lengths) from 3rd base. It felt quite intimate, like I was at a pick-up game at the family BBQ. And every time a player with a ball was dismounting the field, the ball was gently thrown to a clambering fan. A whole quiver of kids assembled at the rails begging for balls... and before the evening was done, more than half were rewarded.

The score was disappointing. The Fisher Cats had been doing so well on the road (they were 6-1) I was psyched to see a splendid game, but I got over it quickly.

It seemed to take longer than necessary to prepare the evening's fireworks display after the game. Many people, perhaps cold, perhaps wanting to beat the traffic, didn't wait but I was glad we did. Go for broke - that my motto! The show lasted perhaps 5-6 minutes. It was free. It was nice. I was glad I stayed.

The moral of the story is... eat an early hearty meal, then go to a game. They're $14 at the ball park. Pick one that has some of the extras! You'll be glad you did!

►  MORE 2018 Fisher Cats Coverage.


Posted 4/24/18