Anticipation of the Big Slugger

Anyone who is not a big baseball fan, and especially not an Angels fan, may not be too excited about this, but Albert Pujols is leaving St. Louis for the Big A. This is seriously great news for the Angels, but especially for fans, even moderate ones like myself. I am not one of those fans that dresses and possesses everything Angels, like jerseys, jackets, hats and (“Give it up for...”) the Rally Monkey, but I love the sound and rhythm of the game and enjoy sitting in the stadium with a few thousand similarly-minded people.

I have sat near “those fans,” however, and there is something unmistakably exciting about being in that sphere of semi-craziness. One woman, who I would have guessed to be the least likely to fall into this category OUTSIDE of the stadium, was clearly a one-person cheer squad INSIDE the stadium. She had on an Angels sleeveless t-shirt, but with designer jeans, high heels and fashionably coiffed hair. Even in her 60’s, she was obviously pretty fit, petite and surprising for her size, a huge set of pipes. Even at our elevated location (READ: Cheap seats), her interaction with the players and conversations about their actions on the field were not diminished in the slightest. In fact, I swore that one of the out-fielders on the far side of the field turned his head our way after one of her spicy admonishments.

She was not content, though, to just interact with her Angels. No, in fact, she interacted with everyone around her and expected you to join in. When a home run was hit, she slid up and down the aisles to high five half the people in Section 536. I thought she’s hit her pinnacle when late in the game and it had started get cool, she put on her premiere Angels jacket, with her beloved Bourjos’ name on the back. But no, with the Angels needed it most, she whipped out her Rally Monkey in the top of the 9th, and before you could say, “Give me a banana,” the Angels drove home two runs to take the lead and win the game.

You can be sure there were at least two rounds of high fives for that one.

It is really exciting to be in these situations where someone is so excited and so “into” something that they infect you with that enthusiasm. I wasn’t ready to dish out $150 for a personalized Angels jacket and whatever it was for a Rally Monkey (however obviously powerful that animal is...), but I think it was fun to be there and share the bit of craziness during a really fun game of baseball.

I really hope that someone near you can give you that electric rush of their unchecked spirit. I hope she can enthuse you with desire of doing something fun and even worthwhile. Like starting your emergency preparedness kit. I’m just saying.

Go Angels!