If you have been following along with my first couple blogs, you know that I share a 17-game plan with a few others to our beloved Phillies. I have been sharing these tickets with the guys since 1992. The things I've seen over the years cannot be out into words easily. For a partial season ticket holder, our seats are the best that you can get. Section 134 Row 20. Right along the 3rd base line, some amazing seats. I have seen my fair share of great moments from here but one of the best moments came from when we were not in those seats during the 2008 World Series - Game 3.
Because there are so many partial season ticket holders many of us get moved around to accommodate everyone. We got our tickets for the playoffs and we were seated in Section 138 Row 9. Still amazing seats - right down the 3rd base line.
The most interesting part about sharing this plan is that we never all actually go to games together. We split them evenly and its always tough to get all three of us to go. Of course, for World Series game, we make it work.
We start making our plans to head down get some tailgating in before the game and a few drinks before game three (series tied 1-1). The game was on a Saturday night and at that time in my career I worked weekends and I had to take off. As I looked at the weather forecast I was scared that the game was going to be postponed, meaning I would have wasted an off day, for nothing.
October 25th came and the rain chances lowered but there was still a chance. I met up with Jim and Jim, the guys I share my seats with, and we headed down to the ballpark. We got down there and did our tailgate thing and we headed in a little over an hour before first pitch. Shortly after that the skies opened up. We waited 91 minutes till first pitch, which occurred at 10:06pm- the latest start time ever for a World Series game.
While we were waiting out this rain delay the craziest thing happened.
I was standing in the concourse and this guy walked right by me with a nice looking camera and went down a few rows and started taking pictures of the field with the tarp on. I looked at the guy and I was like "What is this guy doing? That’s weird." I kept looking at him and when he put his camera down, after taking a series of pictures, that’s when I was in for the shock of my life.
"HOLY SHIT THAT’S DEUCE BIGALOW."
I was standing there thinking to myself, "wow Deuce Bigalow is right there."
Worst part about it was I couldn’t think of his real name. I called my buddy and I said "Dude you will never believe this, Deuce Bigalow is standing right in front of me but I can’t remember his name."
Rob Scheinder, that’s it. By this time, I wasn’t the only one that noticed who it was. If I remembered his name I would have been the first. People started asking to take pictures with him and sure enough I did the same. I had just watched the movie the night before - Weird how the universe works. I never thought I would have ran into someone like that during a rain delay at a World Series game in Philly.
The rain stopped and the game got underway. We jumped out to a 4-1 lead behind Jamie Moyer’s great pitching. However, as you remember ,the Rays bounced back to tie the game at 4 in the 8th. Heading into the 9th, Eric Bruntlett came up walked. Shane Victorino was at bat, and after a Wild Pitch and an error by the catcher that put Bruntlett on 3rd, they walked Shane and Gregg Dobbs to set up a force at any base. Next up none other than CHOOCCCCHH himself, Carlos Ruiz.
There was no way we could lose this game now, no outs and the bases loaded, all we needed was a fly ball or anything through the infield. After a couple foul balls, the count went to 2-2. The next pitch resulted in the best little dribbler in Phillies history. Ruiz hit a dinker up the third base line Bruntlett came rushing home and the third basemen Eva, I mean Evan Longoria, tried to get him at home but the ball went sailing over the catcher’s head and BOOM, just like that the Phillies were up 2-1 in the series and we knew it was ours for the taking.
So many factors went into this day and why it will always be a wonderful memory. From the rain, to the celebrity, to a walk off win in the World Series.
We all know that a few days later we won the whole thing after some even more rain delays.
Let’s hope that this new group pf Phillies can bring us some memories like the ones we had in 2008.
Cheers!!
Mike Grimm / Grimm's Philly Tales
Philly Drinkers LLC
@PhillyDrinkers
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