My trip to Seattle

[WallyWorld]

Went to Seattle and Safeco for the first time this weekend.  Only went to Friday's game because of other plans and the pitching match-ups.  Gorgeous ballpark, marred only be the Angels' poor performance.  Very friendly fans, though pretty 'vanilla', if you know what I'm saying

 

Ended up unintentionally staying at the same hotel as the team, which we found out on Friday night when we got back at the same time after the game and ended up waiting in the lobby for the elevators with a bunch of the players.  Callaspo and Aybar were dressed in fancy duds looking like they were about to go hit the bars/clubs (good luck finding a merengue club in Seattle) and were preening in front of the mirrors.  Pujols was right next to me and was chirping at them in Spanish, presumably making fun of them.  J.B. Shuck was standing nearby and we kind of shared a laugh about it.  If you didn't follow the team closely and saw Shuck in street clothes, you would have zero clue he was a pro ball-player.  Just a really unassuming, nice-looking guy.  Anyway, a bunch of the other guys - Wilson, Weaver, Roth - were standing in front of the elevators.  In all there were probably 20 players/team personnel standing there, and outside of Pujols chirping at Callaspo and Aybar, nobody said a thing or even looked at one another.  Frankly they all looked miserable.  Rode up in the elevator with Pujols, Frieri, and one of the clubbies.  Pujols was joking with the clubby and Frieri was focused on his phone in the corner not saying a word.

 

When we got back to the room, my wife - who, keep in mind, doesn't follow baseball at all - said "those guys really don't like each other, do they?".  Now, this was after a pretty miserable game, it was late, the guys were tired I'm sure, and spending 7+ months with a group of guys, it's not going to be a party every night.  Still, like I said, it seemed like a pretty tense, unhappy environment.  Now this is just one impression, after observing for about 5 minutes total on one night, after a loss, so I'm not trying to make any larger point, other than saying what I observed.  Take it with your preferred size grain of salt.

[katie]

I wonder how they felt about each other on Sunday. They're probably relieved to get a little break.

[Ray McKigney]

I'm sure they were just bummed out because they lost. It rarely happens, so when it does, it must be extremely disappointing.

[Chuck]

Went to Seattle and Safeco for the first time this weekend.  Only went to Friday's game because of other plans and the pitching match-ups.  Gorgeous ballpark, marred only be the Angels' poor performance.  Very friendly fans, though pretty 'vanilla', if you know what I'm saying

 

Ended up unintentionally staying at the same hotel as the team, which we found out on Friday night when we got back at the same time after the game and ended up waiting in the lobby for the elevators with a bunch of the players.  Callaspo and Aybar were dressed in fancy duds looking like they were about to go hit the bars/clubs (good luck finding a merengue club in Seattle) and were preening in front of the mirrors.  Pujols was right next to me and was chirping at them in Spanish, presumably making fun of them.  J.B. Shuck was standing nearby and we kind of shared a laugh about it.  If you didn't follow the team closely and saw Shuck in street clothes, you would have zero clue he was a pro ball-player.  Just a really unassuming, nice-looking guy.  Anyway, a bunch of the other guys - Wilson, Weaver, Roth - were standing in front of the elevators.  In all there were probably 20 players/team personnel standing there, and outside of Pujols chirping at Callaspo and Aybar, nobody said a thing or even looked at one another.  Frankly they all looked miserable.  Rode up in the elevator with Pujols, Frieri, and one of the clubbies.  Pujols was joking with the clubby and Frieri was focused on his phone in the corner not saying a word.

 

When we got back to the room, my wife - who, keep in mind, doesn't follow baseball at all - said "those guys really don't like each other, do they?".  Now, this was after a pretty miserable game, it was late, the guys were tired I'm sure, and spending 7+ months with a group of guys, it's not going to be a party every night.  Still, like I said, it seemed like a pretty tense, unhappy environment.  Now this is just one impression, after observing for about 5 minutes total on one night, after a loss, so I'm not trying to make any larger point, other than saying what I observed.  Take it with your preferred size grain of salt.

 

You missed out on a good party this past Saturday dude. 

[eric930]

What hotel did you stay at in Seattle?

[Angel Dog and Beer]

You should've partied with Aybar.

 

Cool story! Seattle is a fun, beautiful city.

[Mark68]

I actually saw the Angels play the Mariners on a vacation trip in late September 1997 at the Kingdome. Remember Ken Griffey making fun of the oft-injured Jim Edmonds. Was staying in the same hotel (not sure if it's still a Doubletree, but it was across from the Southcenter Mall in Tukwila), saw them get eliminated by the Mariners and saw some of them in the lobby afterward. Shot pool with Angelo Encarnacion.

 

Had tickets to go the next day as well, but decided not to go. Hung out downtown, went to Pike Place Market, took the Underground Tour and otherwise had fun. Left the next day.

 

This was a two-week trip I took by train from Denver to Fullerton (saw the Angels play the A's at the stadium...then under renovation...that was the year the Halos went 13-0 against the A's, and I remember a bunch of us heckling Giambi), then took the train up the coast from Anaheim to Seattle.

 

Still one of the best trips I ever took.

[ScottT]

I left Seattle the day of that game, after spending the summer there, and attending all four games when the Angels were there in June.  I remember listening to the game on the radio.  Edmonds hit two home runs against Randy Johnson.  DiSarcina hit one.  All solo shots.  http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA199709230.shtml.  I've seen the Angels play at least seven games in Seattle, all at the Kingdome.

[LBHalos17]

You definitely caught them on a down-slide...  It's hard enough spending that much time with the same guys on the road if they're your best friends.  On the road with teammates, differing opinions and exhaustion will eventually lead to Blanton/Butcher-type blow-outs on a losing club.

 

That's why I prefer Spring Training; They're all still fairly optimistic... hahahahahha

[EDinTUSTIN]

I'm sure they were just bummed out because they lost. It rarely happens, so when it does, it must be extremely disappointing.

LMAO, nothing like some hard hitting sarcasm to give me a laugh about the deplorable state of affairs that we find our team in, for the fourth straight expensive and disappointing season.