World Series

• Is it possible to tie Shakespeare to Baseball, especially the recent World Series?

Game Three was my ticket, and it was a grinder. Grudgingly, the Dodgers won, and it was — perhaps real sports writers can cover the play-by-play better than me. Seeing it in the stadium, Go Rangers, with a live crowd, despite the limited capacity was certainly worth a quick overnight to Dallas.

“Hi Mom!”

During Game Three, there was a dad, behind me in the stands, patiently explaining statistics, batters, percentages, and pitches, to his young daughter. Almost cute. The dad explaining, no idea, they sat behind me.

I grasp what was nice about this kind of a game, uniquely American, and definitely patriot overtones. The entire stadium paused for the national anthem and all of us took our hats off.

I set down my $7 hot dog, good, but hardly worth the price alone, and then, the drink, think dinner and drinks ran well over $30. Worth it? Consider the World Series an unknown bucket list item, checked off. That was worth it.

Loved watching the Tampa Bay Rays, too.

World Series

The next morning, the old lady (NY Times news feed) had interesting highlights. The total Tampa Bay payroll, the entire budget for the whole team’s set of players? It was less than what Dodgers pay just one player. Weird to see that. Scrappy underdogs, but getting into the World Series has to help. It’s an experience.

Years and years ago, I recall the vocal Mark Cuban and what his direction was, his idea, turn his basketball team into an experience. Not just about winning, there is that, he’s competitive, but also, the trip to the ball park should be a total package.

I realized, as I listened to that dad behind us in the stands, talk about the statistics, the left-handed batters, the right-handed pitchers, as he told his daughter various statistics, more along the lines that this was a game that was accessible to just about anyone. By the end of the third inning, I was an expert, too.

More than once, understand, I was high and to the left, on the third baseline, I would want to argue with the umpire on calls against the Rays. But the crack of the bat, that last home run, all of it was audible where I sat.

• Is it possible to tie Shakespeare to Baseball, especially the recent World Series?

Years and years ago, I was in London between my travels, and I saw several shows at Shakespeare’s Globe Bankside. The place is constructed in an approximation of what the original Globe Theatre might’ve looked like. Built by hand, using only tools that were historically available, and being the only thatch roof in London, since the great fire? For one show, it was a female lead playing Richard the Third, the hunchback toad of great villainy. For that afternoon show, I had the Third Baseline seat. No amplification, no wires or electronics, nothing, but a brilliant September pre-Tea Time in London, and at one point? I was sure the character was speaking directly to me.

Part of this is modern aesthetics, part of this is the original framework, and part is staging. In its original form, though, the Globe Theatre, remember it was built by a company of actors, was built to enhance the performance. Even off to one side, the third baseline, the lines of sight are excellent.

The new baseball stadium was built in such a way as to assure that there were no bad seats. Like that original Globe Theatre.

I’m unsure if it was the stadium, the sound system, or the natural acoustic, but ball in glove sounds seemed audible, even up in the stands. Like sitting in the Globe Theatre, Bankside — same as the new Arlington Stadium.

#Baseball
#rays
#shakespeare