For the first time ever, I was able to get out of work on Sunday ass-early. I left at 2:30, headed for U.S. Cellular Field to watch the Futures game and the Legends/Celebrities Softball Game, with the band Live wedged in between. It was cool, yet somewhat boring. It would have been better if I were closer and could see some of the great players there, such as my all-time favorite, Ozzie Smith, or Sox favorites Bo Jackson, Jack McDowell and Harold Baines. I also then would have gotten a better look at Shannon Elizabeth and Sarah Silverman (who is underrated in my opinion), so I wouldn't be complaining. Didn't pay all THAT close attention to the Futures game, but kinda did. Live sounded pretty good, for as good as they can sound on a two-song set from the outfield with some echo.

The "coolest" thing was that there were about a dozen of the league's mascots walking around entertaining fans. So I decided that I'd make it a personal goal to get my picture taken with as many as I could. Tim said they were all in our section before I arrived, which is too bad, but I didn't do terribly, I guess. I still gotta get a picture with the Baltimore Oriole. That one's cool. But not all of them were there. I would expect the Philly Fanatic, the all-star of MLB mascots to be there, but it wasn't, at least not today. We'll see. So I decided this while my brother and I were eating Super Tacos (1 big, by taco standards, taco for $2.25). The first one to come up was Stomper (Athletics), so I was going to try to feed him the taco in the photo, but he was in a hurry--that's what I'm holding in the photo. I then got (they're all on the same page, actually, because Geocities is crap) Billy the Marlin, Junction Jack Rabbit (Astros)--Tim is in the background, enjoying his Super Taco--and Slider (Indians), who is giving me a kiss on the side of the head--hopefully it was a female inside, since I'd rather not have a big pink male animal of some sort kissing me. :) Everytime I see Junction Jack, I can't help but think he's the Quik Rabbit's hillbilly cousin hopped up on caffeine or speed or something.

Anyway, it was obvious that the Pirates mascot (a parrot, which I didn't get a picture with...yet) was a huge Live fan (them being from southwestern PA somewhere), because he/she was out on the field ROCKIN' OUT, baby! He even dragged almost all of the other mascots out by the stage, where they jumped up and down and danced during the entire two-song set. It was pretty cool to see, and probably a bit surreal for the band. :)

So tomorrow is a long day, starting with FanFest at McCormick Place, then the dentist, then the teams practice and then the Home Run Derby. Ourt seats are in the very top row and on the aisle, which is nice in that we have the versatility of running onto the concourse if there's a homer hit back there (and if there's room), but it also means there will be 50-bazillion people right behind us. That kind of sucks. But we'll be there, which doesn't suck one bit.