Mike Trout has hit over 400 home runs in his career. It is commonplace for him. But man, it’s exhilarating to witness. Especially live and in person. Even for a baseball hater.
I leave no doubts when it comes to my thoughts on the sport. For years I’ve told my friends it is the most boring game in the world — maybe only surpassed by golf. There are a lot of better pastimes that America could enjoy. Give me a sport like soccer or basketball where possession changes hands quickly, the play is fluid and you don’t want to fall asleep 10 minutes in.
Because of that hatred, I had never been to a Major League game. So how could I truly make a judgement on baseball if I hadn’t seen it live? That’s why I went to the Angels versus Astros contest on Sept. 26 with some fellow Panther staffers: to see what the hype is all about.
The key idea was to maximize my experience as much as possible. Try to get an MLB ballpark at its best and then make my judgement from there. The necessities were having good seats, a hot dog and a few friends to watch it with. Past that, the entertainment was out of my hands — the Angels suck and had nothing to play for.
Walking up to Angel Stadium there was a subtle buzz of anticipation for the game. Fans came together in an attempt to squeeze a little bit of joy out of a losing season. The club was passing out free jerseys to those in attendance. Good energy was plentiful.
Coming down to our seats — along the third base line, procured not by purchase but by there being enough empty spots to sneak down — I truly felt in awe of the spectacle in front of me. Admittedly, I have always appreciated MLB ballparks from a distance. And actually being in one let me kind of see why this sport took a stranglehold in America. But then the game started.
The first three innings were everything I had feared. It was so slow. Neither team showcased any semblance of athleticism. My phone was calling to me. TikTok, Instagram, the weather app, my lock screen. It all felt infinitely more interesting.
The only thing keeping me engaged was talking to The Panther’s Cody Shevelson and Ben Price. Oh, and the most amazing subplot unraveling in the stands. A bunch of kids were playing with inflatable beach balls but one Angels worker was not having it. He kept popping them. But the kids kept producing more. It was poetic.
From the Angels perspective, however, the game could not have been less poetic. At the top of the fourth inning, the Astros flexed their muscles and took a 3-0 lead. There was no effort from the home team. The stands weren’t full but the Angels still had good crowd support — yet they gave the fans nothing to get rowdy for.
That was until Trout stepped up to the plate.
It was “Casey at the Bat” come to life. The jumbotron celebrated the star hitter who had recently passed the 400 career home run threshold. Anaheim became Mudville as the entire crowd held its collective breath — except they were treated to a much more satisfying conclusion.
One pitch and the ball was gone. Trout had changed the game. He brought the energy back. And suddenly, for the first time all night, the sport of baseball was my entertainment.
Soon after, we grabbed a few hot dogs and some drinks. I was wearing the jersey, ballpark dog in hand and cheering for every play like a ride-or-die for the team. At that point, I felt like a real fan.
The Angels rewarded the crowd’s passion by tying the game at the bottom of the seventh inning — now we had some drama. After shutting the Astros out at the top of the eighth, it was finally their chance to complete the comeback from 3-0 down.
Now déjà vu is a funny concept. It’s often misunderstood and misused. But when you watch Trout step up to the plate, hear an insane cheer followed by an immediate hush, and then the ball flies off his bat into the exact same spot beyond the fences as the first time… you simply have no other phrase to describe what you are feeling.
The Angel’s greatest ever player hit his second homer, putting the team up 4-3 heading into the top of the ninth. If their closing pitcher could stop the Astros from scoring the Angels would win.
Kenley Jansen jogged over from the dugout to a raucous cheer, a lights show and a video all meant to hype him up. And he didn’t disappoint. Two batters were out within moments. It was the quickest I’ve seen a baseball game move. It was like he was late for dinner and needed to get off of work as soon as possible.
The last batter gave him some trouble, but ultimately the final strikeout came and with it the fourth piece to the night’s puzzle: an Angels’ victory.
My big takeaway from the game is this: Going to a baseball game is fun. Live sports are always better, but this experience was 10 times more enjoyable than trying to sit through a game on my couch (which is impossible). From the silly Pac-Man race between innings, to the crowd singing “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” to Trout’s homers, it was a good night.
If you are a Chapman student, grab some friends and go see the Angels play at least once while you’re here. Make the most of the fact we have two pro sports teams right at our doorstep. It shouldn’t have taken me this long to appreciate the second half of them.
Did this make a baseball fan out of me? Of course not. Even in a 4-3 game, there were still long spells of boring nothingness that needed outside forces to fill the void. But I would go to an MLB game again. And to me, that statement speaks for itself.