Manny Hits 500... And I Missed It - Jenn

As all of you know by now, I Tivo the games. I have to do it because with 162 games a year, most played every single day between April 1st and September 30th (not including the post season), it's impossible to sit down for 3-4 hours every day and watch the game straight through. I just don't have the time. Most people don't. So, I Tivo. If I can, I watch the game that night when I get home, but in all likelihood I'll be watching the game the next morning. (That's why my blogs usually happen the day after.) Normally it's not a problem. 'Course yesterday's game against the Orioles was anything but normal. And the most upsetting thing: what I missed number 500 for.

While Papi and Pedroia were hitting back to back home runs... while Manny was hitting his 500th homer into the bleachers... while Papelbon was recording his 16th save of the season... where was I? In a dark theater watching the worst sequel ever made. Yes, for some reason I picked yesterday to go see the new Indiana Jones movie. And believe me, did I make the wrong choice.

I should've been at Fenners, sitting on a bar stool in the back room watching the game with my friends. It was the weekend after all, and I always try to get to at least one game at Fenners on the weekend. There would have been cheering. There would have been celebratory shots. There would have been plenty of bell ringing. (A big bell hangs behind the bar and is rung every time a home run is hit.) But I missed it all.

Instead I was laughing at lines that weren't supposed to be funny, checking my watch every 30 minutes to see how much longer I'd be in agony, and wondering what Harrison Ford, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg were thinking when they decided to make an Indy movie 19 years after "The Last Crusade".

Once I heard what happened I was kicking myself. I still am. Why did I have to go see the movie yesterday? I could've gone today, or better yet waited 'til it came out on DVD. But no. I went and now I'll be forced to watch Manny hit number 500 as part of a string of never ending high light reels or in constant replay on Sports Center for the next week.

Oh well... at least there's still today's game. Wait. That was 7.5 hours ago. Damn! Excuse me, I have to go check my Tivo.