WINNER!

On Tuesday night, Scott and I went (alone, on an actual adult date) to watch the Reading Phillies play the Altoona Curve.  We had a wonderful relaxing evening at the minor league ballpark, watching the game, watching the people, and enjoying the fun atmosphere in "Baseballtown".  It is a terrific family ballpark that provides free scorecards when you walk in the door.  We even got free baseball hats because of the evening's promotional giveaway to the first 2000 adults.  So, all for the price of only $18 we received FREE parking (love it!), 2 great seats, a free scorecard and 2 baseball caps.  You cannot beat that, right?  

One of my favorite parts about visiting minor baseball games are the quirky games and races held in between the innings, like Dizzy Bats or giant inflatable things dancing/battling, and launching hot dogs into the stands.  It's all in good fun.  Well, GUESS WHAT???!!!!  I got picked to do one of the games!  The General Manager was walking around talking into a headset saying, "I need a female for this next game."  I thought to myself, "Hey, I'm female and I even am wearing my brand new Reading Phillies baseball cap."  So before I even realized it myself, I waved to him and said, "I'll do it!"  I must have looked either cute or incredibly desperate, so the GM picked me to play the HIGH-LOW game after one of the innings.  I was (and still am) completely thrilled!

I should note that this experience, believe it or not, is the second time I have been selected at a ballpark to play a game.  About 10 years ago when Scott and I were in San Diego, we went to a Padres game and I was selected to play a scoreboard game (I represented the yellow train) because whoever was picking the game participants happened to be friends with the people sitting behind me.  Although the yellow express was not victorious, I appeared on a major league scoreboard and won a free yellow Westfield Shoppingtown t-shirt and yellow bucket hat, which Scott still regulars wears.   

For the Reading Phillies game experience, I stayed at my seat and they brought over a camera and my picture was up on the ballpark scoreboard.  I had to answer 3 questions into a microphone, by picking either "HIGHER" or "LOWER". 

Question #1 -  Of fans polled coming into the ballpark, 65% said hot dogs were their favorite ballpark food when compared with french fries.  Higher or Lower?   (I picked higher, but the correct answer was lower, 58%!)

Question #2 - Of the baseball players that answered the poll, 50% had at some point had a manicure or pedicure.  (I picked lower, but the answer was HIGHER!  62% of ball players had either had a manicure or pedicure. WHAT??!!! 62%?  Nobody could have predicted that.)

Question #3 -- How old is the Reading Phillies ballpark relative to the next oldest ballpark in the league.  30 years?  Higher or Lower?  (I had absolutely no idea, so I guessed Higher, and I was right. Whew!) 

Even though I was only supposed to win 2 tickets for one correct answer, the GM gave me 4 free tickets to another Reading Phillies game, and we all had a good laugh about the ballplayers getting their nails done.  How exciting!!  Can you believe it?!  I am a WINNER!!!!

P.S.  Thank you to Mom, Dad, Doris, Pete, and the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania for making this evening possible!