hey scott, moose is going to the hall!

big story is mariano rivera’s unanimous vote into the hall of fame, but my first thought was wow, mike mussina really did it. we always thought he was cooperstown material. so sad when he left the Os (for the dreaded yankees), but even then we watched him pitch with admiration. that one game in boston, standing ovation, for a yankee.

so yeah, first thought is hey scott, he did it. we loved watching moose pitch. saw him so many times at camden yards, and then that playoff game against cleveland, watched on the tv in ann and dave’s nyc basement apartment. lots of moose memories. and they are all with scott.

spring training in ft lauderdale, pregnant with mo, watching moose pitch in the warmth and eating a bun filled with sauerkraut (pregnant) and also seeing brady anderson without a shirt on (!) and not even thinking steroids (damn).

loved that moose graduated from stanford and was a crossword puzzle-loving small-town boy. he was quiet and non-demonstrative and so beautiful to watch.

scott took me to my first baseball game, at camden yards, when we were dating. he surprised me, bringing cheese and crackers and caviar (yes, scott). loved it. him and baseball. eventually, we traveled to catch stadiums. milwaukee with sausages running the bases and mo falling asleep on him so he couldn’t move for six innings, tiger field in detroit (last year before the tear down), old san diego stadium with their foot-long hot dogs and horrible fish tacos. kinda hated the dome in seattle, but loved watching the orioles beat the mariners. got the cardinals tickets from a guy in the parking lot. old yankee stadium. disneyfied anaheim. tour of the new arizona diamondbacks facility and locker room (damn). oklahoma city minor league (major league to them). our first pilgrimage to fenway with satch in a stroller, to the white sox with scott’s buddy from some IT equipment distributor. at wrigley field, (cold, in may) we loved the simple baseball-ness (people there to watch baseball, dammit. no announcers telling them to get loud). that time sarah’s friend got us into tom hanks’s behind-home-plate-box at dodger stadium and i sat next to some famous pretty boy but that dessert tray and the view were so much more impressive. back to fenway for my birthday — great seats.

chatham for cape cod league. night after night, year after year. big train here (mo’s fourth birthday party). spring training in arizona.

that time he surprised me with a birthday trip to albany, but really to cooperstown. we loved the HOF.

so many times at camden yards: sometimes in boxes, mostly in the bleachers. with lauri and scott haycock, getting drunk as all get out and having a blast. watching cal’s 2130 with ann and 2131 from standing room only. our “keep brady in baltimore” campaign, with tshirts and such fanatic intent (written up in the baltimore sun). and also countless times to frederick and bowie, and, finally, the nationals at RFK for their first opening day (boo dick cheney) and to nationals park.

so happy moose got into the HOF. thanks for the memories.