The Win

Over the course of the first week of the season, the Arizona Diamondbacks struggled losing five games in a row. This did not seem to matter to the fans as Bank One Ballpark was at near sell-out levels for each game. With the final game of the first home stand being played on April 5, 1998, it seemed as though the San Francisco Giants would sweep the Diamondbacks. My daughter Mallorie and I were to attend the game tonight. There was a promotional giveaway tonight for the first 10,000 fans. They would receive a schedule key chain. Unfortunately, Mallorie was late getting ready which caused us to miss this giveaway. This would end up being the one promotional item we did not get this year. The game promised to be memorable. Andy Benes was pitching his second game of the year. During the fifth inning, I witnessed the strangest play of the entire season. With Barry Bonds on third, J.T. Snow hit a line drive back at Benes which hit is foot and ricocheted to Jay Bell at shortstop. Bell threw the ball to Travis Lee for the out at first allowing Bonds to score. Travis threw the ball around the infield with everyone thinking the play was over. Matt Williams noticed that the ball had never hit the ground and Bonds did not tag third. When Matt received the ball he stepped on third base making this a double play ending the inning. Scoring of the play went 1-6-3-5, the most roundabout double play the Diamondbacks would have all year. Diamondbacks pitchers held the Giants to seven hits and won the game 3-2. This would be the first regular season win in franchise history.

Beanie Baby Day

June 14, 1998 brought another first for me at Bank One Ballpark. By this time in the season, the team and the fans had begun to feel comfortable together. Although the Diamondbacks struggled on the field, their fans were still committed to them. Attendance for the Arizona Diamondbacks home games had surpassed 1.4 million and each of the previous two games against the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend was a sell-out. Mark McGuire had put on a hitting display during batting practice that would be second to none. On Friday night, he would hit a ball out of one of the windows on the North side of Bank One Ballpark. Saturday, he hit the JumboTron with such force that it caused $2,000 worth of damage. No one knew what to expect for today's game. Besides the play of Mark McGuire and his teammates, there was one other factor which made today's game different, it was Hissy the Beanie Baby day. For 6,500 children 15 years of age and younger, it meant they would go home with a small stuffed animal. For 6,500 parents, it meant getting their kids in line early enough to obtain this promotional giveaway.

I had survived the crowds for Opening Day; I had seen the sell-out crowds at the two previous day's games; but nothing prepared me for this Sunday afternoon game. Wanting to see batting practice, I took my four-year-old daughter Whitney with me to the park early Sunday morning. When we arrived at the stadium three hours early, there were already crowds of children and adults alike. It was a mad house as people waited for the ballpark doors to open. I can safely say that at one point as the crowds pressed against the doors that I feared for my life. I had never seen people this aggressive for a stuffed toy. After what seemed an eternity, we finally filed into the gates and to our seats. As I passed the ushers at the doorway, I noticed their dwindling supply of Beanie Babies. A look of terror was in their eyes, much like the feelings a lone gazelle on the Serengeti plains must feel as they see a pride of lions approaching from all sides. Although I was fascinated to see how they were going to handle the ugly crowds when the Beanie Babies were gone, I felt it much safer to take my chances dodging home runs in the outfield bleachers. Almost as an afterthought, the Diamondbacks lost the game 2-0. Willie Blair pitched a great game giving up only two runs on eight hits and striking McGuire out three times and walking him once. The score didn't matter to my daughter, she had her Hissy and that was all that mattered to her.