Inning four, Boise: Casey Childs, a rookie Hawk with a .000 batting average, gets walked and scores. We clap, a little disappointed that he hasn't gotten a number for his average yet.
Inning five, Boston: "Cracker Jack Man," everyone's favorite vendor, gets our section screaming the name of everyone's favorite ballpark snack in exchange for an autographed box. As it turns out, Cracker Jack Man went to the same high school as two of our party.
Inning five, Boise: The vendor of all the candy went to my high school and was on a college panel with me earlier that year. We chat about how things are going. Childs actually hits a double, earning himself a batting average. Someone wins a prize for coming closest to guessing the attendance: 3,675.
Inning six, Boston: Someone hits a ball toward our section, which could probably seat more than 3,675. The fly ball falls short of being a homer. We go back to observing efforts to start the wave. Loud, sustained booing follows the failures of some sections until people get into the act and three complete circles are made.
Inning six, Boise: Two kids are picked from the crowd to have a race in toy motorized trucks. The announcer says "Go!" before the little girl is all the way in her truck. Loud, sustained booing ensues. The announcer says both will go to the finals in August. There is some light applause, mostly ominous silence. The Hawks score six or so runs.
Inning seven, Boston: We sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." A little confused about the nature of the seventh-inning stretch, a young, very drunk man decides to strip. He is down to his skivvies when the police appear to arrest him. He seems to sober up after the officers cuff him. He is escorted out, still minus his shirt. Rumors circulate that something important may have happened on the field during the commotion.
Inning seven, Boise: We sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The Hawks widen their lead to a comfortable six runs. Pizza Hut is out of pizza thanks to the coaches of two different Little League teams.
Inning eight, Boston: One member of our group becomes engrossed in the game and manages to get some cheers going in the section. It appears to be a close game.
Inning eight, Boise: The kids come out to rerun the truck race. The crowd cheers. This time, the mascot, Humphrey the Hawk, starts the race by bringing down his wing. The little girl wins and is loudly applauded. The Hawks widen their lead to a solid 11 runs.
Inning nine, Boston: The Sox take it 6-4, and people begin to flee out of the stadium, hoping to beat the crowds to the subway and parking garages. Lines half a block long for the subway quickly result.
Inning nine, Boise: Players from the other team, realizing they are going to be beaten by about 10 runs, begin to flirt politely with any young women sitting in first base box seats. When the Hawks wrap it up 14-5, we clap but the loudspeaker is silent--the 10 p.m. noise ordnance has kicked in.
Postgame, Boston: Lines for the subway are insane, but one of our friends gets us home in a little over an hour after some amazing crowd-dodging moves.
Postgame, Boise: All the little-league players who get in for free line up to run bases after the game. After three minutes of traffic congestion and a 10-minute ride, I'm home.
Valerie J. MacMillan '98 is managing editor of The Crimson.