the blue blog archives: stitch & pitch, or how I went to Pawtucket to see a game and accidentally found a knitting group

Yesterday was Stitch n Pitch day at Pawtucket, the Red Sox's local minor league team. We went to the game with my in-laws, who expressed an interest in seeing a genuine American baseball game. (Baseball is so unlike any of the sports they know that it was a considerable task trying to explain the rules.) I had no idea that knitters would be there! But what do I see the moment we enter the stadium?

I made the whole family wait for me while I investigated. I met the lovely folks organizing the event, got to see some of the knitted hats they were collecting for the Salvation Army and picked up a project bag with needles, yarn and some free patterns. We even ended up sitting right next to all the knitters.

I had too many children for me to knit during the game (kudos to all those knitters who I saw knitting through the entire game, all 11 innings of it!). Wee one was so good though. Animal crackers and fried dough helped a lot. Despite no score through 10 innings, the boys were still into it, cheering "we need an out!" when the Bisons were up, "we need a run" when the PawSox were batting, and in desperation "we don't like the yankees" when those didn't seem to work.

After the end of the 10th (still 0-0), we moved on to the free Family Fun Fest they'd set up on a neighboring field. And while the boys bounced in bouncy houses and practiced their pitching, I watched the scoreboard (all I could see of the game) as we fell behind 2-0 in the top of the 11th, then in the bottom of the 11th scored one run, and another, and got a walk with the bases loaded to win the game!

posted by alison at 10:04 am | in just blogging 2009

Comments

I'm so jealous! The Bisons are my hometown team, and I'm still a loyal fan (Even though I've lived in Boston for 7 years.) My favorite team, my favorite hobby, and a day with the family - what could be better?

Posted by: Dorothy at May 18, 2009 10:17 AM

Wow, you're turning the boys in to real Red Sox fans -- chanting against the Yankees when the Sox are playing a completely different team! ;)

Well, at least it was the right sport. (People at Patriots games, I'm looking at you...)

Posted by: Shannon at May 18, 2009 10:21 AM

That sounds like a lot of fun! I don't think I've ever seen a minor league game. Do you think it was about the same fun level as seeing the Sox play?

Posted by: Seanna Lea at May 18, 2009 10:37 AM

Unexpected knitting and baseball - what could be better?

Posted by: Kate at May 18, 2009 10:49 AM

Shannon, the boys came up with the chant all on their own. I was so proud. ;0)

Seanna Lea, the minor league games we've been to have been so much fun. There's less crowding, more families, just a relaxing fun atmosphere. The only real difference is no big name players. But the boys have watched the Red Sox on tv so much that they now recognize a lot of the PawSox players' names, players who have been brought up to the Red Sox for a game or two to fill in when someone else was injured. And the Bisons had Willy Mo Pena (former Red Sox) and Mike Lamb (former Astros player - my son S has his baseball card)!

Posted by: ALISON at May 18, 2009 10:58 AM

The Portland Sea Dogs (also Sox related) are a lot of fun too.

Posted by: Cyndy at May 18, 2009 11:27 AM

OMG, seeing those bags with the Webs logo would have sent me into a very happy tailspin! :) Leslie (no longer blogless, by the way...)

Posted by: Leslie at May 18, 2009 12:35 PM

What fun! I went to our local minor league game on Saturday for Stitch N Pitch. We had a great time and our team won in the bottom of the 9th. We have friends from Germany that we have invited to our sons baseball games. They have never seen baseball here and now you have me worried as to how to explain it to them! Oh well!

Posted by: Kris at May 18, 2009 1:59 PM

Hey, I was at the Family Fun Fest yesterday at McCoy! I wish I knew it was Stich n Pitch day- I definitely would have gone to that, too. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Go Sox!

Posted by: jess at May 18, 2009 2:25 PM

That sounds lijke so much fun - coming up with your own chant is definitely sign of a true fan! Until my girls were middle school age, we always lived within walking distance of Wrigley Field & went to several games a year. One of the local politicians also took any kids that showed up in his office to a game once or twice a year (they used to march over in a group - very cute). Last time we went to a game was in May 1998, right after my younger daughter graduated from college. her husband was a baseball star in HS & he came up to Illinois for her graduation (he's from Mississippi) & we all went to a game. At that time box seats were $15 each in April, May & October (unless they were contenders & we're talking about the Cubs.) Now you can't even get bleachers= seats for double that! I keep saying we're going to go to a Kane County Cougars game but never seem to get around to it (even from Oal Park it's a fairly quick trip on the els to WF but Kane County is about 50 miles & you have to drive.)

Posted by: Donna at May 18, 2009 3:36 PM

I am so jealous of your fun trip! I think I would faint if I went to a sporting event and WEBS bags were being handed out!

Posted by: silverarrowknits at May 19, 2009 12:06 AM

Awesome! Sounds like a pretty great day. Knitting and baseball, two of my favorite things!

Posted by: Shannon at May 19, 2009 11:00 AM