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DAY 83
Friday June 22nd
Fairbanks, AK to Seattle, WA
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the game was halted. The guest singer again took the field, this time to sing the Alaskan Flag Song. Another ceremonial first pitch was thrown, this time by Shaun Timmins. Mr. Timmins thus became the only person to throw out the actual first pitch, the ceremonial first pitch at the start of the game, and the ceremonial first pitch after midnight. He has been the winning pitcher in the Midnight Sun Game three times, more than anyone else, and the shirt he wore in the 100 th Midnight Sun Game is now enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown . So there!
The new day had an immediate effect on the home team, who scored a run. The game again took its own path in the middle of the seventh. Instead of the ever popular, "Take Me Out To The Ballgame", we were treated to something I had never before experienced. A song was played which involved the crowd shouting, at various key moments, "Happy Boy! Happy Boy! Hubba, hubba, hubba, hubba, hubba!" Perhaps it's something to do with the long winters.
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Egged on by an increasingly enthusiastic, yet numerically dwindling crowd, the home team huffed and puffed, but the one remaining run was scored by the visitors, who ended up 6-1 winners. The light between 12.30 and 1.30 was poor, but by no means impossible.
The absence of taxis at the end of the game caused me to walk back to my hotel, which took about 40 minutes. Everywhere was still open, there were lots of people about and, although I can't actually say I saw the sun rise, it was light as I arrived at 2.00 a.m.
I managed to sleep until almost 8.00, and lazed around until check out at 11.00. The shuttle bus was far too prompt for my liking, so I found myself at the airport with three hours to spare. Security was again painless, although they did confiscate my toothpaste which, although almost empty, was too large. Two days ago it was the same size, and even fuller, when I apparently smuggled it in!
The rest of the day was really quite uneventful. The flights were comfortable, and on time, but the weather was cloudier than on the flight up, so the views were not so spectacular. I was, however, on the correct side of the plane this time to get an impressive view of Mount McKinley rising above the clouds.
The only unfortunate part of the journey was when the taxi driver insisted on proving that there are two Motel 6s locally, by taking me to the wrong one first, and then I was reunited, however briefly, with Sal. It has been a week for strange reunions – first meeting a friend from back home in a motel in Oakland, and then meeting Sal in Seattle after being apart for a couple of days. There's something not quite right about it. |
