Lexington: Bleacher Blue(s)
By Chris Glasser - June 02, 2006
Here at Cliff Hagan, there's a pocket of red amidst a sea of Kentucky blue. The stadium supposedly seats 3,000, but it looks like those crafty Kentuckians found a way to wheel in some bleachers and place them along the left-field line. Let's say with the addition of those bleachers, the stadium seats 4,500. And for good measure, let's add to that number the 500 or so fans standing on their tip-toes on the hill behind the right-center field fence. That gives us an even 5,000 people attending this game.
Of that 5,000, I'd wager that no more 200 are Ball State fans. And they're all sitting in the top corner of the first base-side stands.
So far, it's been the Cardinals' game -- they have seven more hits than Kentucky and are leading 1-0, though it could easily be 3-0. When something good happens for the Cards (like a throwing error by UK shortstop Ryan Wilkes), you'll hear a courageous yet underwhelming bit of applause off to your right. But when a similar play occurs in favor of the Cats (a throwing error by Ball St. third baseman CJ Webb), the whole place goes crazy. Bleachers rattle and shake; noise comes at you from every direction.
Right now, though, those moments have been few and far between for the Wildcat faithful. As of the top of the fifth, the Cardinals lead 1-0 and the Cats are still looking for hit number two.
Posted by Chris Glasser at 08:49 PM on June 02, 2006
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