There are just some things that are beyond explanation. We’ve all experienced them, circumstances so bizarre that if you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes you would have sworn it never happened.
For whatever reason I seem to have been designated as the official eye witness to the strange and unusual. In the past my family has accused me of making things up because there is no way what I described could possibly have happened. Tonight was a prime example of what I’m talking about.
Just a day removed from the taco debacle everyone was worried about the lingering effects a giant taco might have on Legend Mark Grace. There were some that suggested a giant taco may slow down the already glacially slow Grace causing him to never even leave the starting gates.
There were others who suggested that eating a five-foot dancing taco may actually give Gracie the runs as he made a dash to the finish line before nature called. It was an interesting dilemma and one I was keen on watching.
It felt like a new beginning. The Diamondbacks were coming off a successful road trip and they returned to Chase Field with a new resolve to finish the season strong. That attitude was present throughout the ballpark.
Diamondbacks fans seemed more confident and even the little old man taking tickets was on his game wielding his hand held scanner like a Jedi Knight checking people in at the turnstiles. Everyone seemed to be on their game tonight.
Poor Legend Mark Grace, he has been getting a lot of grief not only for the number of losses he has endured but also for the way he is losing. It seems as though everyone has a theory as to why Grace has been winless in his first 29 races.
I’m sometimes asked, “What makes a Diamondbacks Legend?” It takes every ounce of self-restraint not to answer: polyester, foam, industrial strength Velcro, and heavy-duty thread. It’s a great question and one that has no simple answer.
While Matt Williams, Mark Grace, Luis Gonzalez, and Randy Johnson all had success on the field as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks that alone does not make you a Legend. To earn that distinction you needed to go beyond being dominant on the field.
The baseball season has been described as a marathon. It goes on for months and months before a winner is eventually crowned. While the regular season results are important, it is the how you end the season that really counts.
When your favorite team or player struggles, it is hard to watch the daily grind and losing wear on them. It would be so easy for them to just give up and let the rest of the season play out were it not for professional pride.
As the fans began to make their way into Chase Field before the game they were greeted by air conditioning and by the Diamondbacks Legends who were on the concourse posing for pictures and interacting with the fans.
It is hard to tell which the fans were more excited about. While it is great to be up close and personal with one of the four Legends, there is something to be said for air conditioning especially when thermometers outside were proclaiming temperatures of 108 degrees.
Lately it seems as though Legend Mark Grace is just a little hyperactive during the pre game warm ups. And by a little hyper I mean he is like a Chihuahua on a five hour energy drink.
Watching him interact with the fans is like a DVD in fast forward. He jumps from fan to fan having his picture taken or stealing a kids hat and running around.
Having a week off, everyone was hoping that Legend Mark Grace would have spent the time working with the strength and conditioning coaches of the Arizona Diamondbacks to recover from his pulled hamstring and hopefully find a little speed.
In his pre-game warm-ups, Grace seemed in a jovial mode playing with the crowd on the main concourse and posing for pictures. Based on his actions, there didn’t seem to be any residual effects from the muscle strain.
It seemed like the perfect day. The Diamondbacks were on a modest three-game winning streak. They had a sellout crowd for the first time since Opening Day, and it was afternoon baseball. It was as if the planets had aligned. All we were lacking was a win by Mark Grace in the Legends race for this day to be perfect.
The Legends were in a great mood prior to the game. They bounced around the field during the pre-game interacting with the fans and posing for pictures. On the concourse they were mobbed by an adoring public all wanting to be close to a Diamondbacks Legend.
