After one of the worst weeks in my career I was certainly ready to hunker down with a beer, a dog, and the Sox, even if it meant seeing them in (as I have posted previously) perhapsThe Worst Sports Venue in History, if not only the stadium but the fanbase is included.  I had no idea what to expect meeting larry there - he was never overly excited in his communications about coming to the game with me, as recently as Tuesday suggesting if I needed to get someone else to go with me, that'd be fine by him.  Plus, we have had a few heated discussions (as I think most of us have), and, well, when a guy revels in being taged with the label "asshole", you wonder makes a guy like that tick.  However, I really wanted to see the Alexeo shirt on someone else who actually paid for it themselves, so I was game.  Hell, I'm a curious guy, and have been posting for 3 seasons now without ever having met anyone. 

I got to his hotel, ordered a drink at the bar, and rang him up.  When he came down to meet me, seeing his SoxMachine shirt made me smile.  I thought of Jim's new server and was glad larry helped the cause.  I offered him a drink and he turned it down, opting for leaving for the game.

Inside the Dome, I soon realized we Sox fans were few.  The hick fans were given cowbells and implored by the scoreboard to ring them because, yes, "we need more cowbell".  And every ESPN announcer, from Berman to Erin Andrews were imploring the fans to cheer for the Rays.  Rob Schneider, too.  (Yes, how can you beat "Deuce Bigelow"?  You can't.)  This was not to be an easy night.  It was like being in Salt Lake City and ordering a Coke while talking shit about the Osmonds.

We got our food (larry eats pizza, I had a dog - larry noted I chose the "Kosher" dog, racist that he is) and drinks (I got a beer, larry LEMONADE - yes, LEMONADE, possibly fearing I was an Internet predator luring him to a playoff game and wanting to keep his wits about him) and we settled in.  I related that I thought if we got 2 runs in the first, if Swisher had at least 2 walks, and if Buehrle has a good game and pitched deep into it we'd be OK.  As Patton said right before he aplogized for slapping a soldier, "This was on my mind".

You know the rest.  We got 2 in the first and should've scored 4.  Swisher walked twice AND singled.  Buehrle went into the 8th.  So what.  Between station-to-station running (even Cabrera, arguably one of our best baserunners, screwed up twice, once on a hit-and-run situation by sliding into 2nd on a hit to left and failing to advance to third), stupid decision-making (Che's throw into the dugout when he had no chance to double the runner off first, setting up the Rays' first run), and horrific hitting with RISP, we looked old and used up (though we did battle - though when Buehrls pitches a game lasting over 3 hours, you know you are in trouble).   The Rays, once Kazmir steadied, just looked fresher as the game wore on.  Upton's triple leading off the 8th was breathtaking, watching our fastest outfielder track down Uptons' line shot and knowing there was no way it would only be a double.  He was flying.  And that signalled the end.  The rest was a foregone conclusion.

A couple of observations:

1.  larry either is a nice guy or knows how to play nice.  He's a good guy to watch a game with.  Also, he is adaptable.  Whilst throwing F-bombs around in the first inning an older couple immediately behind us (no kids were within earshot) were offended and said so.  He responded by toning the volume and content down.  When in Rome...

2.  White Sox fans get drunk a lot.  2 guys sitting 3 rows behind us were kicked out less than halfway through the game.  Both were hammered.  Nice representation.

3.  Tampa fans are either lunatics or idiots.  If I wasn't being threatened by a sawed-off runt in ther first inning I was getting pelted with peanuts in the 9th. 

4.  I had a moment with larry.  (I am misty-eyed thinking about it.)  Rays cowbell fans were booing whenever MB threw over to first to keep a runner close, even if it was only once.  Well, a Rays pitcher threw to first to keep a Sox runner close and we both simulataneously and independently booed loudly, the only fans of the 35,257 to do so.  We looked at each other and high-fived.  Sox fans.

5.  Chicago is seen as a "big money" team.  Idiot fan next to us said while Buehrle was struggling in the 8th (why was he out there?) that "He makes more than our whole team!"  $14 million is Tampa's payroll? 

All told, other than the loss, it was a good evening.  And now I have actually met one of you, fellow SSS'ers.  And it was good.  I encourage you guys to take advantage of the August event next year and go and meet not only Reifert and Hahn, but our man larry.  He is a nice man.