Went with the wife and kid on Sunday to see our first baseball game of the year. The San Francisco Giants, thanks to injuries, steroid-deprivation, and a bizarre managerial fixation on "veteran savvy", are one of the worst teams in baseball this year, but that did not deter us. Thanks to a pre-season loyalty lecture by fellow blogger, Gary, I am sticking by this crappy and imploding team.

Although one would be hard-pressed to describe my daughter as a sports fan, there are several things about going to the ballpark that she enjoys: cotton candy, grilled hot dogs, the "playground" area, and cheering. My daughter LOVES to scream out the names of the B-list baseball players that populate the Giants' roster.

"LANCE NIEKRO, YOU CAN DO IT! GO-O-O-O LANCE NIEKROOOOOOO!!"

Five year-old girls seem to have two nearly-self-cancelling qualities: adorableness and volume. We got a look of sideways glances from nearby fans that seemed to say, "GAH, WHAT IS THAT SHRILL NOISE?!?....Oh, how cute!....OH, THE PIERCING PAIN!...Awwwwww...."

Meanwhile, my daughter is shrieking at the top of her lungs, "GO MIKE MATHENY! HIT A HOME RUN, MIKE MATHEEEEEEEEEENYYYYYYY!"

Astonishingly, Mike Matheny did hit a home run. I don't know what they're putting into Geritol these days, but it must be potent. Not potent enough to prevent the Giants from losing, of course, but potent.

We did have a lovely day at the ballpark.

Go Giants!