A Night At The Ballpark

My Trip to the Mariners game on July 3^rd was all set to be a great evening, Little did I know just how great It was actually going to be!  As a kid growing up in western Washington like most kids I’m a Seattle Mariner Fan through and through.  I have lived and died with the team and as most longtime Mariner fans through the teams existence we have done a lot of dying!!  But on July 20^th 1988 unbeknownst to then 5 year old me the Mariners acquired an outfielder from the New York Yankees named Jay Buhner.  For as long as I can remember I have been a huge fan of Jay’s, with his signature bald head and goatee, his unconventional batting stance to the giant smear of pine tar on his pants.  He played with a toughness that forces you to think of a time when baseball was more than a game, it was a way of life.  Growing up during my childhood the popular thing was for kids to like Ken Griffey Jr, Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco and Ricky Henderson to name a few, but not for me.  I was definitely in the minority with my friends and I was ok with that.  I remember my senior year of high school it was the spring of 2001 I was the starting right fielder wearing number 19 and sporting my best attempt at a goatee I could not have been prouder.  Jay and the Mariners made their run at a World Series with a regular season record 116 wins and my Hoquiam High Grizzlies were doing our best to mimic them by getting to the Washington State 2A Final Four.  The Mariners Lost that year in the ALCS to the New York Yankees in 5 games and the Grizzly Baseball team lost to Pullman High in the first round and ended up taking 4^th.  2001 marked the end of Jay Buhner’s long and illustrious career, he will always be remembered as one the greatest and most recognizable Mariners of all time.  “THE BONE” was his nickname and right field was his position and Buhner Buzz Night will live forever as one of the great promotional nights in Mariners history.  Thanks Jay for all the memories and Thank You for making June 3^rd one of the Greatest Nights a long time Mariner Fan has ever had.