Reds vs. Indians in the Diamond Seats

[Box Score]

There’s the infamous window in the Diamond Club at Great American Ballpark, and Dusty Baker going out to visit yet another game in his long career in the game of baseball.

This game was an awful game, thanks to Bronson Arroyo and his Bugs Bunny 69 MPH pitch. So I’m just going to speak on the experience, and not a lot about the game which was over when Arroyo gave up several bombs and put the Reds in a 4-0 hole.

It’s Fourth of July time at the Ballpark, and a perfect opportunity for the Reds to serve up these beauties. I am on a wedding diet so I didn’t partake, but I probably should have.

If you ever wanted to see the bar inside the Diamond Club at Great American Ballpark, here it is. Now, I’ll tell you right now that if you attend a game in the Diamond Club, you might as well just plan on drinking beers all night. They do not serve shots of liquor, and while they do serve mixed drinks; something is up with the booze at the ballpark.

I won’t go into too many details, but I drank Johnny Walker Red Label all night with soda, one per inning approximately. I also had two or three before the game and two after the game during the fireworks display. I left the park about as sober as could be.

I don’t know if they’re watering them down–but if my BA content is any barometer–something is rotten in Denmark with the booze at the Diamond Club.

Here’s Carlos Carrasco being pre-game interviewed. He has been on a real roll for the Cleveland Indians lately.

And here’s the star of the night Justin Masterson. This guy seems like a really great kid, and he has ace stuff. Flat out, the guy can be as good of a pitcher as the Indians have had. There’s a lot to be excited about with him.

We joked with Masterson several times during the game, and he was genuinely very nice to us and some of the family members we were at the game with and our friends. We told him his stuff is straight filthy in MLB The Show ’11 and his face lit up like a kid. Love Masterson, wish he was a Cincinnati Red.

I spy Kirk Herbstreit. Actually, maybe the Johnny Walker did get to me a little bit because he was in line with his four kids and wife right in front of me in the Diamond Club and I didn’t recognize that it was him. Terrell Pryor was not a guest of honor in the Herbstreit party either. His wife is not that hot at all.

Carlos Santana is a stud. Probably my favorite Indians player. He always rolls with a huge hog in, and he always hits bombs when I’m at the park. True to form, he lined one into the Reds bullpen off Bunny Arroyo.

Brandon Phillips collected the 1,000th hit of his career last night, hitting two home runs and finishing off a 3 for 4 ballgame. You have to love this guy. He was out for blood against the team that traded him away and on a night where the Reds got a few paltry singles you really appreciate that Phillips had half of their hits last night.

Another game in which I’m present at the park and Jay Bruce has another 0 for 3 night. Nice view of the Moondeck here out in right field, look how full it is. It must really be something to play in front of that many people on some nights. One guy on display like the bear or elephant at the zoo, at this moment that guy was Jay Bruce.

Here’s a Cuban Missile Crisis: Austin Kearns vs. Aroldis Chapman. The epitome of over-matched.

Here’s Lon Chisenhall up close. He seems like a little bit of a dickhead to be honest. He had a big extra base hit last night though. Maybe it was the Johnny Walker Red.