Tiger game random observations

Skate Kid and I enjoyed an afternoon game at Comerica Park today and saw the good guys (Tigers) "pulverize" (well they scored more runs anyway) the bad guys (Rangers)4-3. In no particular order, here are some observations.

*I felt very guilty about having 7 year old Skate Kid miss a few hours of school to catch the game but I really did not have much choice as the friend that was to come to the game with me cancelled on short notice. It happens. I thought Skate Skid would be the only kid at the park for a weekday afternoon game. Boy, was I wrong. As a matter of fact, I do not think I have ever seen so many kids at the park. There were school buses lined up as far as the eye could see and it appeared that these all involved school "field trips". When I was a kid, I can only remember going to (frankly boring) science museums and the local library. When did this start?

*About halfway through the game, a friendly old timer who was sitting behind us asked me if Skate Kid liked peanuts and I said "yes" thinking he might offer him a handful. He then gave him a pretty large bag which was almost full and I said, "Are you sure?" and he said "I want him to have it." I thanked him of course. It pays to be 7 years old, cute and dressed in Tigers gear.

*The closer for the Tigers, Fernando Rodney was warming up just before the top of the 9th inning as he was going to pitch the ninth to close out the game. The Tiger fielders were warming up and the leadoff batter for the Rangers was mulling around the on deck circle for some time. No Fernando Rodney in sight as he was throwing in the bullpen. I was thinking "How long can this go on?". The umpire then began to think the same thing and began waiving to the bullpen to bring a pitcher in. No response. He waives again and again. This goes on for a while. After some time, Rodney just comes on out (very late to the party). I have never seen anything like it. Rather comical, actually.

*After the game, we stopped at a local McDonalds for dinner. I paid the cashier in bills and coins and she hands me back a nickel and says "Sorry, no." I thought I miscounted or something and asked if she needed a dime or something. She said "We do not take Canadian coins." For what it is worth, Detroit is just across the river from Ontario and there has always been a ton of Canadian coins floating around here and I cannot recall a business ever refusing to take one. Look, I don't think I would give a business here a Loonie Canadian dollar coin but I think anything less than that is fair game. Well I eventually gave the cashier a legal tender American nickel so that she could hand over our food. I am not going to "boycott" this particular McDonalds or anything but when there is one on every corner, it is pretty easy just to stop at the next one.

Go Tigers! First place. As me and my kids are 2-0 at the park this year, I have decided that we are good luck charms so I am sure that is what is going on here. I don't see any other possible explanation.