What it was like driving to Philadelphia yesterday afternoon at three.No way the game was going to start on time yet it behooved all fans to get there early enough to find parking. The fog and rain were such that it took me about half an hour longer to get to the park. Even so, at five o'clock, 'my' lot was packed with tailgaters. They started arriving at 11, said the woman at the gate. The really heavy rain was forecast for around game time, then was supposed to clear out by 9. I waited in the car till eight, then went into the park to dig the ambience. The concourse was packed, the seats were empty, tarp was on the field, and the rain just kept pouring down. I ended up standing under cover near a camera station; the guy on the camera kept us updated on possible start times. Finally, a cheer went up for the grounds crew, then another when starter Jamie Moyer plodded out to the bullpen to start warming up, then a louder one when he came back to the dugout with catcher Carlos Ruiz.
Country singer Tim McGraw delivered the first ball to the mound. Only after the game did it come out that while there he scattered some ashes from his late father Tug, one of the more beloved figures in Phillies' history. An awesome gesture. Steve Carlton, old Lefty himself, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The game was scheduled to start at 8:35. It began at 10:06, after a 91-minute rain delay. What was remarkable was that within 10 minutes of game time, almost every seat in the park was filled. It was some crazy time to start a World Series game.
