A day at the ballpark – SLO Blues style

Blues infielder Taylor Anderson (Cuesta College) rounds third base during the Blues’ victory over Long Beach on Sunday. By Owen Main

Sunday was one of those days. The air was muggy and the sky was cloudy. A strong breeze blew wind that was neither warm nor cold — it was just there. It was the kind of day you’d get a sunburn and never see the sun.

And so, on an enigmatic Sunday in June, I thought it was high time I caught my first Blues game of the year. After having General Manager Adam Stowe on the podcast earlier in the month, I had failed to actually get myself out to a game.

The Blues are off to a really hot start in the California Collegiate League — 20-5 to be exact. While the wood bats don’t always kindle the most exciting brand of baseball, the team does feature players from mostly BCS conferences and continues to build a winning reputation. Here’s a taste of the experience on Sunday.

What I learned from the Blues game:

There isn’t such thing as a typical Blues fan

On my own at the game, I waded through the fans both young and old throughout the stadium. The Blues draw a wide variety of fans, from baseball junkies, to couples, to young families and fathers catching a game with their kid(s).

Over a summer, you can really get to know players

Much like a minor league situation, a fan can really get to know a group of players over the summer. The Blues play six or seven days per week and with half of those games at home, there are myriad opportunities to grow to enjoy watching particular players, much like fans at minor league ballparks might. It’s a small thing, but for someone in San Luis Obispo who wants to have a baseball fan experience like in a bigger city, the Blues are that opportunity.

Sinsheimer is intimate

Growing up, I always though Sinsheimer was a pretty big facility. Having been at Cal Poly games all Spring, I now realize I might have been wrong. One thing I wish Cal Poly had done more of is the grassy knoll behind the stadium itself. Seeing families on blankets in the grass at a baseball game enjoying a weekend afternoon made me nostalgic, though I don’t know for what. Let’s just say that it makes the stadium seem more friendly and adds to the fan atmosphere of the ball park.

This Blues team seems pretty cohesive.

Maybe it was the Long Beach pitcher plunking at least three Blues players, including two in a row, but it seemed like the Blues were extra chatty and supportive of one another. Despite the fact that they’ve only known each other for a few weeks, this year’s version fo the Blues seems like a relatively cohesive unit already. Their 20-5 record would support a good dugout/clubhouse atmosphere theory too.

The sound of a wood bat hitting a ball on the barrel never gets old.

This one is self-explanatory. Again, the balls don’t usually go as far, but when they get hit juuuust right, that sound is as sweet as any in sports.

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