From my vantage point at last Friday’s baseball game
between UCLA and Mississippi, the Bruins looked hot. They beat No.
19 Ole Miss in a 9-2 win with senior second baseman Sean Smith
going 2-for-4 with a home run and a double.
However, the players were not the only things on fire that
night.
At the top of the stadium, the fans were quickly buying up all
the warm food possible ““ hot cocoa, hot apple cider and hot
dogs.
After a rainy day in Westwood, the cold lingered that night at
Jackie Robinson Stadium. And as I learned firsthand by
volunteering, the chilly weather made the inside of the snack bar
into the best place to watch the game.
Parents take turns working shifts in the snack bar throughout
the season, but they welcome any volunteers.
Typically, Marilyn Smith, the mother of Sean Smith, recruits
UCLA students to help work the booth so the parents can enjoy their
sons’ games from a closer seat. However, when the weather
edges on the more dreary side, like on Friday, the shack proves a
warm spot for anyone at the game.
Although the food is served at the top of the stadium, the
workers actually have a great view of the field. A large sign
states the rule ““ which the game manager strictly enforces
““ that prohibits anyone from blocking the view of the diamond
for the snack bar workers.
During the game, starting pitcher Hector Ambriz tossed eight
innings with 10 strikeouts. The junior reached a season-high for
innings pitched and tied his career record for strikeouts. And
where was his mother watching the game? She was with me, inside and
warm.
At one point, the other workers, parents of sophomore pitcher
Brendan Lafferty, even told Ambriz’s mother they had enough
workers that she could take a break to go outside and watch. She
politely declined, saying she wanted to stay away from the
cold.
Soon after, the two pitchers’ mothers discovered the hot
dog cooker serves the dual function of a heat source and a great
place to watch the game.
Working in the snack bar gave me the opportunity to converse
with parents, who provided updates on the team.
Though happy with the season thus far for many reasons,
Lafferty’s father said, “Anything’s better than
last year.”
He was referring to their 19-game losing streak last year, the
longest in Pac-10 history.
Many of the snack bar’s customers were from Ole Miss,
including an abundance of its students on spring break. In the
stands, the Ole Miss fans outnumbered UCLA fans more than 2 to
1.
One Mississippi fan was amazed at the small crowd. He said their
regular-season home games are played in front of thousands.
Although I look forward to returning to the field, it will be
hard for next time to live up to this experience.
Free food and a warm place to watch the game on a cold day
raised the bar pretty high. Hopefully my first UCLA baseball game
will not be the last, or the warmest.
E-mail Fernbacher at sfernbacher@media.ucla.edu if you also
love attending UCLA’s baseball games.