Rangers "Breeze" to an 8-7 Victory

After leaving the Pro Shop at Surprise Stadium with my new Rangers ball cap, the little old lady behind the counter said, "Don't lose your new hat. It's windy outside." Then I walked outside and was handing the old gentleman at the gate my ticket, and he said, "Don't lose your hat. The wind is pretty strong today."
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No kidding. The day was perfect except for winds blowing everything asunder. I've lived through worse, growing up in north Texas. The spring winds in Wichita Falls can be severe, too. I remember spring baseball games while I was in high school, winds blowing so bad you couldn't wear a hat, much less lose it.
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The Texas Rangers played anyway, and posted a walk-off victory in the 9th inning after a base hit drove in the winning run. The 8-7 win over the Royals was before an estimated crowd of 5,256 fans. The Rangers were ahead most of the game, but the Royals came back and were ahead in the 9th inning 7-5. The Rangers scored two runs on a homer, then drove in the winning run with one out in the 9th to win the game.
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The only SNAFU I experienced was over my seat. I purchased an 8-game packet over the internet a few weeks ago, and therefore I had to hope my seat was going to be a good one. I had a general idea by looking at the small ridiculous stadium drawing they give you online, and I thought I was seated just behind the Royals dugout. However, when I actually saw where my seat was located, I was not happy.
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My seat was on the top row of the lower level (which isn't bad), the inside seat of a 3-seat row (bad), and next to a humungous brick pilar/wall that stretched upward to the floor above (very bad). To make it worse, the other two seats were occupied by two elderly and snotty Royals fans who were not happy to see me wearing a Rangers ball cap. So I was faced with the possibility of sitting between a brick wall and two crabby old Royals fans for the next month.
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This is not going to work, I told myself. Luckily there were plenty of unoccupied seats further down the aisle, so I sat elsewhere for today's game. During the 7th inning stretch I went to the Box Office and spoke to Kendra (very cute). She was happy to exchange my tickets for other seating (very helpful). Thanks, Kendra. I now have a seat on the aisle about five rows back of the Rangers dugout to watch the seven games I have left.
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Here are some photos from today's game.

The First Base Entrance to Suprise Stadium. Parking was just across the street and very close. The last Rangers game I saw at the Ballpark in Arlington, Texas (home field for the Rangers during the regular season) I had to walk 6 miles to find my seat.

My first view of the stadium. The crowd was just beginning to arrive. The stadium as voted "Best Sports Venue" or something by some Phoenix organization, according to the announcer.

A picture from my seat at today's game. For the next seven games I'll be on the other side behind the Ranger's dugout and much closer to the field.

Spring ball with the Rangers may become an annual event for me. I'm already making plans to be back next year. I told Kendra what seat I want reserved for next Spring. "Don't stick me next to a brick wall," I told her.