take me out to the ballgame

Last night I went to my first Yankees game. I can definitely say, it won't be my last. I had so much fun.
My school offered tickets for $10 so a group of friends decided to go. I decided to buy a Yankees hat to wear to the game. A friend asked if I was a fan and I told her "No, I just like to accessorize for any occasion." So last night I put on my lemon yellow Yankees hat and prepared for another New York experience. I met nycJulie and we took the 4 train to Yankee stadium. The entire subway seemed to be filled with Yankees fans, and they all seemed to be male. I was very excited.
We headed straight to the concession stand for a hot dog and beer. I used to believe that beer and hot dogs were really the only reason to go to a baseball game. Once we had food, we began to search for our seats. Higher and higher we went, until finally we found our them- or nearly our seats. By that point I was so scared of heights, I refused to go any further. Not only were the seats high, but they were on a very steep incline. I just imagined myself falling to my death. Luckily my roommate had two seats in front of her, and we were able to move down. My new seat had a railing which offered a certain amount of comfort that I wouldn't tumble down to the ground. It was kind of like a safety bar on a ride.
The energy of the game was incredible. I have been to Rangers games, but they don't begin to compare to what it was like at Yankee Stadium. I found myself actually watching the game and cheering. My lemon yellow Yankees hat offered a comraderie with the other fans. It made me feel like I belonged. It also made me feel special because I was the only one with a yellow hat. I saw girly pink ones, but no other yellow.
Everything about the game was perfect. Except for two things: the Yankees lost and it was SO COLD. I don't understand. We went at the end of April, and I was wearing my new orange Northface fleece- freezing. It was part of the reason I couldn't stop dancing and moving and cheering. I wanted to warm up.
This New York experience taught me two things:
1. Baseball games aren't just about the beer and hot dogs- though they do add to the experience. It is also about traditions and passion and all that other stuff in Field of Dreams.
2. My lemon yellow hat wasn't just about making me look cute- though I did look pretty cute. It also kept my head a little bit warmer. Because even in April, it still gets cold in New York.