Baseball

Pictures go here.

I was at Wukesong yesterday to watch China's men's baseball team lose 1-0 to South Korea in 10 innings, but unfortunately I have no pictures because I lost my camera.

And without pictures, I really have no desire to explain how the Chinese took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 10th on a sacrifice fly, only to see the run wiped out because the umpire ruled the runner left early, then watched as its pitcher loaded the bases and promptly gave up a game-ending single to left field.

I will say, however, that it was very fun, and I'd like to thank Sandy for the tickets. We arrived with the game in the 9th inning -- it started halfway through, as this was the resumption of a rain-postponed game -- but still had time to down two beers and eat lots of chips, all the while enjoying the heck out of some good baseball. Okay, "good" baseball.

Afterwards a Korean fan with stickers on his face waved two thunder sticks and cheered in English. Yes, I took a picture of that. Yes, I wish I still had my camera.

POSTSCRIPT: I don't think I've linked to this yet, but I wrote about China's first Olympic win in baseball for ESPN The Magazine's website, which can be read here. It was a crazy game, not least of all because China scored five runs in the bottom of the 12th to beat Chinese Taipei -- Taiwan, of all teams! -- 8-7.