Okay, let me tell you about my trip to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. It was something I’d wanted to do for a while.
Getting Started
First off, I remember thinking, “I should really go this year.” It was happening in Washington D.C., which wasn’t too far for me to manage. The idea just popped into my head, and I decided to actually follow through. Getting tickets wasn’t super easy, you know how these big events are. I spent a good bit of time online, checking different places, trying to find something that wasn’t crazy expensive. Finally, I managed to snag one. It felt like a real win just getting that ticket secured.
The Journey and Arrival
So, the day came. I planned my travel, decided to drive down. The drive itself was pretty standard, just dealing with the usual traffic heading towards D.C. Finding parking near Nationals Park, well, that was its own little adventure. Lots of circling around, looking for a decent spot that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. I eventually found one, maybe a bit of a walk, but hey, I was there.
Walking towards the stadium, you could really feel the energy building up. Lots of people wearing different team jerseys, families, fans all excited. There was just this buzz in the air. It’s different from a regular season game, you can tell it’s a special event.
Inside the Park and Pre-Game Fun
I got inside the park pretty early. I like to walk around, get a feel for the place. Nationals Park is a nice ballpark. I grabbed some food, the usual ballpark stuff – hot dog, maybe a drink. I just wandered around the concourse, watching people, looking at the field all prepped for the game. They had some displays up, stuff about All-Star history, which was cool to check out.
- Found my seat. Decent view, not amazing, but good enough to soak it all in.
- Watched the players warming up on the field. Seeing all those big names together is pretty neat.
- The player introductions were really well done. Huge cheers for the hometown Nationals players, of course. Bryce Harper got a massive ovation.
The Game Experience
Then the game started. Honestly, All-Star games can sometimes be more about the spectacle than intense competition, but it was still fun baseball to watch. I remember there were quite a few home runs hit that night. The ball seemed to be flying out of the park. It went into extra innings, which added to the drama.
Key things I recall:
- The home run derby the night before was apparently wild, but I was just there for the main game.
- Seeing guys from rival teams chatting and laughing in the dugout is always a unique part of the All-Star experience.
- The crowd energy was high, especially when something big happened, like one of those home runs.
- Alex Bregman ended up being the MVP, I think he hit the go-ahead homer in extras.
Wrapping Up
The game ended pretty late because of the extra innings. Filing out of the stadium with thousands of other people took a while, as expected. Then the walk back to the car and the drive home. I was tired, sure, but it felt good. It was a really memorable experience. Just being there, part of that atmosphere, seeing all that talent on one field – it’s something special. Definitely glad I made the effort to go.
