Opening Day is not just any baseball game. It's the one day of the year... where you supposedly start off with the same record as the rest of the MLB. There are 162 opportunities to achieve or fail to attain the pre-ultimate goal of reaching the playoffs. I've blogged about '89 (Battle of the Bay) and 93 (103 win season). Or 2000 when we opened up Pac Bell (and lost to the Mets inspite of JT's pointing HR). Then there was the year that never happened in 2002 (F*CK!!!). 2003 - when we went to Spring Training, went to over 30 games in Section 124 only to see Jose Cruz Jr. drop that flyer. Much pain and suffering until the legendary and forever imprinted 2010 Band of Misfit years. 2012 and 2014 were great... but nothing like 2010.
There are about 3 people I can share these past memories with. And the Gonz is one of them.
The Gonz. Jeff... or as I like to call him, Geoff.
I met Geoff around 2000... when I was in college and we were just forming "The Group." Geoff was dating my then-kindred spirit. He hated me for obvious reasons. I was stealing his girl from him. Ironically when The Group broke up (like the Beatles), he and I hung on together - punctuated by the now mythical ski trip that started it all. But before the ski trip, there was our love for Star Wars...and of course, the Giants.
My first game at Pac Bell....was courtesy of Geoff (and his then law firm). It was a pre-season game versus the Mariners, during Ichiro's rookie season. I vaguely remember Marvin Bernard hitting a HR that game. Then there was the Dogstar concert, the band where Keanu Reeves plays the bass. That kick started us on an era of Broadway shows and concerts (Matchbox 20 at the Concord Pavilion?? Bon Jovi at the Tank?? Madonna at the Coliseum??)
Geoff is probably one of my only friends who's not an engineer or in the tech field. Which makes him oh so much more special. We talk about stuff that none of my other friends care to discuss. And throughout the years... we've always had these special moments. The one worth highlighting is when his paternal grandfather passed away... and I made a special trip just to hang out with him cuz I knew he was in a bad, bad place. Or the epic Halo night.... where we couldn't drive the Humvee worth sh*t, but we stayed up all night trying to, and eventually passing that level. Who can forget the NFC Championship game where he made fun of the Niners and called Kapernick, Colin "Kaper-pick" when he threw the INT that sealed the game. I exited the chat group and didn't talk to him for almost 6 months. Heh.... how childish of me. He hasn't made phun of the Niners since.
Geoff is unlike any other (as banal as it sounds). He's from a 2nd generation immigrant family...born of a Filipino and Chinese mix. He's always the butt of our jokes. He's goofy... and he plays off the goofiness. He's well into his mature age - yet he still doesn't have a driver's license. He's not a saint... by far no. Not only does he not drive... he refuses to learn. He's lived a blessed life, where he has means that I can't even give my kids today. He annoys the sh*t out of me with his reservedness, his inability to at least try to Seal-the-Deal. And his paranoia is beyond anyone I've ever met. Including him needing to pee....RIGHT after the last movie trailer and the start of the movie... cuz he doesn't want to have to pee and miss the climax of a movie.
But man... can he write. Man... can he engage in any deep conversation on any topic. He was the one that introduced me to the argumentative speech of Star Wars vs Star Trek. And he was he one that opened my eyes to a new way of writing when he said his UC personal statement was on a handicap... he being left-handed. And through it all... he's always been a constant. Especially recently... when I've been struggling through this whole unfounded ordeal that I can only term - "Bumbleful Life." He's always one to support, never to judge, and always on the look-out for my best interest. There are times when I can't even go to Anderson or Short and Stubby... and I can only lean on Geoff.
And today... today I was able to enjoy and experience one of the greatest moment of any baseball fan's imagination. We did so much together.... rode an Uber... got to the park to pick up some Opening Day pins (of which he was paranoid they'll run out)... then we spent 10 minutes looking for the World Series bricks we bought that paves 24 Willie Mays plaza. We got to the game early and found the amazing/fascinating Giants museum. After getting to our seats with 2 Giant Dogs, a Nacho and a Souvenir cup... we spent the next 3 hours in mindless and worthless chit chat... many of which were side splitting. I've made two best man speeches in my life... and one of my unfulfilled goals...is to be able to make a third.
That is Geoff. One of the few members in Hank's Hall of Fame. And oh.. for the record... Giants lost to the Rays 5-2.
Mood: more than blessed
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