Day 40 - The All-Star Game

**Editor's Note** (This is part 3 of a 3 part blog covering the 3 events this beer man will be working at during the All-Star break)

***I have pictures of the events that took place during the All-Star Game that I have yet to upload. I plan to have them uploaded on here in the next few days.

To start off the day, I had to park in a different garage. The garage I usually park in was full...was I surprised? No. It was the fricken day of the All-Star Game. So I parked in the Macy's garage since we could use our parking passes there for the All-Star events....so I only spent $6.50 instead of $15 on parking that the Macy's garage was charging.

I was worried about making it into the stadium on time since the Red Carpet Parade was going on when I got downtown. I didn't know how I was going to get across Market Street to get to the stadium in time...and then to stand in line to get through the security/secret service. My luck would have it that the parade ended just as I was getting up to the corner of Broadway and Market. So I made it across the red carpet and headed to Gate 6. Gate 6 was the only gate Sports Services employees could go through. I saw the long line and decided that I would try my luck of jumping the line and going through. I walked straight up to the security and they let me in after going through the metal detector. I guess they hadn't officially opened the gates to fans. The guard went through every single zipper on my backpack. I was asked to turn my phone and camera on to show them that were actually what they looked like...an iPhone and a camera...As I entered through the gate, there were numerous secret service men standing there as well as a few drug dogs there to help sniff people out.

While waiting for the game to start, the beer men in commissary 240 were looking down at the field and all of the commotion going on throughout the stadium from the top of section 240. That's when one of the beer men noticed the snipers on the roofs. With Obama coming to throw the first pitch, there was so much security. There were 2 snipers at each of the three locations on the top of the roof above sections 370, 430, and 450. It was awesome and crazy to see at the same time.

I started to go out and sell about 2 hours before the game was supposed to start. I made a few sales...but nothing too amazing...I had a case sold before the line up was announced. But a story I want to share is about someone I met. I didn't get the guys name...but he had on a very very very large ring on his finger. Let's just say it was a Super Bowl ring. It was large! I could see the Super Bowl trophy on the top of the ring with shinny gems around it and I could tell that it said 197-. I couldn't tell what the last digit was, but it was from the 1970's. The guy was probably in his late 50's....so it's not like I could card him to find out who he was...but I was in a state of shock and awe of this dude and his ring that I just froze. He told me to be sure to visit frequently with cold beer. I went back to that section several times and he never needed a beer whenever I came back. He was with a few other guys who just shunned me away when I came back with more beer....

Before the game even started...there was the opening ceremonies...almost like the Olympics Opening Ceremonies...ok, but on a slightly smaller scale. After I sold through my first case of beer, I loaded back up and stood between section 249 and 250. There were so many people standing in between the sections...the supervisory for my commissary was standing there next to me and she saw me trying to take pictures. She came over to me and told me to take my beer tub down the steps and then sit on it at the front row of the section and take pictures. So I did just that.

I was able to take numerous pictures of the announcing of the line up and seeing Sheryl Crow sing the National Anthem. It was amazing to see the standing ovation that Albert got when he was announced. When the video of the 5 Presidents was played...Obama did get booed...while the other 4 presidents got very loud cheers. George W. Bush with the loudest cheers...which was rather odd in my opinion. There was even a mixture of cheering and booing when Obama came out for the first pitch. When this was brought up in the commissary between the beer men when we were checking out...a flood of debates flared up between Democrats and Republicans and who screwed up the most in the past as President...blah blah blah...all I know is the truth is that Obama got booed...and Bush got loud cheers...it was just crazy....I didn't cheer for any of them honestly.

After the National Anthem was sang, an amazing event occurred...a stealth bomber flew over the stadium...it looked so huge compared to the pics I got. It looked so close to the stadium when it flew over. It was amazing!

It was then that the usher at the end of the steps i was standing next to told me to make my way back up the steps... I couldn't believe this crap...I was out of everyone's way and doing no harm to anyone. So I went up to the top of the steps and just stood on the top of the case of beer in my beer tub to get a better view of the field over the people standing in front of me. I got a few pictures of Obama taking the mound for the first pitch. I saw the replay on Sports Center and I think that for Obama being as ripped as he has been portrayed in photos, that was a weak pitch to Albert.

I didn't see a single beer man moving through any aisle while the opening ceremonies were taking place. It was quite the site to see...so many people packed into the stadium and no one moved or did anything besides stand and cheer during the half hour before the game started.

Once the opening ceremonies concluded, it was on like donkey kong...I sold my second case of beer in a matter of minutes...and then it was like pulling teeth to sell anything for the next hour. But after making one sale in this one section to this grandpa (I say that cause he was talking to me about his grandsons sitting next to him) he bought a Bud Light from me. I walked to the end of the steps and while I was looking back up, I saw the grandpa about 3/4 of the way up the section and he looked down to one of his grandsons...probably the youngest of the 3 grandsons...I'd say about 5 years old, and gave him a drink of beer from the bottle. I was shocked. I started to make my way up to report him when he already made his way out of the section. I told an usher and left it for him to deal with. I hear numerous people near him yell at him and he just chuckled and asked his grandson if he liked it and he said yes...

This next story is rather amazing!!! I was on my way up the steps of one section when this guy motioned for 2 beers. I recognized the two gentlemen sitting there from standing around behind section 250 for the first inning or two...so I imagined they had standing room only tickets. Anyways....as I made my way over, I noticed that one guy had a Royals jersey on and was sleeping! I'm not joking, the guy had his eyes closed! So maybe he was praying...I'm not sure, but he had his eyes closed! When his buddy asked him what kind of beer he wanted he quickly woke up and looked around...

That's when I had the most amazing conversation with this gentlemen in the Royals jersey. He asked me if I was a NASCAR driver too. I looked at him and was confused as every. I told him no. He replied, "well you wear the same gloves as them NASCAR drivers"
I told him that I had them to help me get a better grip on my beer tub.
"So is this a summer job?"
"No...this is kind of actually my job right now" I said.
"Oh? well what do you do?"
I told him how I am a graphic designer and was laid off from my job and was finishing up a contract job that ended this Friday.
He went on to tell me that I had an amazing job to get my by in the mean-time and then told me how his wife works for a promotional company and they are always looking for graphic designers...and then asked me if I had a card on me.
"No, but I can email" I said as I pulled out my iPhone.
"Do that. Send me your contact info. Be sure to remind me that you were the beer man at the All-Star Game...and I'll see what myself or my wife can do for you."
So I got his email address and am sending him an email as soon as this blog is completed.

That'd be pretty sweet to possibly get a job from simply talking to someone while being a beer man...but then again, he did have a Royals jersey on and was sort of sleeping...THROUGH THE ALL-STAR GAME!!!!


This next story is just down right hilarious...well, I was simply quick witted and shut a fan up pretty quick. I was making a sale to lady who looked rather young for her age, so I carded her and she was actually 25 and was buying 2 beers from me. I carded her. As I was about to open the first beer a man behind me yelled, "hey, beer man!" So I turned around, thinking I was going to make another sale before the end of the inning and the guy yelled to me, "Is she even old enough to be buying those beers from you?" I said, "Yeah, she is. I carded her." I went back to finishing the sale with the young lady and heard the same guy yell again, "Hey beer man!" I turned back towards him and he yelled, "are you sure? because she doesn't even look old enough!" I quickly yelled back to him, "Well neither do I!" He just looked back at me slightly puzzled and turned back around.

Overall, it was an awesome night! I didn't sell as much as I had hoped for, but 4 cases wasn't too bad either. I was honestly hoping to sell at least 5...but for some reason, people weren't drinking that quick after the game was half-way through...and it didn't help that the game went by quickly.

On my way back to my car, I was kicking myself in the butt for not trying to get one of the seat cushions that was placed on every single seat in the stadium. It was a promotion by State Farm, but looked really sweet and had the All-Star logo on it. I was wanting one really bad...So I asked a guy that was walking in front of me that had 3 seat cushions if he was needing all 3 of them or was willing to get rid of one of them. He looked back at me and said, "Yeah, I need them" and him and his buddy turned and went a different direction from where I was walking. The tone in his voice was as if I was someone trying to scam him or was about to mug him...I couldn't believe it...I asked politely...oh well...better luck next time i guess...

I still can't believe that I was blessed and fortunate enough to be a part of something so amazing as the All-Star Game. I am so blessed to have been laid off from that job I had nearly a year ago. I just can't wait to see what other doors open up!

Be sure to check back here in the next few days for photos I took of the All-Star Game.

Totals thus far:
65 Bags of Cracker Jacks
80 Bottles of Water
158 Bags of Peanuts
2221 Bottles of Beer