I have to give the Arizona Diamondbacks credit. They are very fan oriented. Today was a great case in point. After clinching the National League pennant on the road, the Diamondbacks wanted to share their experiences with the fans. It was decided that perhaps the team would allow the fans into Bank One Ballpark to watch practice. I am not sure exactly how many people team officials thought would come down to watch the players take infield practice but I am sure it was not that many. Instead, there were over 15,000 screaming fans piling into the BOB to get a glimpse at their favorite players and to let the team know how they felt about going to the World Series. It soon became evident that this was less a baseball practice than it was a pep rally. Fans dressed in Diamondbacks gear and carrying signs lined the stadium fences, as victory chants were the norm. Before long, it became just a great big party.
The players seemed to thrive on the excitement of the crowd willing to share in the joy they had at reaching the World Series. If this impromptu pep rally was any indication, Bank One Ballpark is going to be rocking on Saturday afternoon. Besides the great atmosphere, the Diamondbacks had one other surprise up their sleeve. They brought out the National League Championship trophy for the fans to see. It was incredible. I have heard stories of people coming in contact with the Stanley Cup in hockey and I always wondered what that would be like. Tonight, I now know. It was amazing to see this prize up close. For so long, I have been involved and watched baseball and never before has the team I have rooted for gotten this far. To now stand there and see this trophy in person knowing all the hard work and effort that went into winning it. I am speechless. This was truly a magical night.
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