Yes, that is THE Erik Estrada, looking not-too-much the worse for wear as he cruises past the dugout. Apparently, after roaring from the outfield tunnel in a great cloud of smoke, Officer Poncharello threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Oh my golly, he certainly was the coolest...back when I was in the second grade.
I do love the retro, "Mr.-Pibb-fonted" uniforms (a perfect turn of phrase I am stealing from Slate's Michael Schaffer), with the cornball trident "M" logo. I dimly remember my first game, in the late, not much lamented Kingdome; the kids' giveaway that night was an electric-blue plastic batting helmet with that screaming yellow trident on the front. I am sure we lost; I think Grandpa disconsolately took us home along about the fifth inning. Too bad that Kawasaki isn't a time machine, Ponch, because I would give most anything I own to either revisit that night or haul Grandpa back with me, to see what those hapless Mariners have become.
I have tickets tonight, actually--good ones; thanks, Steve-o!--but I don't expect that anything will quite live up to the above. Sigh.
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