take me out to the ball (of yarn) game
timBaseball and knitting haven’t had much in common since Charles O. Finley, but the world of sport and the world of crafts are due to collide this weekend at Tropicana Field, 
as the “Stitch N’ Pitch” world tour arrives in St. Petersburg for Saturday night’s game against the Cleveland Indians.
The Stitch N’ Pitch website explains the event thusly:
Stitch N’ Pitch brings together two American traditions — Baseball and the Needle Arts. Come to a ball game and knit, crochet, embroider, cross-stitch and needlepoint. Sit among friends, family and colleagues and cheer on your favorite Baseball Team. This event is for ANYONE who has an interest in the perfect double play — Needle Arts and Baseball; beginners, intermediate and experts are all welcome.
Nearly every Major League ballpark has hosted a Stitch N’ Pitch night so far this year, with the exception of the New York Yankees (who told the group to screw themselves). The August 9th New York Times explains the program has grown enormously in only two years:
The Stitch N’ Pitch program had its unofficial start in 2005, when retail needle arts stores in Seattle began a program at Mariners games, Paley said. The national association facilitated the
nationwide expansion of the program last year, with 15 major league teams involved.
Stitch N’ Pitch participants get a goodie bag with yarn, needle arts magazines, and light-up needles for night games. Better yet, if you attend Saturday’s Devil Rays game you’ll get a Rocco Baldelli figurine and a Rays poster — all for the ticket price of $8 (and free parking!)
The following local craft stores have Stitch N’ Pitch tickets available, or you can order them online at http://www.devilrays.com/stitchnpitch (password STITCH):
1. Knit & Knibble - 813-254-5648 - Tampa, FL
2. Needles and Knobs - 727-345-5662 - St. Petersburg, FL
3. Uncommon Threads - 727-784-6778 - Palm Harbor, FL
You might be wondering why I’m so interested in this. As it turns out, I’ve recently started dating a woman whose two main hobbies seem to be crafting (her house has its own craft room) and baseball (she even keeps score). She happens to be a Braves fan (like most people from the northern end of the state) but, well, we can’t all be perfect. We’ll be with the Stitch N’ Pitch crowd on Saturday, so come find us!
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