What’s the worst game you’ve ever sat through?

We all love going out to the ballpark. But there are a lot of reasons a day at the ballpark can turn into a nightmare. A blowout, poor weather, cranky kids, behavior from other fans, a bout of diarrhea - all can lead to a terrible day at the ballpark.

You might think the worst game I ever attended was this 2007 School Day game that Tim Webber hilarious (and accurately) described. For some reason, I had the day off from work, my wife had to work, and I had nothing else to do that day, so I decided to just attend a Royals game by myself. Between the 17-3 final score and the screams of school-aged children at every pop-fly, you might think it was a lousy experience, but it was actually quite pleasant! I struck up a good conversation with an older gentleman keeping score, enjoyed a day out in the sun, and just kind of chuckled at the ineptitude of those 2007 Royals. It beat a day at the office, that’s for sure.

No, the worst game I ever attended had all the elements of a bad day at the ballpark. It was 2018 Opening Day against the White Sox.

Overinflated prices? Check.

A beatdown? Check.

A bad baseball team with no hope for contention? Check.

Terrible weather. Check.

I had waited five months for baseball, only to show up to Kauffman Stadium in late March to watch an absolute disaster unfold in front of me. First of all, I stepped out the car in the Truman Sports Complex parking lot only to be slammed with a blast of cold air. The official game time temperature was 45 degrees, but the cold winds seemed to seep through every layer of clothing.

The game started well enough. The White Sox started James Shields who was in the “batting practice pitcher” part of his career. The Royals opened the season with three straight singles, leading to a run, and then new first baseman Lucas Duda blasted a three-run home run to put the Royals on top 4-0. Danny Duffy, getting his first Opening Day assignment, cruised through the first three innings with five strikeouts.

The fourth inning of that game would be a harbinger of the next two seasons of Royals baseball. Avisail Garcia doubled. Jose Abreu homered. Matt Davidson homered. Tim Anderson homered. Yoan Moncada doubled home another run. By the end of the inning, the White Sox led 5-4 and we were desperately trying to get into the Craft and Draft to prevent frostbite from setting in.

The next inning was more of the same. Tim Anderson and Matt Davidson each homered (the second of three homers Davidson would hit that day). By the end of the inning we were long gone, figuring watching the game at a bar with inflated beer prices was preferable to watching the game at a bar in Kauffman Stadium with horribly inflated beer prices. I love baseball, especially Opening Day, but that was a rough one.

What was the worst baseball game you ever attended and why?