Baseball Diva's Dugout Diary

New Blog on the Blogroll

2011-03-29T14:25:00.002-04:00

Check it out, there's a new blog on the blogroll. "No Crying" is by a Twins fan I've virtually known for years. We've nearly crossed baseball paths a couple times but have not yet made it to a game together. Spike puts a lot of thought and a lot of passion into his appreciation of the game, you can read about it on his blog.

Draft Day Come and Gone

2011-03-29T14:01:00.003-04:00

Draft Day is the best day of the entire Fantasy League season. The application we use moves at near-breakneck speed (90 seconds!) so the entire draft is completed in approximately two hours, a little more, a little less depending on how many people are on autopick (3 seconds) and how many people haven't a clue who they want to pick (90 seconds) or how many people are present but absent (90 seconds). Although our rosters have 25 slots, 4 are already assigned to our keepers from last season, so the draft is 21 rounds long and we have 12 teams (we have had as many as 15 and would like to get a few more managers to keep the competition stronger) so in theory the draft could take 6 hours and 18 minutes, but the longest we've gone since we switched to the current app is 2 hours and 24 minutes.

So there's the speed thing, the draft's done before you get (too) bored with it. In the later rounds people start grabbing players because they have a good baseball name, i.e. Stubby Clapp, or they have a sentimental attachment to a player.

The app provides a Live Chat space so draft day is the only time we are all online together (though it's never truly been everyone but spread out across a couple continents makes a good time for everyone impossible) and we spend much of it mocking each other's choices and our own. Seasons when the keepers had not been pre-assigned by the commish and not excluded by managers we spent a big chunk of our live chat announcing another keeper gone to the wrong teem and betting which keeper would be next.

The live chat has dwindled as our original line up of managers has shifted away from the initial group that started the league and moved toward a group with fractured acquaintances. New managers are brought in by someone already in the league, but there is no shared history between the newest manager and the previously established group. It's good to have new blood, but it also feels more like a pool of isolated stat geeks. The original Talkin' Baseball crew came from a common forum, where we had spent literally years arguing and debating the game so we had a strong connection, an understanding of the person/persona behind the wheel of each of the teams.

Normally I schedule at work vacation time so I can keep up with the draft while also working undisturbed in my office. The date I selected this year was the day my workplace was shut down for Spring Break so that option was out. My dial-up access at home no longer has the vigor necessary to run the draft app so I took my laptop to Tim Horton's for the free Wi-Fi. I had used it before, in December, to submit my final papers for an online class and anticipated there would be no problem. Nope. No access, no Wi-Fi. The donut was good, the coffee so-so, but no Wi-Fi. Hence no draft day fun for me.

I guess I should go check out who's on the Huskytown Dukes roster before Opening Day.

A Reason to Celebrate the Super Bowl!

2011-02-08T17:45:00.004-05:00

The fantasy baseball site is up! Talkin' Baseball is back for its 11th season.

And.....pitchers and catchers begin to report the spring training in just a few more days.

My house may resemeble Varykino, but I can feel summer dawning.

Tony C - I Can't Get Over You

2011-01-07T10:58:00.014-05:00

One of the things I do on a (nearly) daily basis is visit baseball-reference.com to view the list of players born that day and read the history log. Sometimes it's the expected info, other times it's a kernel of odd or neglected history. Like the bleachers burning down at Fenway in the 1930's, or the spat between Babe Ruth and Harry Frazee through the newspapers. Players and owners taking shots at each other through the media is nothing new.

Most days it's a quick visit to the site, maybe an interesting tidbit to share with my inivisipeeps on our history page. Occasionally, it's something that gives me pause. Today is one of those.

Born this day, in 1945, Anthony Richard Conigliaro. Tony C.

Tony Conigliaro had the makings of a superstar. In an era dominated by pitchers, he maintained a .270 batting average, a .334 on base percentage, and averaged 26+ home runs a season. He led the AL in homers in his second season, hitting 32 in 1965. He reached 100 home runs when he was 22, youngest player to reach 100 home runs in the AL, younger than A-Rod, younger than Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, or Ken Griffey Jr.

Tony C, born in Revere, MA, graduated from Lynn, MA high school, was a home grown hero for the Red Sox. In his first plate appearance at Fenway, he hit a home run.

He was handsome, he was talented, he was popular. Like current-day superstars, he dabbled in show business, recording some songs, dating starlets.

Tony C gave hope to Boston's fans that the Red Sox could win the pennant and return to the World Series. He was part of the Impossible Dream team of 1967. Following a number of losing seasons, the Red Sox of 1967 were not expected to do well as the season opened, but they proved to be a new, different team, led by Carl Yazstremski as he won the last* triple crown in major league history. In August, as Boston caught up to the league leading White Sox, Tony C's place in baseball history was sealed.

On August 18, Tony C was beaned at the plate by Angels' pitcher Jack Hamilton.

The injury was big news, and the image of this baseball god-to-be became the haunting reminder of what the Red Sox lost, what Tony lost, what all of baseball lost.

He was out for the season, nearly blind in his left eye. He made a comeback in 1968, sporting a new batting helmet with an extension designed to protect his eye and cheek. He put together a couple more good seasons with the Sox, was trade to the Angels in 1971 where it became clear his career as a hitter was over. Tony was not done with baseball yet as he mounted a campaign to return as a pitcher and did in 1975 for a short time.

Tony was preparing to return to Boston, as a broadcaster, when he suffered a heart attack, quickly followed by a stroke that left him in a vegetative state. He died eight years later in his parents' home. He was 45.

Although I never saw Tony C play, I can easily imagine what it would have been like to see him play. I can do no more than sigh the lament "if only" and share his story with those who never heard of "Tony C," of "Conig." Most fans know landmarks of Fenway, Pesky's Pole and its partner that Fisk hit his historic homer off, the Green Monster, they may even know about the red seat in the bleachers where a man was hit by a Ted Williams' homer, but they probably aren't aware of Conigliaro's Corner, the small triangle of seats where the bleachers meet the left field wall. Tony had trouble seeing the ball coming out the pitcher's hand against the back drop of bright clothing, so that section is covered with tarps during day games.

When Tony made his original comeback, he wrote a book, with Jack Zanger, about his career, about the injury, and the fight to return to baseball. Written pre-Ball Four, it was an optimistic story of overcoming a serious injury, while downplaying how devastating the injury actually was. Years later, David Cataneo wrote a fuller, richer account of Tony's life, Tony C: The Triumph and Tragedy of Tony Conigliaro, a wonderfully moving book of a working class hometown hero who lost it all.

What Season?

2010-09-13T16:24:00.003-04:00

They're playing football, so somehow I've missed nearly an entire season of baseball.

I thought way back in spring training my flagging interest in current baseball would pick up, but no.

I had a good time each time I went to a ballpark, just Binghamton and Syracuse this year, had good weather nearly every game, but it's been a particularly great summer weatherwise. I went only a couple times by myself, better than half-a-dozen with Liviana (with guest appearances by Mellow and Grace who are growing up and moving on), and a pair of games with Soupbone. A highlight of my season was Soupbone saying he was finally getting this game.

A few Saturdays I found myself on the road at Chiefs' game time and I greatly enjoyed following the game as the miles rolled by. I had enough exposure to this year's team to be able to visualize the at bats and the fielding as it was broadcast. The Chief I was happiest about was Chase Lambin. Chase played a couple seasons in Binghamton, I made him cookies, chatted with his parents, and read a large portion of his recounting of his season in Japan. The website, wwww.chaselambin.com, is gone and I really wanted to read the rest of it. There are a bunch of videos from his time in Japan on YouTube, including his crazed fans sing the Chase Lambin Song and one of him dancing on a bar, demonstrating the improv dance he did early in his Japanese season that helped make the fans love him.

Still, it was a season that held little interest for me. A large part, I'm sure, stems from the drastic reduction in the number of games I can attend, 35 or 40 a year versus 12? Going to a game became a rare event instead of my usual weekend plans. Going to so few games, and not being able to turn in the radio broadcasts of either the Chiefs or the B-Mets, means I don't know the players. The familiarity with their abilities and their idiosyncrasies is gone which means the emotional connection is gone. My Guys getting called up doesn't mean anything any more because there is no longer My Guys.

My attachment to the current game faded a great deal in 2009, never to be renewed in2010, and I can point to the moment when I felt that string break. My wallpaper and screen saver on my work PC were people whose careers I followed with great hopes for their futures, but in 2009 I had to admit that their careers were over, that my hopes of seeing them in the majors were totally without foundation. It was with a bit of sadness that I removed Earl Snyder and Ria Cortesio's images from my daily screens.

Another moment in which I felt myself disconnecting was the day I had to turn in my custom plates because I had taken my vehicle off the road (donated it to a public radio station) and could not afford to have the DMV hold them for me for future use. I was literally giving up a piece of my identity, I would no longer be BSBLDIVA, I could no longer claim I was the Baseball Diva.

But, with the coming of fall there's the baseball class and this year, although it's a small class, it's a very lively group. I can't wait each class day to share some of what I know and find out what they know and think and feel about baseball and us.

New Blog on the Roll

2009-02-19T11:59:00.002-05:00

I'm adding another listing to my Baseball Blog Roll, We've Got Heart, a blog devoted to the Washington Nationals, from a woman's point of view, well, several women's points of view. Not only do they cover the Nats, which will be of interest as they are now Syracuse's affiliate, they have one section on "Women in Baseball" and they have a baseball bookshelf.

Shhh...My Story's On

2009-02-17T16:54:00.008-05:00

Back when I was in school, my mother was a faithful follow of a soap opera. She didn't watch soap operas in general, she had her favorite, Another World and its spin-off, Somerset, and when they were on everything came to a halt, household tasks were in suspended animation.

I'll admit that for a couple years I watched along with Mom. Somerset came on right about the same time I arrived home from school. I lost the habit and interest when I went away to college, but it was in college that I was introduced to professional baseball. So in a way, I was primed for the Yankees of the late seventies, the Bronx Zoo years.

I wouldn't say I was a fan of the team, but I found the daily dramas highly entertaining. Stirring drinks, firing and hiring and firing and hiring and, pine tar, all of it contributed to making the Billy-Reggie-Thurman-George Follies the most fascinating show baseball had to offer at the time. The loss of the captain not only was a personal, human tragedy, it heightened the continuing drama in New York.

When I came back to baseball, after my self-imposed 14-year exile, I looked for some remnant of that ongoing saga. But there was nothing. Baseball was well behaved, players and owners were sedate.

The Dirt Dawgs proclaiming themselves Idiots who cowboyed up was a welcome ray of hope for a return of a dramatic comedy of manners in baseball. Nomar's whining, Manny being Manny, Kevin Millar reclaimed from Japan, all of these only made the Red Sox more lovable. Not only did they provide entertainment on the field, they provided it off as well.

So the latest news flashes, Barry Bonds on trial, Roger Clemens headed to court, Alex Rodriguez exposed, Roberto Alomar accused, all of it is wonderful. It is not a distraction. It is not irrelevant. It's value added entertainment.

People will say what players do in their private lives is none of our business, but I say anyone who is willing to place themselves in a position that will attract the attention, and money, of the public has relinquished the exclusive rights to their privacy. Like they say about what you should exclude from emails (and internet posting), if you wouldn't want to read it on the front page of the New York Times, keep it to yourself. If you would be ashamed to have your grandmother learn it about you, don't do it.

Bonds, Clemens, and Pay-Rod (oh I've enjoyed the newest crop of nicknames for the best shortstop not playing shortstop: A-Fraud, A-Roid, heehee), what they did was not private. It was not personal. Their indiscreet acts were designed to affect their performance and therefore affect The Game. To those who claim steroids, HGH, and other performance enhancement drugs have no effect, that the superior hand-eye coordination and physical workouts solely are responsible for the jump in production, the ratcheting up of ability, I have to pose the question If these have no effect, why would players use them, continue to use them over a long period of time?

Alomar's situation is different. It is a matter of some privacy, but his case also serves as a springboard for discussions about gender and stereotypes. Discussions that address HIV, AIDS, homosexuality, bisexuality, heterosexuality, ethnicity, and race all can be opened by posing questions about Alomar's situation, real and hypothetical. It is hard to imagine a more difficult position for a man to consider coming out in than as a black Latino baseball player. All three of those identities are bound up in tough rules of masculinity, and when they are combined, the pressure to remain closeted is increased exponentially.

We know there are gay men playing baseball. Professionally. In the majors. But the likelihood that any of them will come out any time soon is minuscule. And as once there were no black men, no men of color playing in the majors, denying boys the model that they could build their dreams around, it is important that young people, boys and girls, see people who resemble themselves on the professional diamond. Girls need to have the reality of playing baseball, not just softball, as possible, as achievable. Gay children, even if they aren't yet aware of their orientation, need to see positive examples of gay men and lesbians within the professional sports world, in baseball in particular.

Football players are caricatures of masculinity. Hockey players, and boxers, exude male strength. Basketball players display strength through endurance and contact on the court. Race car drivers are powerful, controlling high energy machines. Even jockeys, whose physical stature seems to counter the masculine ideals, are virile thanks to their command over race horses. Baseball is the sport that has been considered suspect in terms of manliness, so it continues to be excessive in its own version of machismo, definitely not an environment that would invite openness necessary for a person to come out with any sense of comfort or safety.

In the Bleak Midwinter

2009-01-26T16:40:00.010-05:00

With temperatures running in the 0° range, it's sometimes hard to think of baseball. Not that baseball and winter don't make a beautiful combination, such as this photo by Dennis Flood Check out his work at his website.

Another striking wintry baseball photo I found on the web:

In unrelated news, Joe Torre has a book coming about, about The Yankee Years, that reportedly isn't flattering toward the organization and specific individuals, not naming any names cough, Cashman. Fans have been referring to the $25M man as Pay-Rod for years, but apparently his New York teammates call him by another nickname - A-Fraud. One of my favorite baseball books was Sparky Lyle's The Bronx Zoo; I think I'll enjoy this one as well.

How Many Days? Everyone keeps asking me. They want to know about Opening Day, but I don't do a count down for that. The count down is either to Pitchers & Catchers Report to spring training, Feb 14, or the B-Mets home opener, April 16. Hurray, hurray for the B-Mets opening on the road this season, maybe we can avoid chilling temperatures and the necessity of shoveling snow off the field. The first is now less than three weeks away, and the second is 79 days. But who's counting?

Talkin' Baseball Fantasy Leaguers, are you ready for draft day?

Early Card

2009-01-06T18:50:00.003-05:00

The Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first professional baseball team, and they apparently had the first baseball team card. It's not a baseball card in the sense we usually think of, the bubble gum card type or its predecessor the tobacco card. It's more like the team photo promo piece.

Still, it's amazing that a bit of ephemera from 1869 acknowledging that first time is still around and in fairly good condition, considering it's been stuck away, forgotten, uncared for since who knows when.

Read the story.

Good Grief--Is It Safe to Look Yet?

2008-10-18T17:24:00.003-04:00

I've been rooting for the Rays all season, as well as for the Saux. I was thrilled for the Rays and their fans, who seem to have multiplied like fishes and loaves, when they finished first in the East. DIdn't mind at all that they finished ahead of the Saux, kind of liked their dramatic rise from worst to first. What was important in the AL East standings was that the Rays and the Saux finished ahead of the Yankees--the Saux didn't even have to make it to the Wild Card as long as they finished ahead of the Yankees,

And I was happy when the Rays and the Saux both won their ALDS. I wasn't until they faced each other for the first game of the ALCS that my fealty was tested. I thought I wanted to see the Rays go all the way, but watching Dice-K loading the bases in Tampa Bay, I couldn't bear to see the Saux lose and not make it to the Series.

So I have watched little of this round of the play-offs, though the scores indicate it's been a wild one, pitching duels and home run derbies, not to mention a comebacker like only the Saux can do. When the score for game five was 4-0 I figured the Saux were still in it, but when it went 7-0, I figured it was over and went to bed, only to flip back and see the Saux finally on the board, 7-4, and I recalled that game in 2004 when they were down 7-0 going into the bottom of the ninth in Fenway against the Yanks and won it 8-7.

I'm going to watch tonight, still wanting the Rays to make it to the World Series, but not wanting the Saux to lose.

Combo Post

2008-10-04T22:42:00.002-04:00

The final week of the 2008 season had a number of things to note.

It included the 100th anniversary of Merkle's Boner, the baserunning blip that eventually cost the Giants the pennant and sent the Cubs to their most recent World's Series win.

It also included the 100th anniversary of back-to-back shutout wins in a doubleheader, both games pitched by the same man, Ed Reulbach. It's unusual enough to find a pitcher throwing two games in one day, well, in my lifetime it is though it wasn't unheard of during baseball's first century, but for a pitcher to start both halves of a doubleheader and win both games is incredible, but Reulbach shut out the opponents in both games, gave up only 8 hits total that day.

The final Friday of the 2008 regular season saw a slight irregularity that displayed appropriate respect and love when the Red Sox made an exception to their rules regarding retiring players numbers. Johnny Pesky's number 6 will go up on the right field roof along side his teammate Ted Williams (technically it will be beside Yaz's 8) to honor a man who has devoted his life to the Red Sox and Red Sox Nation. He began in baseball as the bat boy/clubhouse kid in the PCL, played through some wonderful years with the Saux, and to this day continues to work with the team.

The last week also provided me with a chance to see another of My Guys playing for the Saux. Gil Velazquez was a promising shortstop when he first arrived in Binghamton. In 2001 he lost his father, and struggled to finish that season. He played a couple more seasons with the B-Mets, during his final season there went through a slump which was broken when, at a friend's son's advice, he had the theme song from Sponge Bob Squarepants played when he came to the plate. When Gil returned the next season as a member of the visiting Fisher Cats, his first at bat was recognized by that song being played over the PA system. Last year I saw him playing for Rochester and was happy for him that he had finally reached AAA. I hadn't seen him at all in 2008 so I was pleasantly surprised when I turned on the final game, the final Sunday, as Gil was coming to bat for the Red Sox.

Rays v Cubs

2008-10-02T09:24:00.002-04:00

From the day the Tampa Bay Rays took over first place in the AL East, people have been saying it can't last, they're going to fold. And each time people asked me what I thought of the Rays being in first, I said I was excited about it and although they might fold, I didn't think they would.

For a couple years I've been saying the Tampa Bay organization has been putting together an interesting team, one that would some day soon be a contender. Although to be totally honest I didn't expect them to launch directly to the top so soon. I figured they'd be third or maybe even second in the division as this season got underway. In response to my my opinion that they were building a good team, more than one person dragged out that old chestnut about blind squirrels and acorns, but if that were so, how can so many other teams have fallen so short so many years?

The Rays are made up of wise (and lucky, let's be honest about the effect luck has on baseball) minor league trades and rejected player pick ups. They have not rushed the team, but let them develop.

At the All-Star break people were asking me when I thought the Rays would fold, and I said I don't think that they will. When Labor Day and the stretch drive arrived, people asked me if the Rays were about to fold because it was impossible for a perennial cellar dweller to rise to the top and dominate a strong division, and again I said I don't think they're going to fold.

People give me quizzical looks when I say I'm rooting for the Rays this year and have been all season long. They ask, "What about the Red Sox?" and I say it would be fine with me if the Saux win another World Series, but the big thrill of that win was at its greatest back in 2004. Following the Rays' domination of the AL East has been the most interesting aspect of the 2008 season, and I am rooting for them to win the AL pennant and take on the Cubs.

It's not Iowa, but it's nearly heaven

2008-09-15T19:00:00.004-04:00

The B-Mets finished the 2008 season on the road, but I wasn't ready to say good-by to the game for the year before Labor Day. Especially as I had only really started feeling excited about baseball this year in August. So I bit the bullet, checked the schedule and the weather, and headed to Syracuse on the last Sunday of the season.

I walked up the long, long set of stairs to the concourse and I saw someone smiling at me, waving. Tim Wiles, long-suffering Cubs fan, Casey personifier, and author. Surprise! It was writer and book day at the Syracuse ballpark. Half a dozen or so writers were there with copies of their books to sell and sign. If I had known, I would have brought a wad of cash, but I had enough on me to buy four. A few of the writers I knew from Cooperstown, either from the Hall or the Symposium.

Jeff Katz had done a presentation at this year's Symposium on Kansas City and the Yankees during the 1950s. I had attended that session and had really enjoyed it, so it was great to get his book on the subject and to talk with him not only about the presentation, but about writing. The

Symposium was a rare chance for a writer to get direct feedback; this day only added to it.

I also picked up a Ted Williams biography by Bruce Markusen. I never meant to be a fan of The Kid, but he grows more interesting with time. (As does John J. McGraw.)

One publication was more of a booklet than a book. It was the journal of a Adirondack team in the 1920's, something that just got the historian in me all excited.

The final book I bought that sunny afternoon was A Baseball family Album by Gene Carney, a book of baseball poems published by Pocol Press. I've purchased a couple novels from Pocol and every time I've visited their website, I have hemmed and hawed about buying it, so it was nice to be able to buy it directly from the writer. It also gave me a chance to chat with him about PP as I have that press on the top of my list of possible publishers of my novel.

Tim told me I should wait and get his book when I'm next in Cooperstown; given the size of the book, it was a good recommendation. And it gives me added incentive, like I need it, to head to Cooperstown.

I headed to my seat with a small stack of books and had a great day. Especially once I got to my seat and realized I was sitting where I used to sit at MacArthur Stadium, lined up with the shortstop, my favorite spot.

Baseball books at a ballpark for a day game. What else could I ask for? Other than maybe to have Earl Snyder playing still...

Author's Blog Post

2008-09-02T13:40:00.004-04:00

Many, if not most, people come to baseball because they played it or they watched it with someone in their family.

Me, I came to baseball through books. It was initially a movie that caught my attention, but that only led me to the novel that was the basis for the film. As soon as I could, I laid my hands on Bang The Drum Slowly. Only to find out it was the second of (then) three novels by Henry Wiggen, with grammatically housekeeping by Mark Harris.

I marveled at his treatment of language, his use of the vernacular that made the book so realistic. I had to read The Southpaw. Still marveling at his use of the American language, I paid attention to the works of baseball, an alien world then. I remember being surprised that a pitcher would every deliberately throw a ball rather than a pitch. My experience had always been that a ball was always just a bad throw.

Ticket For a Seam Stitch naturally came next, though it was a disappointing read, lacking the vitality of the first two books. Henry "Author" Wiggen eventually came out of retirement to please his youngest daughter in It Looked Like For Ever, another book that fell short of Author's, er Harris's first two volumes.

Mark Harris, Henry Wiggen, are in large part responsible for me becoming not only a baseball fan, but a baseball writer. My initial baseball novel ideas sprang from ideas that have long ago roots in the Mammoths. I have paid homage to various baseball writers, non-fiction as well as fiction, in my work, but I owe none of them as much as I owe to Harris. He taught me the game. Everything that followed built on that foundation.

I used to imagine sending him a letter written Wiggen-style to, I don't know, ask his blessing, thank him. As a fan, I am usually struck wordless, not a good thing for a writer. Sadly, Harris died of Alzheimer's in May 2007, particularly saddening for me knowing the disease as I do; my mother died after suffering nearly a decade with the disease, her sister has it was well.

Rambling around the 'net I stumbled across a wonderful homage to Harris at baseballtoaster. Kudos to the Author.

Church at Faith Night

2008-08-21T13:22:00.009-04:00

Liviana and I organized an outing for people from work to attend a B-Mets game and while people had fun, I'm concerned the bar was set too high!

It was a gorgeous night, great looking sky, temps very comfortable--Liviana and I didn't put our sweatshirts on until the final out. The B-Mets and the visiting NH Fisher Cats played well, and quickly--the game was over in under 2.5 hours.

We got everyone a seat in the box where we usually sit near first base; they're such great seats it was tough thinking we couldn't sit there when we first started putting this gathering together. Not only did we get a group discount, but because it was family fun pack night there were vouchers for a free hot dog and a free soda for everyone in the group.

Kids in the group got baseballs from players during the game, some members of the group were on the Big Board at different times, and one even got to play a between-innings contest.

People in the group partook of just about every food and drink offering at the park: popcorn, peanuts, ice cream, hot dogs, spiedies, salt potatoes, french fries.....One person came directly to the seats upon arrival then went for another beer; she came back several outs later exclaiming, "There's a whole other world down there [under the stands]!"

In addition to all that, the B-Mets, who won the game 4-2, had two rehabbing major leaguers on the field, Luis Castillo and Ryan Church. On Faith Night.

Ryan Church, you may recall, is on my fantasy roster, so I was tickled to see him play. I've seen him before, when he was with Akron. I went to meet up with some rabid Indians fans for an Aeros' game and I remember Church playing there that night. In his first at bat, despite pine tar and batting gloves, he had trouble hanging onto the bat.

You've heard how time slows down when you're in an accident? Whenever a foul ball pops up in our vicinity in the stands I have a hard time telling where it's headed, usually off by 10 or 12 rows easily. I had no trouble seeing that bat.

It came helicoptering straight at us. I had time to think, 'if it were a foul ball I would duck but if I duck now, this bat's going to hit me right in the head; just don't move.'

The barrel end grazed me in the ribs and the knob end grazed Mellow. Liviana threw her arm up and it banged her elbow as it came to rest in her lap.

We just started laughing. The usher rushed over to make sure we were okay; we smiled and laughed as we assured him we were okay. Then another of the B-Mets' employees came to retrieve the bat (unbroken bats are placed back into play) and check on us.

The bat went back to Church, and a different, dark-barreled bat came out of the dugout and was passed up to us. Church grounded out to second on the next pitch, breaking his bat.

I spent the next inning at the other side of the box, chatting with late arrivals, and as I sat there, just above the dugout, another bat emerged, people motioning up toward me. It was Church's bat, taped back together, autographed, for me.

The next morning when I got to work, someone brought me the Press-Sun Bulletin's sports section with the photo of Church (above) the above-the-fold feature.

How can we possibly equal that next year?

June 19. I'm telling people to mark their calendars.

You can't get there from here

2008-07-18T09:54:00.002-04:00

Baltimore, Inner Harbor.

I can see it from here, the hotel where I'm staying. The light stantions, the back of the warehouse on Eutaw Street. But I can't get there.

I was in Baltimore for a conference for work. When the anncouncement of the conference arrived I told my supervisor I wanted to go, and I pointed out to her that this was even without checking the Orioles' schedule first. When I did check it, of course the O's were out of town, in Toronto then Boston.

But surely there would be a time slot during the conference when I could get away and take a tour of the stadium, a tour I have been told I have to take. I wasn't worried about finding the time, there's always at least one session in every conference's schedule that has nothing of interest to attend. (see Cooperstown Symposium 2008) And Ifound a time, but when I checked the Orioles' website there were no tours listed for that week.

Since I wasn't going to tour Camden Yards this trip, I decided trying to get over to the Babe Ruth Museum could wait till my next trip as well.

I did stroll a couple piers over from the hotel and checked out the Barnes & Noble, which had described to me as the world's largests B&N, but my source apparently hasn't been in many B&Ns. The interior is dominated by old furnaces and smoke stacks of the power plant originally housed in the structure. When I travel, I look for local editions of the historical picture books put out by Arcadia Publishing; I was in luck, picked up a copy of Baseball in Baltimore.

Baltimore and the surrounding area ballparks are on my list of places to be visited, but since I finally got there, allbeit for an entirely different purpose, I know it's a definite, not a maybe, and it has moved higher on the priority list.

Cooperstown Symposium 2008

2008-07-08T17:19:00.009-04:00

Another year, another former major leager tossing the ball for both teams in Town Ball.

As always, there were number of fascinating topics presented at this year's Cooperstown Symposium, so many that there was never a time slot in which there was nothing I wanted to hear so I never got my usual free time to wander Main Street and poke around the stores. I managed to grab a few quick minutes to pop in to Willis Monie Books, chatting with co-symposiite and Cubs' fan Merle as we skimmed the spines crowded into the shelves right inside the door, the hot spot for used books in Cooperstown.

Because this is the centennial of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" the song was, of course, the topic of a presentation. Timothy Johnson's Music Theory for Dummies ("Analysis of Melodic Shape") look at the song was an interactive session, opening with the audience rising to sing the National Anthem, fixing the particular musical theory Dr Johnson was addressing firmly in our own experience. There were a couple other songs we rose to sing, including TMOTTB, and someone nearby expressed exactly what I was thinking, that this session was like being at Mass. We talk about the chuch of baseball and the green cathedrals, so this made perfect sense.

We were to have a demonstration of Pesapallo, Finnish baseball, which was rained out. The presenters, Kevin Casebolt and Shawn Munford of East Stroudsburg University,, gave us a packet that included a schematic of the field which I kept having to refer to to make sense of the rules. The pesapallo diamond is not equilateral like the baseball diamond, and a home run is reaching third.

Terumi Rafferty-Osaki gave an impassioned presentation on the Japanese internment camps and baseball. This is a subject I knew of, but knew little about it, the children's book Baseball Saved Us and the movie American Pastime, but these barely hint at the volumes of information and evidence that Terumi displayed. Each year I find a presentation that opens a whole new arena to explore and take to my classroom and this year it was this one.

There was a session with guest umpires who were with us via video tape and through a son/co-author, talking about umpiring in the Negro Leagues and the Pacific Coast League. (I got a souvenir at this session, a baseball autographed by Branch Rickey. Branch Rickey III, that is, Mr. Rickey's grandson who is president of the PCL. And who looks eerily like his grandfather more than ever.

One participant brings his primary source to the conference and lets the other participants ask what they want to know. Last year he brought a member of the 1986 Mets, who was on the DL and didn't play in the World Series. This year he brought Mario Ramos who is transitioning from being a professional athlete to civilian life. His willingness to speak with a roomful of baseball academic geeks was appreciated as was his apparent introspective take on his role in life. Another former minor leaguer present commented that Mario was much farther ahead, had a more mature outlook, than he himself had at the same age. I suggested that the two of them hold a panel presentation next year with our resident cultural anthropologist and former minor leaguer as moderator.

My favorite session, possibly of all time, was by Stephen Wood and David Pincus. These two have presented in the past and each time it's been a stand out. They've covered music (sung a few songs in the presentation) , they've covered films (I use their movie website http://www.reelbaseball.com/ as a source in my class. This time they presented photos. They're both professional photographers who like to take busman's holidays at ball park, and they've gathered a beautiful collection in a book, Baseball Revealed: A Photo Essay On The Hidden Art In America's Game. I loved this mostly visual presentation. They talked about taking pictures of things other than the action of the game, lines and angles and colors and lighting in and around ballparks that are interesting, and as I watched the images flash past I was enthralled, mostly because they were great shots, but also because they were photos I would have taken. I love the quirky things one can see at a ballpark, the dramas and comedies being played out. People who haven't attended a live professional game, a minor league game in particular, don't understand that the game, the action on the field, is only a part of the experience, and their collection highlights this.

These are a couple of examples from my work, taken at The Beehive in New Britain, CT.

Whoda Thunk?

2008-07-08T17:15:00.003-04:00

A pitchers' duel involving Dice-K? I'd expect to see Wake on the mound for one of those before Dice-K.

But Monday's game was exciting to watch. And I have to admit the Twins are probably the team I care about the most second to the Saux, mainly because I've seen so many of them climbing the rungs, from New Britain to Rochester to Minnesota, and enjoyed their playing at each level.

Watching Tek handling Dice-K, and all of the rest of the staff (except Wake with Cash on hand), it's gratifying to see his importance to the pitching staff and therefore the team acknowledged by the players when they voted him onto the All-Star team despite a paltry .214 BA this season.

Catch as Cash Can

2008-06-26T13:48:00.006-04:00

It's almost a perfect storm in baseball: the Red Sox at Fenway, a knuckleballer on the mound, and a player I've enjoyed watching in the minors behind the plate.

Kevin Cash was booted back and forth between Toronto and Syracuse for a number of seasons. Once upon a time he was considered a hot prospect, but that fizzled out as so often does with young players, the reason sometimes obvious, sometimes mysterious. Cash was one of the few SkyChiefs I rooted for and I was disappointed that he wasn't getting a serious chance with the Jays.

Tim Wakefield filled me with terror when he was the closer for the BoSox, but as a starter he's a perennial. Like any knuckleballer, he has his days, those when the ball dips and dances and flutters and floats unhittably by the batters, and those when it's Home Run Derby time.

It takes someone special to catch a knuckleball. It takes someone with a lot of collected cool, especially when that someone catches only every fifth day.

Back when Wake was in the bullpen, Jason Varitek was the guy who geared up whenever Wake got the call. But Tek is too valuable to the Sox to relegate him to caddy status, much too valuable to risk injury at the hands of the knuckler.

Once Wake was part of the rotation, the Sox found a caddy for him, Doug Mirabelli. And Doug's ability to wrangle the knuckleball and maintain sanity as a part-time player neutralized his hitting ability. Which wasn't all that bad for a guy in his position. Theo Epstein was credited with an error for trading Mirabelli away, redeemed himself by getting Doug back, literally just in time to catch Wake.

And now Mirabelli's gone. It seems his replacement is on hand. Kevin Cash makes catching a knuckleball look easy, almost easy. That he is able to throw out a runner attempting to steal second while catching said knuckler is close to amazing. Hitting a homer off the Unit? Kevin Cash has secured his position, yoked to Tim Wakefield, not a bad place to be.

photo from http://www.bostonherald.com/

A month? Already?

2008-05-15T16:39:00.008-04:00

So it's been a while since I posted, and I can't blame it on being at too many games....

I logged on today to post, to try to catch up, but first I took a quick peek at the Syracuse Chiefs blog and was happy to see that Dave has had the great fortune of experiencing the fan-friendly ballpark in Binghamton. I left a long comment that I hope he okays for posting. Here's what I wrote:

A long time ago, I used to use the experiences I had at MacArthur Stadium serve as my benchmarks for evaluating other ballparks. After that stadium fell and the new one was built in Syracuse, I gave up. Years later someone introduced me to the B-Mets.
From day one I have been blown away by what a great fan experience this team provides, and over the past decade they have just continued to get better and better at it.
There is an infectious sense of fun at the Binghamton ballpark, something I have praised repeatedly in my own blog, while giving a repeatedly thumbs down on the experience in Syracuse.
If Syracuse should land the Mets' PD contract, they will need to step up the enjoyment and fan-friendliness if they want to win over the fans that will begin making the trek from Binghamton to Syracuse to follow the boys of summer up the minor league rungs.

My Guys

When I say "My Guys" I'm usually referring to the B-Mets, or to individual B-Mets who have moved on, and generally upward, but on a recent sunny Saturday, My Guys meant, well, My Guys.

I attended a game on campus and had a good time cheering on the team, which included three young men who had been in my baseball class in the fall. All three of them made a point of greeting me, and one went out of his way to thank me for coming to support the team. That this particular young man has Derek Jeter as his favorite ballplayer is not surprising.

I struck me as I was walking to my car after the games that these young men really are My Guys. And I look forward to having more young men, maybe some day a young woman or two, participate in my class and play for the college' team.

Petrosky

Recently the Hall of Fame announced that Dale Petrosky was leaving as president, an announcement that I greeted happily. Under Petrosky, the Hall because a much more serious museum and a serious and scholarly research facility, good things. But it also became a little to serious about itself, and there were conservative, right-wing elements introduced to the Hall that made it less the National Baseball Hall of Fame and more the Republican Baseball Hall of Fame. Employees were pushed toward professionalism, but to an overbearing point. Military service by Hall of Famers was honored in excess. Petrosky cancelled an event meant to commerate one of the best baseball films ever made, Bull Durham, because he, or perhaps Board Chair Jane Clark Forbes, was concerned that the film's stars, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, would make it a political event by voicing dissent toward the then-recently begun Iraq war. Petrosky instead denied them and baseball fans the opportunity to celebrate a love of The Game, he turned it into a political protest. While Petrosky brought much good to the Hall, it is good now that he is no longer at the helm.

Goodbye, Earl

I've looked and I've looked, but I have yet to find Earl Snyder listed on any organized baseball team's roster, as a player or a coach.

I miss Earl.

Home

2008-04-14T17:54:00.008-04:00

Went to Binghamton on April 6 for my first game of the season there.

And as I was approaching the entry game, a sense of welcome and calm came over me.

I chatted with the ticket taker a bit before heading down the concourse, and when the next familiar face asked how I was, I said, "It's good to be home."

Not just at a ballpark. This ballpark. As Ben Wrightman says in Fever Pitch, this is my summer family.

This is my happy place.

Fantasy Update

2008-04-14T17:48:00.002-04:00

The Talkin' Baseball League has 14 onwers/managers. On April 3, the Huskytown Dukes were in 10th place.

On April 4, they were in 1st.

Apparently all of the starting pitchers on my roster pitch on the same day. It's gonna be a wild ride in that case.

Today, they're in 3rd. I gotta blame it on David Ortiz. Papi's not hitting, I've got to bench him.

Green is Good

2008-04-14T17:34:00.003-04:00

There be grass here!

Yes, Syracuse now has a green grass diamond, and the "new" stadium finally looks like a ballpark. They celebrated Opening Day with green balloons.

Not only have they ripped up that ugly ugly blue-green cement hard carpet, they've added a warning track and padded the outfield walls. They also moved the bullpens from behind the outfield wall to along the stands in foul territory on either side; however, they've also built a small fence (maybe it's going to be an actual wall and what was visible last week is only the framework) to separate the bullpen crew from the fans.

So as long as you get quickly to your seat and stay away from the concourse, the stadium in Syracuse is not too bad a place to watch a ball game.

Because of a slew of personal problems, I haven't been able to plan ahead, so I hadn't planned to go to Opening Day anywhere, but since the weather was so nice and Syracuse had a day game scheduled, I headed that way. I was relatively late, got there about 15 minutes before game time. Yes, I know, nice day, opening day, stadium improvements, all things to draw out people who don't normally show up--like Easter Christians--so I expected to have to wait a bit. Fifteen minutes to get to the parking lot (and I ended up in the overflow lot!) wasn't outrageous, but 40 minutes to purchase a ticket was. There are eight ticket windows, but typical Syracuse management operations: 2 windows dedicated to Will Call (I saw 3 people go to Will Call the entire time), 2 windows dedicated to General Admissions (not at all busy - the upper deck was nearly deserted), 3 windows open for ticket sales, 1 window not open until after the game had actually started.

Syracuse had another day game a week later -- no crowd at all. But at least the grass looked greener.

First Lady of Baseball

2008-03-27T09:24:00.003-04:00

Today is Effa Manley's birthday, the only woman enshrined in Cooperstown.

her plaque in the Hall

Effa no only was someone who ran their baseball team as a business, but did it well. She made changes for the better for her players, and she made white baseball literally pay respect to the Negro League and its players. She as was a a social and civil rights champion, organizing an effective boycott of Harlem merchants who refused to hire the local residents, running anti-lynching and pro war bonds campaigns at her ballpark. She loved baseball, to the point that she ran the team even on the field at times.

Baseball could not have selected a better woman to be the first in the Hall.

Show your team pride!

2008-03-20T19:27:00.001-04:00

Sometimes You Just Don't Need Words

Pride

2008-03-20T19:11:00.003-04:00

Have I mentioned how proud I am of the Red Sox and
their stand on the trip to Japan?

Way to go, guys!

Draft Day!

2008-03-20T18:37:00.006-04:00

Believe it or not, Draft Day is a day I look forward to all year long. And I missed out on the start of the draft because the fire alarms went off and we had to evaculate the building until the fire department gave the all clear. One of the league members had bantered with me about "burning down the house". I blame him.

Of course, we had someone who had a personal situation that kept him from preparing for the draft which meant he ended up with 24 keepers belonging to other teams. As commissioner of the league, I removed all of them and redistributed as appropriate (though 4 teams still are overstocked), leaving a roster of one. One player.

People at work have been asking me if I got the players I wanted. I have no idea. Gotta go see who I drafted....

Melky Cabrera
Jacoby Ellsbury
Kosuke Fukudome
Mike Jacobs
David Ortiz
Dustin Pedroia
A.J. Pierzynski
Justin Upton
David Wright
Kevin Youkilis
Michael Young

Bronson Arroyo
Jeremy Bonderman
Boof Bonser
Lance Broadway
Billy Buckner
Chris Carpenter
Tom Glavine
Chuck James
Jon Lester
Tim Lincecum
Noah Lowry
John Maine
Anibal Sanchez
Chase Wright

Not bad, not bad. Only a couple silly selections. Chase Wright (picked just for the name) and Lance Broadway have already been given their walking papers. Billy Buckner, how could I not? Cole Hamels was the keeper of mine who get taken in the Great Keeper Draft. He'll be back by Opening Day.

I'm ready, and the people I work with are ready for the season to start too. I do, after all, become a whole different person during the Season. It's what lights me up!

Invite

2008-03-10T16:53:00.003-04:00

Recently as I was leaving work, walking through the athletic facility, I passed the baseball team waiting for the coach to unlock the door to the indoor training area and the guys who had been in my class in the fall called, "hi, how're you doing?" to me. I greeted them and kept heading toward my car.

Then one of the guys stepped apart from the group and asked if I was going to be coming to watch them play, I should come to some games.

It's nice to get asked.

Duke of Earl

2008-03-06T20:28:00.001-05:00

Who's Kidding Who?

2008-03-06T16:50:00.005-05:00

I spotted the Mets yearbook on the store magazine rack earlier this week and took a look to see what they had on the minors. In the article about the organization's prospects I was pleased to see Mike Carp, tied for 10th. The evaluation was spot on regarding his 2007 season in Binghamton: hampered by injuries, power and hitting hurt by said injuries, and a lack of defensive skill at first.

The article also listed Brett Harper as a prospect.

Brett Harper? The slowest man on earth? The model of doorstop as first baseman? Is the continuing consideration of Harper as a prospect a case of CYA? Does his dad have buddies in the organization protecting Brett?

I know some of the fans in Binghamton love to see Harper play, but I cringe whenever he takes the field. Or even bats as DH when they play AL-parented clubs.

He's more suspect than prospect. Cut him loose.

Time flies - at supersonic speed

2008-01-16T16:32:00.000-05:00

My 2007 baseball season came to an sudden and unexpected end.

On Friday 8/17, Irish Night at NYSEG Stadium, it rained and blew, but Livianna, Grace, Mellow, and I toughed it out. There was an inflatable Irish pub off the third base side. I wasn't' curious enough to see what beers or ales they might be serving out there to make the trip, especially keeping in mind how high the prices probably would be. When the wind picked up, they had to deflate the pub and fast! When the rain got too heavy, we headed downstairs, with everyone else in the stands, but just to make a pit stop. We got separated and I headed up to the seats assuming Liviana and the girls would already be there, but no. So I did something I hate and mock; I used my cell phone to call them to find out where they were. Coming up the steps even as we speak. Once the wind died down, the pub went back up, and quickly.

Saturday, my writing bud Soupbone came down and we took in our first game together. It's my zen place, and he needs zen occasions. It happened to be Blues Night, the Blues Brothers performing, which was fitting since Soupbone loves the blues, took a long vacation biking through Blues country this summer.

Sunday was a day game, a really sloppy game, but who cares, it was a nice day and they were playing ball in the sun.

Then Monday, 1 AM, my father woke me up, asked me to take him to the hospital and my life was turned upside down.

He had a stroke, stayed at the local hospital for a week, but kept deteriorating so he was shipped to the stroke center at the medical school hospital. He was in the neurology ICU for another week, upgraded to stable and moved to the rehab unit at the hospital for a few weeks then to another rehab facility where they determined he was unable to benefit further from therapy, so now it's a waiting game to find him permanent placement in a long-term care facility, a nursing home. I'm trying to have him moved closer to home so I can visit him more often. Between working two jobs, doing the full prep for the baseball class instead of 1/3 of them, trying to write for my learning contracts to complete my creative writing degree, and the constantly rising price of gas and my fuel efficient car in the repair shop most of the fall so I've been driving dad's gas guzzler, it's been difficult getting up there to see him as much as either of us would like. People ask me how dad is and it's hard to tell them. If I say he's okay, I mean he's alive and in stable condition. He cannot move his left side, he can't talk--he talks a blue streak but it's gibberish, though occasionally he can say a word or two that's intelligible and he can say yes and no-- he understands most of what is said to him though he doesn't remember he had a stroke and says he's ready to leave this place, he also can't swallow (the stroke disabled the muscles in his throat) so he's fed liquids through a tube into his stomach.

My mother had Alzheimer's and my father insisted on keeping her at home as long as he could possibly care for her, with my help, through all the stages of the disease. When it is said Alzheimer's destroys a person's memory, it is not only the memory of who people are but how to do things, until the person with the disease regresses to a dependent infantile state, needing to be fed and dressed and diapered. He finally had given in and put her on the waiting list for a nursing home, just two weeks before she died. So I've been through this before, only this is worse because my father had each other to lean on and I am now alone to deal with it.

I spent Labor Day weekend at my father's bedside in the neurology ICU, and wished that I could be at the ballpark, the place that has long been my sanctuary. Throughout my mother's long illness, I escaped to the ball park Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons whenever I could because it was the only place I could find peace. And I needed peace, still do.

The remainder of the major league season? Didn't exist for me, and the World Series, second win in four years for the Red Sox, was a blur. Of course, as I told people back in 2004, once the Sox broke the Curse everything else would be gravy. It was a nice win, but not the marvelous joy of 2004.

This fall instead of team teaching the baseball class (I recently heard it referred to as "Baseball Culture," I like that), I did the class on my own. Which was good, but I didn't have lessons and lectures prepared for 2/3 of the topics that my partner in crime usually covered. We covered topics that previous classes hadn't touched on, and our focus was sometimes shifted. And throughout the semester, my students wanted to know when the Mitchell Report was coming out. I predicted as close to Christmas as possible so it would get reduced media attention. I was close, it came out the day after our final class meeting. It was a great bunch of students in the class this year. Only two women, but one of them was an outspoken member of the class. She was also the one who is considering a career in baseball, this side of the fence. A number of students are members of the college's baseball team, adding a different spin to things at time.

The co-instructor does the class online in the spring and summer, and he had mentioned he was thinking about changing the reading list, maybe adding a biography. Since I had turned more than once to Jim Bouton over the semester, I suggested Ball Four. He was concerned that it might be dated and/or risque. Please. It was the original tell-all baseball book and is pale in comparison to those that have followed. I like it for the class because it was the original, and it a true baseball player's voice, not an as told to (though editor Leonard Schecter had a strong influence on it). We've been relying on David Halberstam's October 1964 as a period piece, to explore race relations in the US, and I think Bouton's book would be a good companion to it. We talk about hero worship in the course, how ballplayers have been viewed by society over the game's history, and Ball Four punctures that nicely.

I'm ready for a little distraction. How many days till pitchers and catchers report?

Bonds*

2007-08-10T12:18:00.000-04:00

Destruction Of National Pastime Given Two-Minute Standing Ovation

You did WHAT to my picture?

2007-07-05T16:40:00.000-04:00

Found on the Web

While searching for an image, I came across one of my photos, modified, at another website.

It made me laugh.

Where to next, Jeff?

2007-07-05T16:21:00.000-04:00

Syracuse has too many outfielders, so Toronto released Jeff Duncan.

This stinks, not just because I think Jeff's career has been mishandled by the various organizations he's been with, but because of the timing. There was a nice write-up about Jeff and Wayne Lydon, both former B-Mets, only two weeks ago. (The third party of that mix, Angel Pagan, is now playing with the Cubs.

Angel Pagan

Random Bits

2007-07-03T10:47:00.000-04:00

Sunday, June 24 - Fernando Martinez sits out the game so Corey Coles plays centerfield. The third batter of the game, Dan Dement, hits deep to center and Coles, not used to centerfield, misjudges the ball which bounces off the big blue wall and, going after it, Coles bounces off the wall and falls on his face in the grass. The right fielder, Caleb Stewart, comes over to cover for Coles as Dement runs and runs and runs. An inside the park home run. Cool. Even if it is the opposing team.

Which Way - Syracuse, in keeping with the spirit of the city, continues to take small steps backwards. They got rid of the SkyChief name--fans continued to call the team the Chiefs no matter how much the new brand was pushed. The also got rid of the SkyChiefs' logo--a bat with fighter wings, reminiscent of WWII--and replaced it with a steam engine, purportedly to honor Syracuse's railroading history--the trains used to come right through the middle of the downtown streets. The letters on the uniforms were changed to reflect the train motif, but there are three different, clashing fonts, one for the team name on the front, another for the player's name on the back and a third for the player's number. They didn't retired the mascot Scooch--an orange blobby critter--but added a second, Pops the engineer.

Finally, though, they have taken a step backwards that is a good one. They (the county) are going to replace the hideous artificial turf with grass before the next season. Although it hasn't been officially voted on, it's considered a done deal. The day after it was announced in the paper, they had shirts proclaiming the return for sale at the park. On the front it says "got grass?" and on the back "we do, coming 2008".

Earl Redux

2007-07-03T09:51:00.000-04:00

Charlotte was in Syracuse for their only visit during the last week of June.

Got my fix on Tuesday. Earl's looking good, even if his BA this season is hovering below the Mendoza Line, around .185. His weight has always been listed as 200, but it clearly has gone up and come back down over the years. He's slim again, and his hair is longer, sticking out behind his helmet.

He had an okay game, 0-3 with a walk and a run, made a couple routine (for him) plays at third.

The highlight of the game was a pair of guys echoing in a sing-song the park's loudest and most annoying fan. The whole place was laughing after the first few echoes and awaiting the next outburst.

Wednesday was a rainy day, so I didn't make the trip.

Thursday I decided not to go, figuring since I had already seen him play, Earl would probably sit this one out, and the negativity at the park is getting too tough to take.

Around 8:15 I remembered that the local sports channel sometimes broadcasts Chiefs' games, so I turned it on and there they were. Apparently, though, I turned it on right after Earl had batted. When he came up in the ninth, the Knights down 3-1, with a runner on, the sportscasters commented that Earl has been a leading home run hitter and while he has been hitting poorly so far this season, the Chiefs would hate to see him get his power stroke back at that point. No home run, he singled, but he ended up scoring what proved to be the winning run. He had a good night, 2-4, with a strike out.

While I love watching him play in person, watching him play on television has the added benefit of close ups.

Rochester Review - updated

2007-06-29T16:12:00.000-04:00

Usually have nothing but good to say about attending a ball game in Rochester, but this most recent trip left me with two complaints.

First, Fireworks Night creates a parking nightmare and many of the drivers either have never gone to a game any other night and are clueless about how to park for a game or people panic. Friday night I headed to the park relatively early to arrive just after the gates open, expected the turnout to be larger than normal, but I was unprepared to join the line into the parking lot while still on the Interstate nearly a mile away. People must think there is only this way to get to the game; not only was the line I was in taking forever to move forward, but cars and trucks and buses were cramming into the line from the perpendicular streets. I sat at one stop light through six changes without moving an inch. The only time the line moved was on cross-street lights and then those people would crush into place leaving no space for through traffic. I jumped out of line and into the first parking lot I encountered. I had to hike four or five blocks, but I saved $5.

Maybe every Fireworks Night isn't that bad, the following night was much more reasonable. I didn't join the line for parking until I was only a block from the field. The Friday night crowd, filling the three sets of movable bleachers and the grass berm beside left field as well as spilling onto the berms behind the bullpens, was announced as the sixth largest in Frontier Field history. Together with Saturday night's attendance, Frontier Field had its largest two-day total. Glad I could help.

Liviana had remarked about the patchy condition of the field and I discovered at least part of the reason when I stayed for fireworks Saturday night. They detonate the fireworks right on the field! It took the crew 20-25 minutes to get the show set up and then they scorched the grass. All I could imagine was the apoplexy the current as well as the previous head groundskeeper in Binghamton would have if fireworks were playing havoc with their lovingly tended field.

The other complaint is about my seat. I usually buy tickets over the internet ahead of time--I have arrived at a ballpark assuming at least one ticket would be available to find the place sold out-- and Rochester doesn't give you a choice of seats. You pick which level you want and the website tells you which seat you get. I pick premium and it tells me box 110. Good location, just a wee bit off home plate toward first. The problem with the seat I end up with is that the seat immediately in front of it is occupied by an extremely tall season ticket holder. The guy is 6'8" or more and proportionate shoulders. I'm only 5'3" and when he sits down I see nothing. I've had less obstructed views sitting behind a post in Fenway Park. The ticket office should hold that seat for SRO games and/or sell it at a discount and clearly mark it "Obstructed View".

Ump Update

2007-06-21T15:57:00.000-04:00

An interview with Ria Cortesio, on NPR.

Where's Earl?

2007-06-15T11:09:00.001-04:00

At the beginning of this season I checked the Louisville Bats' schedule to see when they would be playing locally so I could see Earl Snyder play; they play in the northern division cities (the ones that I could get to) only once a season. They were in Syracuse April 27-30 (Fri-Mon), Rochester June 14-17 (Thur-Sun), Buffalo June 18-21 (Mon-Thur) and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre August 24-27 (Tues-Fri).

When I was looking at the schedule, Liviana said she would be in Rochester for a conference on the 14th, so we ordered tickets. I'd drive up, pick her up at the hotel, drop her off after the game, and drive home. A week before I decided, seeing the beautiful weather forecast for that weekend, that I would do a mini-road trip, order tickets for the whole series and book a hotel room.

Earl wasn't in the starting lineup Thursday evening. And I couldn't spot him on the bench. Friday morning I checked the Bats' website; Earl wasnt' on the roster. I checked the transactions page, nothing. I kept poking around until I located him: Charlotte. He played the night before for the Knights.

I went to Rochester for the weekend anyway, though it wasn't as much fun since the main reason I went no longer existed.

The good news is that Charlotte will be playing in Syracuse June 26-29, so I get another chance to see him play. I'm just glad I hadn't finalize arrangements to take a road trip to Louisville in August. Oh, I still would like to go to Louisville, there are plenty of things to see and do there and on the way, but the main reason for going this summer is gone. I'm tempted to make arrangements to go to Charlotte, but knowing the way things go, Earl would be sent to Tacoma while I was on the road.

SymposiumReunion

2007-06-15T10:18:00.000-04:00

Another great gathering in Cooperstown for the annual symposium. Not only did we have great speakers and great papers, we had great weather! It didn't rain (our last few town ball games have been rained out) and it wasn't too hot (my motel room was 86F overnight the year between rain outs).

Curt Smith was the keynote speaker, talking about baseball broadcasters, a lively, dramatic, feel good session.

Remembering Branch Rickey was the main plenary session, and it was wonderful. The panel consisted of people (let's say it, MEN) from colleges he was associated with including Ohio Wesleyan, Michigan Law, and Allegheny, institutions where he studied, institutions where he worked, as well as Earl Warren, Jr, Thurgood Marshall, Jr, and Ira Glasser, former director of the ACLU, and Branch Rickey, president of the Pacific Coast League, the grandson. We all know Mr. Rickey's story, creating the farm system, re-integrating major league baseball, and these panelists added depth and texture to the story. Glasser's theory of Rickey and Robinson's influence on a generation that grew up determined to contest discrimination was most interesting and thought-provoking.

Sessions I particularly enjoyed were on Baseball in the Classroom, suffragettes using baseball to advance their cause, MLB marketing to women (we like the players better if they're smiling rather than glowering in their photos on the jumbotron, how much did they pay to learn that?), arbitrators in baseball (Roger Abrams), and baseball players as popular musicians. I knew Tony C had recorded in his early too-quickly-ended career, but this presenter gave me the chance to hear him sing. (I need to dig up my Rick Cerone 45 to add to his collection.)

Barry Lyons was on hand, brought by one of the senior presenters, to talk about his major league career, surviving Hurricane Katrina, and his efforts to bring minor league baseball to Biloxi. Barry was happy to answer questions, but I noted a different sense of communication, of connection, when Dan Ardell, a Symposium regular, member of the expansion Angels, asked Barry about pitchers.

The town ball game was moved to Cooper Park, adjacent to the Hall, and while it was a fine setting, except for the trees blocking the view, it was a little disappointing as the tradition keg of beer was banned. Dinner, instead of a picnic, was in the Hall. Not just in the museum, but in the Hall itself. The Hall of Famers congregate in that very place for their induction weekend reception. Kind of cool.

Mark your calendars: next year's Symposium is June 11, 12, and 13. Friday the 13th.

Full Weekend

2007-06-05T17:18:00.000-04:00

Liviana, Grace, and Mellow attended their first game of the season Friday night, a good game, B-Mets 8, SeaWolves 7. Grace has to take a picture of someone doing something they love and she planned to take my picture watching the game, but I think she got too involved in the game to remember.

G&P were going to be away at a family event Saturday so G offered their tickets to us, so Liviana and the girls attended their second game this weekend as well. That was a wild one, not the game but the weather. A tremendous thunderstorm hit just as we got to the park. We had to walk from the parking lot to the Will Call window to pick up the tickets with our heads bent against the wind and all the dirt it was flinging in our faces. The rain started just as we got to the window and really let loose once we were under cover in the concourse.

One of the improvments made at NYSEG Stadium this season is the Giant Video Board, which I have mixed feelings about. So far it hasn't proved to be as annoying and as intrusive as I have experienced in other parks. The upside of it is that instead of a hard-to-view tv mounted high above, where the spider that has spun her web appears twice the size of the players, the video board contents are displayed high on the white walls of the concourse, above the concessions. During the hour rain delay, they showed the live broadcast of the Yankees-Red Sox game. There are a lot of Yankee fans in Binghamton, but quite a few Red Sox fans as well, made clear by the cheering and jeering in response to the broadcast. Once the rain let up and people were straggling in to the stands, the game was shown on the video board with full audio. We all got to see Doug Mientkiewicz take a knee to the head.

Saturday's game was a good one, SeaWolves lead 1-0 for a long time, B-Mets finally tied it up, but a two-run homer by Erie was all she wrote. Liviana was picked to be the person "caught red-handed" drinking a Coke, shown on the video board. She got a 12-pack to take home.

Sunday it was raining again; I drove through another gully-washer on my way to the park. I flipped on the radio and heard the announcement that the start of the game was delayed--stay tuned, so I went bead shopping for a while. It was hot and muggy when I left the store, warmer than before the rain. I got to the park at the top of the third and decided instead of my usual chicken spiedie to have an angus burger. They grill 'em to order and I spent an inning waiting for my burger.

The game was less than stellar, B-Mets losing 6-0, only the fourth time they've been shut out this season. The one exciting thing was when Jeff Larish 1B took exception to the way Wilson Batista turned the doubleplay on him. Not quite sure what happened out there, but both benches started to empty before everyone was hustled back to their respective dugouts, both managers were talked to by the home plate umpire and the B-Mets' pitcher was given a warning.

Stuff Happens

2007-06-01T10:04:00.000-04:00

It's been a while.

I work in academia, in records, and May is the non-stop busy-busy month for me, so I barely have time even to glance at my fantasy roster once a week and get rid of players who have imploded or retired.

Speaking of fantasy baseball, I started in the bottom of the league, then blasted to the top, settled in between fifth and ninth, out of thirteen teams. My goal isn't to win the league, but to finish somewhere in the middle. Right now the strategy is to stay out of the double-digit range.

I got a start on my baseball tan Memorial Day. My left foot is two-toned because I was wearing sandals. As for the game, Monday was a cloudless day, unusual for Binghamton, and several players lost the fly ball in the "high" sky.

Saturday night before the game I was told the new left fielder Corey Coles was pretty good. He was the lead-off hitter for the B-Mets, hit a home run to start the bottom of the first. Yup, he's pretty good.

During Monday's game, he made a terrific throw from left field toward home. He didn't quite reach the plate, but the catcher had come forward to receive it and the Fisher Cat on third scored. Then something I've never seen happened: the catcher kept walking, not toward the mound but toward the runner who had rounded first and was well off the bag, almost strolling toward second. It finally dawned on the runner when the catcher, ball in hand, got within fifteen feet of him. It was a 2-4-3 put out, but I've never seen a catcher actively involved in a rundown between first and second.

Something I didn't see, but wish I had, happened earlier last week. The B-Mets turned a triple play in the top of the inning and hit a grand slam in the bottom of the same inning.

Another thing I haven't seen before I saw on last night's televised Syracuse Chiefs' game. The batter hit down the right field line and the first baseman Mike Cervenak (the same Mike Cervenak) went for it, his feet went out from under him but he managed to grab the ball and bounce it off the hard turf to the pitcher who was covering. My dad, watching with me, called it a billiards shot.

That turf has got to go. Syracuse Post Standard columnist last week wrote about ten things that the Chiefs should do to get more people to come to the ballpark. Reasons One and Ten were rip out that horrible, decrepit turf.

Never too proud

2007-05-08T14:50:00.000-04:00

The B-Mets and the Sea Dogs were having quite the game Saturday evening, a pitcher's duel.

Portland's starter Tom Hottovy gave up only one hit over six innings. Binghamton's starter Kevin Mulvey was more generous, four hits over seven innings.

The game was scoreless going into the bottom of the eighth when it looked the B-Mets were finally going to get on the board when they loaded the bases with only one out. But the Slowest Man on Earth was on third. Jose Coronado flied out to left and Brett Harper started chugging toward home. He should be arriving any time now.

Bottom of the ninth the first two B-Met batters singled then both advanced on a passed ball. Sea Dogs intentionally walked Jose Reyes (the other Jose Reyes) to load the bases and get the Slowest Man on Earth up to bat. Not such a great idea, Brett has a swing that makes the flags in centerfield flutter.

All Brett had to do was wiggle his fingers in a "come here" motion to Mark Kiger standing on third when the Sea Dogs' pitcher let loose with a wild pitch.

B-Mets win 1-0.

Once this season

2007-04-30T09:11:00.001-04:00

The Duke of Earl is playing for Louisville again this season and they come to Syracuse only ONCE.

Of course it was this weekend. I've got a horrible head cold; I spent Thursday in bed sleeping all day and all night.

Friday I was too tired and sick to go, but that was okay since the game was rained out.

Saturday I set out, excited that there was going to be a doubleheader, even though it was cool and damp, but before I got even halfway to Syracuse I had to give up and go home, back to bed.

Sunday I napped after reading the paper, and by the time it was time to leave for the ballpark, the sun was out. When I got there, I check the line up. No Earl. And he doesn't come out of the dugout to coach first as he often does when not playing. Crap.

Then in the top of the ninth, Mark Bellhorn (yes, of the World Champion Red Sox) hits a homerun to tie the score and Earl is sent in to pinch hit. He's posted a batting average of .154 so far this season, but they walk him on five pitches. In the bottom of the inning, he stays in at third, starts the doubleplay that ends the inning.

After the game he headed to the home end of the dugout where a couple little kids were waiting for autographs. He signed and took a moment to talk with them.

He needs a haircut.

To Laugh

2007-04-23T15:15:00.000-04:00

4 in a row? You gotta be kidding me.

During last night's Sunday Night Baseball, Yanks at Red Sox, there was a moment when I was confused on just who and how many. With Miller and Morgan yakking about the homeruns and the video team playing and replaying Manny's, then Drew's, then Lowell's, I wasn't sure if the dinger I was seeing was a replay or a new one being hit.

And when Tek went to the plate, I knew he was going to hit one too. I told my cat Jesse James Orosco W----- that the captain was going to hit one, he hasn't hit one yet this season, now is the time. And when Tek hit the top of the wall, Jesse James Orosco was not happy with my cheering, disturbing his attempts to nap through the game.

Weather Report
Last weekend was a cold wet one, games doubled up or postponed, and on Monday we had the worst storm of the season, most snow we've had.

This weekend was glorious, sunny, warm, dry, not a cloud in the sky. It's around 80 today. And the B-Mets were on the road, of course.

They'll be back the end of this week. Forecast is for cooler and rain. Figures.

A Wet One

2007-04-13T16:19:00.000-04:00

Opening Night for the B-Mets was mostly wet. A little on the cold side, but not bad. At least until the wind decided to kick up.

I headed to Binghamton after work knowing that the evening forecast was for rain turning to snow, temperatures dropping into the thirties. I knew I'd be shivering and probably leave early, so I decided to delay arriving at the park until just before game time, skipping all the pre-game festivities. Which meant I missed the first pitch being thrown out by the guy I usually sit with.

The visiting Sea Dogs jumped out in front, scored five runs in the top of the first. My Guys didn't get on the board until the bottom of the fourth, tied it up in the fifth. Too bad.

It was drizzling when the game started but by the second inning it was a steady rain that kept up for hours. The head groundskeeper spread drying agent a couple times on the field, around the bases and on the mound. He conferred with the umpires. The game went on. And on. And on. We thought it might be called once it reached the point of being official, four and a half innings, but the home team was trailing after the top of the fifth, and they tied it up in the bottom of the fifth.

photo from pressconnects.com

Getting wet, soaked wasn't that bad, except when the rain finally let up, the wind started. I kept thinking, a little longer, a little longer, until looking at the clock on the new video scoreboard, I decided my curfew was 9 pm. I'd stay through the end of whatever inning was in progress at 9. It was only the sixth. The game started at 6:30.

I listened to the game as long as I could get the signal on the drive home, but after giving up a run and scoring another, the B-Mets were still tied when I lost contact with the AM station.

According to this morning's newspaper, the game ended some time around 11:15. It went 11 innings, 4 hours and 40 minutes, the longest opening day game in B-Mets history.

It's going to be some season.

My Guys, in that Place

2007-04-06T17:04:00.000-04:00

Just when I thought I wouldn't have to go to the stadium in Syracuse for more than the Louisville visit (to see the Duke of Earl play) since the Mets AAA team is in the Pacific Coast League (at least for this season), I saw the 2007 Chiefs roster.

Damn. Two of My Guys will be starting the season in Syracuse.

Russ Adams: I saw him play during his first professional season, in Auburn, when even at that stage he looked like a big league shortstop, and again when he reached AA with the New Haven Ravens. He spent some time with the Blue Jays, but has been sent back to AAA to get more playing time. Russ may not rank as the best, but he's a damn good shortstop and a good lead-off hitter.

Jeff Duncan: I saw him play in Binghamton, where he was a fan favorite. He played with enthusiasm and skill. (Silly memory: Jeff always pulled his back pockets inside out when he took his batting gloves out of them and whenever he reached first base, Howard Johnson, in the first base coach's box, would always tuck in Jeff's pocket linings.) He was a player with obvious potential, but the Mets derailed his career. He was literally pulled out of a game to go up to New York during his first season in AA, in mid-May, and the Mets expected too much too quickly. When he wasn't an instant success, not a phenom, they trashed him. The New York Mets broke him; he's spent a season in AA, Mobile, and a season in AAA, Las Vegas. Here's hoping this season is the one that sees him get another chance at the Show.

Need a Scorecard

2007-04-04T16:40:00.000-04:00

I'm gonna need a scorecard for sure this season. I visited the B-Mets website to see if this year's roster was posted yet and see that Jose Reyes will be playing in Binghamton.

Jose Reyes, #7.

And I thought he was doing well in New York with the Big Club.

What's that? Jose A. Reyes?

He's a catcher?

Never mind.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2007-04-03T17:00:00.000-04:00

Sunday Night Baseball back on? Check

AL and NL reports other than trades and signings on the crawl? Check

Baseball highlights on Sports Center? Check

Opening day game to watch while eating supper? Check (Red Sox, bonus check)

Wednesday Night Baseball back on, at least for a while? Check

New field at the college ready for use? Check (fingers crossed that the home opener isn't rained out as regional play was)

Report in the school district's newsletter that the school once again has a varsity baseball team, and a refurbished field including dugouts? Check

The Duke of Earl Snyder still playing? )On Louisville's roster, looking good in the media guide.) Check

Dates Louisville will be playing close enough to go see Earl play? Check, posted

New player on the horizon to look for? Check (though may be a season away)

It's BASEBALL SEASON!!!!!

Not down for long

2007-04-03T16:59:00.000-04:00

So with the 2007 season one game old, I was in last place in the Talkin' Baseball Fantasy League. Nowhere to go but up.

Which I/they did, only 11th now. Out of 13.

Huskytown Dukes Opening Day Roster

2007-03-30T11:45:00.000-04:00

My opening day roster

Jason Kendall

Ivan Rodriguez*

David Ortiz*

Tadahito Iguchi

David Wright*

Orlando Cabrera

Alex Rios*

Ken Griffey Jr

Shawn Green

Vernon Wells*

Scott Podsednik

Eric Hinske

Reed Johnson*

Cole Hamels*

Bronson Arroyo*

Trevor Hoffman

Anibal Sanchez*

Zach Duke

John Maine

Dennys Reyes

Jamie Moyer

Cla Meredith

Dontrelle Willis

Tim Wakefield*

Ump Update

2007-03-29T17:33:00.000-04:00

Ria Cortesio has gotten another assignment that signals her progress to the Show is still happening, though at a glacial pace.

Last year she worked the Futures Game, the minor league hot prospects' showcase attached to the All-Star hoopla. This spring she's working a major league exhibition game, another step in moving up. Not all umpires who work MLB exhibition games end up umpiring in the majors, but it is a usual "tryout" step umpires go through. Although umpires, like players, have to work their way up through the levels, they're not subject to sudden call-ups from the lower levels of the game; there are no Nuke Lalooshes among umpires.

When Ria gets promoted to AAA, it will probably be with the Pacific Coast League. Not because there will likely be an opening there first, nor because that league is less conservative, (Pam Postema spent her years umpiring AAA in the PCL), but because I won't have a chance to see her work.

Here's hoping it happens this year. Ria deserves a hot tub of her own.

2007-03-29T17:20:00.000-04:00

Fun is good.
Mike Veeck

2-fer Day

2007-03-23T12:19:00.000-04:00

Today was Draft Day. Had a good draft, seemed most people were around, at least for part of the draft, though some had technical glitches. Somebody had Starbucks and didn't bring enough for everyone.

Have to let the dust settle before I prune my roster, took only one of my four keepers during the draft, David Wright as my final pick. And to make sure keepers didn't go astray for others; we think nobody's keepers got drafted elsewhere, but we know absolutely last year's catastrophe wasn't repeated.

The second part which came first was I ordered my tickets for the season this morning! The B-Mets spend a lot of the early part of the season at home on weekends, parkas at the park, and are on the road more weekends in June and July, but at least they finish at home. I love spending Labor Day at the ballpark.

And one other good baseball thing happened today. As I drove past the new baseball diamond on my way in to work this morning, I could see the snow has mostly melted and the grass is visible. Now it just needs to dry out.

A month too soon

2007-03-20T17:08:00.000-04:00

My friend Craig posted a blog of his trip through blues country, which was darn close to heaven on earth for him, but each time he listed his next stop, I could only think of what team was nearest and how a month later he could have gone to a minor league game there.

He's resisted so far, mostly out of circumstance, but partly out of sheer cussedness, going to a ball game, but some day I will drag him, kicking and screaming, to a minor league game. Not in Syracuse, unless they oust the Simones, the dinosaur BofDs, and demolish P&B/Alliance Stadium. Once there, I know his Eastern leanings will make/allow him to become one with the game. If only one of the local teams would hold a B.B. King night.....

Keepers Set

2007-03-20T17:04:00.000-04:00

I didn't go with another "D" guy for the Dukes, I took the "W" route, Vernon Wells. He's a decent outfielder, and I actually saw him play when he was in AAA. If the guys in the league paid attention, they'd know I'm pretty much a sucker for guys I've seen play in the minors, so they could trade me a broken down wreck for a premier player if the wreck once played in Binghamton or Syracuse, or even Rochester.

I pre-ranked my queue, which sounds a touch dirty, but it amounts to tossing a big bunch of names into a box on the screen, hoping that I actually might get one or two in the draft. By the later rounds, we're at the "is he still breathing?" level of ability in our draftees.

The End - Begin Again

2007-03-05T09:12:00.000-05:00

I finally finished the first draft of my baseball novel, last night at 11:30. I would have done a Happy Diva Dance, but I was too tired and my legs hurt from sitting at the computer for hours at a time several days in a row for several weeks in a row.

I'm happy that it's done. Now maybe I can do something anything else with my weekends. At least for a week or two. Then I'll need to get started on the revisions of which there will be many.

Soon, soon

2007-02-20T17:15:00.000-05:00

We're another step closer to the Season; I set up the fantasy league yesterday. Eight people so far are on board. I probably should give them more than 24 hours to login before I start dunning them.

Keepers: David Wright, Dontrelle Willis, David Ortiz. I'll have to see if I have any other "D" guys, go with a theme this year. Other than how quickly I can drop to the bottom of the standings.

I've already watched Fever Pitch three times in the past week.

And last night I was watching SNY reporting from Legends Field, the he said-he said faldolral about Pay-Rod and Deter. I'm loving it 'cause it's taking me back to the good old days of the Bronx Zoo, when the Yankees had the best soap opera around.

There Be Baseball Players Here!

2007-01-24T15:59:00.000-05:00

My office overlooks the gym and I've complained, a lot, about having to listen to the basketball teams and the volleyball team practice. After today, I can cut them a lot of slack.

The college's reborn baseball team, after a 20-or-so years' hiatus, is working out in the gym today.

How can they expect me to get any work done when there's baseball just outside my door?!

Diva Happy Dance Time

Weather

2007-01-22T16:07:00.000-05:00

We've had an extremely mild winter so far here in Central New York. (I say Central rather than Upstate because too many people think of Yonkers or Orange County as Upstate, and trust me, to people north of the Pennsylvania state line, that's still Downstate).

It's been warm and virtually snowless, which I haven't minded at all. I don't mind not having to scrap ice from the car every morning. I don't mind not having to clear snow from the car and steps every day. I don't mind not having to wear boots and gloves and scarves and hats every day.

But last week winter finally showed up. We got some snow, though the wind causing drifts and whiteouts is more of a hazard than the snow itself, and the temperature has been checking in at a crispy 0-to-10F above, and I hate cold more than I do snow so I've been grumbling.

But the sudden appearance of winter has been important because it's only now, that it's cold and blowy and snowy that I miss baseball and have a reborn eagerness for the pre-season to start.

Some vegetation needs to have that cold snap to start certain biological processes and without it the plants fail to thrive.

I needed winter to long for baseball.

24 more days before pitchers and catchers report.

Weird Gifts

2007-01-22T09:11:00.000-05:00

People give me baseball-related gifts. Some of them are weird.

The weirdest, this year, is a large snail shell painted to resemble a baseball.

Weird, but cute.

Hot Stove

Baseball Heavy has an interesting entry about the Paw Sox' Hot Stove event. Locally the events are more likely to be a dinner at a banquet hall or hotel dining room with a guest or two from the organization. Something like BH describes I might find worth attending.

Fantasy League

It's time to get the Fantasy League in shape. It's nearly Super Bowl Sunday, the Mardi Gras of Baseball Season, and I haven't gotten the keepers up on the league web page. Meanwhile, I'm being recruited for another, local league. So far I'm holding out if for no other reason than I'm hardly keeping up with one league. Last year I don't think I saw a single episode of Baseball Tonight, my former evening devotions, and since I'm working on my baseball novel, supposed to finish it, revise it, and revise it again by the All-Star break, it's going to be tough to keep my focus on just one league.

Pin-ups for everyone!

2007-01-17T17:07:00.000-05:00

Turns out Livianna was not upset in the least about me putting up my David Wright calendar rather than the Red Sox one she gave me.

She came into the department first thing Tuesday morning (we had MLK Day off) and I could see she was trying to hide something behind her back. Looked suspiciously like a calendar.

She took Grace and Mellow shopping Saturday and while riding up on the escalator one of the girls spotted a calendar at the Borders calendar outpost. It was a David Wright calendar. They insisted that I needed one so they circled back down and around to buy it.

We went into my office and I pointed to the calendar I already have, hanging above my desk where people aren't going to see it, as she hadn't seen it. Then we started looking for other places to hang this second collection of my "son's" pictures.

Some of the shots look like they were photo-shopped, just a uniform change, that's how consistent David is as a hitter, and as a fielder.

Teach your children well

2007-01-11T16:07:00.000-05:00

Mellow likes to make personal special occasions cards, so I wasn't surpised that she made one for my birthday.

On the front page is a green sock, labeled Red Sox, a baseball and the tip of a bat. Inside, the message says "Happy B-Day from Mellow. I have two teams...the Red Sox and whoever beets the Yankees."

Yup, she's been paying attention.

Happy New Year

2007-01-08T13:26:00.000-05:00

Well, if you follow the Gregorian calendar Christmas was just yesterday.

Speaking of Christmas, in 2004 I received almost nothing but Red Sox stuff for Christmas, some of it repeats of other gifts or things I had already bought for myself.

This year I reaped another Red Sox harvest for Christmas, but none of it was repeats, and some of it was stuff I didn't know existed.

Livianna got me the 2006 team card set and my 2007 calendar. A Red Sox calendar from her is pretty much a sure thing each year.

My godson TM got me Red Sox dominos and a Red Sox Rubik's cube. I don't dare take that out of the package because I've never solved one of those.

Last year's Red Sox calendar annoyed me all through December. The player pictured that month was Johnny Damon. So while I love the Red Sox calendar that Livianna got me, I also picked up, half-priced, a calendar of nothing but David Wright. She can hardly blame me for putting up a calendar featuring my "son".

Bye-bye, Bill

2006-12-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

Players come and go as do coaches and managers. It's the stadium people who stick around. You count on seeing the same people at the park from year to year. The guy who served me my first ballpark beer at old MacArthur Stadium was still at the stick last summer, though he's now a snowbird and doesn't return to CNY and the Sky(gak)Chiefs until June.

One of the things I've loved about the B-Mets is the fun atmosphere, and the person largely responsible for this is Bill Terlecky. Bill's been around baseball nearly 30 years, started with the Rochester Red Wings ages ago, has been various titles at various places, usually the GM, in affiliated and independent minor league ball including a stint in the Northern League, where the motto, the vision statement that guides all they do is, "Fun is good."

Bill has made baseball in Binghamton fun for a number of years now. But he's moving on, back to the Northern League, to become GM for the Gary SouthShore RailCats. While I wish him the best of luck in Indiana, I hope his brand of baseball and "fun is good" attitude stick around, hope Scott and Jim have been paying real close attention to how to make the ballpark experience great.

Let the Countdown Begin!

2006-11-06T15:52:00.000-05:00

I like the movie Fever Pitch a lot, and not just because it's about the Red Sox and their glorious championship season. Though I'm not even close to all-out fanaticism of the Jimmy Fallon/Ben Wrightman character, there are many things about him I identify with, especially what he says when someone tells him there are other sports besides baseball: I would debate you, Ed, but that would only lead to me being dragged away in handcuffs.

My students today were talking about football in those yakky few minutes before class starts and while I thought of that quote, but thought better of saying that to them, and instead told them what about football matters to me: the Super Bowl, because that means spring training is only a couple weeks away.

When I stopped for coffee this Saturday, My Barista R told me pitchers and catchers aren't that far away. On Sunday, he said, "One day closer to pitchers and catchers."

Think Pink

2006-10-16T14:55:00.000-04:00

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Everyone, men as well as women, should check their breasts for lumps routinely; if you don't know how to perform a self exam, the Susan G. Komen website will show you how.

October is also Fire Prevention/Fire Safety Awareness Month.

Stop, drop and roll, and get a mammogram.

Cory Lidle

2006-10-16T14:23:00.000-04:00

When online friends first reported a plane crashing into a Manhattan skyscraper there were concerns about a possible terrorist attack. Learning that it was not an airliner, but rather a small private plane did not ease fears as such a crash with a plane carrying bio or chemical or nuclear weapons is high on the list of probable and highly-feared attacks for NYC. When the news came later that the small aircraft belonged to Cory Lidle, who was aboard when it crashed it struck a different personal note.

Cory Lidle pitched for the Binghamton Mets, a couple years before I started attending their games, but he's among the players who've been here and done well, a honorary member of My Guys since I never actually saw him play in Binghamton.

Many minor leaguers players were called on as replacement players during the MLB players' 1994-95 strike, young players who felt they would lose any chance of some day making it to the majors if they refused to report as required by the teams' owners. As the 10th anniversary of that lost season rolled around, I did a bit of research about these replacement players who were at the time described as nobodies and no talents, and found several who went on to substantial success later in their careers, probably a close comparison to any other season's group of low level minor leaguers' success rate. Among those replacement players was Cory Lidle.

Back when I first got interested in baseball and had access only to the Yankees and the Mets on TV, I followed the soap-operatic Yankees, the Bronx Zoo, and my favorite Yankee was Thurman Munson. The shock of his death in a private plane crash still gives me pause, and Cory Lidle's death makes that shock echo once more.

Me-Wow!

2006-10-16T14:07:00.000-04:00

The Tigers might have slipped during the second half of the regular season, but it appears perhaps they were only resting up for the post-season. They lulled the Yankees into thinking they were the team of destiny by allowing them to win the first game of the Division series then mowed 'em down. No sense in tormenting the A's like a cornered mouse, just mowed 'em down in four straight.

He stunk up the joint, but I was happy to see my hometown guy Jason Grilli make a post-season appearance. (Next time, don't walk three straight on 12 pitches, 'kay?)

Looks like the National League series is headed for a full 7 games. If the Cardinals win, it will be a repeat of the first World Series match up I ever saw, back in 1968, and I will have no mixed loyalty in rooting for the Tigers. Should the Mets win (I stand by my earlier prediction of a Tigers-Mets Series), I'll be rooting for the Tigers as a team and the Mets as individual players.

Go Motor City Kitties!

Major-Minor Swaps

2006-10-04T16:42:00.000-04:00

Minor league clubs sign player development agreements (PDA) with major league clubs for two or four years, four years when the association is a good one, two years when there might be problems.

New Orleans was affiliated with Montreal. Made sense if you think of their fan base being of French extraction, otherwise I haven't a clue how that association got started.

Columbus has been with the Yankees since Steinbrenner bought the Yanks; Columbus is his hometown. Makes sense.

Norfolk has been aligned with the Mets for ages. They were called the Tidewater Tides back in the 70's, changed the locale portion of the name when a new ballpark was built.

The trend of late is for a major league team to gather its various levels of farm teams in a region. Toronto left Medicine Hat, Bluefield WV, and other far flung paradises to consolidate its fan base as well as player pool in the northeast. Syracuse has been Toronto's AAA team since 1977 (they were with the Yankees until Steinbrener took over) and they've now got AA in New Hampshire, short-season A in Auburn, NY (just down the road from Syracuse), A in Lansing, MI.

Other teams are doing the same and the Phillies are the ones who got this round rolling.

The Phillies are moving their AAA team closer, leaving Scranton for Allentown and the new ballpark there. Their AA is in Reading. Their fan base will be huge and local.

The Mets wanted to locate their AAA club closer to NYC; they've been pulling guys up from Binghamton in many cases simply because they are physically closer. They thought they would get Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, which would be terrific in consolidating the fan base, capturing NE Pennsylvania together with the southern tier of NY, as well be bringing the AAA guys slightly closer.

Norfolk went with Washington. Location again, and since Montreal moved, it made sense that their AAA team might change.

The Yankees grabbed Scranton. Don't know if the Mets ever truly had a chance.

Syracuse made a huge blunder. The local paper has been raking the management and board of directors over the coals for many, many things they've done wrong and continue to do wrong. After making noises about not renewing the PDA with Toronto because of the dismal record the Chiefs have suffered through at their hands, they did not wait until the season was ended and other teams' affiliations were up for grabs. The Syracuse BofD renewed the PDA back in June at a meeting attended by only 13 of 25 members, less than the quorum required for such a decision.

My hope is that the Mets are preparing to unseat Toronto and take over Syracuse at the end of the 2008 season. Both parent teams have new 2-year PDAs in place. The Mets in Syracuse makes as much if not more sense than Scranton would have. The ballpark in Syracuse is fifteen minutes from the airport. The AA team is an hour-fifteen minute ride down the interstate. The area has no other prevailing National League allegiance; the fan base already exists, and putting the AAA team so close to the AA team would boost attendance at both parks as well as increase fan interest in the Mets at all levels.

Another Reason I'm Rooting for the Tigers

2006-09-28T16:46:00.000-04:00

Richard C. worked at the same institution, though with a special program, so our professional paths didn't cross, but our avocational paths did.

Richard, ever smiling, ever cheerful, would pause to talk baseball with me in the hallways. We talked major leagues, minor leagues, collegiate, scholastic, whatever. He kept me posted about his son's team and kept after me to become an umpire for the girls' league.

He was a Tigers fan, the Tigers played in the first World Series game I ever saw, we shared an interest in the same team. I commiserated with him when they were doing poorly, I celebrated with him as they roared this summer.

Richard unexpectedly died this past week. One of my first thoughts on hearing the news was that he couldn't die now, not with the Tigers so close.

I was already planning to root for the Tigers in the Series this year, but it will be with a sense of bittersweet.

Predictions Do Come True

2006-09-28T16:45:00.000-04:00

By spring training this year, the Red Sox had divested themselves of half of the championship team. The replacements were adequate players, but not capable of accomplishing what the Idiots had done. The personality of the team was deflated as well.

I do believe in team chemistry; it can be the element that tips a team one way or the other. I'm not saying it's necessary, Mays knows it won't make winners out of also-rans, but it can be integral in some teams' make-up, such as the 2004 Red Sox. Even the prima donnas, the whiners, the so-called baseball diva, were part of the mix that worked.

The Evil Empire has too much influence on the Olde Towne Teame. Theo, under the direction of the owners I'm sure, was/is trying to recreate the team's image, change it from a fun-loving, get-dirty group to a dignified gentlemen. More than any other team, the Red Sox of 2004 resembled the Bronx Zoo of the late '70s, and recalled the Gas House Gang.

The break down of the front office, letting Theo go over creative differences, making deals he probably didn't like before bringing him back, contributed to the break down of the team. Remember, the post-Yawkey ownership of the Sox includes the same brain trust that slapped together a championship team in Miami then stripped it for salvage money.

They didn't have the hitting, they didn't have the pitching. Toronto has been poised to move up in the standing for a couple seasons (their AAA team is the one I read about every morning over my Cheerios).

What happened to this summer?

2006-09-08T12:40:00.000-04:00

I knew, going into the season, that I was going to attend fewer B-Mets games than usual, but I have at least 8 unused tickets still in the envelope. Not only was the price of gas an issue, but there were health-related, work, and school issues, not to mention cold, wet, and windy evenings. Yeah, they called me a wimp in the box, but I've been feely creaky this year.

Most of the games I attended, I was with Livianna and her daughters, sitting in the front row (and tracking the thread hanging from John Valentin's inseam) which made this season different. I really enjoyed games in their company, but it meant I wasn't spending time with "my summer family" so it seemed odd.

There were a few high points worth mentioning. All the way back to the All-Star Game, or rather the Home Run Derby. Everyone was ignoring David Wright before the derby began, except the one commentator who said he wouldn't do anything. David did just fine, making it to the final round.

Livianna and I were guests at a skybox in Syracuse and while we had a great view of the pitches, being right above and behind the plate, neither of us liked the location. Too many distractions, too far from the game.

Chase Lambin was back in town, as were a few other guys from the AAA club. Looked like the Big Club was trying to help the B-Mets in their run for the pennant. My Guys clawed their way from last in their division to first in July, but couldn't quite hold on. By the last home game, they had not been eliminated mathematically, but there was a sense that they were not going to win their last four which they would have needed to do to be in the play-offs.

(Sorry, Chase, I never did get a chance to make your oatmeal cranberry cookies.)

As for the majors, I'm predicting a Tigers-Mets Series. My Barista R still thinks the Red Sox can back into the playoffs. Not likely.

Wednesday evening I happened to flip through the channels and come across the ninth inning of Anibel Sanchez's no-hitter. A no-hitter is exciting no matter who throws it, but just last year I was watching this guy, in single-A at the time, pitching well against major leaguers and saw that he had great potential. I'm less adept at picking who among minor league pitchers will make the grade, but this kid obviously had it, has it.

Welcome Return

2006-06-23T16:51:00.000-04:00

Finally! Back at the ballpark, and it was a GREAT weekend.

They were promoting this as the "Subway Series North", the B-Mets and the Trenton Thunder playing in their parent teams' uni's. Given the numbers on the Thunders' jerseys, they must have been wearing Yankees spring training jerseys. It was cool to see those classy road grays (even if they are Yankees) and the gorgeous electric blue of the NY Mets'.

Saturday, it was 91 degrees at game time, and it dropped all the way down to 83 by the ninth inning. It was a good game, a welcome change from how they've been playing. P told me they haven't seen a home run in weeks, probably since I was last there, and Jay Caligiuri and Michel Abreu each sent one out. Tim McNab, denizen of the bullpen, made a very respectable spot start, giving up only one run on five hits over five innings. There was some good defense as well, even a nifty 1-5-3 doubleplay (for my non-baseball literate reader, that's pitcher to third baseman to first baseman, not a common combination). I've been in the habit of skipping out as soon as they turn off the lights on fireworks nights, jaded and wanting to beat the traffic, but I stayed for the show Saturday and was rewarded with a great show including new displays.

Sunday was hot, hot, hot, not too humid, with just the right amount of breeze. I downed three beers and a Mike's hard lemonade for hydration and never felt the slightest effect of alcohol; it was sweated out as fast as I took it in. The game was expected to be a pitcher's duel, Philip Hughes and Willie Collazo both high-ranking prospects for their respective franchises; neither starter got a decision. Hughes, 19 years old, gave up only two runs on six hits over seven innings. Collazo gave up two as well over seven innings on one fewer hits. Hughes struck out 11, Collazo 6.

The crowds for the three days of the weekend ranked as third highest in the team's 15 year history. Saturday was sold out, standing room only available, Sunday was nearly sold out as well.

It would have been a perfect return to the ballpark, but from one thing. The spiedie stand was out of Nine Man Ale. Saturday I had to settle for a draft Yuengling, Sunday was better, Anchor porter.

Symposium Time

2006-06-14T16:43:00.000-04:00

The 18th annual Cooperstown Symposium, my seventh, was jam packed with great topics. Usually there's at least one concurrent session in which none of the three offerings are of interest and that's when I make my cruise up and down Main Street to check out the stores, but this year not a one. Every concurrent session had at least one presentation I really wanted to hear, usually two so I had to make a decision one which to attend. Felt like a coin toss was gonna be necessary some times.

The focus was on race, with the keynote being offered by a Negro Leagues scholar and two former Negro Leagues players, both charming older gentlemen, and a special exhibit in the Barry Halper Gallery at the Hall of art commissioned by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum to celebrate and interpret the sport. Powerful works included in that show, which has been touring the country. (If you know of a venue that might be well served by the exhibit, have them contact the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City .

The Town Ball game was called on account of rain and the picnic was held under a tent in the middle of a muddy pasture. Casey, of course, was there to recite his tale of woe and we all sang "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." I was delighted that this year the alternate version of Casey was Garrison Keillor's version, as seen by Mudville's opponents.

There were a lot of new faces at the Symposium this year, record registrations were received. It's always a pleasure to see people from past gatherings, but it's great to get new blood and new enthusiasm into the mix.

Rain, rain

2006-06-05T15:20:00.000-04:00

Every other weekend here has been warm and sunny, just beautiful. The alternate weekends are cold and wet and windy. So which weekends do the Mets play at home? The wet ones, of course.

Let's see, I went to opening day in Binghamton, not the best weather but it's a not-to-be-missed game. Two games that weekend. One mid-week day game in Syracuse. Another mid-week game, night game, with Liviana and the girls at Binghamton. That's five in April. One weekend day game in early May. Six.

Here it is, June already a weekend gone, and I've been to a grand total of 6 games this season. I usually go to 6 games in April alone.

Today, naturally, it's sunny, warm, and just plain beautiful out.

Grrrrrr

Ladies Day

2006-05-17T16:46:00.000-04:00

Sunday, Mother's Day, the Hall of Fame celebrated women in baseball by dedicating a new statue to commemorate the AAGPBL, by rededicate the refurbished Women in Baseball exhibit in the museum, and by hosting panel discussions.

Most of the surviving members of the AAGPBL were on hand for a morning session and hung around the rest of the day in or near the museum. Although I didn't make it to their meet-and-greet (too early!), it was a kick to see them there. I've seen so many films, books, and photos on the league that I recognized many of them, not necessarily by name, but I recognized faces, knew they were former players.

The exhibit is done in a Hollywood Deco style, reminiscent of the era the AAGPBL played, reminds me a bit of movie projectors with the green walls and brushed silver letters. I took only a quick look at the exhibit, but see that it is, in some ways, improved over the prior versions.

The reason I went to Cooperstown on Sunday was the afternoon panel discussions. The first one was women and Little League Baseball, the second contemporary women players. Ila Borders was scheduled to appear at the second, but she had to leave, which disappointment me, but her pinch hitter turned out to be someone I have been wanting to meet for a long time, Ria Cortesio. Actually, during the first session, Ria was seated in front of me and Julie Croteau was seated behind me, and for once I remembered to bring my camera!

The women and Little League, well, really girls in Little League, panel included the person who caused LL to institute a boys-only policy, the "Tubby Rule", and the person who caused LL to be forced to allow girls to play. Kathryn Johnson Massar, in the summer of 1950, cut off most of her hair, tucked the rest under her cap, and borrowed the nickname "Tubby" from the Little Lulu comics to try out for LL in Corning, NY. She played the entire season, with her coach, teammates and other players aware she was actually a girl. The following year, LL spelled out plainly that girls were not allowed to play, and that a charter could be taken away if a team included a girl.

That rule was still in place in 1972 when Maria Pepe tried out for LL in Hoboken, NJ. Other teams in the area objected, and rather than have 200 boys in the town be denied LL baseball, Maria left the team. However, NOW (National Organization for Women) went to bat for Maria, and all the other little girls who just wanted to play, and filed a lawsuit on their behalf. The court found in her favor and LL was required to allow girls to try out for baseball. LL grudgingly accepted the ruling, but also developed softball leagues, to steer girls away from baseball.

Maria Pepe, then and now

The third participant was Katie Brownell who exactly a year before had pitched a perfect Little League game, striking out all 18 batters over six innings. Katie is the only girl playing in her league. Seems not much has changed. Julie Croteau made the observation that Little League keeps track (at least publicly) of how many girls are playing in their softball leagues, but does not keep track of how many girls are participating in baseball, claiming they track only the number of players, not their genders. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I agree with premise that LL is hiding those numbers to disguise how many girls play baseball.

The second session, contemporary women in baseball, had a panel consisting of Julie Croteau, Robin Wallace, Ria Cortesio, Phil Niekro, and last minute addition Robin Roberts. (I think Roberts was included just because when there's a HOFer on the premises, he gets put before the public. He had no connection to the subject, as far as I could tell.)

Julie was the first woman to play on a men's college baseball team, first base. She later played for the short-lived Silver Bullets, a professional women's team sponsored by Coors (to promote their then-new product, Silver Bullet Light Beer), went on to coach a men's college team, as well as Team USA in the Women's World Cup of Baseball.

Julie Croteau

Robin Wallace also played on the men's team in college, played on Team USA in the 2004 World Cup, and currently plays baseball in a women's league in Boston.

Robin Wallace

Phil Niekro was the manager of the Silver Bullets (who folded once their sponsorship was discontinued) and provided a lot of laughs for the audience, an animated storyteller.

Ria Cortesio is the only women currently umpiring in organized baseball. Well, not actually at this very moment as the minor league umpires are on strike. That's how she was available to be here during the season. I've been following Ria's career since I first became aware of her, during her second season as an umpire. I'm convinced that the first woman to actively participate in a major league game will be as an umpire. (Major League Baseball already has a woman on the field, head groundskeeper for Detroit, Heather Nabozny.) The argument against women as players because of lack of upper body strength holds absolutely no water in the officiating department. (If girls grew up playing baseball as boys do, they would develop the upper body sufficiently to play competitively with men; you can't suddenly take up an activity as an adult and expect to have the same physical resources as those who have been practicing all their lives.)

Ria Cortesio

When I drove cross-country a few years ago to meet online friends for a game at Wrigley, I made a few stops along the way at minor league parks. Several of those teams played in the Mid-West League, the league Ria was then working for, and I hoped that I might get a chance to see her in action. I did, at the Kane County Cougars' game. (Kane County was the best crowd I have even seen at a ballpark, a great place to attend a game.) At the time, I was thrilled to see her work, thrilled that young girls, 10-12 year olds, were running down to the rail and exclaiming "the ump is a girl!" , a new possibility made real for them. Every season I check the umpire rosters to see where Ria is working, hoping she'll get promoted to the International League, or if she has to remain in Double-A, work for the Eastern League. To see her, unexpectedly, at the Hall Sunday was special. I was almost speechless, but I pulled myself together enough to introduce myself to Ria and have a short conversation.

All three of these women presented themselves as thoughtful, mature people who knew what their circumstances have meant, not only to themselves, but to other women and to generations of girls to come.

Just Gets Better

2006-04-14T17:35:00.000-04:00

This season has been good, now it's great.

I've seen Earl Snyder play.

Day game Wednesday, sunshine, a Hoffman's hot dog, a Saranac Black & Tan, and the Duke of Earl playing third.

For once he wasn't the Taco Bell K-Man. That honor was bestowed on former B-Met Rob Stratton. Back in the day, when Earl played for the B-Mets, he and Rob were the one-two power punch in the middle of the lineup. It's cool to see them batting back-to-back again. (Yup, Rob struck out, once, tacos for everyone.) I loved that there were other fans at the game loudly rooting for Earl; he has a following in the minors besides me.

Earl can pick it at third, made several barehanded stops, and only one of them didn't result in the batter being out at first, a play that couldn't have been made by any third baseman. His batting average is low, not surprising with less than a week of the season gone, but his walks are up and his strike outs down, good, good signs. And he hit his first homer of the season Wednesday. Thanks, Duke, for letting me see it.

I also got to see Wayne Lydon's first homer as a Sky[gak]Chief. Wayne was another of those gemstone centerfielders that parade through the B-Mets, but he's with Syracuse now, still has that funny walk that's instantly recognizable.

Speaking of recognizable, my dad just got a tourism book from New Hampshire, and in the section about the Merrimack area, (the New Hampshire Fisher Cats play in Manchester on the banks of the Merrimack) there's a photo taken from above, of a player at the plate and the catcher, the righthanded batter twisting away with his swing. It's patently clear that the catcher is a Fisher Cat and that the batter is a PawSox player, and while the numeral on his back is a 7, it's more than that that makes me think it's Earl. The grip, the stance, they look like Earl's. And that tickles me.

One Down, Eleven To Go

2006-04-14T17:14:00.000-04:00

Liviana gave me a list of dates she and the girls would come to the ballpark with me, four Sunday games, but before individual tickets went on sale she came back with the announcement that Grace wants to see every team in the Eastern League at least once this season, the new list had twelve dates. In past seasons, Liviana's usually picked Altoona or Trenton games, but the baseball bug has clearly bitten Grace. What she didn't expect was that there's gonna be a quiz each game: who is the opponent (team and city), where is the team located, what is their major league parent team (city and name)? What until I ask her AL or NL parent team and why that matters in the Eastern League.

Their first game was Sunday, against Akron. Sunny afternoon, but cool, cooling, cold breeze, and by the time the game was finally over, we all had sunburns and windburns.

The game went 15 innings. The B-Mets scored three runs, but then through brain freezes or inexperience or partying the night before, they managed to throw three runs back at the Aeros. Somebody on the field thought he was Mike Schmidt or something, flinging the ball vaguely in the direction of the catcher and home plate only to have the pitcher corral it near the dugout. Akron tied the game in the top of the eighth, and from that point forward it seemed like Brett Harper led off each inning for the B-Mets, followed by Jay Caliguiri, Bobby Malek, and Jorge Padilla. And it seemed that one of the first three got on base each inning, the other two drawing outs, and Padilla put an end to any possible rally. I know the box score says other players came to the plate between their at bats, but it didn't seem that way. Grace is proud of herself because she predicted the final play. Almost. She predicted a home run, but she didn't predict that it would be with one on and that it would come off the bat of the rally quencher, Jorge Padilla.

A long game, nearly two for the price of one, but it never got boring, something that occasionally happens in a nine inning game.

Mellow still qualifies for a child's admission, which means not only a reduced price for her seat, but on Sundays she gets free food.

The excitement of the day didn't end when the game did. Sunday was Grace's first foray onto the interstate, and into the "big city".

Off to a Good Start

2006-04-14T16:53:00.000-04:00

The 2006 season is off to a good start as far as I'm concerned.

Opening Day I had hoped to turn into a day-night doubleheader, but it was too cold. I knew I was going to be cold and possibly miserable, and while in the shower to get ready to head to Syracuse I kept running through the logistics of how much clothing I was going to have to wear to keep warm through that game, skip out before it ended to make it to Binghamton before the first pitch, with a stop somewhere in between to add more clothes because it would be colder after the sun went down. I had visions of trying to wrestle into layers at a rest area, stripping off the outer layers to add under layers, and I said the heck with it. Eight hours or so of being cold, with a wardrobe update midway, nope. Besides, there was another day game in Syracuse less than a week later.

The evening turned out to be surprisingly mild. The "official" temperature at game time in Binghamton was 50, and it fell no lower than 48, and there was absolutely no breeze. I wouldn't call it balmy, but I was perfectly comfortable with my thermal underwear, three layers of shirts, and leather mittens.

Being back at the ballpark was wonderful, most of the regulars, my "summer family", showed up. The team was mostly new, as expected. Brett Harper is back, yet again, at first base. Jay Caligiuri is back at third as well, his previous season shortened by injury. Rags, Corey Ragsdale, is at short again. Jonathan Slack and Bobby Malek are the corner outfielders again. Centerfield, the gemstone position with this team, has yet another new hot prospect who appears to have the goods, Carlos Gomez. I'll be keeping track of him this season as he goes for the stolen base record.

A handful of the pitchers are returnees, but as they were introducing the team on Opening Night, it seemed like the pitchers kept pouring out the dugout and I was wondering just how many players the B-Mets have on their roster.

The B-Mets won Game 1 of 2006, beating the Akron Aeros 3-0.

Beginnings

2006-03-31T16:27:00.000-05:00

The Draft
Draft Day is done, and so is the clean up, I think. We had a few people unable to be online at draft time, but those of us who were there had a good time. The conversation has an ebb and flow. There's the joking and joshing as we arrive in the minutes preceding the start of the draft and once it's underway (there's a countdown clock and you can tell people are watching it) the (mild) smack talk shows up as we ridicule each other's picks and curse in symbols when someone snags the guy we were going to grab this round. The Kansas City Royals receive their requisite mocking. Then in the middle rounds (this thing lasts 25 rounds) things die down, it gets so quiet I sometimes wonder if I'm the only one still online, but as the last couple rounds roll around, the chatter picks up again and people often make their adieux as their final pick approaches.

We run a keeper league in a non-keeper setting. Each team owner/manager is allowed to retain four players from his roster as it stood on the last day of the previous season. The first couple seasons we were using a service that let us just check a box beside the names of players we each wanted to keep and come next year, they'd be waiting for us. We had a couple of issues with that service and moved to Yahoo! which wipes the slate clean so maintaining keepers is a matter of recordkeeping by the commissioner. Actually, the commissioner is supposed to keep all of the rosters over the winter (which is only as successful as the current commissioner is at keeping track of where her dad moved that particular pile of papers) and in the month preceding draft day, post the rosters, and as people name their keepers, keep a running tally of them. Everyone is asked to put these players on their exclusion list so they won't be in anyone's queue and get drafted by someone else.

We've had mixed results with this. We usually have a conversation about when to draft our keepers, but I think we've finally got that part down. You don't have to draft your keepers at all, draft other players whom you cut when you pick up your keepers after the draft. It works as a built-in "Oops" mechanism: if you drafted someone you didn't really mean to, you still have a chance to pick up someone you want during the draft. Learning that the player you just drafted announced his retirement that morning, something you learn only through our draft-time chitchat, might mean you'd rather have a player who's actually going to play this year. Oops factor to the rescue.

People not excluding players is the problem, and every year we have a couple keepers drafted by another team by mistake. This year we had it in spades. Two owners/managers apparently hadn't had a chance to put any players on the excluded list and neither of them was online for the draft; of 52 keepers, at least 40 of them were drafted by those two teams. After the first five or six keepers who were snagged by the MIA, it became something of game guessing which keeper they were going to draft next. It was funny, and frustrating, and in the late rounds I decided to play it safe, decided to draft my keepers, only to see Jason Varitek headed south. I spent the next evening sorting who had whose and which players to drop and add from which rosters. I ran into problems with the "Can't Cut List", a feature Yahoo has that prevents anyone from moving certain players to avoid stacking of rosters. Next day I finally found out the commissioner can shut the damn thing off! Once I did that, things went fairly smoothly and I think, I hope, everyone has his correct players before opening day, when the stats start counting.

Here's my opening day roster:

Aaron Hill* (New Hamshpire-AA)
Brian Schneider
Bronson Arroyo*(Pawtucket-AAA)
David Ortiz* (Boston)
David Wright*(Binghamton-AA)
Dontrelle Willis
Jason Varitek* (Boston)
John Buck *(Auburn-short season A)
Jose Guillen
Josh Beckett
Josh Towers* (Syracuse-AAA)
Justin Morneau*(New Britain-AA)
Ken Griffey Jr.
Lenny DiNardo(?*)
Mark Ellis
Matt Clement
Mike Mussina
Moises Alou
Russ Adams*(Auburn-short season A)
Tim Wakefield*(Boston)
Ty Wigginton*(Binghamton-AA)
Vernon Wells*(Syracuse-AAA)
Vinnie Chulk*(Syracuse-AAA)
Yusmeiro Petit*(Binghamton-AA)
Zach Day

Again, a mix weighted to Red Sox and guys I've seen play in person*. I've been scouting them in the minors, I guess.

Decisions, Decisions
The season hasn't started yet and already I've had to make the decision of whether to go to a specific game or skip it. My extended family used to have a lot of gatherings. There are 23 cousins in my generation and for a long time most of us lived within shouting distance of each other and our grandparents house. Time and distance has increased to the point that over the past few years the only time we seem to get together is for calling hours and funerals. This week an invitation to a birthday celebration for one of my uncles, his 80th. Since the chances to gather with family are getting scarcer, it's hard to say no, but it's the first Saturday the B-Mets will be home, one of the rare day games they play, and everybody knows baseball was meant to be enjoyed in daylight. When my dad told his ladyfriend about the celebration, the first thing she said was that if there's a ball game I wouldn't be there and that the family wouldn't be expecting me. I did skip Easter dinner last year to be at the ballpark. I wrestled with this for a couple days, and when I saw a day game the next Wednesday in Syracuse I figured that was my consolation prize. I'll be at the celebration, but I'll be wearing my baseball earrings.

Into the Home Stretch

2006-03-27T15:12:00.000-05:00

to mix sport metaphors....

It is now less than a week to opening day for the majors and only 10 days to Opening Day. Which I'm making into a day/night doubleheader. Syracuse has a day game, Binghamton a night game. I know I'll have to leave before the end of the Sky(gak)Chiefs game, but that's fine (as long as it's not rainy - don't know if I can sit through two wet games in one [cold] day.)

I've sent in my ticket order, can't wait to see where they put me this year. Between the hike in gas prices and other financial constraints, I've had to cut back on the number of games I can go to, no Friday night games this year. This is particularly disheartening as I keep hoping next season I will finally be able to afford a real season's ticket.

Chase Revisited
While prepping for the fantasy draft, I read (okay, skim through) a couple of baseball annuals. My favorite has long been Street & Smith's; interesting articles, lots of good stats, meaningful but brief analysis of each team's strengths and weaknesses. They also include info on the minor league systems of each team, this year's has a big sidebar on each team's main page highlighting the franchise's top ten minor leaguers. Number 10 for the Mets? Chase Lambin. S&S says he's much better at second than shortstop. Haven't I been saying that along?

Soon, soon

2006-03-14T15:56:00.000-05:00

It's been a quiet winter in Lake Woebegone....

Not much has been happening baseballwise, just the slow countdown on the clock beside my vitamins until it got to the one month mark, then BOOM!

The World Baseball Classic is registering on my consciousness, but not making much of an impact. So far, I've watched only one game, not even all of that one, Puerto Rico against Cuba. The game, which surprisingly (or not) ended after seven innings because of a mercy rule (but not merciful enough, the game lasted waaaaaaay too long, even for a 9-inning affair) was fun to watch because my dad's favorite Yankee, Bernie Williams, hit a homer right after we turned the game on, and because a former B-Met was pitching for PR, Dicky Gonzalez.

I'll tell you how long that game was: the Syracuse University basketball game started after the WBC game started and SU finished before the sixth inning was over.

Speaking of SU basketball...

I pay attention to it only because my dad does, and usually he can't bear to watch. After they won the Big East tourney game 74-73 over Cincinnati with some excellent play by Gerry MacNamara and the second game in overtime 86-84 over number 1 ranked UConn again much thanks to G-Mac, he figured they were done. "They won't win a third game. Nobody's ever won a third game, especially after an overtime win." Are you forgetting what happened in 2004, dad? Which made the 58-57 win over Georgetown even sweeter. I finally caved, and watched the last 2.25 minutes of the Pittsburgh game. SU was leading when I switched the channel, but it was nailbiting time, especially when Josh Wright had to take four foul shots. Devendorf was hiding his head, clutching the coach's hand on the sidelines at that point. It was an incredible win. If they make it to the Final Four I might just have to watch.

So long, Kirby. A lot of baseball fans I know were greatly saddened by the death of Kirby Puckett, died of a stroke at age 44. He played during my self-imposed exile from baseball, so I have to depend on their remembrances, but from everything I've read, from fans and professional writers, he was exactly the kind of player I love, those who love the game and let it show daily on the field.

As for Barry Bonds, I'm not withholding judgment per se, but waiting until I've read the book except in Sports Illustrated to offer comment. But I will say this, from what I have read and seen over the past few years, I would say Barry Bonds ranks right along side Pete Rose in thinking he is above the Game.

It's nearly Draft Day! Time to get my wish list in order. I'm starting with a nice core of 4 keepers from last season: Dontrelle Willis, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz, and David Wright.

Scorecard Here!

2006-02-09T16:16:00.000-05:00

Get your scorecard here!

People are signing up for the league, almost everybody back on board already, but it appears that some virus caused a massive rush to change team names.

I don't think anyone is still using their original name from seven years ago, including me. (I've had three different team names but am standing fast with the one that honors my heritage and my Sweet Baboo Crash Snyder, the Huskytown Dukes) Several of the guys were still using their original names (or some close variation of it) as of last season. Must be the seven year itch.

I'm gonna need a scorecard this year to keep track of who was who. Maybe I'll try visual memory clues, like picturing Spike as Big Bird, running the Yellow Chickens, and JJ standing outside a Krispy Kreme waiting for the red light to come on.

Woo, baby!

2006-02-06T16:47:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes, the season's coming soon.

Last night I had a dream that David Wright was back in Binghamton, it was before the game and he was on the field tossing baseballs and his cap into the stands.

AND

I set up the fantasy league this afternoon, earliest I've been able to do that. Now I have to find my notes and make sure the positions are allocated properly and the scoring categories are the correct ones.

I haven't been this excited about baseball since the Red Sox won the World Series.

The Look of the Future?

2006-02-06T10:08:00.000-05:00

Caught a few snippets of the Carribean World Series over the weekend and was horrified by the ads plastered all over the players' uniforms. They looked like NASCAR--not like the drivers, but the cars! A couple years ago major league baseball was toying with the idea of selling space on uniforms to raise revenues. The only test so far was a small patch on the sleeve of the two teams who played their opening games in Japan, Mets and Cubs if I recall correctly. Those patches were small and unobtrusive, almost looked like the branding done to the jerserys by their manufacturers. But the large logos on the Carribean uniforms are horrible. "Coca-Cola" in Coke's trademarked font emblazoned across the back in place of the player's name ? Come on. Baseball fans (all sports fans, pro and amateur) are already subjected to too much advertising. Should MLB ever decide to go with player-sited ads, I will organize a boycott, not only of MLB, but any advertiser who takes advantage of this kind of blunder.

Why I'm Happy Today
Not only is it just 59 days till Opening Day, but I see the BMets new hitting coach is John Valentin. Hot dog.

Signs of Spring

2006-02-01T16:28:00.000-05:00

The countdown is well into the single digits, only 64 days to Opening Day. Pitchers and catchers report in a mere two-and--half weeks. (Someone asked me why Pitchers and Catchers Report is such an important holiday on the Baseball Geek's calendar; I told her it's like Ash Wednesday, the first day of the long period that leads directly to the Big Day.)

Last Thursday evening I popped the Special Red Sox Edition with Extended Ending DVD of Fever Pitch into the DVD player, watched it again Friday evening, and now I'm primed to Think Baseball.

I'll also be Talkin' Baseball soon. Sent out the first ping to members of my fantasy league to see who's interested in another round. This will be our 7th season. Got seven yesses so far (out of a possible 12) and lapsed member who says he's sitting out one more season but expects to be back for season #8. (Yeah, I know as a Red Sox fan I should think Yaz when I see the number 8, but loving catchers the way I do I have to think Bill Dickey.)

Met with my mentor yesterday and we spent a good portion of the appointment talking baseball. He, of course, is a Red Sox fan and turns out he was at the late season Binghmaton game when Anibel Sanchez was pitching. We talked about Theo and Coco Crisp and pitching prospects, and a little about my program so that we could fill out my next contract. (I had been asked, when it was first announced that Theo was returning to Boston, what I thought he would be doing. I said director of player development until they can ease him back in as GM. Looks like they skipped that cumbersome step. Thank Mays.)

One of the things I had to do for this appointment was write a paper on baseball literature for credit by evaluation. I spent an entire Saturday, 13 hours straight, writing A Brief Survey of Baseball Literature, a 24 page paper. I pulled a lot of it from the lecture I do on baseball lit for the Baseball in American Cultural course, put it on paper and expanded on certain areas, but I kept thinking, "Oh, that's another book I should have included, where can I add it to the paper?". Considering I have baseball books filling (or at least taking up a majority of) seven bookcases in four different rooms, not including the ones that are stacked on the floor next to my bed and ringing my desk chair, this paper is only the tip of the baseball lit iceberg.

When I picked up my mocha this morning Go Coco! was inscribed on my cup. R was working the other window, but that never stood in the way of baseball talk.

Open mouth....

2005-12-19T15:10:00.000-05:00

...insert foot. Perhaps.

This morning on my way to work I stopped at the drive through for a motivating jolt of java, mocha to be precise, and was greet by My Barista R with "How many more days till opening day?" Guess another java jockey told him about my countdown clock that sits beside my vitamins. Gives me something to be happy about each morning as the days tick away toward that happy day.

Then he asked, "So how do you think 'we'll' do this year?"

Third place, I said. Toronto's looking good, they're going to make a run for it.

"Yeah, right," R said and grabbed a sheet of paper. "I'm going to write this down and post it in here. We'll revisit it in 109 days and again in September."

It's That Time of Year

2005-12-15T15:12:00.000-05:00

To casual fans, the time between the end of the World Series and the start of Spring Training (or maybe even Opening Day is they're casual enough) is a time of dormancy for baseball. Not so.

Trades, possible, probable or im, get underway before the champagne has dried on the locker room floor. It can be a heady time of year for baseball people, but one thing I've learned over the years is not to get too worked up about pending trades. Remember when A-Rod was coming to the Red Sox, or when Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams were going to be exchanged one-for-one? People like to speculate about trades, imminent or imaginary, picturing glory or catastrophe for their team. The pundits have players moving hither and yon at breakneck pace, getting fans in a tizzy over things that never come to pass. I've learned to wait until a trade is finalized before I get too excited.

Most fans are interested in the major league moves, especially the Big Names, like where are Miguel Tejada and Manny Ramirez going to end up. As a minor a league fan, it's that part of the announcement that most people ignore that most interests me, that part tacked on at the end, "for 2 minor league players" or "for a player to be named later." When the Roberto Alomar-Alex Escobar trade was initially announced, it included the dreaded PTBNL and I immediately figured that meant Earl Snyder. It did.

When I heard through the baseball grapevine at work that the Red Sox were making a trade with the Marlins that involved Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and some minor leaguers, my first thought wasn't about Boston adding to their rotation or getting a new third baseman. My first thought was that I hoped Anibal Sanchez, whom I've been touting as an up-and-comer, wasn't one of the minor leaguers thrown into the deal. He was, as was top shortstop prospect Hanley Ramirez, a fine player who hasn't met his promise yet and I'm not sure ever will.

With the Red Sox trading away their top minor league shortstop and releasing their regular shortstop, Edgar Renteria, it's apparently they're planning to acquire Miguel Tejada. Which would be great. Though if Steinbrenner can land Nomar Garciaparra to play first as rumor has happening, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't go after Miggy to play second so that George can have all four of the Big Guys from the Golden Age of the Shortstop playing infield for him at the same time. Hasn't happened yet, no point in getting worked up about.

Another move that caught my interest was the Marlins getting Mike Jacobs, another minor leaguer I've been rooting for. It's a move that should benefit Mike, and I may actually start paying attention to the Marlins, other than just how D-Train is doing.

Duke = Crash?
Earl Snyder has signed up for another season in the minors, with Cincinnati's AAA club, the Louisville Bats. First thing I did on hearing the news was check to see when the Bats would be making their only visit of the season to Syracuse, first week of April brrrrrr, then Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. If he hasn't gotten the call (he's listed on the Reds' depth chart at first base!) by July, it's up to Rochester to see him.

Fate Beckons?

2005-10-25T17:50:00.000-04:00

Pretty incredible, the quirky calls that are going the White Sox' way. Luck is such an important part of baseball, (see Moneyball) and usually the luck is running against whatever team I'm rooting for. For too many seasons, it seemed the luck was flowing away from the Red Sox, and toward the Yankees. Yankee fans apparently thought it their due, only to be outraged when the tides turned, the sun stopped shining on that dog's ass, and things went the way of the Red Sox.

This year, it's the White Sox. After 88 years, why not? (Somebody's got to find some piano-related theme for the ChiSox. The Babe's piano's been done.)

The home plate umpire, it turns out, actually did make a "dropped catch" call, but not loud enough, apparently, for the Angels' catcher to hear, though A.J. Pierzynski heard. (Elsewhere A.J.'s been labeled a clubhouse cancer and other negative things, at least with other teams, but just look at that sweet face.)

The ball hit Jermaine Dye's bat, not Jermaine. Take the base, JD.

When the ball squibs away from a fielder or sails past the catcher straight for the screen, take that extra base, grab the free run. As I always say when one of My Guys gets hit by a pitch, we're not too proud to take it.

I'm hoping that the world stays on its current tilt and the luck continues to flow the White Sox' way.

Apologies to emily and Sparky
I come down hard on the Braves, all season long, though especially hard in the post-season. Part of the reason I can't embrace the Braves is because of the ownership, the megalo-behemoth Time-Warner/AOL. I miss Ted Turner. The same way I miss the Steinbrenner-Martin-Jackson-Munson soap opera. I miss the drama, the comedy, the personality that encompassed the team. Ted Turner gave Jim Bouton a second shot and how can you not like an owner who thumbs his nose at the establishment that way? We have no Bill Veeck these days, but there were flashes of Veeck-like sensibilities when Ted Turner owned the Braves. (The Idiot identity of the championship BoSox only served to further endear them to me.)

The other has to do with, well, the ownership of the Braves. The local cable company is Time Warner and one of the stations that comes with basic cable is TBS, which means Braves baseball all the time. Perhaps not to the extent that YES presents Yankees baseball ad nasuem (no wonder their fans think they've won more than they really have), but if I were a Braves fan, I'd have no trouble finding a game several times a week. Couple that with the Mets being on one or the other of two channels (or sometimes on both at the same time, occasionally one of the broadcasts in Spanish), sure to carry the Mets-Braves games, a lot of them since they are in the same division. What really pushes my button is that when ESPN has the Braves, usually playing the Mets, as the national broadcast, or at least the eastern "choice," both TBS and MSG/FoxNY also carry it. Some evenings, flipping through the channels, I pass a Braves-Mets game on 4(!) different channels. Familiarity breeding contempt, fostered by TimeWarner.

I hope emily and Sparky accept as a token my rooting for the Richmond Braves. When Richmond is in town, I actually do root forthem rather than just against the Sky(gak)Chiefs. The R-Braves will always hold a spot in my affections since it was while he was with them that My Guy Jason Tyner hit his first ever home run, pro or college.

Go Sox Go!

2005-10-10T17:46:00.000-04:00

From the moment the season ended, my picks were the Chicago White Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals for the World Series. Happy to see both of them are advancing.

I've been accused of being disloyal to the Red Sox, but I don't see it that way. With all the pitching woes they had this year, it's surprising they tied for first place in the AL East, tied with the Yankees who had a poor pitching year as well. (Yankee fans like to think that their team won the East, but both teams had the same record, 95-67, [as did the Angels] with the Yankees being granted first place on the technicality that they won one more game against the Red Sox than vice versa. You could look at it from the other side, that the Red Sox won one more game over all other opponents than the Yanks.)

While I would have been very happy to see the BoSox repeat, they won the one we've all been waiting for. No other World Series win will ever mean as much as 2004.

So the Red Sox won last year, the Angels won their first ever in 2002, a happy occurrence (I was rooting for them all through that post-season), and the Yankees have just won too damn many Series. Time for someone else to have a chance. An attitude I know mystifies some people. As a gender, women tend to place much more importance on the issues of fairness and inclusion, the team over the score, which is not to say women are not competitive, just not as whacked about it as men too often are.

The Braves just can't quite ever quite make it quite to the finish, 14 straight division titles with only 4 pennants and 1 World Series win. But I can't feel sorry for Braves fans because, to me, the Braves are the National League version of the Yankees, shoved down our throats, at least here on the east coast, with a glaring lack of personality, corporate crews.

Houston is hard to get excited about, although I know Ron Briley would love to see them at the Dance some day and I'd like Ron to have that opportunity. But the Astros have Roger Clemens and I love seeing him thwarted. Yes, I blame the Rocket for the Red Sox' loss of Game 6, not Bill Buckner, because Rog displayed too much hubris by running down into the clubhouse to shave so he would look good on camera when he was interviewed, post-game, as the winning pitcher in the game that finally brought the Series crown back to Boston in 1986.

I'm not terribly familiar with the current White Sox, though I have seen some of them play with Charlotte, but the few I know I like, A.J., Timo Perez, and Jermaine Dye. My friend Statman would love to see his team win the Series, and I want that for him.

The fans of Chicago, both teams, have been denied a World Series win even longer than the Red Sox fans were, though without a doubt the BoSox fans have suffered the drought with more angst. Since the Curse was broken for the Red Sox in 2004, it would be fitting for the White Sox to finally win again in 2005, and should that happen, look for the Cubs to reach the pinnacle in 2014.

that jacket

2005-09-07T18:32:00.000-04:00

In The Upside of Anger Kevin Costner plays a former baseball player turned radio personality. Throughout the movie he wears a green jacket, the same green jacket, I swear, that he wore in Bull Durham, the one he pulls a ball of out and tells not-yet-Nuke to throw at him, hit him in the chest.

Whoever was responsible for that detail, thumbs up.

End of the Season Blues

2005-09-05T19:54:00.000-04:00

The end of the minor league season always gets to me, even in those years when I'm ready for baseball to end, to cease being a place I "have to" be. Inevitably I shed a melancholy tear or two on my journey home from the last game, though this year it got to me on my way there.

This final weekend was a fun one. A former B-Met was back in town, with the visiting New Britain Rock Cats, his first return since leaving the team at the end of last year. And in tribute to him, they played his theme music when he came up to bat, "Sponge Bob Squarepants" and the crowd sang along. Last year when Gil was in a slump, his girlfriend's son suggested Gil have them play Sponge Bob when he came to the plate to break the slump, and it worked. As long as he kept hitting, they kept playing it.

Out on the field, the B-Mets lost the first two games of the four game series, but they came back on Sunday to win, knocking New Britain out of play-off contention. On Monday, Labor Day, the wind was definitely knocked out of the Rock Cats, but all the B-Mets regular starters played, with the exception of catcher Zac Clements, but sitting for a day game following a night game is typical. Reliever Tim McNab started the game, perhaps auditioning for a starting role next season. The guys played a good game enough though it was the last game of a losing season, 63-79, 13 games back in the division, tied for last place in the league.

People kept saying "see you at hockey," since many of the box seat people also are regulars at the B-Sens' games, but P voiced what I feel, it's not the same. It's not just the game, the baseball, but the fun of being at the game with the gang that sits in our box.

When she arrived, M had tissues to hand out in case anyone get weepy about it being the last game. It got a little silly as we would say "this is the last whatever of the season" through a couple innings. M had also brought bubble gum for us. Not to chew but to retaliate. First base coach Dave Hollins has flung his chewed gum toward the ground right in front of our box all season, flinging it four or five times a game, most of the time hitting the dirt, but a couple times hitting people in the front row, even landing it in one guy's beer. And unlike other first base coaches we've had, like Ho Jo and Roger LaFrancois, he never acknowledged the fans, never showed any reaction to anything during the game, and did a poor job of coaching first. We were all pretty disgusted by his gum flinging habit and the idea of fling gum at him grew until we agreed to do it at the last game. It took a bit of stratagizing to decide exactly when we'd do it, because we didn't want to get thrown out the park. Since the B-Mets were leading and the Rock Cats didn't seem likely to tie things up, we decided it would have to be in the bottom of the eighth. The GM happened to swing by our box during the latter part of the game and we though the jig was up, especially since he came back during the top of the eighth. AS if that weren't enough, the promo guy Bill, wouldn't leave the field when the B-Mets came up to bat, and he had to pass through the gate at the bottom of our box, standing between us and Hollins. Finally, after the first batter, Bill out of the way, some hollered Hollins' name and bubble gum, still in its wrappers, rained down from our box in Hollins' direction. He glanced over in our direction and smile, the first reaction out of the guy in the entire season. The only problem, I told P, was that he might think that the gesture meant we liked him.

After the end of the last game of the season, the team discards all the BP balls, batting gloves, a few hats and shirts, a bat or two, or even a catcher's mask, by tossing them into the stands. I got one that David Bacani, the team's most inspirational player (voted by the team) and most popular player (voted by the fans) threw. At the start of the game as David walked by, G called out to him thanks for the great season and what fun it was to see him play, and David thanked G saying he enjoyed playing for these fans.

The park saw its highest attendance during its first year, a championship year, and not surprisingly, the second highest was the next year. This season, a losing season, comes in third in attendance. Although the team might not have been winning, B-Mets players success was highly celebrated in the media, David Wright last year and Mike Jacobs initial big splash in the majors, which has to be bringing people to the park. The endurance of the team/park has to be park of the equation as well. People are now used to the idea that there's a ball game to go to.

Now that the season's ended I can finally turn my attention to the Red Sox and the stretch run.

Added to my collection

2005-08-29T17:25:00.000-04:00

I collect ballparks. This season I added only one, Fisher Cats Ballpark in Manchester, NH.

Minor league parks are usually situated beside a river or next to railroad tracks. This park is wedged in between the two, with Merrimack River running fragrantly behind the third base side seats, the train crossing beyond right field.

One of the prevailing comments, or complaints actually, about the major league parks that were built in the '70s was that they were too much alike, the "cookie cutter" parks, which has resulted in the newer parks being built with that trendy retro look. A great many minor league teams got new parks built because the requirements spelled out in the affiliation agreement between the majors and the minors, and unfortunately a lot of these parks have been built from the same blueprint. Manchester is one of them.

You climb stairs when you enter the park to reach the concourse, which is wide and open to the field so that you can, at least in theory, keep an eye on the game while getting your snack. The seats, except for the luxury boxes, run from the concourse down to the field. It's not a bad design on its own, but too many parks are now virtually identical and most have yet to develop a distinguishing character.

The quirk at this one is the outfield advertising. The walls have rotating signs built into them, that scroll up and down like window shades (the ground rules cover the possibility that a ball will get stuck in the rotating signs). The signs change with every batter. There is no constant scoreboard; the scoreboard is part of the ever-changing display on the videoboard in centerfield. A camera crew roams this park and let's everyone catch every second of every promo on the big screen.

The stadium in Syracuse has the same artificial turf and dimensions as Toronto to train the players and the nod to the big league club here is a hotel directly behind the left field wall.

The signature food is Boston: chowdah and pizza. The beer on tap gets high marks: Guiness and Bass Ale.

I asked for a seat in approximately the same location I sit in at my home park, but to my dismay this apparently is the birthday party and Little League team area. There were scores of young boys, noisy boys surrounding me, so by the end of the fourth inning, I had to move. Far, far away. To the opposite side of the park, the side from which I have trouble picking up the ball. But the smell of the river was less of a bother than the shrieks and foot stomping of all those young boys. The park has metal decking under the seats, so foot stomping is big here, just like in Lowell.

The Fisher Cats may be the Blue Jays AA team, but the audience in Manchester is a Red Sox crowd. More Red Sox branded clothing was worn than all other team branded clothing combined. The program had plenty of Red Sox related advertising. And in the souvenir store there was a couple items with the Fisher Cats' logo, lots of Red Sox items, a few different Portland Sea Dogs things, and one lonely rack of Blue Jays shirts.

The problem in Manchester is parking. The park is smack dab in the center of town and there is no dedicated parking. You have to park in local businesses' lots at $10.

Perhaps in time this park will develop a distinguishing personality, though it will probably be a split personality as long as the big club isn't the Red Sox.

Whatta Weekend!

2005-08-22T09:55:00.000-04:00

Friday: Who Are These Guys?
This time of the season, I'm used to seeing a lot of new faces on the field as the team that has been here all summer is promoted, traded or released. No exception this year; I had to buy a program to find out who was who. Corey Ragsdale (6'4" but describes himself as a small guy) has been here since Chase was promoted for good to the Tides which makes him one of the old guys. New third baseman is Russ Triplett, (the team that used to play here was the Triplets) and he started his AA career nicely with two walks and a single in four plate appearances. Another newbie is Jonathan Slack OF. The B-Mets beat the Thunder 9-3.

Saturday: Laughing All the Way
Blues Brothers between innings, an outstanding performance by starter Evan MacLane, and an inside the park home run, first I've seen in person. Liviana, Grace and Mellow had a great time at the park, Grace kept telling me this was the most fun game she had ever been to. Corey Ragsdale SS hit a ball off the center field wall and the Trenton centerfielder was slow on getting to it so Rags just kept on running and running and running, came home standing up. It was incredible. The first inning looked like it was going to be a typical B-Mets fiasco, but MacLane was dominating for six straight innings, after giving up a run in the first. In the seventh it was clear he was tiring as all three outs were warning track flies when the ball hadn't been getting that far before. In the eighth he got two outs and gave up two runs and was unhappy he was lifted. No save situation for Lopez, though, B-Mets win 14-3.

Sunday: Rags Runs Some More
While the B-Mets played like we've been used to this season on Sunday, losing 15-6, there were bright spots as we assessed the team that will probably be here next year, at least until next August. With Chase ensconced at short in Norfolk, Rags will be our starting shortstop. He's made a few errors, but he's also made some outstanding plays at short and while his BA is low (he finally rose above the Mendoza Line this weekend) he's hit 6 homers in 49 games and Sunday got two stand up triples. This kid is only going to get better. Trippy will be our third baseman and his debut has certainly been promising, walks and doubles routine and probably a good glove at the hot corner. Second we don't know about. Brett Harper will probably be back at first doing his doorstop impression. Outfielder, Jonathan Slack, just up, possibly Bobby Malek who is in his second stint in Binghamton with a fair bat but a great arm, can nail runners at the plate from deep right field. Center is wide open as Lastings Milledge won't be back. Zach Clements finally got some rest with Rafael Arroyo making his first appearance behind the plate. Raffi is a small guy, as tall as Pudge Rodriguez but half his bulk, little for a catcher so I'm predicting him as my favorite B-Met of 2006.

Go Jake
In the middle of a pitching change the announcement came over the PA that former B-Met catcher Mike Jacobs in his first major league at bat hit a pinch hit three-run home run. Yayyyyyy!

I See Ballplayers

2005-08-19T17:30:00.000-04:00

Time Warner Cable has one thing I definitely approve of: local minor league baseball.

On Thursday evenings when the Sky(gak)Chiefs are at home, the game is broadcast. Last night they were hosting Rochester (whom I didn't get to see play Sunday), so I got to see my first favorite B-Met Jason Tyner playing center. And surprise, surprise, Rochester's new shortstop is Gil Velasquez, shortstop and backup shortstop in Binghamton for the past three seasons.

~~~~
Movement

With Mike Piazza day-to-day with his hand fracture, Mike Jacobs got The Call. He'll be backup at catcher, but if he can show them he can hit while he's there, he might stick. Last week, when the game was tight in the late innings, Mike was on the dugout steps, cheering and clapping, leading his teammates and the fans in rooting for the B-Mets, a heartening sight.

David Bacani, utility man extraordinare, has been called up to Norfolk. David, who is listed generously as 5'7", plays second, third, short, and the outfield, though shortstop is his natural position, and when games have gotten totally blown out, he's pitched a few late innings with a terrific ERA.

Joe Hietpas was called up a couple weeks ago, and with Jacobs in NYC, the B-Mets have only one catcher. Wonder if relief pitcher Jeremy Hill is on standby as backup at catcher, his former position.

The Norfolk Tides have clinched their division, and looking over the roster, I'm not surprised. They're basically the team that played most of the season in Binghamton last year and were lights out.

Matty strikes again

2005-08-17T20:43:00.000-04:00

I didn't get a game Sunday in Rochester, though I did geta logo-embossed baseball as the promotional giveaway as fans entered the gates, marked Red Wings on one sides, Twins on the opposite side, two sponsors' logos between them.

Matty has made off with it. I can't find it, but I can hear it clonking against the walls, the doors, the piano when he plays with it. As soon as he hears someone coming, he tucks it away somewhere in the dining room where we can't locate it.

Weather Wimps

2005-08-14T22:18:00.000-04:00

After saying all those nice things about the Rochester Red Wings, I have to take a swipe at them today.

I drove all the way up there to catch a Sunday afternoon game, scheduled to start at 1:30. At 1:15 they covered the infield and announced that a cell was coming through, light rain, and they hoped to get the game started by 2:15 if not earlier.

It was drizzling, and it did rain lightly, returning to a faint drizzle, but at 2:15 they announced that because it was going to drizzle and rain lightly throughout the afternoon, the game was postponed to a doubleheader Monday night.

Maybe they won't start a game when the air is wet, or at least moist, maybe the Twins won't let the locals risk their players of the future, but it was barely drizzling. More like a misting. In Binghamton the week before, they played through rain, with thunder and lightning skirting just to the south. They've played during tornado warnings. Maybe the gate was too light.

I ended up poking around a bookstore just south of the city for a while, left town not much before the time the game would have ended had it started as scheduled, and it was still only lightly drizzling. Weather wimps.

My timing worked out well, as I pulled into Auburn just as the first pitch was being thrown by the Doubledays. Got to see a could great plays by the centerfielders and rightfielders of both teams. The pitching wasn't too shabby, but neither team was stellar in the infield. The best play of the game was by the Auburn manager. His team had been trailing 2-1 for some time and when a shot up the right field line made it 4-1 he came roaring out of the dugout to let the ump know the ball was on the foul side of the bag this far, holding his hands about 18" apart. He kept at it for a while, getting the crowd, and his team, going, getting tossed but not leaving the field. The other ump came in to cool things down and the manager had to show him how far outside the base he thought the ball went by retrieving the base from its spot on the field and carrying it to home plate, holding the base up and demonstrating it was this far outside. From my vantage point, aligned with first, the ball was clearly fair. It was good to get to a game, but watching short-season A ball reminds me exactly why I love AA.

Matty, the Baseball Cat

2005-08-11T19:11:00.000-04:00

My cat Matty takes his being named for Christy Mathewson seriously. His favorite toy is a ballpark give-away, a small white rubber ball with red markings.

Baseballs are perched in odd spots throughout my house, on top of the upright piano, on top of china cupboard, on window sills and in bookcases, and any ball Matty can see is fair game as far as he's concerned.

There was a small Christmas ornament tucked behind stuff on the buffet, a snowman whose body was a clear plastic baseball. Matty found it, knocked off the snowman's head with its scarf and hat, and started batting the ball portion around.

The only television that has captured his attention is baseball. Movies or games, he'll watch the players moving around for long spells.

'Bout Time

2005-08-07T18:56:00.000-04:00

Liviana can't miss the B-Mets schedule plastered to my office door when she stops by for coffee or lunch most days. Both Grace and I have periodically nudged her about bringing the girls to the ballpark, since spring training. Every time I mentioned it, Liviana said there was plenty of time, plenty of summer left. Not so any more. Must be the double whammy of both of us nudging her this week finally made an impact.

Once we were at the park and Liviana had had her first spiedi and Nine Man ale of the season, Grace lamenting that they had come to the park nearly every weekend the year before (she overestimates the number of times they came, but it's good to know she felt like it was a place to be regularly), she was asking when they could next return, pulling out the B-Mets schedule and picking our next outing.

Grace has been attentive from the first while Mellow has been more interested what to eat next while scoping out cute boys, which translates into virtually every male under 30. This time Mellow was paying attention to the game, asking occasional questions about what was happening on the field and why. When the B-Mets intentionally walked a batter, she noted the catcher standing behind the plate, and wondered by they were intentionally loading the bases. Setting up the doubleplay, I explained. But, she noted as the next batter hit came to the plate, they could give up a grand slam. Which they did. And she got to puzzle out the infield fly rule when that was called. Great game. And three of the four minor leaguers Tampa Bay would have gotten in the aborted Manny Ramirez trade were on the field today: Lastings Milledge, Yusmiro Petit and Anibel Sanchez.