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.
Friday, April 14, 2006
One Down, Eleven To Go
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".
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
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.
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.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Beginnings
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.
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.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Into the Home Stretch
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?
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?
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Soon, soon
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.
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.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Scorecard Here!
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.
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.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Woo, baby!
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.
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?
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Signs of Spring
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.
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.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Open mouth....
...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."
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."
Thursday, December 15, 2005
It's That Time of Year
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Fate Beckons?
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.
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.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Go Sox Go!
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
that jacket
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.
Whoever was responsible for that detail, thumbs up.
Monday, September 05, 2005
End of the Season Blues
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.
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.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Added to my collection
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.
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.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Whatta Weekend!
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!
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!
Friday, August 19, 2005
I See Ballplayers
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.
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.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Matty strikes again
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.
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.
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