Well the season is winding down. It is always bittersweet at this time of year. I enjoy getting out to see at least the Mid-Atlantic and getting out of York, even if it is just for an evening. I also do look forward to sitting at home for a bit and just going out on the weekends. I also see that the AHL season opens up really early this year so it will be an almost seamless transition to hockey. But it seems that my bobblehead collection will not be increasing much over the winter. Maybe the Reading Royals will do one because Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton isn’t and Lehigh Valley has yet to do one in their franchise history (at least not for the general public). I do have yet to attend an NHL game, they are just really expensive and I would imagine it will be difficult to get a ticket to see Washington and Pittsburgh down in DC. I did get a ticket to see a game a few years ago but the lockout wiped it out. I’ve always eyed a Sunday afternoon game but it seems like the only one that the Penguins play in Pittsburgh is on Super Bowl Sunday so that just doesn’t work.
And now to this week’s games:
Game #121 Lancaster at York. War of the Roses time. Not really sure who is leading this but I am here to give the Revs my kiss of death. I think Lancaster is winning the series but the local paper does not put much information in it. They cut off the deadline at some point in the afternoon which means you get yesterday’s news two days later. The standings used to be displayed in the stadium but even Lancaster didn’t show it the last time I was there. Robert Carson started for York against Joe Gardner for the Barnstormers. Neither starter was very good. Carson gave up 3 runs but seemed to recover. He seemed to tweak something in the 3rd but finished the inning only to be pulled after it. Gardner was doing a bit better but was flirting with disaster in the 1st and 2nd giving up only one run. In the 3rd the Revs broke through with 6 runs. It was a bad inning for Lancaster shortstop Vladimir Frias who had several groundballs ricochet off of his glove and flat out miss one. With the Revs in control they tacked on a few more runs against former Revs, Ty’Relle Harris and Luke Westphal. While Lancaster tacked on one late the damage was done and York wins 11-4. Also it looks like Lancaster leads the series 8-7 now (added it up online later) and if York can win 3 of the 4 in this series they will retain the Community Cup so one down.
Game #122 Columbia at Hagerstown. Last time down to Municipal Stadium for the year. A big difference this year with the Fireflies, of course last year they had Saint Timothy with them and the four game series that they played there constituted half of the yearly attendance for the Suns. This was a rare 2:00 Tuesday start and I did consider not going as the weather forecast was pretty lousy. When I woke up it had improved so I gave this a go. There was a lot of rain east of Catoctin but once I got into the Cumberland Valley the rain disappeared and the sun came out. I was thinking I was in good shape and, well they opened the gates, so I thought I was gonna luck out. There were about 15 other fans (maybe less) in the stands when someone came around and said the game was canceled. Wasn’t expecting a lot of people to begin with but sheesh. The umpires had called the game and when I got home I saw it was canceled due to wet grounds. It is an old stadium that can’t handle water so I was not completely shocked and home I went. I could have headed up to Harrisburg to take in the Senators or downtown to watch the Revs and the weather forecast was better here for the evening but not by much. The Senators wound up being rained out too and the Revs came one out shy of becoming an official game before the rain got too heavy. Since I had a steak out for dinner I enjoyed that along with some teriyaki rice and put a dent into the pile o’ beer.
Game #123 Trenton at Reading. OK, I was wondering just what the heck Roberto Clemente has to do with Reading? Nothing as far as I know. I don’t know if he ever even stepped foot in the city. Heck, when I was sitting at the last bobblehead game in Reading waiting for the gates to open two older fellows were trying to figure that out too. One seemed genuinely surprised that he never played for the Phillies or in their system. I mean really? Would he be shocked if I told him Mike Schmidt had played for the Pirates (he didn’t nor any other team for that matter) or if Steve Carlton played for another team (he did)? This was Latino Heritage Night and the team was retiring Clemente’s number, which is something that has been bandied about in all of baseball. As far as I know Pittsburgh is the only place with his number retired but I could be wrong though a Google search did not provide any information other than Pittsburgh. The Roberto Clemente Museum was there and had one of his Gold Gloves, one of his hats and one of his bats which was neat to see.
Tyler Viza pitched for Reading against Jonathan Loaisiga for Trenton. Both pitched relatively well as the first four innings were played in about one hour flat, which I greatly appreciated. The game kept on moving and I left after the sixth with it tied 2-2. That was when the fireworks went off. Reading got two in the bottom of the seventh, Trenton responded with 6 in the 8th and Reading got 3 back in their half of the 8th. Reading’s Kyle Dohy and Seth McGarry walked a lot of batters in the 8th (6 to be exact) and it led to a Rashad Crawford grand slam. Despite that the game was still played in just under 3 hours and Trenton wins 8-7. This pretty much eliminates Reading and given Altoona’s win over Harrisburg it looks like the Eastern League playoff teams are set.
There were of course more Weenie Boy moments in this one. First he asked me if I ever saw Roberto Clemente play. He saw him play, he lived in Pittsburgh at the time but c’mon, I’m not that old. He asked a stupid question and I gave him a stupid answer. Later when leaving he almost walked by my car, despite the fact that I was standing at it. Considering last weekend he tried to get into the wrong car I do wonder what goes on up top.
Game #124 Lancaster at York. The team advertised that the 3 millionth fan would step through the gates for this one and I know you are all asking one question: Was it me? The answer is no. You really thought they would pick me? But 3 million fans in 12 years, with one of those seasons with half of the games being played on the road since the stadium was not finished? Seems fishy to me. That’s 250,000 fans per year and I don’t think we’ve ever exceeded 250,000 fans in a season, maybe with playoff games in there for one or two seasons but all 12? Nah, I don’t think so. Methinks they would have been better off waiting for next year to do this, especially if they are fudging the numbers. But there were bigger fish to fry. The Community Cup comes down to this game, winner takes it.
I was feeling good until I walked into the stadium. Not only was the Revolution lineup missing two of its big hitters due to injury but the pitching matchup heavily favored the Barnstormers. Carl Brice and his 7+ ERA pitched for the Revs against John Anderson and his sub 3 ERA. Brice struggled mightily in the 1st and a pitcher was warming up to come in but he got out of it only giving up 1 run. The Revs came back and tied it and then took the lead in the next inning after Melky Mesa just missed a homerun by only an inch or two and scored later on a wild pitch. Then everything fell apart. Brice couldn’t get anyone out in the fourth and his relief was little better as the Revs surrendered 5 runs in the inning. The Revs fought back getting two more and they did threaten more but that was it. Lancaster wins 6-4 and wins the Community Cup back.
Game #125 Somerset at Lancaster. Could have stuck around town and watched the Revolution but I do feel the need to make a cameo appearance in Lancaster every now and again. Stopped at Wacker Brewing downtown for pregame beer. Got a foam football from the Barnstormers, yay! Just what I always wanted. Ty’Relle Harris started for the Barnstormers against Stephen Perakslis for the Patriots. I knew this could be a long one when the umpires were announced. Nate Caldwell was behind the plate and he does not seem to enjoy umpiring unless both teams are mad at him. He also does not do a good job in keeping the game moving. I don’t even want to mention that he screwed the Revolution out of a playoff win a few years ago but I will. In this one Somerset jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the 1st thanks to Harris’ wildness. He settled down but the damage was done. Harris pitched for the Revs last year and retired mid-season. Guess he got the itch again. Lancaster never got going and Somerset did not score again. The game was slower than molasses through the first 4 but picked up speed after that. It would have been nice if the Barnstormers looked like this the night before and it was probably a post Community Cup winning hangover. Somerset wins 5-0.
Game #126 Richmond at Altoona. Final trip to Altoona for the year, probably. It looks like they should make the EL playoffs and I might decide to show up for a playoff game. Keyword might. After Labor Day things get a bit boring so you never know. As a bonus this was a doubleheader! Stopped beforehand at Boyer Candies to cash in my dad’s near lifetime supply of Mallo Cup bucks. He got a Marty Mallo for 3,000 points and it was not what he was expecting. Much hilarity ensued. I picked up some Little Jimmys and some Mallo Cup factory seconds. At the game I picked up a Neil Walker bobblehead, which completes my set. Had to go to eBay to get a few but I got em. Jake McCasland started for Richmond against James Marvel for Altoona. Wonder if there will be any comic book bobbleheads for Marvel. We can only hope that he hits it big. This one was all Altoona. McCasland was not good walking six people (including walking in two runs) and giving up nine hits. Altoona did not get a single extra base hit but plated 9 runs, topped off by a 6 run 4th inning that chased McCasland. I wonder if Squirrel center fielder Matt Lipka got tired of seeing Al Tuna that inning? Marvel gave up 2 in the 5th but nothing else while going the distance for a rare minor league complete game. OK, its only 7 innings but its a complete game nonetheless and Altoona wins 9-2.
Game #127 Richmond at Altoona. On to Game 2. Garrett Williams started for Richmond against Scooter Hightower for the Curve. Altoona was first to strike with one run in the second and two in the third and that was all they needed. Williams struggled while Hightower mowed down the Squirrels allowing only two hits. Cole Tucker and Bryan Reynolds had big doubleheaders for Altoona collecting multiple hits in each game. Altoona wins 3-0 all but clinching a playoff berth by eliminating Harrisburg. Only Reading remains and with a Magic Number of 1 so it is academic at this point. The Senators were trying to sell me postseason tickets, guess that’s out the window now. The Curve also moved into a tie for first place in their division thanks to the Senators win on Friday night.
Game #128 Erie at Bowie. I do look forward to this one every single year. My parent’s financial people have a get together with a buffet at the Baysox. You can sit in the AC in the skybox or outside and usually is pretty nice. Free food and free beer! Unfortunately since I usually drive down myself I don’t partake in much of the beer. One of these times it will be against Altoona, one of these times…in fact it might be next year! Dean Kremer pitched for Bowie against A.J. Ladwig for Erie. Kremer was good, real good surrendering 2 hits and walking 2 over six. Ladwig was hardly bad but he got off on the wrong foot in the 1st giving up a solo shot to Austin Hayes followed by 2 more runs in the 2nd. Corban Joseph added a solo shot off of a reliever in the 7th. Erie got one on the board when Jay Flaa (could he be the first Klingon to pitch in the bigs?) gave up a solo shot to Josh Lester that just kept carrying. The game was played in less than 2:30, always nice but this was one of those rare occasions where it could have gone longer and I wouldn’t have minded. Bowie wins 4-1. Had a few foul balls come close in this one, one hit right below me and got stuck in the gutter. Just out of reach.
Game #129 New York at Baltimore. You have no idea just how much I wanted to skip this when this changed to an 8:00 game but since I was coming back from Bowie this was just convenient enough. I have not been to anywhere near as many Oriole games this year, probably because of their play on the field. In the past I have only stuck around for a few innings of these games and those were when the Orioles were much better. The only bonus for these games is that I can usually find a parking spot on the street so I can save a few dollars there. Dylan Bundy pitched for the Orioles against Luis Severino for the Bombers. It should be no surprise that the Yankees put some runs on the board and the Orioles had a bit of trouble in this one. Luke Voit hit a 2 run shot and the Yanks added another 2 runs in the next inning. In typical Yankee fashion the game was dragging and I had resolved to leave about 9:15 in this one. I do like my beauty sleep after all. At least the Orioles got a hit before I left. I barely recognize the Orioles anymore. In this one about 17,000 fans were in attendance, mostly Yankee fans. It’s bad this year. New York wins 5-3 in a game that ended well after 11:00.
On the docket for next week
August 27 – probably going to sit at home
August 28 – Toronto at Baltimore
August 29 – Connecticut at Aberdeen
August 30 – West Virginia at State College
August 31 – Myrtle Beach at Frederick
September 1 – Pawtucket at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre for The Office bobblehead
September 2 – no game, at my aunt’s house
