The end of February is in sight. Spring Training is underway and now it is just the short wait until the beginning of baseball season and games that I can go to. I’m shooting to make a trip to New York this year to see the Pirates when they play the Mets and as a bonus my hometown York Revolution will be playing at the Long Island Ducks so I can take in a game there as well. I’m also planning stops to see the New Jersey Jackals of the Can-Am League as well as the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones as well in what will be a short and sweet trip. Stops of interest will be Thomas Edison’s place in New Jersey, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Grant’s Tomb and a trip up the Empire State Building. And much more! Kevin’s Friendly Travel service is working overtime for this.
Took in the YAIAA semifinals on Tuesday. Central defeated New Oxford in what can be described as an unexciting game. Northeastern then took down Kennard-Dale in the second game. The KD fans were excited and they fought hard for the first three quarters but ran out of gas in the end. So it will be Northeastern vs. Central for the second year in a row on Thursday for the YAIAA crown.
Wednesday took me to York College to watch the #8 Spartans take on St. Mary’s College. York put the Seahawks in a big hole early but took their foot off the gas and let St. Mary’s come back. The game should have never been as close as it was and something was just not right. Took many players had butterfingers and St. Mary’s got it down to 3 at the very end but could not get any closer. St. Mary’s could be pretty good next year.
I was considering not going to the YAIAA championship game on Thursday but my dad got me a ticket so I went. Northeastern blew Central away last year and I was worried that would happen again. It didn’t. Central controlled the first half and was driving to the basket at will. Somehow Northeastern, I mean Antonio Rizzuto, stuck around and Rizzuto hit a more than half court shot with .7 seconds on the clock tying the game at the half. That was a game changer. Central started the second half well and then Northeastern flexed their muscles. Fred Mulbah started to drive to the hoop and Central’s shots stopped falling. Central got close again as Northeastern had some trouble at the line but Central had their own struggles at the line. They got the deficit to 1 but couldn’t get over the hump and Northeastern closed it out hitting their free throws.
Did get some bad news this week. Black Cap Brewing down in Red Lion is closing. The General Gates Porter that they make is one of my favorite beers. They’ll be closing on April 14 so I guess I have a little bit of time left and I stopped in for dinner on Friday. Saturday took me up to Lydian Stone Brewing in York Haven. I did not even know that they existed until about a month ago. It seems like new breweries are popping up all over the place now and they bottle, so it only seems logical so I can add them to my collection. It seems like every town in the county has one except for Dover, Manchester/Mt. Wolf, Hallam and Spring Grove. It is almost getting to be too much. When Gift Horse opens I’ll have 5 breweries all within walking distance of my house. Also York College lost at Christopher Newport, which gave the Captains the #1 overall seed for the CAC tournament. From what I heard they stunk in the game. Hope it is not a sign of things to come.
Sunday took me up to Reading. I needed to redeem my bobblehead voucher that I got back in January and this day worked. Stopped at Chatty Monks Brewing in Wyomissing for a late lunch/early dinner and then watched the Royals take on the Wheeling Nailers. Had the Q Platter at Chatty Monks, most excellent along with an excellent Milk Stout. The hockey game was not exciting. Reading scored 2 quick goals on Wheeling in the 1st period and just kept adding on. The final was 6-0. Not Wheeling’s night.
