After a rainy week last week this was a pretty nice week. Cool and for the most part sunny. Starting to prepare for this year’s big baseball trip to New York. Won’t be too long and it shouldn’t cost too much, depending on how many breweries are open on the days I can visit. I’m planning on going to the top of the Statue of Liberty and touring the Intrepid Air and Space Museum as well as several other smaller things. I’m still looking for some things to do on Long Island for a day so we’ll see if I can find something since the breweries don’t open until the afternoon. I know one beer I will not be buying, Blue Point’s Mad Sea’d. The boss brought that back from his trip to New York and I tried one and quite frankly I found it to be awful. Sea salt in beer should be a no-no.

Game #52 Richmond at Reading. The 17th Morning Game and I look forward to this every year. Started out of necessity because it was late in the season and both teams were hitting the road but had to make up a rainout from the night before they agreed to play a game in the morning at I think 8 AM. The team didn’t expect many people to show up but oh, how wrong they were. Traffic was stacked up on PA 12 trying to get to the stadium and the third shift let out in the factories near the park and the workers came there for their post-shift entertainment. It’s been a Reading tradition ever since.

Got to the stadium early and got a free coffee mug and a free whoopie pie from Shady Maple. Yum. At least I thought that until I watched professional eater Notorious B.O.B. down 35 of them in 10 minutes before the game. That makes me sick to my stomach. Why all this Whoopie stuff? Reading played the game as the Whoopies rather than the Fightin’ Phils. Strolled the warning track as well, certainly a much different perspective actually getting onto the field. During the game JoJo Romero started for the Whoopies and was mediocre. He gave up 4 runs through 5 and was yanked in the 6th with two on and no out. His replacement gave up only one run after loading the bases with no outs. For Richmond their starter Shaun Anderson (Giants #8 prospect) wasn’t much better. He gave up 3 in the first (this is a game that really throws players out of their rhythms) and another later that gave Reading a 4-3 lead. Richmond tied the game in the 6th after Romero was yanked, Reading retook the lead but once again Richmond tied the game on John Polonius’ home run. This went into extras and Reading’s Austin Bossart walked it off with an RBI single in the 10th for a 6-5 win.

Game #53 Binghamton at Harrisburg. I took in the Tim Tebow experience last year in Hagerstown so I’m back for more. Last year that four game set was about half of the team’s yearly attendance and Tebow has continued to bring the fans out this year. A Tuesday night just about anywhere is a low attendance night but not tonight. Tebow is a big deal and people stood along that side of the field just to watch him warm up. The line to get up to the Rumble Ponies’ dugout was long and even when the rain hit the people staid in line, at it rained pretty hard for a bit. Yes, it rained leading to a one hour rain delay. The game was moving right along for the first 3 innings with Binghamton taking a 1-0 lead. St. Tim grounded out to second and caught a fly ball to a roaring ovation. Harrisburg scored 2 off of Ponies’ starter Mickey Jannis but Binghamton came right back adding 4 runs over the next two innings. All of the Tebow fans were happy, he had an RBI single and scored a run. At that point I left, it looked like the Senators were melting down and starter Brady Dragmire was out of gas. They may want to start paying me to leave early. The comeback started immediately picking up 2 in the 6th and then 2 in the ninth to walk it off when closer Tyler Bashlor blew it. I’m guessing most of the 6,300+ people who attended didn’t really care too much.

As an aside the Senators are going all in on Tebow. He graced the cover of the program (two seperate versions were available for sale) and they were selling Tebow merchandise. Admittedly this is the first time I can think of that a visiting player has been on the cover of any team’s program. I imagine this is what Michael Jordan’s time in baseball was like back in the 90s.

Game #54 Binghamton at Harrisburg. A day game in Harrisburg so not quite as many people for Tebowmania though there was still a very good crowd. I weaseled my way into a free ticket, keep on reading and you’ll find out why and with parking being free on Thursdays with a clothing donation this made for a cheap game. Probably a lot of relieved people today since Tebow did not start on Wednesday but he did pinch hit. That was a boot to the berries for the 8,000 people who showed up for Wednesday’s game and I bet the place emptied out after he pinch hit, if they stayed around at all. Wirkin Estevez pitched for Harrisburg and he was not good. He gave up a solo home run to Peter McNeil in the first and then couldn’t find the strike zone in the second giving up 4 more runs. St. Tim was hit by a pitch and came around to score. Scott Copeland pitched for Binghamton and was better. It took until the 6th for the Senators to get on the board. They added another in the 7th and had the tying run on second with two outs but the batter struck out. The Pony bullpen shut the door from there to win 5-3.

Game #55 Long Island at York. Last team in the Atlantic League to get in. The Ducks always have a good crop of former big leaguers and this year is no different and for me its highlighted by former Pirate Travis Snider, former Pirate farmhand (and Detroit Tiger) Ramon Cabrera and former big leaguer Emilio Bonificio. The big name is former All Star Francisco Rodriguez though. The Revs do seem to have the Ducks’ number and tonight played out that way. Revs’ started Mitch Atkins, winless for the year with an ERA north of 7, pitched well allowing only two runs, one on a passed ball and the other on a wild pitch while pitching into the 6th. Two Revs relievers handled it from there with a big lead. The Revs pounched on Ducks starter Andrew Barbosa getting 3 in the first and they continued to take advantage of poor Duck command building the lead larger and larger through the game until it became a laugher. The Revs won 9-2.

Game #56 San Francisco at DC. Up early to head to DC for my yearly meeting with my financial advisor outside of our nation’s capitol. The Donald has been very good for my portfolio! I originally was scheduled for the afternoon but had to reschedule for the morning, which meant I had to brave rush hour Baltimore traffic to get there. Since I left at 6:30 I didn’t hit much though it was getting heavier when I got onto 95. Anyway with time to kill afterwards I visited Jailbreak Brewing to sample their wares and then headed down to the Anacostia Metro garage and read my book. Almost to the end of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals, it’s only taken 3 months. Since this was Ryan Zimmerman bobblehead night that meant I needed to arrive early and I did. There were already 10 people in line for the $5 seats when I walked by at 3:00. I may be crazy but I’m not that crazy, so I went around the corner and had a beer at Gordon Biersch and then went and stood in line for a cheap seat. Since I had to leave York early that meant that the fellow who goes with me to baseball games didn’t go (he’s supposed to be in Myrtle Beach but his flight there was cancelled twice so he gave up and is going down now in September and flying a different airline). Anticipating being in Myrtle he bought a ticket for me to get him his bobblehead and I did.

After all that excitement there was still a game to play. Everything pointed to this being a Nats win what with Stephen Strasburg on the mound for them. He was not sharp and wound up leaving after pitching 2 innings due to injury and down 3-0. The Giants lineup had a Pittsburgh flavor to it, with Andrew McCutchen (who knocked a solo homerun off Strasburg), Alen Hanson (who I think never got a fair shake in Pittsburgh) and Gorkys Hernandez (who also homered). The Giants broke through off relievers Wander Suero and Brandon Kitnzler for 6 more runs. Giants starter Andrew Suarez was shaky but got through 4 innings relatively unscathed save for a Juan Soto two-run shot. He couldn’t get through the fifth when the Nats got to him but the Giants’ pen closed the door with the help of two more ex-Pirates, Mark Melancon and Tony Watson. San Francisco wins 9-5.

Game #57 Hartford at Altoona. It was Tony Watsom mini bobblehead night in Altoona so out I went. Took an extra person along since he wanted to see a game at Peoples Natural Gas Field. He left quite happy and he enjoyed the Curve Burger. On the way in I stopped in at Railroad City Brewing to see if they sold any beer to go (you would figure at some point they would, even crowlers) but they didn’t and they don’t sell pint glasses either. That must be the only brewery I visit that does not sell pint glasses. Sheesh, it’s easy, easy money with a huge profit margin. While driving around Altoona my normal baseball companion decided to be Mr. Tourguide and misidentified Mansion Park (which he called Manson Park) and missed Boyer Candies, but of course he knew where Altoona High School was. He goes to a lot of high school basketball games with my dad and saw a memorable game there between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh-Schenley that seemed to have every state trooper and cop in the Altoona area rushing there after the game. Schenley won and Harrisburg did not take it well I’m guessing.

The actual game started well for Altoona, Will Craig singled home Jason Martin to not only put Altoona in the lead but since Craig was the Power House Subs batter of the game and reached base I got a coupon for $2 off a sub. Guess I know where I’ll be stopping next week for lunch when I’m back in town. Yard Goat starter Peter Lambert (Rockies #3 prospect) was dominant from there, coming one out shy of a complete game. Altoona had their chances in the fourth but poor baserunning snuffed out any chance of a run. For Hartford they got to Curve starter Pedro Vasquez first Dom Nunez hitting a solo shot and then in the 5th Forest Wall and Brendan Rodgers (Rockies top prospect) hitting back to back jacks. Rogers fell a triple shy of the cycle. The damage was done at that point but Hartford got two more off the Curve bullpen to win 6-1. This now leaves only 3 more Eastern League teams to see, Akron, Trenton and New Hampshire.

Game #58 Long Island at York. The weather forecast for this one was not good. I got the new player signed on my autograph pennant, got my hand stamped to return and went home. Hey, there is an advantage to living about 8 blocks from the stadium after all. The tarp was being put on the field as I waited in the autograph line and it started raining as I got back to my car. I am going to guess that with 80% chance of rain all day, this one would have been postponed outright if not for the crab feast that was put on. Well, it did get started, about an hour and a half later. Quick question: How can the people at Weather.com be so wrong about the hourly forecast only one hour before? I tend to not trust them but unless I am going somewhere in the eastern part of the state (EPA Weather Authority) I don’t have a lot of other options. Weather.com are the folks who put up 100% chance of rain for a game last year and not only didn’t it rain but the sun was out. Anyway I moseyed back on down after a nearly 2 hour rain delay. Taylor Ard hit a 2 run shot that was barely fair off of Revs starter Pat McCoy and that was all Long Island needed. Duck start Matt Larkins was a buzz saw pitching a complete game shutout. Just one of them games. Ducks win 2-0. Didn’t stick around for much of this one.

On deck for next week (weather permitting, OK this week may not be weather permitting)

June 12 – Boston at Baltimore for a Dylan Bundy bobblehead
June 13 – Harrisburg at Reading for a Cole Hamels golden bobblehead
June 14 – Down East at Frederick
June 15 – Erie at Trenton for a Gary Sanchez bobblehead
June 16 – New Hampshire at Altoona for an Adam Hyzdu mini bobblehead
June 17 – Miami at Baltimore