Feeling good after the Bucs took 2 of 3 from the Nats. I was looking forward to this week for a few days off from the baseball grind. I have work to do and as of right now its at the point that baseball’s not interfering but it’s starting to toe the line. Wilmington is the only remaining destination on the non-bobblehead circuit, at least until Aberdeen’s season starts up.
Game #16 Portland @ Reading. First visit to Reading for the year. Didn’t think that this would be a well-attended game and I arrived about 45 minutes before gametime. Normally Reading opens up really early but for early season weekday games they don’t open until 45 minutes before gametime. Not a lot of people at this one, if the official attendance was over 1,000 they are lying. (For the record it was almost 2,000! Where was everyone?) David Parkinson pitched for Reading against Tanner Houck for Portland. The first two innings were quiet, the wind was howling and it was really cold, so I always do appreciate these games being played at a quick pace. I had a nice place in front of the broadcast booth that blocked some of the wind but not all of it. But in the 3rd Portland exploded for double after double after double. At least Reading’s outfielders were keeping the blood flowing as they chased gappers. Portland continued to pad their lead and this one was over after the 5th inning. Portland wins 9-2.
Of course the big news of the day was the fire at Notre Dame. I was there in high school, unfortunately I improperly loaded the film in my camera and the camera did not take the pictures so the only pic that I have is the front of the cathedral. When we got back to Paris before flying home the teacher let me loose to try to retake all of the pictures. I still can’t believe she did that(at 17 years old walking around a strange foreign city by myself!), but she did. I do appreciate that Ms. Flinchbaugh. Unfortunately when I got to Notre Dame, which was my last stop, it was dark and the pictures didn’t come out. I did get a nice pic of the Arc de Triumph at dusk though. I did snap a pic from the road that goes along the Seine during the day and when I was sent to Europe in 2005 after graduating college I got a pic from the same area. If I go to the Rugby World Cup in 2023 it just won’t be the same.
Game #17 San Francisco @ Washington. Tuesday took me back down to DC to get team #8 off of the board. Took the scenic route through Baltimore due to the roadwork on 695 by US 40 and the mess it has been creating. It backs up until the Liberty Road exit or even the 795 on ramp. Took a bit longer (in theory at least) but I left a bit earlier so it didn’t matter too much. Dereck Rodriguez (Ivan’s son) started for San Fran against Stephen Strasburg for the Nats. As a fun fact, Ivan Rodriguez was the Nats’ catcher when Strasburg made his major league debut back in 2010. I was there for that.
It has not been a good season for San Fran (and their batting averages spell that out) but tonight they brought it. Strasburg got his Ks but he gave up a lot of long balls. 3 of em to be exact. Strasburg did double in a run but outside of a rally in the 7th when they were down 5 already the Nats’ bats did not back him up. San Fran piled on against the Nats pen to win 7-3. They may not have liked how the home plate umpire called balls and strikes, manager Dave Martinez was ejected in the 5th and this was a slowly played game. Rodriguez seemed to go 3-2 on every hitter and those games are just not fun to watch. Speeding the game up starts with the ump and in this case Tony Randazzo needs to do better.
No game on Wednesday. I did my first grass cutting of the year and got a haircut. The cats haven’t seen much of me lately and I stayed home for them to re-acquaint themselves with me. I needed a haircut bad. I hate it when my hair goes over my ears.
Game #18 Rochester @ Lehigh. Back to Lehigh for a Pedro Beato bobblehead. Stopped at Saucony Creek Brewing in Kutztown for a late lunch/early dinner. Got there before the parking attendants, save $5! Kohl Stewart started for Rochester against Enyel De Los Santos for the Pigs. I am happy for that. I was supposed to see him last year but the game was rained out. He’s been almost un-hittable in AAA but just can’t seem to get the call up to stay in the bigs. Perhaps he would like me to never watch him pitch again. Rochester had no trouble hitting him giving up 4 runs (with 3 home runs) in 4 innings. Fortunately for him the Red Wings weren’t much better. Dylan Cozzens hit another home run (he may be the leader in the clubhouse for a Kevy for Top Minor League Hitter) and former Pirate Sean Rodriguez knocked in 4 runs. Once the relievers came in this one was over. Lehigh wins 6-5. We did have some excitement after Rodriguez hit his homerun the next guy got plunked in the head which lead to the benches clearing. No punches were thrown and there is nothing worse than a baseball fight.
Now, a minor quibble. This was Major League night. The bobblehead was dressed up like Jobu, which fit with the theme. Outside of showing a few video clips you would never have known it otherwise. That was a disappointment for me since there are so many memorable clips from the movie. I think they could have done so much more. They did do Cleveland Indian trivia but that does not seem overly out of place other than Rochester is a Twins affiliate since they do trivia every game. We did have another Weenie Boy folly. The trivia person had to answer if an event happened before or after the Indians last Word Series (which was 1948). The middle question was World War 2, which was before obviously and the person answering it got it correct. The question was prerecorded on the video board with an Iron Pigs player asking it. Weenie Boy looked at me and said that he guessed the player was not alive during World War 2. Duh!
Would have gone up to Lakewood on Friday for a Seranthony Dominguez bobblehead. I don’t have a lot of Lakewood bobbleheads and this would have taken care of my yearly trip there but the weather forecast was terrible. It seems every time I go there it rains, so I made the call and postponed this one. No bobblehead for me from Lakewood this year, as this is the only one that they are doing. A shame, it would have worked out well, had two new breweries picked out to visit and Icarus now cans so I could take some to go. But the rain forecast got worse when I woke up and I really didn’t feel like driving almost 3 hours for a rainout. They did wind up playing, the weather in New Jersey didn’t materialize the way the Weather Channel predicted.
Game #19 Reading @ Harrisburg. I was going to go to Revolution Fan Fest to get my autograph pennant started but I never got any info about it so I just decided to head up to Harrisburg for their 1:00 game. Lunch was at Pizza Boy. The Senators were rained out on Friday but decided to play the makeup game the next time Reading comes to town (they had no scheduled game for Easter Sunday) so no chance at 4 games in one day for me. Ramon Rosso started for Reading against Ben Braymer for the Senators. Rosso gave up his first run of the year putting the Senators up 1-0 in the 4th. Braymer was good but made a 2-run mistake to a struggling Adam Haseley that put Reading up. I left at stretch time to get down to Baltimore but Harrisburg came back with 2 in the ninth to win 3-2. Chuck Taylor had the winning hit. He’s more than just sneakers!
Game #20 Minnesota @ Baltimore. Made the drive down to Baltimore for Team #9 and the first game of a single admission doubleheader. The Orioles should do more of these games as this is the only time I buy concessions in the stadium outside of the souvenir sodas. Game 1 featured Jose Berrios starting for the Twins against Dan Straily for the Orioles. I arrived with the score 2-0 Twins and as soon as I sat down the Oriole bats erupted, plating 3 runs. Things were looking good but this is the Orioles we are talking about and the immortal Jimmy Yacabonis not only gave the lead back but padded it a bit. An Oriole comeback got within 1 but Taylor Rogers shut the door for from there for Minnesota to win Game 1 6-5. Oh, and poor Chris Davis had a homerun taken away from him by the left fielder. When you are unlucky, you are unlucky.
Game #21 Minnesota @ Baltimore. Game 2 featured Martin Perez for the Twins going against freshly off of the IL Alex Cobb for the Orioles in what looked like it should be a better pitching matchup. It wasn’t. The Twins pounded Cobb hitting 3 homeruns and plating 7 runs off of him. Mike Wright came in and did what he does adding 2 runs to Cobb’s total, making Cobb the leader in the clubhouse for my Dylan Bundy Award. Wright surrendered 4 runs before settling down and finishing his night with 2 scoreless frames. Branden Kline (a local boy from Frederick) came in for his ML Debut, giving up 2 more and then Chris Davis finished the day off pitching one inning and giving up a run. Hey, Davis struck someone out! Nelson Cruz, Jonathan Schoop and Mitch Gardner each hit multiple homers in the Twins 8 homer night. Overshadowed was the Orioles Renato Nunez who hit two of his own. Minnesota wins 16-7.
The biggest butt whoopin’ I ever saw was my trip to Old Yankee Stadium where the Bombers defeated the Devil Rays 25-4. This didn’t come close to that (but it sure looked like it could), so at least there is that for the Orioles. Also as I have mentioned before I call Mike Wright “Gas Can” and I told someone that who then promptly yelled as loud as he could calling him that and everyone in the bullpen area had to have heard it. Sorry Mike! Wright was DFA’d after the game so this may be the last I have seen of him, though I doubt it.
No game on Easter Sunday. While I am not a religious person I can’t miss Easter dinner. At the very least the cats like the Easter ham leftovers. Too bad, it was a perfect day for a ballgame. Almost divine, but I won’t go there. That got me in trouble earlier this week on Facebook.
On the docket for next week (weather permitting)
April 22 – Altoona @ Harrisburg
April 23 – Altoona @ Harrisburg
April 24 – Altoona @ Harrisburg (a noon game, if I’m not busy)
April 24 – Chicago @ Baltimore
April 25 – Greensboro @ Hagerstown
April 26 – High Point @ Lancaster
April 27 – New Hampshire @ Reading
April 28 – Long Island @ York
