And a nice and light week for this week, at least until the end. A day off on Monday allowed me to revisit Gift Horse, it’s been awhile they might forget who I am. This is the All Star break for most levels and I think in the next week or two I will need to just take 3 or 4 days and relax. The grind is really being a grind and I don’t sleep well during the summer months to begin with.

Did not get down to Aberdeen. I looked at the schedule and Tuesday’s game was played at 11 AM. At 11 AM I was finishing up cutting grass. I am glad I looked at the schedule, would have driven down there and found a heck of a surprise.

Game #92 All Star Game Time! The biggest event to come to York this summer, the Atlantic League All Star Game. Stopped for a brew at Gift Horse before the game. I’m not a big fan of all star games but with this in my backyard I figured why not? I am lucky here, I can park at my parents house and walk over so I do get to avoid most of the hassle, as well as the increased parking rate.

Southern Maryland’s Corey Vaughn won the Home Run Derby. York’s Mitch Atkins took the hill for the Freedom Division against Somerset’s David Kubiak for the Liberty Division. This game was a big deal since the TrackMan system would be calling balls and strikes rather than a human. For the record Atkins’ first pitch was a called strike. Liberty got on the board first with Somerset’s Michael Ohlman hitting a 2-run shot off of Southern Maryland’s Daryl Thompson. The Freedom Division got one back in the 4th but went on top when York’s Isaias Tejeda got a ball just around the foul pole in the 7th. But Liberty came back off of York County native Cody Eppley and tied it and the game ended in a 3-3 tie. So it went to a Homeroff to settle it and Tejeda won it for the Freedom Division. The only real “Huh” moment with TrackMan was when Lancaster’s Joey Terdoslavich got rung up in the 2nd on a pitch that everyone in the park thought was a ball but the home plate ump pointed to his earpiece and that was that.

Game #93 Up to Reading to pick up a John Kruk bobblehead. The weather forecast for this night was not good. Hit a lot of rain heading up. If there was not a bobblehead I wouldn’t have gone otherwise and I was a bit worried that the gates would not even open but Kruk was making an appearance so I figured I’d be OK and I was. The problem with Reading’s stadium is that there is not a lot of cover from the rain, a few seats in the home plate stands and that’s about it. I didn’t feel like standing around waiting to find out if the game would be played or not so with thunder and lightning around me I left. They did play, after a rain delay and Reading won 5-3. I’ll be up to Reading several more times this year and they have the best record in the Eastern League so I figure they will host some playoff games so I’ll get to see them plenty more.

Game #94 Easy night as I just headed downtown to watch the Revs take on High Point. It was 1989 Night and I got a fanny pack. Yeah, haven’t worn one of them since probably 1989. Mitch Atkins took the hill for the Revs against Dominic DeMasi for the Rockers. Atkins was not sharp but managed to keep the Rockers off of the board until the 7th. DeMasi struggled. I don’t know if it was him just struggling or if it was TrackMan. He gave up 7  runs highlighted by back to back jacks from Telvin Nash and Isaias Tejeda and it took him something like 35 pitches to get through the first. Rockers’ pitching coach Frank Viola thought something was up and he erupted into a violent tirade in the 1st. It couldn’t be balls and strikes, TrackMan is doing that so he can’t blame the ump but there was nothing else that was really out of the ordinary with that batter. TrackMan is changing the strike zone to what it should be and pitchers will need to adjust. York wins 8-1 to get the second half off to a good start.

Game #95 Split doubleheader in Baltimore today. The early game was a makeup of an earlier game, which fortunately was one of my season ticket games so I had my usual season ticket seat for this one (in the shade!). Absorbed the 30+ minute delay as Light Rail passengers were bussed from North Avenue to Camden Yards due to the sinkhole at Pratt Street. Helluva mess.

Brendan McKay took the hill for the Rays against Aaron Brooks for the Orioles. Yep, another pitcher in the Orioles merry-go-round of a season. I saw McKay in Durham and he is one of the rare two way players. He wasn’t getting it done as a hitter for the Bulls but so far in his brief big league career he’s been good on the mound. And he was today. He didn’t give up a run through his 5 innings. Brooks was good too, I’m guessing the Orioles didn’t want to overtax him since he hasn’t pitched in awhile but he put up 2 2/3 scoreless frames. Then the Immortal Jimmy Yacabonis came in and did what he did best. He gave up a solo shot to Mike Zunino and proceeded to get in trouble. Fortunately for him he had only one out to get and he got it limiting the damage. After that he, and the rest of the Oriole pen put up blanks. But it looked like that one run would hold up until Stevie Wilkerson hit a 2-run shot to put the Orioles up. Mychal Givens pitched a 2 inning save and (ring the church bells and strike up the band) the Orioles win 2-1. I now need only 2 more wins for 200 all time at Camden Yards. Will I get it this season?

Game #96 And now the nightcap. Old friend Charlie “Ground Chuck” Morton took the hill for the Rays against John Means. Means struggled giving up homers to Mike Brosseau and Yandy Diaz. But the Orioles fought back in the 5th against Morton, who was breezing through the Oriole lineup up to that point plating 2 runs. But things went downhill in the 6th. Means was chased after giving up 3 more runs and David Hess and new acquisition Tayler Scott poured gas on the fire giving up 6 more runs. I don’t get the Orioles getting Scott, they beat the snot out of him when he was with the Mariners (I was listening on the radio to that one) and anyone the Orioles beat the snot out should not be signed by them. The 3 extra tickets they might sell because he is the first Major League pitcher from South Africa is not worth it. He would have been the first player from South Africa but the Pirates beat him to that with Gift Ngoepe. I heard the radio man try to pronounce his last name, that was funny. Anyway, Tampa wins the nightcap 12-4.

Game #97 Didn’t go to Philly for the Sunday game. Baseball season has finally caught up to my bank account and I decided it would be cheaper to buy the bobblehead on eBay after the fact. I’ll be in Philly next week for a game. Went down to the Revs game to get my autograph pennant updated with the 2 new players plus the one that has eluded me. Duke von Schamann started for the Revs against former Rev Joe Van Meter. Both pitchers were on point through the first three innings and it was von Schamann that blinked first in the fourth when Quincy Latimore notched an RBI single. Tyler Marincov hit a solo shot the following inning and von Schamann was chased in the 7th. The Revs got on the board in the 7th with one run but just couldn’t break through. High Point wins 4-1.

On the docket for next week:
July 15 – no game
July 16  – Washington @ Baltimore (Brooks Robinson bobblehead)
July 17 – TBD
July 18 – Portland @ Harrisburg
July 19 – Hartford @ Trenton (Justus Sheffield bobblehead)
July 20 – Fayetteville @ Potomac (Juan Soto bobblehead)
July 21 – Boston @ Baltimore