Have Ticket - Will Travel: Texas League AS Game
by Jennifer on Jun 27, 2008 8:36 AM PDT
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186 miles of this:
It was like a leisurely Sunday drive... for 3+ hours. I discovered I have way too many Garth Brooks songs in my iPod. I swear, every other song was one of his. Garth just isn't my type of driving music.
I just noticed there is a dead bug on my dash. Huh.
To the stadium!
Like most of my driving adventures, I ended up lost. I had a map and everything. I just wasn't paying attention, I guess. I don't know how I missed this:
Before the game, Bass Pro sponsored a Home Run Derby.
Participants, one from each of the eight teams of the Texas League:
Allen Craig, Springfield Cardinals
Ben Johnson, Arkansas Travelers
Kila Kaaihue, NW Arkansas Naturals
Ben Harrison, Frisco RoughRiders
Tony Blanco, Tulsa Drillers
Tommy Everidge, Midland Rockhounds
Chris Johnson, Corpus Christi Hooks
Kyle Blanks, San Antonio Missions
As previously mentioned, Bass Pro, a big deal in Springfield, sponsored the HR Derby. There were large Bass Pro signs in left and right field.
If any participant HIT A BALL IN THE FISH'S MOUTH, the player and the fan they were playing for would win a bass boat. Sadly, Hammons Field couldn't contain many of the HR balls, and no one really came close to hitting either sign. Most of the HR balls hit went over the grassy knoll in the OF and in to a construction area beyond the park. The goofy roving reporter interviewed the guy who caught the first HR ball and I swear the guy said he had to race down to the railroad tracks to get the ball. I heard a train but I didn't see it, so I don't know exactly how far that was.
It was a very nice stadium packed with Cardinals fans.
I had great seats that were pretty cheap ($20), but they were too good to take photos- the net blocked almost all images.
San Antonio slugger Kyle Blanks
This is the flag pole. Now, the Bass Pro sign was unpossible to hit, but this sucker wasn't. I don't remember the player who did it, but someone hit a rocket off the bad boy. DONG!
Anthony Recker
Tommy Everidge coming....
Tommy Everidge going.... This guy looks Jack Black's 35yo brother. His birthday is 4/20/83. Poor guy.
Players gathering by the dugout.
Frisco's Derby entry Ben Harrison.
Results can be read here. Spoiler alert: Tony Blanco won.
So, I'm waiting in line for a Reuben (great idea with terrible results), when a helicopter lands in the outfield. Now, all this time a small stage with drums and whatnot had been set up behind second base. I'm thinking someone awesome must be coming in for a concert or to sing the National Anthem. I was mistaken.
The Liverpool Legends... a Beatles Tribute band. They weren't William Hung.
The game finally got underway a little after 7:30pm. Player intros:
Midlander Jon Zeringue, starting RFer.
Jon and Tommy. What's with the porno mustaches, guys?
Midlander Vince Mazzaro, the starting pitcher, going to warm up.
OFers warming.
Mascot intros! WOO!
Rusty Hook.
I am not kidding. I didn't think it looked like a hook.
What kind of name is Henry the Puffy Taco?
It sounds dirty.
Someone is still trying to make Fetch happen.
Deuce. The Prairie Dog. No, seriously. I almost fell over laughing.
I made my way out to the bullpen to stalk watch Vince Mazzaro and Anthony Recker warm up.
View from the OF.
Believe it or not, I went a little overboard in the photos of Mazzaro in the pen. Here's a slideshow:
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ok, he's not a Rockhound
but how can you not root for a ballplayer named Kila Kaaihue?
"The Athletics at Fremont" is obscene
His brother is named Kala Kaaihue.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c9/an235/100_5153.jpg
"JOAN! Are you watching Bombast? Did you see Lack Bust drop that fly call?"
Disagree
I love me some Garth, but if you have American Honky Tonk Bar Association on your iPod, you have one too many Garth Brooks songs.
I generally bemoan the profusion of Mr Sabermetric Sporks in the Scrabble ranks who don't know the meaning or usage of 50% of the words they use. -monkeyball
Nice place, nice stuff
I hate trying to shoot through a net unless I’m almost up against it. I’d like to get out to some of those places, though.
Those Midland uniforms are fugly, though. They look like the spring training uniforms with the stripes and such on the sides.
Recker’s racking up the ASG appearances, playing in the California/Carolina League one last year in Stockton. When Everidge was around here he sure wasn’t growing his hair out like that, though.
Those steps next to the dugout look like they could cause problems on rare occasions.
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site
jamesvenes.com - Blog
The entire country is punished with a time out
once per game.
[I’m sorry, I loathe TSSB. It’s a dismally poor song.]
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Totally agree.
I want Canada’s anthem. Or can we at least change ours to something that isn’t about a piece of cloth, and shit blowing up? And that normal people can sing along with if they want to?
There's no textbook for how to treat a geriatric tapir.
America the Beatiful.
Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.
Crazy Train!
How do the angels get to sleep when the devil leaves the porchlight on?
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Jun 27, 2008 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Apparently, like other biases the "West Coast = unpatriotic" isn't completely made up
There are many worse anthems (Canada for sure amongst them). Enduring attack is worth being proud of.
You are aware the US declared that war, right?
Should the Germans be proud of enduring the battle of Berlin?
As for patriotism, my take on the concept is strictly Samuel Johnson. It’s a worthless notion.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Neat fake example. Always good to sneak Nazi Germany in.
I’ll counter with the Alamo. I imagine people are proud of enduring that, even though it was the Texas revolutionaries who started the war.
As to your second point, sad for you. This is a pretty great country (although far from perfect, especially in the past few years) and worth being proud of.
You are aware that Samuel Johnson was frigging English, right?
Never mind. I shouldn’t assume that.
I am capable of separating my opinions about patriotism, the concept, from my opinions about America, the country. Apparently you are not, but that’s not my problem.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Right, because patriotism can be determined by how you feel about a song.
There's no textbook for how to treat a geriatric tapir.
Well
Not most songs, but yes this one.
Similarly, how you feel about a lot of legal documents is irrelevant. How you feel about the Constitution is relevant.
You made me yearn to attend a game in Frisco. Lots of fun following AA ball in Texas League.
Proud mommy of "mini-kapers"
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