Not that it means anything at this point . . .

Scanning the International League transaction page, I see some familiar names assigned/optioned to Syracuse:

• Eury Perez
• Jason Michaels (I thought he was a coach . . ..)
• Corey Brown (yawn)
• Jhonatan Solano
• Chris Marrero
• Yunesky Maya
• Ryan Perry

And a couple of unfamiliar names, too.

Counting down!

Bittersweet

Final home game of the season on a sunny, warm September Sunday. So different from last year's rainy conclusion.

Today was the season ticket holders annual picnic. Things were a bit different this year. Instead of being under the tent outside of the stadium before the game, the concession stand at the far end of the third base side of the stadium provided all-you-could-eat hot dogs, sausage, burgers, fries and peanuts. We had to eat it there, so we arrived before the game. Sandee & Anthony snagged a great table for us. We overlooked the home bull pen and warm up area.

Maldonado warming up the pitcher

Birdseye View from Left Field

The Chiefs warming up

Shortly after we sat to eat, Carlos Maldonado came out to warm up. We called out to him, he saw us, and his smile lit up the stadium. We stayed there until after starting line ups were announced, cheering for Carlos when his name was called. Again, he acknowledged us.

The game didn't start out well. The Redwings scored 6 runs before there was ever an out. The Chiefs responded with two homers in the bottom of the first. They scored another run in the bottom of the second on a Brett Carroll double. Two more runs scored in the bottom of the third before Carlos Maldonado came to bat. (Chris Marrero & Zach Walters with the RBIs). Carlos hit a "seeing eye" base hit, which scored the tying run.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh when the Chiefs scored the go-ahead run and an insurance run. Jesus Valdez and Chris Marrero had the RBIs on those.

In between: Jason Michaels still not around, so the 1B coach was either James Skelton or Manny Mayorson. We finally got James to wave to us, but he seemed baffled, like, "Why are those people calling my name?" Kevin said, "He's probably thinking they must be friends of my mom."

A bunch of kids walked by and wedged a foul ball between the bottom of the rail and the concrete.

Candid Camera?

It stayed there for quite a while. When one kid tried to take it, his mom told him to leave it alone. A little while later another kid unwedged it, the mom started to correct the child, but TV Stevie told her he could have the ball. She thanked us. There are still people with manners in the world.

Play of the game was in the 6th inning. Brett Carroll fielded a ball in right and threw to Carlos, who made a spectacular play at the plate. We're not the only ones who thought it was the play of the game. 

Corey Brown was hit in the knee by a pitch in the 8th inning. It took several minutes for him to walk off the pain enough to take his base. Not good He'll probably be called up to Washington on Tuesday.

Trainer walking Corey Brown to 1B

Rochester hit a HR in the top of the 8th, but that's all folks. The Chiefs win, 8-7.

Carlos turned and waved goodbye to us twice after the team's Walk of Winning. 

A woman sitting behind us noticed and asked how we know Carlos. She thought is was very cool that he has a fan club.

Then the sadness came. The Chiefs home season is over -- one more game tomorrow in Rochester, then that's it. 

Spent a lot of time with Maven after the game, talking about how sad it is. He observed that the next three weeks will be perfect baseball weather, unlike all those early April games we endured. He stays busy in the fall with SU football (which will be shown on the big screen at ABS on select dates), but after the holidays -- it's rough. January and February go on forever. He likes hockey, but it's no substitute for baseball.

Anthony said something about maybe getting Section 207 Row 1 together in the off-season. That's not a bad plan. Not a bad plan at all. 

You what would be really cool? Watching the Nats in the playoffs/World Series on the Big Screen at ABS, weather permitting. Extend our season just a little more.

One More Time

The first of the final two home games of the season . . . bittersweet. Full house -- stadium and Section 207 Row 1.

Eury Perez, John Lannan, and Sandy Leon all called up to the Mothership. The good news in this? Carlos Maldonado is the primary catcher.

 My guess is that Carlos Rivero and Corey Brown will be called up after Monday (the Chiefs' final game).

I don't see Chris Marrero being called up. Last season, when he played 1B for the Chiefs, I thought he was a natural for the Major Leagues, but I have since revised my opinion. He's one of those players who seems injury prone.

Corey Brown was named the Gold Star Player of the Year.

One of the Rochester fans who comes to almost every Rochester game in Syracuse wore some interesting shorts tonight.

Those are smiley faces on the
hem of his shorts

Jason Michaels wasn't coaching 1B tonight. Mostly Manny Mayorson, although Jarrett Hoffpauir put in at least one inning there.

We noticed new grass in spots and wondered what happened while the team was on the road.

Right field new grass

New turf around the pitchers mound

In front of home plate

This season, the interns toss out bags of Cracker Jack after the 7th Inning Stretch. It was a nice touch. Tonight, the intern gave a bag to one of the ushers instead of the fans in the stands. 

Usher stash of Cracker Jack meant for fans

Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun

Double header tonight, to make up for last night's rain out.

TV Stevie & I arrived between games. The first game was fast -- I listened to it on the computer. 1-0 Chiefs on a Sandy Leon HR. Unfortunately, the Chiefs lost the 2nd game.

Once again, we overheard the ushers telling people with General Admission tickets they could sit anywhere in the 200 sections.  There is something seriously wrong with that scenario.

When TV Stevie went to purchase our dinner -- quesadilla -- he learned they were phasing out the two tortilla quesadilla for a one tortilla quesadilla. Really? With only eight home games left?

Carlos Maldonado changed his batting music. It was  'Rompe' by Daddy Yankee. Need to find out the new one. It would be nice to see the players' batting music titles/artists on the Big Board.

Still no Jason Michaels coaching first base, so we've returned to last years habit of saying hi to whatever player happens to be coaching. Tonight, Chris Marrero and Jesus Valdez acknowledged us.

Kayla Garcia, fan of this blog, stopped by Section 207 to say hi. It was nice catching up with her since she graduated from college.

New on the Big Board tonight: Chiefsville Citizen of the Game. Sandee & I were devastated that we were bypassed for this honor. We're there almost every night. There are eight home games remaining. Perhaps our day (or night) will come.

Noticed two other things on the Big Board tonight. The time has moved to the left of the inning numbers, and pitchers warming up in the bullpen are "announced" during play, along with their stats. In the past, when the pitcher came in from the bullpen his stats were flashed. I like this much better. We don't have to guess who's up tossing the ball (altho' we're pretty good at recognizing the players from a distance).

Monday, Monday

Arrived late at the ballpark.

There were a lot of people. Maybe too many people!

Fortunately, no one desecrated our row tonight.

Roster/Player update:

• Austin Bibbens-Dirkx released
• Atahualpa Severino outrighted to Syracuse 
• Chris Marrero back in Syracuse (saw him coaching 1B tonight)
• Jason Michaels has disappeared (he usually coaches 1B. Past two evenings, players have been coaching)
• Manny Mayorson and Mitch Atkins on 7-Day DL
• former Chief Lee Hyde is now with the Traveling Wilkes-Barres. He faced one batter tonight, walked him, and was pulled from game.

The Big Board:

I like the KKKK tracker.

And putting the pitcher's name next to the number of pitches is extremely helpful, especially when playing a team like the Traveling Wilkes-Barres that does not have player surnames on the backs of the jerseys.

Slow Night In Chiefsville

It was a slow night last night. The Tides scored, the Chiefs tried to catch up, but it just didn't happen for them.

I forgot to mention that Josh Johnson is back with the team, along with a "new guy," Eury Perez.  Jeff Howell is on the 7-day DL.

Items of note:

Seth Bynum in tall sox

Seth Bynum wore tall sox. I really like the look. Mark Teahen does it all the time. Seth only seems to do it in Weekend Red.

The song Centerfield seems to be getting more play now. I like that.

Sandee and I keep trying to catch the lyrics of Carlos Rivero's at-bat music, but we can't, and we really want to know what it is. I want a copy of it. (With lyrics, we can Google!).

There was a really great Brett Carroll graphic last night, naming him Captain America. (Brett had the Chiefs' only RBI.) Unfortunately, I had to scramble for my camera and didn't get a clear shot. Sandee got a better shot. Maybe she'll post it.

Brett Carroll as Captain America

I also like the red strip where the innings are numbered, and the white numbers on black background. Very easy to read.

And when the bases were loaded in the 6th, the following graphic was on the board, which was great, because I wasn't scoring last nights game and had forgotten who was where.

Who's On First?

We also noticed that instead of "Instant Replay," the graphic now reads "Second Look," which is a much more accurate label. 

Toward the end of the game, there was a great video that started out showing the backs of the players jerseys (Marrero hasn't played enough games this season to be included, but he was), then went to action shot. Nice little promo.

When I arrived at the stadium, there were a bunch of people sitting in the second row of 207. They were doing the vulture eat thing: eating while leaning over the backs of the seats in front of them. They were mostly okay, otherwise (even if they were Oriole/Tides fans) except for a couple of things. Eventually they allowed their small boys to sit in Maven's seats. Okay. Except they threw their garbage all over the place. (We always pick up ours and throw it away on our way out of the stadium each evening). And instead of using the stairs, adults and children alike stepped on the seats to get to the first row, then climbed over the railing. There were a couple of times I was really worried that the boys would fall backwards and crack their heads on the concrete. And that railing isn't all that sturdy.

Finally, after the fireworks, I said, "They put stairs in the stadium for a reason."

One of the adults replied, "We're Canadian. We don't use them."

To which I thought, "The Canadians I know have far better manners than you."

Next time I see this, I'm calling security (talking to the ushers is completely pointless and a waste of breath).

I am a taxpayer. The facility is owned by the county. I don't want a lawsuit because of someone else's stupid rudeness.

There were fireworks after the game, rescheduled from the night the power went out. During the fireworks, Sandee noticed a player with his family sitting in the dugout watching the show. Then they came out of the dugout for a closer look. Judging by the player's build we think it was Eric Arneson. After the fireworks were over, father and child went onto the field. Dad stood at home plate and beckoned for the child to run home. It was so cute! Sandee and I cheered, especially when the child finally made it!

As we were leaving the stadium, we noticed flames in the area from which the fireworks were launched. It's been a very hot, dry summer. We may even be in a drought situation. I tried to get a photo without the net, but when I moved further down the 1st base side, the flames were blocked by the advertising.

Grounds crew watching the fire

"Fire"works

One of the security guards hustled us out, saying, "We have to empty the stadium because there's a fire." He told us this as the firetrucks arrived. 

It was time to leave anyway.

Maybe today's game (Sunday, 7/21) will be better.

Still Winning

The Chiefs are still winning.

Henry Rodgriguez has been sent to Harrisburg.

Tyler Moore hit the longest HR hit by a Nat this season: 462 feet.

Corey Brown and Zach Duke are All-Star game bound.

I heard Jason Michaels was retiring and going into coaching. Kevin Brown mentioned this in a post-game interview the other night. He's now listed as a coach on the Chiefs' website . . . but is on the 7-day DL on the League Transactions page.

Chris Marrero has been optioned to the Chiefs, as has Carlos Maldonado.

Austin Bibens-Dirkx to the Senators (again).

And the Chiefs are still winning.

Two In a Row!

Chris Marrero played first base tonight. It's been a long time since we've seen him there. Looking good as he rehabs in Syracuse. We called out to him after he made a particularly good play and he grinned in our direction.

Koyie Hill made his debut behind the plate at ABS tonight. I heard through the grapevine that he wanted to sign with the Nationals organization because he had a decent chance of making it up to the majors. LOL! Say your catcherchism, Koyie.

The Chiefs led from the first inning -- Marrero hit an RBI single -- and never looked back. Final score: 4-3. The Pawsox are the best team in the IL -- not just the ILE, but the entire IL. Two down, two more games to go this home stand.

Ran into Alex Hassan's local connection on our way out of the stadium.

I'm about to step on my soap box for a moment:
Last night, Maven said he would not be at tonight's game. On Sunday, he told me he'd given tickets to a friend of his. We all watch out for each other in our Section 207 Heaven. So tonight, when TV Stevie and I arrived to find someone sitting in Maven's seats, we were suspicious. Our suspicions turned into irritation when they started rooting for the Pawsox. Fotunuately, they were savvy enough to realize they weren't welcome, and left in the middle of the first. When Maven showed up in the seventh inning, we asked him: they were interlopers.

If your ticket reads Section 300 General Admission, what gives you the right to sit in any section 200 seat? I pay good money for those seats. They are mine, not yours.

Finally, saw something cute. TV Stevie says he's seen it before, but I haven't. And I couldn't get a good picture, but the one I have conveys the message.

I love K-Daddy's jersey.

Quick Update

Last night's scuttlebutt:
Corey Brown once more not in line-up; probably being called up. That has now been confirmed. Corey joined the Nats in Miami for their game against the Marlins.

Another unsubstantiated rumor: Chris Marrero is close to being ready to come back from his injury and will possibly be in Syracuse as part of his rehab process. It will be good to see him again.

Gifts

Chris Marrero is out until at least the All-Star Break. Guess we'll have to get used to a new 1st baseman.

And there's a lot of talk about Brad Peacock and Tommy Milone joining Strasburg in the Nats' pitching rotation. How cool is that?

Colin Ballester is gone -- a gift for The Maven.

Jesus Flores was tendered a contract with the Nats.

Seth Bynum has signed for another season with Syracuse.

In fact, Seth and Brad Peacock will be in Syracuse for the Hot Stove event in February. There's a gift idea: tickets to the Hot Stove.  Former Chief Carlos Delgado and new manager Tony Beasley will be there, too.

The Chiefs are promoting the Ladies of Summer ticket package as a holiday gift idea. And it's a good one, if you don't go to a lot of games. Personally, I think season ticket holders who happen to be female should also get one of the Ladies of Summer coffee mugs.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.

Food, Glorious Food and Other Tid Bits

First item: Chris Marrero has torn his hamstring and is expected to miss the first part of spring training.

Second item: A couple of weeks ago, there was an article in the local paper recapping the Chiefs annual shareholder's meeting. Lots of good things ahead.

Chiefs paid off a loan they've been paying on since 1996.

The 10 games that Scranton Wilkes-Barre will be playing "at home" at Alliance Bank Stadium (while PNC Filed is being refurbished) will be included as bonus games at no extra cost for season ticket holders. YAY!

How about a new, state-of-the-art scoreboard?  If you don't think this is needed, please revisit the October 30th installment of this blog. Looks like it's going to happen.

The Chiefs have also entered into a partnership with Syracuse University's College of Sport and Human Dynamics. The purpose? Researching how to "increase attendance and improve overall fan experience". They could have just asked us. We have lots of ideas (none of which include tossing ice cream sandwiches into the stands).

Finally, Center Plate is out as the concessionaires, and Ovation Food Services is in. This is the same company that handles concessions at Rochester's Frontier Field. TV Stevie spoke to Jim from Center Plate at tonight's Syracuse University Basketball game. Jim seems to be OK with losing the Chief's account.

 This could be good, although I wouldn't want to lose Dinosaur BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. There are just some nights when a gal needs Dinosaur and a beer.

But my biggest concern is the hot dogs. Have you ever had a hot dog at Frontier Field? They are bar-none the worst hot dogs I have ever eaten. Ever. And they're small. Tiny. Which is good, because they're so awful, so there is less of them to choke down. I sure hope Alliance Bank Stadium sticks with Hoffmann's.

Where Are They Now?

What are our favorite players doing in the off-season?

Here's what I know:
Jhonatan Solano and Chris Marrero are playing on the same team in the Dominican Winter League.


The Venezuelian Winter League is rife with Syracuse Chiefs (although not all on the same teams). The list includes:

• Ryan Tatusko
• Jesus Flores
• Seth Bynum
• Gregor Blanco
• Josh "You Rock" Wilkie
• Carlos Maldonado

Makes me wish I had the time and dime to head south for a few months.

Don't forget the Fall Classic Sale on Saturday, 10/22 9AM-12NN. Hope to see you there!

Jealousy, Memorabilia, & Scathingly Brilliant Bloggers

The Chiefs will be holding their annual Fall Classic Merchandise and Memorabilia Sale on October 22.

I'm looking forward to it if for no other reason than I get to go back to the stadium for a little while.

Last year's sale was held on a cold, blustery, rainy October day (not unlike opening day 6 months later). I bought a batting practice t-shirt, which is my favorite shirt to wear to games. It had been J-Botts number in 2010. Imagine my delight when it was Carlos Maldonado's number in 2011. A two-fer.

Love looking through all the stuff, finding my favorite players' game-worn items.

Also got to see Sandee & Anthony there, which I hope will happen again this year.

In other news, the First Ladies of Baseball are blogging about a lot of post-season happenings in DC, the most recent of which is that because they are considered an "online media outlet" they get to participate in all sorts of surveys through the DC chapter of the Internet Baseball Writers Association.

I AM SO JEALOUS!

But then I read the criteria for membership, which includes: "Content should steer away from personal attack, publication of potentially damaging unfounded or unsubstantiated rumor or innuendo, and gratuitous vulgarity," and I wonder if that means I can't post any more limericks. Okay, I posted only one, and players aren't required to acknowledge fans, but still . . .

Anyway, in the most recent survey, the First Ladies listed Marrero, Bixler, and Brown among players who won't be on the Nats' roster in 2012. In response to my comment in defense of  Marrero, Maggie said she could see him in Syracuse, it's just that the Nats have a logjam at 1st. Okay, I'll buy that.

Other items of note from the Ladies:

• They voted for Stephen Strasburg as Come Back Player of the Year (Jordan Zimmermann got the nod). They are right. Strasburg's comeback from Tommy John surgery was astounding.
• They thought Steve Lombardozzi should have gotten Minor League Player of the Year instead of Bryce Harper. I agree. Lom-bo! Lom-bo!
• Their 2nd choice for Minor League Player of the Year was Brad Peacock. These women are brilliant. Scathingly brilliant.

Buffalo Vs. Syracuse?

There's a NY Mets vs. Washington Nats game on tonight at a reasonable (i.e. East Coast) hour, so I guess I'll tune in. According to a Mets-fan co-worker, it will be just like watching a Buffalo vs. Syracuse game, since the 40-man roster season has brought up so many players from both teams.

Works for me! Maybe I'll get to see Marrero on 1st for the Nats and Pistachio on 1st for the Mets.

Gotta have a Chiefs baseball fix, that's for sure.

Strasburg

Strasburg in Syracuse

DATELINE: Aug 27, 2011
We arrived at the stadium shortly after 5pm for a 7pm game. The main entrance was closed to traffic, but we use a different entrance anyway. There were plenty of folks already on hand. Several tailgate parties were in progress. The lot filled up quickly.

The gates opened at 5:45pm instead of the announced (and usual) 6pm opening. I immediately encountered Bill DeLapp from the Syracuse New Times, who was looking for a good vantage point from which to photograph the draw of the night.

I wondered if our first base coaches would even be able to hear us. Yet there didn't seem to be as many fans in the stands as there were cars in the lot. Soon, we glimpsed parked vehicles in the overflow lot.

While I was sitting around, waiting for starting lineups, they announced Brad Peacock was in the souvenir shop signing autographs. I went into stalker mode and got on line. He signed the brim of my hat. I said hi to him, but I'm not sure he recognized me. After all, he didn't go screaming off in the opposite direction.

NBA Hall of Fame &
One of the Top 50 Basketball Players
of All Time Dolph Schayes

Dolph Schayes showed up, so I went over to say hi to him and snap his photo. Not sure he recognized me either. He and TV Stevie are friends, having both graduated from the same high school in the Bronx. A local sports broadcaster interrupted us. Gotta suck up to Dolph.

Tim Fox from NewsChannel 9 stopped by to say hi.

I heard that Tug Hulett had been named Player of the Game for the 2nd game of the previous evening. YAY! We voted for him.

The crowd kept getting louder and louder. Sandee and Anthony made it in time for the start of the game, although they'd gotten stuck in all the traffic.

Finally, the game started. I began writing down pitch speeds.Strasburg got up to 96mph in the1st inning.

What's in Gregor Blanco's hand?

The first base coach in the bottom of the 1st (and for most of the game) was Gregor Blanco. The past several nights we've noticed him swinging something as he strolls to 1st base. It looks like a stopwatch to me, but that just could be my broadcast years catching up to me.

Bernadina, the first Syracuse batter, hit a home run to start the game right.

While I was looking around the stadium at the end of the first, I noticed something curious.

Grounds crew watching from
way up high!

Strasburg reached 98 mph in the 2nd inning . . . and never exceeded that for the rest of the game.

A newbie, Chris Curran, was first base coach for the next couple of innings.

We wondered if the lemonade stand people all went to the State Fair. We love the lemonade at the stadium and really missed it last night.

There was a family with several young children sitting immediately behind us, and TV Stevie loved them. TV decided that one little fella was going to grow up to be the next Michael Kay. "See ya!" the kid called out every time a ball was hit. It was very cute.

Carlos Maldonado tipped his hat to us before he started warming up Strasburg for the 3rd inning.

By the time the 4th inning rolled around, the sun was setting and the sky was gorgeous.

Notice the 200 Level is full
and the general admission
3rd level is nearly empty.

Can't find the words to describe

Gothic!

By the 5th inning, Strasburg had a perfect game going. It was very exciting to watch. Then the 6th inning. Oh boy. Strasburg allegedly gave up two hits, but I don't necessarily believe the first would have been a hit if a certain outfielder had just hustled a bit. Strasburg was pulled from the game. He left to a standing ovation.

Eventually Rochester scored. In the meantime, Steve Lombardozzi and Matt Antonelli each made an astounding catch. And Bernadina hit an RBI double in the bottom of the 6th (which is why I voted for him, not Strasburg, as Player of the Game).

At the end of the 6th, the stadium announcer informed us that Chris Marrero hit his first Major League hit tonight. YAY Chris!

During the 7th inning, the stadium announcer informed us that Dolph Schayes was in the stands.

Chase Lambin played pretty good at third base tonight, considering he has 25 errors on the season. We never did get his attention. The din in the stadium was unbelievable.

The Voice of the Orange
leaving the stadium
after fireworks.

Matt Park, the Voice of the Orange, was sitting behind me.

WAER's famous Eric Cohen stopped by to say hi.

The last couple of innings were tense. The score was close (I like huge leads). Our relievers were distracted. The Rochester manager was tossed from the game. I couldn't get to my camera quick enough to catch the argument, but it was classic baseball confrontation.

The grounds crew moved from the tippy-top of the stadium to the outfield fence.

Grounds crew watching the end of the game

Eric Cohen commented that I notice the weirdest things at the stadium. Well, that's one of the reasons I wanted to blog. Because being at the ballpark is baseball and more.

Sandee's favorite closer, Josh Wilkie, managed to make sure the Chiefs won. Very tense end of the game.

Team walking off the field after post-game congrats.
Love the "rakish" tilt of Carlos's hat.

Countdown: Three Home Games Left

DATELINE: AUG 26, 2011


Double Header Downer at Alliance Bank Stadium on Friday. We arrived at the top of the 2nd inning of the first game. Sandee texted me that Carlos Maldonado was catching and that Jeff Frazier was playing first.

We found out between games that Chris Marrero was called up to Washington (that's why Fraze was playing 1st). He left around 6:30pm. Good luck, Chris!  You've worked very hard for this moment. We'll miss your bat and your incredible teamwork in the infield.

Carlos Maldonado
at third

We arrived in time to see Carlos Maldonado's first at-bat. He hit a double, and the next batter (Lombardozzi?) advanced him to third. But he never made it home.

We were able to get a very startled wave from Chase Lambin as he trotted in from third base at the end of the second inning. Did he think we'd forgotten him?

Rumor had it (completely UNCONFIRMED rumor) that Strasburg was in the dugout instead of sitting with the other pitchers in the bullpen, because he doesn't like signing autographs. Now, I've read this elsewhere. The Nats have two number one draft picks that drive the media nuts: Strasburg is reluctant and Harper is a hotdog. I read online somewhere that eventually those two should room together in order to even out each other's attitude. But I also read that Strasburg just wants to play ball and all the hoo-ha surrounding him makes him uncomfortable. Completely understandable.

I have coined a new term, and some of the Chiefs' management like it: STRESSburg. Between Strasburg starting on Saturday, and it being a fireworks night, and the Great New York State Fair creating parking issues (due to park-and-ride lots adjacent to stadium), Saturday promises to be a zoo. Good luck to John, Mike, Paul, Erin, and the rest of Chiefs' management.

TV Stevie's Observation of the Game: A foul ball was hit in our direction. A kid chased it and would have caught it except for the empty drink cup in his hand. TV was appalled at the state of our youth. DROP THE CUP TO CATCH THE BALL!

Confusing moment of the game: Third inning of game two. Tug Hulett called out on strikes. Tug didn't agree. He argued. Then he tossed his bat. I mean tossed. Then his helmet. He continued to argue. We were shocked the home plate ump didn't toss him from the game. Then Tug tossed his gloves. His shin/ankle guard. Whoa! Finally the ump tossed . . . Randy Knorr. But we didn't realize this until Tug took his place at third base. We were very happy to see Tug back at third. So happy, in fact, that we voted for him as Player of the Game.

We've spent the past couple of nights asking the interns (with whom we've become friendly over the course of the season) where they go to college and what their plans are for next season. We know now that Jared will be back, working for security. GO JARED!

Celebrity look-alike at the game

Cute kid, but what's
with the
Eddie Munster Hair?

Cleverest fan innovation at the game:

Nobody tripping over this stroller!

First Base Coach Wave

• Gregor Blanco coached first most of both games. He immediately waved to us. 
• Jhonatan Solano came in for the last two innings of the first game, and he, too, acknowledged us.
• Brad Peacock came in for the last two innings of the second game, and he knows to wave to us, too.

Carlos Maldonado Watch

Carlos was very busy during the first game, because he was catching. (And he calls a fine game, too.) During the 2nd game, every time he came out to help warm up a pitcher, he waved and tipped his hat to us. He has a bunch of faithful fans for life now.