An Enjoyable Presidential Race

The Racing Presidents are in town for the holiday weekend.

These characters are from the Washington Nationals, but they are not mascots. The Nats' mascot is Screech, a bald eagle. The presidents --  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Teddy Roosevelt -- are just great fun.

And they're off! (Entering stadium from old bullpen)

I thought Teddy had won, but according to the stadium announcer,
the winner was "George, by a nose."

The Presidents were very active: running through the stands, getting involved in the between-innings promotions, and dancing with Scooch & Pops during the 7th inning.They were an entertaining distraction from a less-than-riveting game.

Teddy Roosevelt

Abe Lincoln

George Washington

I didn't take any decent shots of Tom Jefferson, although he's probably my favorite US President (based on the perfectly silly reason that I loved his character in the musical "1776".) TV Stevie took a lot more photos that he's promised to share with me. 

And oh yeah. There was a baseball game happening during all of this. 

• Corey Brown was player of Friday's game (as Sandee & I voted)
• We voted for Carlos Rivero as Saturday's player of the game. He started a seventh inning rally that at least got the Chiefs on the board so the score was no longer a humiliating 9-0.
• The jersey raffle featured Brad Peacock's Throwback Thursday jersey.

Other things we've noticed that are different this year:

• No MLB scoreboard in right field. Perhaps the proliferation of smart phones makes it obsolete?
• The ushers have been staying a lot later.

Final score: 9-6. Good effort by the Chiefs, but no cigar.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

T

The Nats traded Tommy Milone and Brad Peacock to Oakland.

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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.

Generic Update

Wilson Ramos has been rescued and is getting ready to rejoin his Winter League team to play ball. So glad he's safe!

Ryan Tatusko decided to remain in Venezuela and play for his team there, saying he felt perfectly safe.

And Carlos Maldonado is from Venezuela, as well as playing in the Winter Leagues there right now.

A lot of people seem to think the Washington Nationals are poised to do great things in the next couple of years. And a lot of Syracuse Chiefs are being mentioned as being part of the process.

Molly, Brad Peacock, Sandee

Brad Peacock (RHP) is a name that's popping up with frequency. As is Steve Lombardozzi. Both Chiefs were called up to Washington near the end of the season. Tommy Milone is also on some lists.

Brian Bixler is going to the Astros.

 Matt Antonelli mentioned he's been talking to a lot of different teams.

There are going to be lots of changes in the next couple of months now that baseball season is over.

The continuing problem of minor league baseball: it's tough to get invested when the players might not be here tomorrow.

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.

Brad Peacock!

Congrats to Brad Peacock on his first MLB start last night against the New York Mets. Brad pitched 5 innings and got the win.


Tommy Milone is pitching against the Mets this afternoon. Good luck, Tommy!

From Syracuse to Washington: With Love

I've been in touch with The First Ladies of Baseball, who seem to be the Sandee & Molly of the Washington Nationals.


Part of what I wrote (the night Strasburg debuted in DC):

Take care of your newbies Brad Peacock, Tommy Milone, and Atahualpa Severino. Syracuse's season is over, but the Nats have our best!

Maggie responded:

We’ll take good care of them. And we don’t blame Peacock for his bad outing last night – that was totally not his fault. I, personally, blame Doug Slaten. PS – Very jealous of you guys getting waves from players on a regular basis!

Good to know you'll take care of our guys, Maggie. And as for us getting waves from the players on a regular basis? Well that's easy. We're the coolest people at the stadium!

Reply    See all comm

MLB Debuts

Congrats to Brad Peacock, Atahualpa Severino, and Steve Lombardozzi on their MLB debuts last night.

Also called up: Yuneski Maya, and Craig Stammen.

Oh. And that outfielder. The fan dissing one.

TV Stevie & I listened to a late inning or two on the radio last night.

Sorry the Nats lost the game.

212 days, but who's counting?

Rumors and Conjecture

Say it ain't so! Rumor has it that Tommy Milone and ::sob:: Brad Peacock could be called up to Washington this weekend to pitch against the Mets!

No! No! No!

It's bad enough that there are only two home games left. How much worse can it be if we don't see Brad in person again this season?

I mean, I'm really happy he's pitching so well. And I know the Nats drafted him for themselves, not for us, but this is a prime example of the downside of being a fan of Triple A Baseball: you never know what your team is going to look like.

Yes, I have Brad's autograph on my hat. 

Yes, I have this photo of Sandee and me that was taken with him.

But I'd like to see him in a Chiefs uniform for the rest of the season. There's plenty of time left in the MLB season for him to play for Washington. Is it too much for a fan to ask?

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.

4 Home Games Left ::sniff::

Paw Sox again tonight. We didn't cheer loud enough, so the Chiefs lost.

Scary Moment of the Night: We didn't arrive until the top of the second inning. I went down to our seats while TV Stevie bought dinner for us. OMG, it was a good thing he did. Otherwise, I would have been a widow. A foul ball came at Section 207, barely clearing the top of the rail in front of TV's seat before it bounced off the seat behind TV to land in section 107. Had TV been sitting there, it would have hit him in the head. He would have been there if the guy in line in front of him at the condiments station hadn't taken his time putting relish, honey mustard, and ketchup on his hot dog.

Moment of Zen: Both starting pitchers wore 29 (Brad Meyers and Kyle Weiland)

Curiosity of the Night: 
The staff, not the team, was wearing the throw-back Thursday jerseys. Kind of curious.

Suspect, his daughter, & Scooch

Suspect was there with his baby daughter. They posed with Scooch.
Sandee and Anthony had their grandchildren there, too. I'll let Sandee post those pix.

 Amanda (who is a follower of this blog) came over with her husband (with whom I also used to work) to say hi in the middle of the 4th.

Amanda & Eric Hayden

Irony of the night: The NYS Lotto Mega Million game gave buy-one-get-one free tickets to everyone in a section filled with Red Sox Fans. Hello? What's wrong with that picture? Try: they should be in Massachusetts doing that lottery. As TV Stevie always says about local Sox fans: they support the economy of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, not NY State.

In other baseball news: The Yankees set a new record today:
three grand slams in one game. Wow. I'm sorry I missed it.

Carlos Maldonado Watch: Saw him once but it was too loud to call to him.

Time Warp: In the eighth inning, a group of fans along the 3rd base side were chanting: Let's go Sky-chiefs! Wait! It's Throwback Thursday, so I guess that works.

1st Base Coach Wave:

• Gregor Blanco was first base coach most of the game. He waved to us in the second inning.
• Corey Brown. Let me put it this way. I spent several innings composing a limerick, which you can read below.

Guilt Attack: Ryan Tatusko came in to pitch in the 7th inning. I felt a little bad because we ignored him at the picnic last night while we were harassing Brad Peacock.

And now, the moment for which you've all been waiting:

My Limerick

There's always a frown on my face

When Corey Brown coaches first base

He acts like a jerk

with an arrogant smirk

Instead of a player with grace.

Counting Down The Season: 5 home games left

After tonight, there are only five home game days left (1 double-header) in the season. We are devastated. What happened to summer?

And worse, what are we going to do until April?

Tonight was Advertiser Appreciation Night and also the picnic for season ticket holders who attend a minimum of 30 games. Great food. A little windy. Two pitchers on hand to mingle with the crowd, including Section 207 favorite Brad Peacock.

Anthony cornered Brad so we could have a photo op with him. We reminded him who we were, and he remembered and reminded us that he'd waved to us. He's a good sport.

Molly, Brad Peacock, Sandee
at the Season Ticket Holders Picnic

Tim Fox

There were lots of people at the game tonight. Pawtucket always draws Boston fans, and Advertiser Appreciation Night brings out a lot of General Admission fans. It was also Dan Hoard's final baseball game of the season. Dan is the PawSox radio announcer, but he's off to Cincinnati to work for the Bengals. Several other media-types stopped by Section 207 to say hi, including NewsChannel 9'sTim Fox.

Tug Hulett is back from paternity leave. Congrats on the birth of Baby Hudson.

And the big news, in case you live under a rock, is that Stephen Strasburg will be pitching in Syracuse on Saturday.

1st Base Coach Wave:

• Gregor Blanco waved in the first inning. He was the 1st base coach for most of the game.
• Corey Brown coached 1st base in the 5th and the 8th. We didn't even bother. 

Carlos Maldonado Watch: We were pretty sure we saw Carlos sitting at the end of the bench in the dugout. He didn't come out until late in the game -- he helped warm up the pitcher in the 8th inning. As soon as we called his name, he lifted his hat in acknowledgment. He's a player who appreciates his fans.

An amusing moment: A group of fans in Boston hats asked the Usher for help. They were on the wrong side of the stadium. "No wonder I'm confused," one man said. "No," someone else said, "you're a Red Sox fan."

Oddest sighting of the night: There was a boy sitting in the 300 section above the home plate netting -- with a butterfly net. Apparently he planned to snag foul balls with it.

Random Act of Kindness: This happened during the t-shirt toss. A woman in the back of Section 107 caught a t-shirt, but dropped it. Someone in front of her immediately scooped it up and kept it. A man in section 109 saw this, and gave her the t-shirt he'd caught. 

Manners Aren't Dead: Paw Sox squatters -- a mom and several children -- sat behind us tonight, but they were very well behaved. At one point, two of the younger boys were trying to get Scooch's attention, but weren't having any luck. So I called out to Scooch to let him know he had some fans. Scooch immediately came over and did his shtick with the boys. Afterwards, they thanked me for getting Scooch over for them. 

Scoreboard Messages of the Night: 

• Chicken Wing Hoard
• The Chiefs Wish Dan Hoard Good Luck with the Bengals
• Steve Hyder: All the wings are yours.

Tomorrow night is the PawSox again, followed on Friday and Saturday by Rochester. We plan to try to attract Chase Lambin's attention then. It worked with J-Botts!

Team Photo Night

Bernadina Down

Tonight was Team Photo Night. Sandee & I met in the parking lot and went in together to do our thing. We noticed that there weren't as many players available as there were last year, but figured that was because it was a Tuesday night instead of a Sunday afternoon. (This event was rained out this past weekend). Then we noticed the players available were mostly pitchers . . . which is cool. We like pitchers. They were all very nice young men. One got a little snarky with me . . . "oh, you're the ones," when I mentioned we were the ones cheering. He never let me say "from 207, behind 1st base." Pffft.

I asked players who they were, because we couldn't see their numbers while they were sitting at the tables. Some people said, "Me," another responded in Spanish, and one wise guy said, "Charlie Sheen." Yeah. Right. It was all in great fun, though.


Highlights: 

• Jhonatan Solano signed my hat. The fact that Jhonatan was signing meant that Carlos Maldonado was catching. 
• Adam Fox is back with the Chiefs and I told him how much I enjoyed watching him play ball with his son over in left field after the games. Sandee said Adam's face lit up. I think I mentioned the photos to him. Later, during the game, I asked Tall Mike-the-Assistant GM how I could let Adam know where to find the pix.
• Brad Peacock. I said, "Brad, we have a bone to pick with you. When you're coaching first base, we call out to you and you ignore us!" He laughed and said that he heard us, but didn't know who it was, but now he knows, so he'll wave back.

As we were walking down the concourse, Sandee saw Carlos over by the bullpen, so we hurried down the stairs, calling his name. The poor man kept walking. We stalked him. But he finally stopped, and we chatted. We told him we're the ones in 207 who always call out and wave to him. He signed my hat and my #48 Batting Practice T-shirt. Carlos is a really big man.

Carlos Maldonado and Jhonatan Solano 

Carlos Maldonado signed my BPT

1st Inning Highlights:

• 1st base coach - Jeff Frazier. Came out late, so we couldn't say hi.
• Roger Bernadina hit a 2-run homer.
• Carlos Maldonado looked right at us and waved when he came on deck. We didn't say a word.

2nd Inning Highlights:

• 1st base coach - Adam Fox. Came out late, so we couldn't say hi.
• Carlos Maldonado grinned in our direction when he came to the plate.
• The Famous Eric Cohen predicted that Carlos would get a hit, and sure enough, he hit a double.

3rd Inning Highlights:

• 1st base coach Jeff Frazier waved
• Seth Bynum hit a home run
• Matt Antonelli hit a home run
• Back-to-back home runs! 

4th Inning Highlights:

• 1st base coach Adam Fox came out late so we couldn't say hi.
• It was observed that Gwynett's outfielders all wore their sox inside their pants, while the infielders wore their sox outside their pants. 

5th Inning Highlights:

• Carlos hit another double.

6th Inning Highlights:

• 1st base coach Adam Fox waved.
• The Gwynett coach was tossed from the game. (We don't know why)
• A moment later, Roger Bernadina was hit inside his knee. He was down for a while (see photo at top of page)
• A foul ball bounced off the railing between TV Stevie and XG-Man.
• The bases were loaded when Carlos came to bat. He struck out. :-(
• Some guy went butt over teakettle over seats chasing a foul ball.
• Tommy Milone replaced Adam Fox as the 1st base coach so Adam could pinch hit for the pitcher.
• Adam Fox hit a grand slam!
• That cinched our vote for Adam as player of the game.

7th Inning Highlights:

• 1st base coach: Brad Peacock -- and he waved to us!
• TV Stevie finally won a jersey in the jersey raffle!

Jess-the-Intern hands TV Stevie his Throwback Thursday Jersey

TV Stevie modeling his jersey.

8th Inning Highlights:

• The Famous Eric Cohen came back to 207 and told us that he'd seen Adam Fox wave to us then hit the grand slam. He believes they are connected events. We won't argue. He also mentioned that (at this point) the Chiefs had 16 hits. Every man in the line-up had gotten a hit -- except Corey Brown.
• Suspect caught a Jeff Frazier foul right in front of us (lots of foul balls in 207 tonight).

9th Inning Highlights:

• Atahualpa Severino managed to load the bases, but struck out the final batter.
• The Chiefs win!

Catching Up

Wow. Seems like forever since I've posted here. I missed two games and two other dates were rained out. Hopefully tonight's rescheduled Team Photo Day will happen.

I never posted my notes from August 9, so here they are:

Maven was again missing. TV Stevie has finally touched base with him. I do hope we'll see him during the final games of the season. Section 207 just isn't the same with out him.

In-game host Dave Anthony 

After in-game host Dave Anthony's first act, he usually stops by Section 207 to chat. He really just wants to use our fabulous drink holder (which is another blog altogether). I did manage to have it ready for him on the ninth.

Miscellaneous game notes: 

• The two ice cream sandwiches were still in the net behind home plate.
• Sandee's nickname for Valentino Pascucci caught in with others in the section. He is now somewhat affectionately known as Pistachio.
• The Barking Home Plate Ump was back.
• The game went into extra innings -- and we won! YAY!

Jason Botts Watch: He wasn't in the line-up, but he did coach first base and when we shouted out to him, he lifted his helmet and grinned for us. I noticed that he is back on the 7-day DL. Perhaps he asked to be taken off for those two days because he knows he has fans in Syracuse.

Carlos Maldonado Watch: Carlos was in the game! YAY!!!

First Base Coach Wave (besides J-Botts):

• Tug Hulett grinned for us
• Brad Peacock dissed us. Completely. If I see that young man tonight . . . 
• Jhonatan Solano waved
• Jeff Frazier waved

Rumor of the Night: A-Rod would be at the stadium over the weekend, rehabbing with Scranton-Wilkes-Barre. The logic: he's rehabbing, all of the Yankee minor-league affiliates were on the road, making Syracuse the closest venue to NYC.  Of course, it didn't happen.

That's it for August 9th.

Finally! A Recap of WCNY Night (July 21)

The temperature, like Strasburg's fastball, was in triple digits.

Molly & Sandee with "parasols"

TV Stevie and I arrived at the stadium early. He started doing his work thing, I bought a Dinosaur and a beer and made my way to my seat. Almost immediately, The Ushers converged on me. From every direction. You see, they deemed it too hot to sit on the first base side of the stadium and assured me I could sit anywhere I wanted on the third base side, out of the sun.

I waited all winter for summer. I was not about to hide from it.

Besides, I'd promised TV Steve I would take photos of the first pitch and the WCNY staffer singing the national anthem, and all of that stuff.  My angle was different. Here are a couple very "soft" photos that I took.

WCNY Staffers congregate

Jon English singing the National Anthem,
with TV Stevie taking stills.

WCNY General Manager, Bob Daino, was slated to throw out the first pitch. Unfortunately, Blogger doesn't like videos from my camera . . . and I did get the whole thing in video. If you really want to see it, contact me, and I'll try to e-mail it to you.

TV Stevie did capture a few stills, which he shared with me.


Bob Daino, Rosie Taravella, Clifford and crew





Clifford, the Big Red Dog,
throwing out the first pitch



Clifford in the Chiefs dugout

Clifford and Jon under the stadium

It was a busy night all the way around.

First Base Coach Wave:

• Tug Hulett didn't turn, but definitely waved
• Michael Aubrey tipped his helmet.
• Gregor Blanco waved.
• Brad Peacock ignored us.

Jason Botts watch: he acknowledged us. Barely.

Best named player on the Bison: Valentino Pascucci.  If you want to know why, ask Sandee.

Carlos Maldonado watch:  At first, he heard us and was looking around for us, but somehow missed us. Later on, after warming up a pitcher, he found us and waved.

Oddest game-related incident: Seth Bynum foul ball went through the protective net behind home plate.

Best line of the night: The Bison Center Fielder struck out, and someone called out: "Thanks for the breeze, Perez!"

At one point, Sandee and I were up on the "Diamondvision" during a commerical break (the Bisons games are usually televised on Time Warner Cable Sports). We waved like crazy. We've heard that the cameras for any televised game frequently find us. One of these days I'll have to record a game and check out that rumor.

So that's it. A recap of most of what went on at Alliance Bank Stadium on WCNY Night at the Game. Better late than never, eh?