Rancho Cucamonga

On Rest

The Epicenter, 2008

Thursday, July 3, 2008
Inland Empire 66ers (Los Angeles Dodgers) vs.
Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Epicenter
California League (A)
Rancho Cucamonga, CA

7:05 PM

Outside the Game:
Sleeping in as late as possible after the night of cricket horror, I finished the drive in to Rancho Cucamonga. In addition to the expected traffic through LA, I was treated to several roadside brush fires that were actively being fought by local firefighters. These made me question if I was traveling in the correct direction to ensure my overall well-being.

After completing the drive to my hotel and taking a nap, I drove out to the stadium for the game, eventually bailing to a local Chinese take-out place when I discovered that Google Maps had failed to disclose the actual location of the stadium, but rather its general whereabouts.

I eventually found the stadium and parked with no further incident. Under cover of another fireworks display, I was able to get out and back on the road to the hotel quickly, stopping off for some late night take-out.


At the Game with Oogie:
I got a seat right behind the plate for the minor league game. The attendees of such low minor league games tend to be families, scouts, and baseball fanatics. There are also many local businessmen who schmooze their clients at such events, and one such man was doing so for a group of clients that was surrounding me. He clearly resented my presence as he had to go around to his other clients through the aisle, but he assiduously avoiding acknowledging my presence for the entire game.


The Stadium & Fans:
The Epicenter (get it-- epicenter, quakes: earthquakes!) was a nice minor league park that was part of what seemed to be a community complex of Little League ballparks. It had the standard bandstand ring of seating, with open picnic seating in the outfield. Slightly disappointing was the fact that the concessions stands were all on the other side of the seats, preventing you from getting concessions while still being able to watch the game.

The Epicenter was packed for this penultimate July 4th day, and the fans were involved and interested. As to be expected, there was a heavy military theme, with the mascot coming in on a Humvee and a flyover of WWII planes after the national anthem. A young teenage girl gave a virtuoso performance of the national anthem.


The Hot Dog:
It was a generic, unbranded hot dog.


The Game:
As with most single-A games, the contest was marked by numerous errors in the field and pitching that ranged from easy to unstoppable. The 66ers jumped out with 3 in the top of the first, but the Quakes pitchers held ground after that, shutting the 66ers out despite some threats. The Quakes answered with three in the fourth and one in the fifth and sixth to eek out a 5-3 victory.


The Scorecard:

66ers vs. Quakes, 07/03/08. Quakes win, 5-3.

As with most minor league stadiums, the scorecard was part of the free program given out at the gate. It was a little cramped, but otherwise fine for a free card. As seems to be standard for minor league parks, it included the catcher stats with the pitcher stats, perhaps to differentiate between all the frequent passed balls, hit batsmen, and wild pitches.


Oogie's East Coast Connection of the Day:
My Cyclones hat was recognized by another guest at my hotel, who had just come back from a trip to the New York area.


The Accommodations:

Guest House in Upland, Upland. CA

Knowing that one way or another my previous night's travels would probably not go smoothly, I picked a nice Guest House in Upland for this night's stay. The room is apparently quite pricey in season, and I had my own dining room and couch in my room, which was one of the reasons I grabbed some take-out on the way back from the park. If you have a dinning table, you may as well use it.

As I got out relatively early from the game and without traffic (thanks to the fireworks), I even got an excellent night's sleep to make up for the night before.

Click here to see all the pictures from this trip.

2008 The West Coast