Altoona

On Being an Idiot

People's Natural Gas Field, 2013

Friday, August 31, 2013

Akron Aeros (Cleveland Indians) vs.
Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Eastern League (AA)
Peoples Natural Gas Field
Altoona, PA
6:00 PM


Outside the Game:
After being thrown a free breakfast voucher the evening before by the clerk who checked me in, I went down to the restaurant to redeem it. They didn't have a buffet as is usual in such situations, and the nice waitress explained that it was a coupon for a free specific breakfast item on the menu, but she would really get me whatever I wanted, within reason. The coupon breakfast was actually looking pretty good, so I ordered that, along with an oatmeal. After eating, I asked to settle up for he oatmeal, and she told me it was all good, so I tossed her something extra in the tip.

I went back to the room to get my stuff together and head out into the day. With a night game this evening and less than a two-hour drive to get there, I decided to avail myself of the local opportunities. I had originally thought about going to Altoona and seeing some of the sights there, but the day before I had found out about the Little League Museum, right by the Little League World Series complex, so that quickly became a gimmie.

After packing up the car, I headed out to the short drive to the south of town for the Little League Museum. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the museum was at the top of the field complex that just the last week had been used for this year's World Series. I poked around a bit and then went into the museum proper. It was an excellent affair in six "innings" (just as a Little League game) that went through the formation and history of the league, its equipment, and the World Series, and with even a Hall of Excellence thrown in.

Hall of Excellence

Of special note was a rather sizable exhibit on Maria Pepe of Hoboken, who was the first girl to play Little League baseball. It was nice to see that the museum didn't shy away from the controversies of its past, because Little League Baseball went to state Supreme Courts in many cases to prevent girls from playing at the time. I got to talking with one of the staff in another part of the museum and mentioned I was from Hoboken. Apparently, Ms Pepe is a regular visitor to the museum and gives talks and the like. I couldn't help think what hell she must have gone through at the time and still ended up that positive about the experience to keep coming back.

Another inning of the museum had interactive exhibits where you can play fielding, catching, running, and jumping games. Of course, it would be undignified to do such things. As it would be bragging to point out that I ran the third fastest time from home to first that day.

The museum empties out into the store, and I went crazy buying a bunch of neat stuff there. I was waited on by the staff member I had talked to earlier. But this was only half of the experience. The actual fields were around back.

So I stopped by the car, put my purchases in the trunk, got out my sunscreen, and lathered up before walking into the afternoon to visit the fields. Because I was only taking my camera with me and not my game bag (as per usual), I put the sunscreen in my front pocket. Remember this, as it will be important later.

Player dorms

The Little League World Series had expanded from the single-field affair in the center of Williamsport to this multi-field complex in the south of town. For the duration of the tournament, the teams live in a no-parents-allowed village of dorms and recreation buildings that are just up the hill from the fields. The two main parks are Lamade Stadium and the newer Volunteers Field (paid for by the volunteers for the series). There are even more practice fields in the back that are used for their stated purpose, as well as early-level elimination matches. It was all very nice and clearly recovering from the last week or so.

Center field to home plate, Lamade Stadium

After I had my fill, I got back into the car for the drive out to Altoona. The path, which went through State College, was not a heavily trafficked corridor this Saturday, as Penn State wasn't at home. It was in a panic that morning that I realized that I was going to drive straight through the heart of the beast on a Saturday, and it was with even greater relief that I realized the Nittany Lions would not be home that day. So the drive was largely without incident.

As I still had plenty of time before the game, I decided to stop off at the Railroaders Museum in Altoona to see the sights before heading out to the ballpark. I eventually pulled into the parking lot for the Railroad Museum, did the standard, half-assed hiding job for all my stuff, and then left the car. Remember the sunscreen I had put in my pocket earlier? Here's the payoff.

I usually have a preternatural knowledge of if I have everything I need in my pockets, transmitted by a complex system of feeling, weight, and echolocation. With the sunscreen in the pocket usually occupied by my key wallet, it threw everything off, and I left my car without my keys, which stayed happily in the ignition.

And here we are.

After the immediate rage subsided, and the subsidiary rage at having a legitimate senior moment went its course, there was a sullen recognition that this could be worse. Except that my cell phone was running out of juice. I went into the museum and explained to the nice, college-aged lady behind the counter my predicament, and she even offered to have her own roadside people come or ask the handyman at the museum to take a look at it. I took a paper and pen from her and decided to try my luck with AAA first.

A certain amount of transferring later, I was on the phone with a person who said a truck from a local towing company would be out within the hour. I told them my cell phone and to check in the museum if I wasn't with the car, because I might as well take in the museum while I was waiting. Perhaps its intellectual effects would stimulate my flagging memory.

So off to the museum I went, which was also an extremely well-done affair. To be honest, I didn't know Altoona from Abercrombie before this weekend, but it turns out to have been incredibly important to rail travel and the Pennsylvania Railroad, so go figure. The museum was not only a great descriptor of the railroad history and all the different jobs that went into it, but it did an excellent job of capturing the everyday lives of the workers, from recreating a typical house, to even having a walk-in display of a local ethnic watering hole of the time. Projected videos into the environment gave color to the various environments that were being represented.

Altoona in smokier days

Once done with my visit, I checked the time, and it was well-past the hour I was told for the arrival of the truck. Fearing that I perhaps missed them and they neglected to call, I started to dial AAA again only to have them call me while I was waiting for them to pick up. They asked if the tow truck had shown up yet, and I explained that I was just in the process of calling them about that, and as we were having that discussion, the tow truck pulled into the parking lot, and we all hung up.

I am not an uninformed person. One of the reasons that I still drive this beater car around is because I know that anyone who really wanted to could break into my car and steal it at any point. But knowing that thing and actually seeing that the tow truck guy was out of his truck for less than ten seconds before he put some hydraulic pump thing into my car door, pumped it twice, and fished open my lock. I thanked him and then vowed to myself never keep anything valuable in my car ever again.

Upon leaving, a combination of the late hour and my lack of gas prevented me from driving up to the actual railroad "Curve" that gave the local team its namesake. I drove around a little trying to find a gas station that was open on the holiday weekend. After I gassed up, it was a short trip to the stadium, where I parked and did my business.

After the game, I was headed about a half hour down the road to Bedford, right at the juncture with the main road to get me to York the next day. The game ended at a decent hour, and a short and uneventful ride later deposited me at my hotel for the evening.


The Stadium & Fans:

Home plate to center field, People's Natural Gas Field

"People's Natural Gas Field" probably made financial sense at the time, but it just doesn't roll off the tongue. Even the facade of the stadium gives up on the cumbersome moniker and just has a stylized natural gas flame as the main signage. The ballpark is also located right next door to Lakemont Park Amusement Park, which has its Skyliner roller coaster just beyond the right field wall. The conjoined parking lot for both facilities sits in left-center, and since the ballpark is at a much lower grade than the lot, you can get really cheap seats by standing on the top of the lot to watch the game. Or the amusement park, if you're into that sort of thing.

The VIP entrance is located close to the smaller parking lot for the ballpark only, while the main general entrance in left field is next to the larger lot shared with the amusement park. The entrance has stairs lowering you into the two levels of the park. The lowest is a promenade which extends most of the way around the park, from left-center, around home, to right. The upper deck runs from third to first.

In most parks such as these, the upper deck is just there to hold the press box and the luxury boxes, but this is a legitimate second level, with  general seating, the main team store, concessions, kids play area, and even a small video arcade. The lower promenade has most of its concessions and facilities under the cover of the second level, but there are special areas out in left and right field. In left is the Rocky Gap Entertainment Deck, with the Kunzler Grill and patio and wall seating. In right field is a special events pavilion and the Galliker's Fun Zone for the kids. There is also a section of "cheap seat" bleachers in right that was sponsored by the same discount emporium as was in Harrisburg.

The park had some oddities. Near the VIP entrance are two out-of-place monuments. Seemingly chucked in there is the one retired number for the team, as well as a picture display of the stadiums of the Eastern League. And while some of the outfield hills are open to visitors, others have dire warnings against climbing on them in a way that is sure to confuse some fans about what to do or not do.

Diesel Dog and Steamer

The team has got a troop of mascots, including Diesel Dawg, Steamer, and Al Tuna (get it?). Al is only supposed to show up during the game when the Curve score a run, so the cry of "Bring out Al" gets bandied about a lot. Most of the between-inning entertainment is minor-league standards, with the exception of the knight battle. For that, two guys in padded knight suits come out and fight with pugil sticks, trying to knock off the stuffed head of their opponent's suit that is held on by strong Velcro. It was certainly the closest to a blood sport I've seen at a minor-league game, to be sure.

The crowd was copious and into the contest, and there was even a sizable contingent of visiting fans from Akron who came out to see the game. To be honest, I'm not sure how far Akron is to Altoona, but it seems as though it should be a while.


At the Game with Oogie:

Scoring along

In line to get in, I was just in front of this older gentleman, and as often happens, we started talking. He was from the Trenton area, and a Thunder fan, and he was just out here for a game because he was visiting his father, who lived in the area. We talked about baseball inconsequentials on the line, and he said how he had gotten a seat in the right field bleachers, as they are quite close to the field and half the price of the infield box seats. We talked a little about what I was doing, and as soon as we were in the doors, we parted ways, as I set out to do my normal business, and with a park this large, I was going to need every minute of the hour before the game to take in the park. I eventually saw him in the area next to me in the bleachers. I waved, but I'm not sure if he was looking.

I was just able to get a seat in the box seats behind the home dugout on the first-base side. I was in the last section of seats that was a little down the line from the dugout. It was a small section, and this was because it ended in the fence that separated the service entrance to the field. My seat was right up against the fence, which gave me a semi-comfortable place to lean, but sometimes impeded my view of right field. Most of the between-inning entertainment sat in the pen next to my seat before they went out to the field, as did the grounds crew, so it was an interesting vantage point to watch the fan crew distractedly texting between innings or the grounds crew futz with their equipment before heading out to repair the playing surface.

On the other side of me were mostly families. The place was packed that day. Around me was a large extended family who had a four year-old (or thereabouts) boy with them. He was regularly confused during the game because he was used to cheering for the team in black (the parent club, the Pirates), whereas the home colors of their farm team was red. But their opponents were wearing black uniforms. His parents kept trying to correct him, but he kept correcting them, explaining that black was the good guys. And so it goes.

The Curve Burger

I grabbed a Angus "Curve Burger" for grub.


The Game:

First pitch, Aeros vs. Curve

This was one of the last games of the season for a just-over-.500 team and a team a few games below .500. It didn't mean much to either team, per se, and I was unsure of what to expect. But whatever it was, it was definitive.

The Pirates' Jason Grilli was starting a rehab assignment in the game, but the Aeros started off with a single. But Grilli got several quick outs to end the inning. The Curve went meekly in order in their half. Grilli pitched one inning and was done, and both sides went in order in the second. It was shaping up to be a quick game, especially when the Aeros repeated the feat in the third. The Curve showed some life, however. A leadoff single was followed by an attempted bunt to move the runner over that ended up as a bunt single. A walk loaded the bases, but a ground-out to third cut down the runner at home. However, it was the next grounder to third that defies explanation.

There was a clean grounder right to third. The runner at third did not break for home, but stayed on third. The runner from second ended up on the base as well, and the third baseman tagged them both for an unassisted double play. The original runner at third couldn't be there because he was forced to go home, and the runner from second couldn't be there because the runner from third was still there. I can only imagine the yelling both of them endured when their manager got a hold of them in the dugout.

The Aeros again went in order in the fourth, and the Curve again wasted an opportunity. Back-to-back singles started the half-inning, but they were then followed with a ground-out and an around-the-horn double play to end the inning. The fifth started as more of the same for the Aeros, with a pop out to second, but three straight walks came after it. A fielder's choice brought in a run before the end of the inning to give the Aeros a 1-0 lead. The bottom of the inning were more blown opportunities by the Curve. A batter got a two-out single and then stole second. The man after him walked, and then they both double-stole third and second. But then a ground-out to third ended the inning.

Given how lifeless the game had been so far, the top of the sixth defies explanation. A single was followed by a homer to right. And then a single was followed by another homer to center. And then another home to center. And then the next three batters made outs, with the score 4-0, Aeros. The Curve managed a hit batsman and a single in their half. The Aeros cooled off to only a walk in the top of the seventh, as did the Curve in their half of the inning.

In the eighth, the first batter got on by an errant throw by the third baseman, and the next batter walked. Three batters later, a two-out home run came before a strikeout ended the half, leaving it a laugher at 9-0, Aeros. The Curve went in order in the eighth, and the Aeros only managed a single in the top of the ninth. The Curve closed out their feckless game with three straight outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the game ended 7-0, Aeros.


The Scorecard:

Aeros vs. Curve, 08/31/13. Aeros win, 7-0.

The pamphlet-sizes scorecard was a free giveaway at the park entrance, which was a nice change of pace from all the extra-charge cards I'd been seeing lately. While on newsprint, it wasn't cheap newsprint, and it stood up well to writing with sharp pencils, instead of shredding itself like delicate tissue paper. The program itself was completely customized to the opponent, with full lineups as part of the program, another welcome change from the last few parks to which I'd visited.

The scorecard was the centerfold of the program, and it had no adds to impede it. For its form factor, it had ample space, as well as acknowledging the reality of double-labeling the summary categories as extra innings should things come to pass. The only knock on it was the lack of any pitching stats, but since there were extra replacement lines, I took the opportunity to at least note all of the pitchers, if not their full stats.

Scoring-wise, the game had a few things of note. First was the four strikeouts that required a put-out play to get the runner. Raw catchers in this league are no doubt the cause of that. The unassisted double-play by the third baseman in the third was, I think, the first unassisted double-play I've ever seen. There was the double-steal in the fifth, and the home run explosion by the Aeros in the sixth and eighth, but besides those events, everything else was not out of the ordinary.


The Accommodations:

Econolodge

After perhaps over-spending on the Holiday Inn the night before for a room I barely used, I decided to grab a room at the Econolodge for Saturday night, as I'd be spending a similar amount of time in the room and there was one a short distance down the road from Altoona in Bedford.

When I got in after the game, I was again a little weary from the traveling, and the counter person was extremely nice to me. Her name, if her name tag was to be believed, was Barb. Close your eyes and think of "Barb." Yep, that was her.

I've got to say, there is just something about motels that I found reassuring. I think it probably goes back to my childhood and vacations, but I have an affinity to them that I don't have with fancy hotels for whatever reason. And say what you will about Econolodges, I don't think I've ever had a truly disappointing experience in one, and that's more than I can say about most hotel chains.

After checking in, I dragged my stuff to my room and got settled in. There was little different from this room than the room I stayed in the night before, except the price tag. The king-sized bed had a raft of pillows with which to make a big pile to rest my back, and outside of being less fancy, all the same amenities were here: bathroom, desk, lounge chair, end tables and bed.

As with the previous night, I took a shower to wash the day off of me, watched some TV, did some writing, and then hit the hay.

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2013 Labor Day