Okay. Let's talk a little, shall we? Things got weird. Things got really, really weird. I went to see Spring Training games the first week of March, and then the world exploded. Like, a lot. Since that weekend, I have spent every weekend since then in my apartment, and that's a lot of weekends.
I haven't even really been able to force myself to look at the materials from this trip until the resolution of the labor dispute, Summer "Spring Training," and the promise of the shorterned season opening. With the way the covid epidemic is running in the country currently, we'll see how long it lasts, with many of southern teams located in states that are seeing murderously high new infections.
I hope anyone reading this is safe and healthy. We're all in this together, even if we don't want to be. Wear your damn mask outside, stupid. If you're too sick to wear a mask, you're too sick to be outside in a pandemic. If you're too selfish to wear a mask, you're too selfish to live in polite society.
On Ducking the Weather and Transit Problems
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Boyton Beach, FL
Outside the Game:
Work was stressful and annoying, and I was unfortunately getting nowhere looking for a new job, so I was in an unpleasant mood to begin with. But I managed to get all my work for that day done before having to leave, and I was out in the world at 5:30 PM for a quick subway ride up to Penn Station.
As luck would have it, I just missed a train to Newark Airport, so I called my parents, and as I was watching the big board, all the trains after the one I just missed changed to "DELAYED," as I would find that there was a train stuck in the tunnel out of the city. Fan-tastic.
I managed to scrum my way on the next train out and make a passive-aggressive Karen move so I could get the empty center seat in a packed car, and I was even able to take a short nap on the way to the airport. Except when we got to the airport, the monorail was out of service, because of course it was. After more delays, I got to the terminal, and actually had a quick run through security for once to balance out some of my karma.
With a little time, I had a quick dinner at the diner and then rushed off to board my flight. I got in first with my group and was able to secure an overhead space and slump into my window seat. I spent most of the flight reading and doing Duolingo and watching pieces of movies, including Rise of Skywalker, which was even more awful than I imagined it being.
As we were approaching our destination, we had to detour around a large thunderstorm for a half-hour, putting us in late at West Palm Beach. People in general don't know how to exit a plane, but they were especially annoying this time, with multiple human blockages causing multiple-minute backlogs in the aisles before I was able to escape and meet my father for the short drive back to the condo.
I was about done for the day at this point, so I set up all my stuff for the game the next day, downed my pills, and went to sleep in the guest room in my parents' condo.
The Accommodations:
I was the sole resident of the guest room in my parents' condo again. It hadn't changed.
On Satan's Nice New Home
Friday, March 6, 2020
Boston Red Sox vs. Atlanta Braves
CoolToday Park
Grapefruit League (Spring Training)
North Port, FL
1:05 PM
Outside the Game:
I had another crappy night's sleep. To be honest, I don't really remember why; it could just have easily been travel stress, and work stress, or just general stress. Either way, my alarm clock nearly gave me a heart attack when it woke me up, and my beleaguered ass took way too long to get moving, with me not heading out on the road in my mom's car until 7:15 AM or so.
The first challenge for my sleep-deprived self was that the address for the new stadium didn't show up in my GPS, probably as the stadium was brand-new on brand-new roads in a brand-new development. At any rate, I found a golf course near the stadium location, put that in the magic talky box, and I was on my way.
Outside of some traffic heading to Alligator Alley, there was not many people as all as I crossed through the abandoned heartland of this misbegotten state. It seemed as though I was on 75 forever, though in a small mercy I found a commercial-free block of music on some classic rock radio station that carried me through most of the ordeal, accompanied by a sad little light rain for most of the transgress.
As we got nearer, I started looking for signs for the stadium, which were nowhere to be found. In my earlier research, I saw that the park was right next to a local college. Seeing signs for the college, I decided to follow them and hope for the best, and I was finally able to stumble upon the well-hidden stadium.
I had just enough time to park up, take pictures outside, and get into the game at the opening of the gates.
On the way out, I took it slow. I was in no rush to get anywhere, and arriving at the hotel early did not afford me any great opportunities in the area, so why bother? Especially since there was a jam-packed parking lot that wasn't moving anyway. I visited the little boy's room, called my parents to tell them my plans, and by then, most of the traffic jam was gone.
I had an uneventful drive to my hotel where I checked in and dropped off all my crap. I drove around the area a little bit looking for dinner, eventually settling on a Five Guys. I stopped for gas for the car on the way back (as my mom's car had a busted gas gauge, and you can't be too careful) and headed back to the hotel.
The room sort of fought me the rest of the evening. Well, with some help from me. I tried to make some tea, and then forgot about it, as I always do. I warmed it briefly in the microwave, which must have been some Bruce Banner-related contraption, because in under 10 seconds, it took that tea to nuclear hot. I then had to jury rig the bath tub to be able to take a proper bath to soak out the travel troubles.
But I soak I did, and caught up with some TV on my tablet, and then had a relatively early evening.
The Stadium & Fans:
CoolToday Park, except for the awful, awful name was--like many parks in the Braves' organization--well-thought out, appreciative of its past, modern but not obnoxious, and an all-around wonderful facility, which made me hate it even more. They seem to be trying down here to pull the same magic they did with the new commercial zone around their park in Atlanta, rising "North Port" out of the ashes of suburban Venice Beach. Their success in that endeavor was much more muted than their triumph in Atlanta, with just an unfinished mini-mall and a bunch of empty condos to show for their efforts so far, but I wouldn't count them out just yet. Stupid, sexy Braves.
The outside of the park is well-designed, with the centerpiece being a hall of fame plaza before the home plate entrance that has sculptures of all the braves' retired numbers, right next to a giant green area where there are cornhole games and the like. The park has three numbered entrances, as well as VIP and press entrances, with Braves' players lining the rises around the park. In the under-construction parking lots (currently a damp, dirt field), there is the entrance to the league-standard training area, with its scout tower around all the practice and skills fields.
Once you get in, you go up stairs respectfully decorated with Braves' luminaries and are dumped out on the main promenade that circles the park, all the while being serenaded by a guy in a Braves' uniform playing the accordion. You read all of that correctly. And it was somehow fun and not cringeworthy. I seriously hate the Braves. The single seating bowl descends from the promenade all around the park. There is the standard minor-league second level that runs from third base to first base around home plate that hosts the press boxes, luxury boxes, and a second deck of seating.
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| Seriously, how is this charming? |
The outfield is littered with special areas. The left field corner is anchored by the Tomahawk Tiki Bar, which is next to a picnic berm that extends out to center field. Just in left-center is the main digital scoreboard, above the "Budweiser Bench" for some reason, and the batter's eye in dead center. A raised area of seats called the Truist Pavilion hangs over the home bullpens in right-center, next to the Centraui Insurance Super Suite built into the right field corner wall. All the ads on the outfield wall are in white on green, and it all looks out to a backdrop of blue sky and palm trees.
Regular and specialty concessions ring the park, along with more player tributes and a now de rigueur POW seat. Baseball quotes are scrawled across the buildings in the park, and they even found a way of making the area behind the batter's eye useful, turning it into a huge bank of bathrooms. The team store is also airy and well-organized. Christ, do I hate the Braves.
It being an early Spring Friday game in a new park with the Red Sox visiting, the place was packed, and the crowd was into the meaningless contest. Ambiguously fuzzy mascot Blooper ran the on-field entertainments. Mostly he spent his time wandering the stands and interacting with fans. The on-field between-inning stuff was kept to a minimum, with giveaways and contest and the like.
The only real criticism that I can wield against the place is that their scoreboard operators were awful. Now granted, it is hard to keep up with all the late-inning changes in a Spring Training game, but at one point, they had two people playing first base and the same guy at two positions. That, my friends, is just slop.
At the Game with Oogie:
I got in with the first wave of the gates opening, bought my program and did my usual walk-around and pictures. My food stops were for a chicken basket and the world's tiniest brat. The brat guy was from Union City and saw my hat and we talked a bit. Jersey is everywhere, baby. A number of people thought I was press, and I increasingly think that is because only press people walk around with real cameras anymore now that smart phones are a thing.
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| Spring scoring |
My seats were just to the right of home plate, and it was a packed house that day. There was an adorable old couple next to me and an two old guys on the other side, with a big family taking up the row in front. Nothing really to mention with them, although there were a lot of Red Sox fans in the house as well, although my section was pretty solidly Braves' fans. There was a gap in the protective netting where two nets overlapped that let them throw things safely out to the crowd from the field, which was another nice feature that I hated the Braves for having.
The Game:
The Red Sox faced the Braves in this "let's just hope the entire stadium burns down" meaningless Spring Training contest. Despite all the strikeouts, this wasn't a pitcher's game, with the home team eeking out a bit of a slugfest.
The game started quickly enough, with the Sox going in order in the first. Atlanta was quicker out of the gate, with a walk and a single turning into an early 1-0 lead. Boston stranded a leadoff walk in the top of the second, while the Braves had the same result after a single and an error. The Red Sox got going in the top of the third, with a leadoff single going to third on a one-out single and then scoring an odd double steal (see below), while a fielder's choice scored the trailing runner and gave the Sox a 2-0 lead. Altanta went in order in their half.
Settling in, Boston went in order in the top of the fourth, but in the bottom of the frame, the Braves tied it up with a home run to left, knotting it at 2-2. The Sox only had a double to show for the top of the fifth, while Atlanta left a double and a walk on the basepaths for their half. Boston erased a leadoff single with a double play in the sixth, while the Braves stranded a couple of walks for their part.
The Red Sox left a two-out walk on the bases in the seventh, while Atlanta manufactured a run with a leadoff single that stole second and a single to follow, edging them out to a 3-2 lead. The wheels came off the bus in the eighth. In the top, three singles and two walks quickly added up two runs, giving Boston a 4-3 lead. In the bottom of the eighth, the Braves did them one better, where a bunt single started a rally of a single, a walk, and a triple, bringing in four and giving the Braves back a 7-4 lead.
The Sox did not going quietly in the ninth. A leadoff walk was followed by a single. Another single brought the run in, and another one-out single and E4 left it first and third. A walk loaded the bases, but a grounder to third led to the run being cut down in a force at home. A strikeout ended the game with the winning run on the bases, preserving a meaningless 7-4 Atlanta win.
The Scorecard:
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| Red Sox vs. Braves, 03/06/20. Braves win, 7-5 |
The Braves scorecard was a one-page cardstock insert in the $5 Spring Training program. In keeping with the parent club, the scorecard is just one page, cramming everything in somewhat efficiently. There is some whitespace around the card itself, allowing for notes.
The teams are stacked on top of each other, with player lines split in two for replacements, bracketed by player number and position. Eleven innings of scoring boxes are presented, with by-inning run/hit breakdowns at the bottom of each column. Each row ends in totals for at bats, runs, hits, and RBI. Pitching lines are underneath for five pitchers (pretty stingy for Spring Training), along with cumulative lines for pitching stats in each row. There is a totals box next to the pitching lines for errors, doubles, triples, home runs, stolen bases, and time of game.
There were a number of plays of literal note in the game. In the bottom of the first, a Braves' "single" was the ball falling between two fielders. The top of the third also had two odd plays. With one out and a runner on first and third, the runner on first stole second. The throw to second was late, and the runner on third broke for home. The catcher botched the throw home, scoring a run and moving the runner on second to third on an E2. The next batter hit the ball to third. He tried to make an unsuccessful play on the runner from third going home, but the catcher got the slow runner going to first in a routine 5-2-3 put out. The bottom of the second featured an RBI single getting gunned down going for two on the throw home in a blase' CS 8-2-6.
The Braves six pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts. Beside that, nothing else noteworthy.
The Accommodations:
I ended my day at the Days Inn & Suites in Bonita Springs. The area was a weird mix of tourist and golf resorts and nothing, and for the money, it was an okay situation, my inability to make tea correctly notwithstanding.
The entrance to the room had the smallish bathroom right off the entrance on the left. It had the big backlit vanity mirror, a wall-length sink, toilet, and the requisite shower and tub, which I would make good use of.
The bedroom area had two double beds split by dressers on one side, and a desk, small dresser, TV, and luggage rack on the other. It wasn't quite fancy, but it got the job done, especially as sleep-deprived as I was.
On Using Loneliness to My Advantage
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Naples, FL
Outside the Game:
I finally had a good night's sleep under me, so I was up early this morning. I went down full of hope for breakfast, but it turned out to be a sad little buffet with no hot food. I ate and returned to my room for a nap, disappointed by the whole experience and my stomach a little worse for wear from the experience.
I woke up again and puttered around the room until about 9 AM. I finished packing up, checked out, and then took the short drive to the zoo--which I made a little longer by missing the exit twice going in both directions, before successfully making a right turn like a normal person.
Managing to park with much less trouble, I was in the midst of a giant swarm of people, as I would find out today was free admission for county residents at the zoo. Realizing that time was not going to be my friend today, I made a bee-line for the monkey island boat tour as soon as I got in. The boat tour was the only real line in the zoo for a flat-bottomed boat ride around the various islands housing the various monkey species in the zoo. It was the only way to see the popular monkeys.
By the time I got there, the line was already pretty beefy, but it was moving, as they had three or four boats going at once because they were correctly expecting big crowds. My wait was even further abbreviated by being by myself. With such big crowds, they were looking fill every seat on every boat, so when they piped up for people by themselves, an older Asian lady and I were able to sheepishly cut half the line to get some pretty nice seats at the front.
We all took our nice ride around the monkey islands and then were set free to wander the zoo. I smugly noted the line for the boats had gotten quite epic in our short absence. I wandered around taking pictures, until it was time for the animal show in the arena by the entrance, where again I was able to slide in at the last minute by occupying an empty single seat.
After that, it was a leisurely wander around the zoo taking pictures before getting some cash and eating at the only option in the zoo, a sad little Win Dixie kiosk serving quick-stop food. I eventually made my way around the rest of the zoo before stopping in the gift shop on my way out. There was no WIFI in the zoo, and I was trying to get directions to another museum in town. Thankfully, when I got back to my mom's car, the GPS had the museum in its system, so I took the short drive downtown to see it.
The Naples Depot was a free museum--as you might guess--in the old train station in Naples. It is one of these places that I would never even think of visiting under normal circumstances, but that these trips give me the opportunity to discover. I found out some interesting history about the train lines that opened up central Florida, and even a little bit about dune buggy culture. So, you know, check mark for Saturday.
The museum also had two train cars open for visitors in the back on the remains of the tracks. One of them had a nice old man named Dan working inside. As can happen, Dan and I got to talking, and I found out that he had sponsored the restoration of the Lincoln hearse in the museum near his hometown in Illinois (he was a snowbird like my parents). He also had a son living in China at the time, and we had a long discussion about the stories we were hearing and how bad it was over there. His son was largely restricted to his hotel and was otherwise fine and looking to come back home where it was safe. (If only he knew what we know now. He'd probably be safer in China at this point.)
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| Seriously, I learned things. |
I eventually took my leave and drove back to my parent's condo. It was a lazy afternoon of getting organized for the game the next day and a nap. Since the extended family couldn't get its act together on the traditional pizza party we have when I come down, it was just going to be my parents and I going out to dinner this night. As we headed out to dinner, we found that the car had died sometime in the afternoon. (It would turn out to be an alternator problem.) With this added stress, we took another car to dinner at a local Italian place. It was notable because the service was very slow, and I surmised (correctly, as it would turn out) that it was because a lot of staff had called in sick. If only we could have seen the signs ahead of time...
We eventually got back to the condo, changed all the clocks that needed changing, and I went to sleep as early as possible for the next day.
The Accommodations:
I was back at the condo again, and really, really annoyed by the clap light that evening for some reason I can't remember.
2020 Spring Training Trip
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