Goodyear (Indians)

On the Last of Everything

Goodyear Ballpark, 2016

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Indians
Goodyear Ballpark
Cactus League (Spring Training)
Goodyear, AZ
7:05 PM

Outside the Game: 

It was a slow morning after the hot tub escapades the night before. Literally no moisture in the atmosphere, plus the hot tub, plus alcohol made for some solid dehydration. And, obviously, it wasn't just physical pain I was feeling this morning.

Despite all that, I had one more game to attend, a repeat visit to Goodyear Ballpark, one of the more underwhelming parks in the Cactus League, for an Indians game of all things. A small blessing was that it was one of the few night games I had, so I had an unaccounted for day to spend as I saw fit. This made for a lazy morning, plus, given the dearth of things left to do in the greater Phoenix area, it left me poring over what to do with my time.

I figured some time outside would be healthy for me, so I decided on driving out to the Desert Botanical Garden. I'm generally not one for botanical gardens, but I figured it would be at least interesting to go to one in the desert, and some fresh air would probably keep my mind off things.

Straight out of a Road Runner cartoon

So I spent the late morning and early afternoon tooling around in the botanical garden, which was nice, except for the overpriced and disappointing sandwich I got for lunch. I still hit the gift shop for last-minute things, and then headed back to the hotel for my last afternoon nap and shower of the trip.

I decided to stop at the practice areas a couple of desert blocks away from the park before heading to the gates. This game had a much bigger crowd (a record one, it would be revealed) because it was a night game, it was a weekend, and the Cubs were visiting, which meant an invasion of Chi-town fans.

After the scoring ended, I went back to the hotel and went straight to bed, because I was still tired from the last night, and there was literally nothing else I wanted to do.

The Stadium & Fans: 

Home plate to center field, Goodyear Ballpark

Goodyear Ballpark remained exactly as it was the last time I was there, with a lot more people thanks to the factors described above. There was a swing band performing outside before the gates opened, and in the area behind left field, there were a bunch of local food carts in addition to the regular concessions. At night, the fancy covered club seats became a liability, as it was pretty pitch dark in that area after the sun went down. I'm not sure how they didn't think that particular thing through.

Most of the extra fans were visiting Cubbies, so it doesn't really speak well to the home fanbase. The between-inning entertainment ran between bubble suit fights, bunting contests, and other generic games and races. Even Zizzy didn't show up.

At the Game with Oogie: 

Night scoring

I had seats right behind first base at the top of the seating bowl. I was mostly surrounded by Indians fans, but the rest of the park was a consistent Cub blue. The guy immediately to my left was there with friends or business associates, and he took an interest in my scoring, especially scoring a Spring Training game. I can't tell if it was pity or admiration.

Who is on first base?

Also in my section a couple of roads ahead were two guys in "What" and "Idontknow" jerseys, which I thought was clever of them. For food, I went to the food trucks that were there for the night game, and grabbed a giant bowl of poutine fries, because how can you not get poutine?

The Game: 

First pitch, Cubs vs. Indians

If you look at the first half of this normally inter-league matchup between the Indians and Cubs, you could argue it was a pitchers’ duel. But considering it ended 10-5, you can guess it fell pretty far apart in the second half. [Coincidentally, if you had told anybody at this point that this was a preview of the World Series, you would have been locked up for your own safety.]

The Cubs and Indians both had one runner in the first, the Cubs on a one-out single erased on a steal attempt, and the Indians one one-out yip by the first baseman. The Cubs managed a leadoff double and walk in the second, and Indians a two-out walk. The Cubs finally broke through in the third with three straight singles to load the bases and a one-out single to bring in a run. The runner from second got gunned down at the plate, and a fly to right ended the half at 1-0, Cubs. The Indians had a two-out triple that got stranded in their half.

The Cubs went in order in the fourth, and the Indians had a two-out double that was stranded. The Cubs went in order in the top of the fifth, and then the game fell apart. A new Cubs pitcher gave up back-to-back walks to start the inning. The first runner stole second, and then a passed ball moved them to second and third. A one-out grounder to second scored one and moved the other to third. A single drove in the runner from third, and then a bomb to left drove in two more, making it 4-1, Indians. A new pitcher came in and gave up a walk and a hit before getting a strikeout to end the inning at nine batters faced.

The Cubs went in order again in the sixth, and the Indians did not. Another new Cubs pitcher gave up another leadoff single to the same Indian from last inning, who then stole second again. There was another walk, and a short single loaded the bases. Another single moved everyone around one spot, driving in the lead runner. A grounder to the pitcher came home not in time, and everyone moved a space thanks to the fielder's choice. That was it for that pitcher. The new Cub walked in a run, and then a sacrifice fly to right drove in a run and moved everyone up a base. A single scored another run, and a fly out to right moved up the runners. Having batted around, the first batter of the inning was up again, and perhaps tired from running the bases, struck out, ending the five-run inning with the score 9-1, Indians.

The Cubs managed three stranded base runners in the seventh with a hit batsman, single, and fielder’s choice, but the Indians only managed a walk with a stolen base. The Cubs found their bats in the eighth, with a leadoff single and walk and one-out homer to right to make it 9-3, Indians. To prove a point, perhaps, the Indians greeted yet another Cubs pitcher with a home run to dead center in the bottom of the half to make it 10-3, Indians. Trying to the last, the Cubs got a one-out single and then a walk. A grounder to third went astray, bringing in the run on an E5, before two strikeouts ended the pointless Spring Training game at 10-5, Indians, sending the record crowd home in good spirits--or, at least the outnumbered Indian contingent.

The Scorecard: 

Cubs vs. Indians, 03/19/16. Indians "win," 10-5.

The Indians version of the scorecard was part of the $7 magazine program (the proceeds of which went to charity), but, as with the Reds, the scorecard was the full centerfold with heavy-weight paper that was not taken over by advertisements, making it comfortable and easy to score even a Spring Training game. In looking at it, I was very meticulous with this one, perhaps because it was my last game and I had so much practice at that point.

The home team was on the left side of the scorecard, which is a non-traditional alignment, but they had a "Notes" area on each side of the scorecard, which was welcome. They even had areas for bullpen and bench, but as they were not announced, I couldn't fill them in.

Outside of the entire scoring and regular Cactus League replacement bonanza, there were several items of scoring note. Firstly, there were a lot of outfield assists in the game. In the bottom of the second, the Indians tried to extend a single to right-center to a double and got cut down CS 9-4. In the top of the third, a Cub runner from second tried to make it home from second on a single to left-center and got cut down CS 7-2. And in the top of the seventh, a Cub runner on first overran second base on a single to right and got put out CS 9-4. There was also a regular-old caught stealing in the top of the first 2-6 after a single.

There were some interesting pitching lines for the Cubs. The relief pitcher in the fifth charged with the loss got run out with .6 IP 2 H 4 ER 2 BB 0 K. When you thought it couldn’t get worse, the reliever in the top of the sixth had 0 IP 3 H 5 ER 1 BB 0 K. For the first time ever, I got to use the "+" symbol for a pitcher's IP. It was a topic of discussion with the guy sitting next to me. That said, there were 20 K combined for the entire game. After a double-switch in the seventh, I just had the pitcher spot move around on the Cubs side of the board, because they chose not to use a DH, a first for me. There was a 4-3 put-out in the bottom of the fourth due to overshift, resulting in the "4o-3" notation.

The attendance of 11,616 was a record for the stadium. It would have been 11,615 without me, so I feel integral in the achievement.

The Accommodations: 

Last day in the room

I was in my same room again. Given that I had to leave for home the next day and didn't want to potentially deal with a still-damp bathing suit, I did not go into the pool or hot tub all day.

On Drastic Atmospheric Changes

Phoenix Airport

Sunday March 20, 2016

Jersey City, NJ

Outside the Game: 

And so my time in the desert was at an end, for better or for worse. Frankly, my only thoughts were mostly on my uncle and what would be waiting for me when I flew back. But for now, it was time to head out.

The good news is that I had a lot of time to do it. My flight wasn't until 3:25 PM, so there was a good deal of lying about in the morning. With the majority of my loot already shipped, I just had all my immediate crap to pack up and take back with me. I did a final shake down of my... I originally typed "apartment" which was accurate as anything else. As miserable an experience as it was, after two weeks, the place did grow on me.

I did my last breakfast routine of eating (with the now operational pancake machine) and taking my walk in the park in the cool morning. There were some dogs that got petted, and even the tweakers weren't around. In clearing everything out, I added to the Leaning Tower of Soap and ate all the leftovers left in my refrigerator as a last lunch. There were Arby's fries, Honey Bear beans, some BBQ sauce, and random items from the Quick Mart next door.

Eventually, it was time to turn in my key and head out. My first stop was the rental car place to drop off my now very, very dusty Chevy Trax. Then I was into the airport, bought an upgrade because I just didn't care at this point, and then went through security. The airport, or at least the terminal I was in, was completely deserted. So it was mostly killing time until boarding. Thankfully, everything was on time, and we boarded and took off, and it was a mostly blah flight on the way back.

It was perhaps fitting that when we landed at around 11 PM, it was snowing like it meant it. I hadn't seen a drop of water that wasn't in a pool for two weeks, and now frozen bits of it were falling from the sky. After deplaning and going out to grab a cab, I stopped short as soon as I stepped outside, because the sensations were overwhelming. It was cold, sure, but it was coldish some nights in Arizona. It was snowing, also novel, but that wasn't it.

It was the moisture. There was so much moisture in the air. I could feel my skin sucking it all in and rehydrating. It was crazy. This is literally what I had been missing for over two weeks: moisture in the air. I swore at that moment to never take it for granted again.

I eventually bundled into the cab and was quickly back at my apartment to dump out everything and go to work the next day. And another one of these things was over.

The Accommodations: 

Sweet home, Jersey City

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2016 Cactus League

Detroit

On Visiting the Big Cats

Comerica Park, 2015

Friday, September 4, 2015

Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers
Comerica Park
MLB, American League
Detroit, MI
7:05 PM

Outside the Game: 

I had a big drive this day, and then a little one after the game, so I decided to rest up as much as possible. I had yet another lazy morning, grabbed breakfast, and then did my shower/pack/checkout routing before hitting the road back up to Detroit.

Seeing the Tigers again was an optional detour on this route, as long as I didn't get rained out of any of the games. I had a couple of flex days in the schedule just to make the most of it after the trip earlier that summer was so plagued with rain.

I had about three and a half hours ahead of me on the road, so I was off before noon, and the early afternoon brought me to the recovering environs of Detroit. One of the biggest regrets in my previous trips was not seeing the old Tigers Stadium before it was torn down. What's left still exists, so I made it a point to have my first stop be the remains. A small field used for vintage baseball and other amateur pursuits was left on the site of the old field, maintained by the "Navin Field Grounds Crew." Not much of the stadium remains except for a run of the exterior gates down one of the roads, and the flag pole from the old park.

The old diamond remains

Even though it wasn't there anymore, you could still get a sense of the shape of the place by its absence. It was more than a little spooky walking around it, and you really got a sense of how wedged into the city the old park really was. There were some weird reminders of the field not just in the area of the park, but in details such as the "Eat 'Em UP!!!" graffiti still on the walls across one street. It was one of my most rewarding stops on any of those tours, if tinged with great regret about not getting to see the old lady when she was still there.

Ghosts

After that, I drove over to the new park, and the only lots that were open most of the day were the ones furthest away, which were also closest to the interstate, so I was fine with that. I had to work a little to find someone to pay for a ticket that early, but I got parked, and then I went out exploring for the rest of the afternoon.

I spent some time walking around the exterior of the park and taking pictures of the fantastic stadium and making my stop in the team store. I dumped off my purchases back at the car, and then I headed into the downtown area and take my chances.

Detroit has, by no measurement, retained its former glory. But, it certainly has made a tremendous recovery from even where it was ten or twenty years ago. The downtown area seems alive again, and it looks like it is moving in the right direction for the first time in forever. I showed up the weekend of the Detroit Jazz Festival, so there were plenty of pavilions being set up, and there were extra vendors flooding downtown.

I went down to the waterfront to see my favorite statues: the tribute to Union labor that has an unfinished arch at the top, the fisting arm of labor, and the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad statue. The last was always particularly ironic, because it showed people wistfully and hopefully looking to Canada and the city of Windsor across the river, a feeling that anyone that actually had to live in Detroit could certainly sympathize with.

The fisting battering ram

When it was time, I walked back to the park and got on line at one of the side entrances with a small line, where I got into a conversation with one of my line mates about the game and why I was there. The gates opened, and we went out ways.

After the game, I was one with the first wave of people out of the park, and after a longish walk back to my car, I was able to head out. It was just an hour drive after the game to my hotel on the outskirts of Toledo. Being in one of the outer lots, I was able to quickly make my escape to the freeway, and I was at my stop for the night in about exactly the driving time that Google predicted. I made a coherent check-in and then went up to my room to unpack, shower, repack, and get ready for the next day's travels before hitting the hay.

The Stadium & Fans: 

Home plate to center field, Comerica Park

Comerica Park is one of the only ballparks left in the major leagues that has any whimsy. Sure, there are more historic parks. Sure, there are newer parks with more technology or “wow” factor, but Comerica might be the only that has a real sense of design and theme. That theme, of course, is “tigers,” and it is embraced on every level of the stadium. The location in the slowly revitalizing downtown is nearly next-door to the home of the Lions at Ford Field across the street.

The exteriors of modern ballparks have evolved to be extravaganzas, but Comerica really is at the top of the class. Tigers, baseballs, and sometimes, tigers with baseballs are to be found all over the exterior of the park. Entrances dot the periphery of the park, but the main one at home plate has two white tiger statues patrolling above a balustrade of bats, and the epic first-base entrance has four of the white tigers arrayed around tiger columns and photographs of heroes and announcers past. Other white tiger busts (with balls mounted in the mouths) line other of the brick-exterior building, and two full-color tigers prowl the main scoreboard at the third-base entrance. Plaques outside the park honor Ty Cobb, Turkey Stearnes, the stadium dedication, and the College of Law building that previously stood at this downtown locale.

Club entrances provide VIP entre to the Tiger Den and the Tiger Club. The extensive team store is also accessible from the outside early before game days, containing a display showing the evolution of the Old English D throughout the years. Long rows of ticket booths string out from the main entrances, and the Beer Hall Bar sits at the far corner of the exterior of the park.

All the entrances open up on a main promenade that runs around the entire park. All the seating areas run down from this promenade, and they are further separated into two sections by a walkway that runs the length of the grandstand. The VIP box seats close to the field are below this walkway, and the less prestigious seats are (mostly) in the upper area, though there are some premium seating areas in that section by the dugouts and behind home plate. The seats run all the way around to center field, where a large batter's eye complex topped by Chevy cars sits. An additional, full-sized upper deck runs the length of the seating area, though the section in right field is separated from the main grandstand, and ramps from the upper promenade lead out to a walkway above the upper deck box seats and below the regular seating above. As with all modern parks, in between the two is a mostly double-decker row of luxury suites and party rooms, as well as the press box.

The park looks out onto the downtown Detroit buildings from about left-center to the right field corner (obscured by the batters' eye in dead center), while the monolithic video scoreboard dominates the entire left-field corner, topped with two colorful tigers that light up in the night. Also visible in left-center is the statue walk, with the names and (where applicable) numbers of the players enshrined in the nicest baseball statuary wall this side of Pittsburgh.

The main promenade holds most of the concessions, along with an endless array of Tigers history, including stands for each decade, pennants from the ceiling, the aforementioned statues, giant player bobbleheads, the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame, a roped-off statue to late broadcaster, Ernie Harwell. There are two, large, special areas on the ground level, including a food court area with the merry-go-round in the center, and a picnic area with concessions, a baseball Ferris Wheel, and baseball-themed topiary. The upper deck isn't neglected, either, with special area such as Bar 416 and The Jungle.

Another noteworthy item was a concession on the lower promenade that let you get buy a 3D printing of yourself as an action figure in Tigers gear. I knew that technology had advanced, but I didn't know that it was this ready for commercial prime time. A combination of a steep price tag and my unwillingness to be immortalized in Tiger gear prevented me from partaking, but who knows what happens if this shows up at Not Shea.

Paws sees you, mortal.

Beloved mascot Paws arrives before the start of the game to glad handle with fans young and old alike. After spending so long in minor-league parks, you realize that the major-league between-inning events aren’t that much better quality, they are just on a bigger scale, and with much bigger budgets. It is still a race around the outfield, but the participants are in professionally made car outfits and projected on an obscenely large jumbotron. It was also a "cheer night" at the park, so before and during the innings breaks during the game, there were several cheerleading exhibitions, which were okay, I guess.

Even though it was a largely meaningless late-season game with a jazz festival competing for eyeballs, the park was more than 50% filled, and they were very much there for the game, even though Cleveland very much beat up on the home-town kitties this game, the crowd stayed until the bitter end.

At the Game with Oogie: 

Brat and Gatorade

I got in as soon as the gates opened, and I made the most of my time, sprinting through the park to take all sorts of pictures in all sorts of places. And I needed all the time to hit every last nook and cranny I could in the place, which had some many details crammed into so many places.

I eventually settled on a super brat and a Gatorade topped off with a corn dog as my dinner for the evening before heading down to my seat in the "Tiger seats" on the third-base line. These were covered seats up from the seating walkway with solid wooden chairs that each came with their own little table (where I kept my scorecard) and table service (which I didn't take advantage of).

There was no one else in my section of seats, but I did manage to have an embarrassing interaction with a couple in the section one over from me, as I had read the ticket wrong and were in their seats, but I was convinced I was in the right place until they patiently explained my error, and I sheepishly went one section to the left for the remainder of the game.

The Game: 

First pitch, Tigers vs. Indians

This meaningless late-season contest between the bottom of the barrel Tigers and the hanging around .500 Indians didn't mean much in the standings, and Cleveland’s walk-over was done pretty early.

Cleveland started, however, by going in order in the first, while the Tigers just had a leadoff single to show for their part of the inning. A double-play helped the Indians go in order again in the second, and they were joined by Detroit. Something finally got started in the top of the third, as Cleveland had a leadoff walk followed by a homer to left to stake them to a 2-0 lead (all they would need as it turns out), while Detroit again went in order.

The Indians went in order in the top of the fourth, while the Tigers had a walk to show for the bottom of the frame. The fifth was the scoring inning for Cleveland, starting with a leadoff homer to center. A single, two doubles, a hit batsman, and two walks (one intentional) lead to them batting around for four runs, leaving them with a 6-0 lead, while the Tigers went in order. The Indians went in order in the sixth, while Detroit finally got on the board with a leadoff double brought in with a fly out to deep left and a two-out single to left to close it to 6-1.

Cleveland got the run back and more in the top of the seventh with a two-run half on the back of a walk, a single, and a double, to extend the lead to 8-1. The Tigers went in order. Both sides went in line in the eighth, and the Indians went in order thanks to another double play in the top of the ninth. The Tigers largely laid down for their last licks, getting only a two-out single to seal up Cleveland's 8-1 win.

The Scorecard: 

Indians vs. Tigers, 09/04/15. Cleveland wins, 8-1.

The scorecard was a separate $1 item from the program. It was a four-page center fold on good cardstock, with the scorecard taking up the entirety of the left side of the centerfold, with the right side dedicated almost exclusively to showing how to score. The complete lineups for both teams were printed under each team, and the opposing pitchers' limes went with the opposing team. There wasn't a ton of place for replacements, but that is less of an issue in the AL, and the entire card was on a white background with plain scoring boxes for good readability.

There weren't many plays of scoring note during this game. In the bottom of the seventh, there was a ground-out into the regrettable resurgence of the overshift, which I recorded 4o-3. Outside of that, it was all pretty pedestrian.

The Accommodations: 

La Quinta Inn

My hotel for this night was the La Quinta Inn just outside of Toledo. It was just on the edge of fancy-ish, but once again, if it is clean, quiet, and I can get a night’s sleep, I don’t care too much.

The bathroom was right at the entrance to my room, with the vanity and sink on the left of the entrance and the shower and toilet to the right. The bedroom was nice enough with a king-sized bed (with only three pillows) with an end table and lounge chair on one side of the room and a desk, low dresser with TV, and refrigerator and microwave on the other.

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2015 Ohio

Louisville

Day 5

Slugger Field, 2007

Question: How do you make a bologna sandwich better?
Answer: Deep Frying
Date: Tuesday, July 3, 2007, 7:05 PM
Indianapolis Indians (Pittsburgh Pirates) vs.
Louisville Bats (Cincinnati Reds)
Slugger Field
Louisville, KY
International League (AAA)
Promotion: Fireworks Night


Stadium & Fans:
From the outside, Slugger Field looks like a mini-mall. However, inside it a quite nice Triple AAA park. One the local specialties is a deep-fried bologna sandwich, which is a fried bologna sandwich with cheese and onions, fried again. Awesome.

It was a packed house on the very affable night before July 4th, with an energetic group very into the game. However, there was one vendor who was selling cotton candy. His call sounded nothing like what he was selling, and to our ears, it sounded as though he was a purveyor of "Derek Jeter." Too bad I didn't have my other wallet with me.


The Game:
If this game is any indication, the Pirates have cause to doubt they'll have young pitching talent worth mentioning any time soon. The Bats jumped out to an early lead, and beside a brief three-inning period, they kept adding on. The Indians looked as though they were going to leave one of their pitchers out there to dry for the last two innings, but after seven straight runners reached base and the fans getting restless that the post-game fireworks were ever going to start, the Indians manager sent another pitcher in to get the last out. The Bats ran away with it, 13-4.


Scorecard:

Indians vs. Bats, 07/03/07. Bats win, 13-4.

$1 for a landscape, fold-out cardstock scorecard and program. It had a comfortable amount of space, and it was definitely necessary, as each of the managers were double- and triple-switching as though it was going out of style, not to mention the constant stream of pitchers. It was easily one of the most complicated games I've ever had to score in my life, and it wasn't helped by the fact that the card had areas for assists and put-outs.


Miscellanea:
From the Department of Dubious Honors: Brian Shackelford became the all-time leader in appearances for the Bats with his stint in the eighth inning.


The Stadium Race:
There were two races. The first was the "K-Games" (the Kentucky Lottery), and it was won by Cash Ball. The second was the Chugs Race (a regional brand of drinks), and it was won by Chocolate.


Travel & Other Non-Game Activities:
When most baseball fans hear "Louisville," it is inevitably and no doubt subconsciously linked to "slugger." And to the bat factory we did a-go. There was a small museum and a factory tour to be had. The museum was quite interesting, letting you examine bats through the ages, from the Cro-Magnon clubs used by players past, through the svelte rapiers used by today's players. There was also a very nice temporary exhibit on Peanuts and baseball where I was able to watch a good half of Charlie Brown's All Stars.

Never touch another man's bat.

When you think of the place that is providing all the major league players and most of America with their bats, you'd imagine a larger operation. But in fact, it is a rather modest factory area of maybe fifty people.

They, of course, give you the opportunity to buy custom bats, with your name or special messages on them. And, for the big suckers, you can get a bat with your signature on it. Mine will be shipping in a couple of weeks.


The Hotel:

Holiday Inn Lakeview, Clarksville, IN

After our non-sleep experience the night before, we decided to give ourselves a break and spend the night just across the river in Indiana instead of driving after the game. We stayed at a very nice Holiday Inn Express right on a lake, and we checked in early in the afternoon right after we went to the bat factory and caught a nap before heading over to the game.

Click here to see all pictures for this trip.

2007 The Midwest

Cleveland

Day 4

Jacobs Field, 2007

Question: How bad are the Devil Rays?  
Answer: Worse than you imagine.
Date: Monday, July 2, 2007, 7:05 PM
Tampa Bay Devil Rays vs. Cleveland Indians
Jacobs Field
Cleveland, OH
Major League Baseball, American League
Promotion: Fireworks night


Stadium & Fans:
The Jake is another new old ballpark that is pulled off quite well. There's not a bad seat in the place, you can get concessions while still watching the game, and everything was laid out for maximum efficiency. They did still have some trouble with the scoreboard.

When you took a walk into the Indians team store, you get the impression that the team ownership looked at the MLB merchandising catalog, which no doubt listed out all the items you can order with your team's logo on it, and said, "Give me the lot." They even had Indians TVs. My favorite, however, was the odd recycling of their racist mascot as a candy bar.

Mmmm, social injustice never tasted so good.

As with the games before, this was a near sellout, with an enthusiastic and supportive crowd for the home team. However, the wave is alive and well in the Midwest.

Every single game I went to in the flyover states had at least one wave, and usually multiple ones. Someone needs to come and rescue these people from the time-space anomaly that has them trapped in the late eighties.


The Game:
It was a 3-2 game in the top of the eighth, but it ended a 10-2 blowout an inning later. Indian center fielder Grady Sizemore had been looking for his 500th hit for most of the game, but struck out twice and grounded and flied out in his first four at bats. He redeemed himself with a grand slam in the 8th inning, a memorable 500th hit to be sure.


Scorecard:

Devil Rays vs. Cleveland, 07/02/07. Cleveland wins, 10-2.

$1 for a cardstock scorecard, but it was the first that was not customized for the series. Even with a full-page card for each team, it was still a little cramped, but adequate for an AL game.


Miscellanea:
Those of you who remember last year's trip know that I tend to run into some "baseball firsts" on these trips. The one in this day's game was an AL pitcher being forced into the batting order. For the uninitiated, the American League has the Designated Hitter rule, which states that a player can hit in place of the pitcher's slot. But this only remains the case as long as the DH doesn't play the field. If that is the case, then the pitcher has to bat. I knew the Devil Rays were among the worst teams in the majors, but I did not realize the depths to which they plumbed. In the eighth inning, they replaced their first baseman with a pinch runner to try and get back into the game. However, it seems the only other first baseman they had left on their bench was their DH for that night. And this meant that their pitcher would have to bat if the batting order went around again, because once a DH is out, there is no replacing him.

And while they did close the game to a one-run deficit by the end of that half inning, the Indians came back with seven in the bottom of the inning, making the move pointless, although, to be fair, the pitcher never did have to bat.


The Stadium Race:
The race was the Hot Dog Derby, and it was won by Ketchup.


Travel & Other Non-Game Activities:
Cleveland was a pleasant surprise. We got in early and had the entire afternoon to mull around, and preconceived notions notwithstanding, Cleveland (or at least the bit I saw of it) was outstanding. We popped into the library to grab some Internet access, and I was impressed with the well-appointed marble structure and the gorgeous view it afforded. They even have just opened up a little baseball museum in the shopping arcade where we had lunch.

We hung out down on the waterfront before the game, which, as you may know, means the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

The incongruity of trying to make a tribute to "rebel music" into a tourist attraction was not lost. And I went into the experience with eyes wide open for disappointment. And the disappointment did not disappoint.

On the one hand, the people who made the place clearly got it. They were all fans of the music who didn't want the experience to be lame. They tried different things and filled the place with exhibits that other fans would find cool. However, it ultimately turned rock and roll, for which they were celebrating its vibrancy and meaning, into another big box that parents dragged their bored children through on vacation. There was a special exhibit on The Clash that was open during my visit, and it was filled to the brim with insanely cool things that fans would appreciate and lust after, such as the typewriter that Joe Strummer used to write most of his songs, rare stuff from the 101ers and other precursor projects, and passes from many of their tours. But as I was sitting there watching video of a live performance of "Clampdown," one of the songs most likely to be the soundtrack for a revolution, a catatonic grade schooler was tugging on his mom's leather jacket asking when they were going to get luuuuuununch, over and over again.

And their celebration of revolution and social change was also slightly undercut by a certain jenes se Disney. Sure, you got a free trial subscription to Rolling Stone with your admission price, but it was $20 to begin with. And talk about expressions of freedom are a little ironic when you are largely hand-led through the museum experience, given unbreakable rules on behavior throughout about not taking pictures and other strictures, and then are dumped out after your tour of the history of wild abandon and artistry in an overpriced gift shop.


The Hotel:

Super 8, Columbus, OH.

Under cover of the fireworks display, we quickly exited Cleveland to get in as much road time as possible to our far-off next destination of Louisville. While we got out of town easily enough, and the drive to Columbus went without incident, our choice of hotels left something to be desired. We had called ahead to book our room for the night with hotel sight unseen.

The Super 8 in Columbus is right next door to a strip club, and it may come as no surprise that there were cleanliness issues with the room. But, it was 2 AM, it was only for one night, and we just needed to get some sleep and then take off early for the rest of the drive to Louisville. However, at around 5 AM, the battery died in the fire alarm, and it started an intermittent beeping that would wake the dead, not to mention my cranky, half-asleep person. A quick call to the front desk established that the night attendant did not have the authorization nor the technical know-how to fix the issue, but she would be happy to move us to another room. Although we were moved to a slightly clearer room, it is safe to say that a pleasant night's rest was not had by all.

Click here to see all the pictures from this trip.

2007 The Midwest