Brooklyn

On an American July 4th-ish

MCU Park, 2017

Monday, July 3, 2017
Connecticut Tigers (Detroit Tigers) vs.
Brooklyn Cyclones (New York Metropolitans)
MCU Park
NY-Penn League (A-)
Brooklyn, NY
7:00 PM


Outside the Game:
With my previous plans for the holiday weekend not coming to pass due to tornadoes in upstate New York providing very subtle hints, I decided to head out to Coney Island to see a game. I hadn't been out there in so many years longer than I had thought, as it turned out, and I also was unable to make much plans further from home because of the work situation I was in. I hadn’t been out to Coney Island for the same duration, although I tend to make trips to the beach in the winter, but hadn't in the last few years.

I bought a ticket online the night before, but I was able to sleep in and did not get out the door until 11 AM. As the game wasn't until the evening, it wasn't that big of a deal, but I did want to spend some time at Coney as well. I debated grabbing an Uber all the way there, but a look at the traffic discouraged that idea, so I grabbed some jerky I bought at the farmer's market the day before and set out to mass transit. The light rail to PATH to the F outbound went surprisingly quickly. This was offset by a delay at the very end of the line due to some train problems. After waiting 10 minutes to get into the aquarium stop, I decided to get off there instead of taking it to the end, in case of further delays.

Iconic

I wandered out into the blazing Monday afternoon sun. I walked over to the Cyclone to get beat up for entertainment's sake, and then stopped at Nathan's to dump some food in my agitated stomach. It is important to get the order on those two things correct. They were setting up everything for the hot dog contest the next day, so a lot of the tables were blocked off. I walked out to the stadium on the boardwalk, passing the newly re-opened Thunderbolt. So soon after lunch, I decided against trying it out. I picked up my ticket at the will call window and then headed back to the aquarium.

Nathon's famous

I really, really, really don't want to be that guy, but I saw them finishing construction on an Applebee’s and Cinnabon on Surf. They tore down the buildings that were there, and they were opening chain store America into Coney Island, a place that corporate America couldn't find on a map for thirty or so years. The old buildings that were torn down for those stores were the abandoned buildings where the homeless used to go to have sex in peace. And I know it seems odd to say it, given a choice between the area having an Applebee’s or a homeless bang shack, I really wish the bang shack would come back. The gentrification cannot be stopped.

Glub

The Brooklyn Aquarium was still undergoing renovations after Hurricane Sandy. There were a limited amount of exhibits open, but since I'm a member, I didn't have to wait or pay to get in. The aquarium was absolutely packed with people huddled around the exhibits that were open, and I spent my time to see what was there and then beat a hasty retreat out to the street. My next stop was the Freak Show, which had partnered up with the Coney Island Museum. Unfortunately, the museum was closed that Monday, which was disappointing. I, however, accepted that fact, as opposed to a yuppie family that came in after me that badgered the people to let them in because they had come really far to see the museum.

Well, if you had come that far, you probably should have checked if it was open on Mondays. Even the freak show had gone upscale. They had their own trust-fund grungy bar now and a gift shop. I bought a trinket or two and grabbed a soda before heading back out into the world.

Over the top

Even the Wonder Wheel park had gotten its act together, with electronic passes to go on the rides, and the amusement park had expanded out into two areas. The Wonder Wheel itself was still there and delightfully unimproved. I also stalked around to find some of the light rifle games that had been there since before I was born and shot up some dark-ride leftovers with beams of justice. The funky old dark ride was still there as well, so even in this wave of gentrification, it is nice to some old school remains.

There was a big art wall exhibit in one of the parking lots where I walked around for a bit before stopping off at a White Castle cart for a slider or two to tide me over until the game. I walked out to the boardwalk again and out to the end of the fishing pier to take some photos. Eventually, it was time for the gates to open, so I walked back out to the park to get in as they did.

Night wind

After the game, I left as the fireworks were still going off. It was an easy enough ride from the F back to Hoboken on the PATH, where I decided to grab a cab back to the apartment in Jersey City, because I had walked quite enough for this particular day.


The Stadium & Fans:

Home plate to center field, MCU Park

The last time I was at MCU Park, it was “Keyspan Park.” I actually had to look up if one didn't become the other, but apparently Keyspan Energy got bought by the British and no longer exists, so MCU bank stepped in to buy the naming rights.

So, it had been a fair bit of time since I came to the park, which is sad, because it is one of the best minor league parks around.

There were a number of changes to the place since I'd last been there. Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, they changed the field to turf, which was awful. Budweiser grabbed the naming right to a rooftop party deck on the top of the luxury suites by home plate. There were new retired numbers along the luxury boxes, and there was a new area in the outfield called "The Backyard," a catered party area that had a view through the new mesh outfield walls. I also got to go into the admin and access area for the suites for the first time, which hosts a large mural of the team as well as the Alumni Wall and Sandlot Baseball Hall of Fame. Also, as with nearly every minor league club these days, they snuck in a MIA seat behind home plate. Otherwise, the park pretty much structurally remains the same, with a little musical chairs on concessions and some cosmetic changes to the team store.

Sandy

The mascot situation remains the same, with Sandy and PeeWee hanging around the park for most of the festivities. Local kids’ entertainer King Henry is still on hand to MC the events, and the stupid cheerleaders are still around, for some god-awful reason. The between-inning activities remain mostly the same, with contests and races of questionable skill. There was a fireworks display after the game, but as per usual, I didn't stick around for it.

There was, as always, a healthy crowd, even with the holiday weekend. Brooklyn baseball fans flew the flag, even if the game didn't reflect their wishes.


At the Game with Oogie:

Rice balls

There's always room for one. I had managed to score a single seat right next to the Cyclones dugout in the middle of the season ticket-holders' seats, with a look straight down into the dugout. So, I had that going for me.

In walking around to see what had changed, I found there was a new rice ball concession open, where you can mix and mix six-packs of egg-holders of rice balls. It was obviously that I got for dinner, such as it was. I did my walking around and my stop at the shop, and I was AIS at about a half-hour before game time.

As I was in the season-ticket area, most of the people around me were regulars who knew each other. There was a clutch of college-aged kids in the area in front of me. One of them was also keeping score, and we helped each other out every now and again on some of the trickier plays. Right next to me in my row were two badda-bings. We talked a little bit, but they kept on doing their Guido thing next to me for most of the game.


The Game:

First pitch, Tigers vs. Cyclones

This early-season (at least for the short-season NY-PENN League) matchup between the Tigers and the Cyclones was a laugher all the way, with the home team's hopes dying with their only lead in the first.

The Tigers began the top of the first with just a single to show for it, but back-to-back walks to start the bottom half of the inning and a short single loaded the bases. The Cyclones would show their relation to the Metropolitans as they only managed to bring in one run in on a sacrifice fly that included a double-play, nevertheless staking themselves to a 1-0 lead. It lasted a half inning. Connecticut started the second with a single and double to make it second and third with no outs. A run scored on a ground out, and a sacrifice fly brought in another, reversing the lead to 2-1 for the visitors. Brooklyn had back-to-back singles in the bottom the inning stranded on the base paths. The Tigers leapt going in the third with a one-out rally of two walks, three singles, and a sacrifice fly to get three more runs across, expanding the lead to 5-1. Brooklyn answered in the bottom of the third with a two-out rally of their own, stringing together a single and four straight walks to force in a run and cut the deficit to 5-2.

Connecticut kept scoring in the fourth with a leadoff walk, stolen base, and single to re-extend the lead to four runs at 6-2. The Cyclones went in order in the bottom of the frame. The Tigers only had a stranded baserunner from an error in the fifth, while Brooklyn countered with its sole walk. The sixth went similarly quickly, with both teams putting up a lone single.

The seventh was more productive for Connecticut, as back-to-back leadoff singles and a double brought in two more runs to make it 8-2, while the Cyclones only had a hit batsman and walk in their half. The Tigers went in order for the first time of the night in the eighth, while Brooklyn made its last real run with a leadoff home run to right, but they stranded one-out doubles and singles to just close it to 8-3. Connecticut put up some more unneeded insurance in the ninth with a leadoff walk, two singles, and a ground-out bringing in two more runs. The Cyclones had two singles and a walk to load the bases with two outs, but a pop out to third ended the game, with the Tigers winning easily, 10-3.


The Scorecard:

Tigers vs. Cyclones, 07/03/17. Tigers win, 10-3.

The scorecard was part of the free mini-tabloid game program. Although the form factor had changed from a full tabloid since the last time I visited, the same flimsy newspaper was used in the program, remaining very fragile and prone to tears. The scorecard itself was smaller than the space on the two-page spread, which made it very cramped to use and hard to record the game legibly.

There was only one play worthy of scoring note. In the bottom of the first, there was an 8-8-5 double play that was also a sacrifice fly. With the bases loaded, and no outs, the batter flew out to center and successfully brought in the run from third, but he also threw out the runner advancing from second to third, completing the 8-8-5 DP.


The Accommodations:
Jersey City, Sweet, Jersey City

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2017 Stand-Alone Trip

Lowell

On the Unexpected Start of Things

Comfort Inn & Suites

Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Meriden, CT


Outside of the Game:
With my current employer circling the drain in a rather obvious fashion, I decided to ignore the problem for another week and set out for another four-day weekend of baseball.

I walked out of work a little before six and went home to do some quick laundry. Since I've been so divorced from caring about work, I had a great deal of the prep work already done for the trip, and it was just a matter of putting the last few items in my bag and setting out when the traffic had died down for the most part.

Oh, and the horrific rain. I got to my apartment just before the deluge started. With the first tropical storm of the year gearing up down South, it was putting a pall over the whole proceedings. Surprisingly and pleasantly, however, the rain seemed to have slowed down by my departure time of 9 PM, so I dragged all my stuff to the car with only minor dampness and set on my way.

As it was still New York and still raining and still almost the holidays, I decided to go the Tappan Zee Bridge route again, and I was happily without much incident before I traipsed into Connecticut. At some point, they had decided it would be a great idea to do road work on 95 to close everything down to one lane. And, of course, some idiot had wrecked their car right by the close-down to one lane, so there was a solid, unmoving block of traffic for at least five miles before the lane closure. I was able to bail off and roughly follow state roads (with liberal application of the "roadblock" function on my TomTom, whose calming voice was a vital component in my continuing sanity) and after a half hour delay, I was relatively back on track, if not schedule.

The relative smooth sailing I had prior to the construction was completely undone by the delay. I had picked a hotel arbitrarily two hours drive into my journey, but at this point, it was just shy of three hours on the road when I pulled in short of midnight to the Comfort Inn in Meriden, Connecticut.

After dealing with the rather nervous Indian night manager, I dropped all my stuff in my room and then headed to the Wendy's across the street for a snack--as it had been five hours since dinner at this point--which I brought back to my room to enjoy in relative peace.


The Accommodations:
As mentioned, I was at a Comfort Inn & Suites. Outside of the eyebrow-raising locked front entrance, the room itself is about what you would expect from such things.

I had a king-sized bed room, with a nice enough bathroom off the entrance. An easy chair sat opposite a desk at the entrance to the room, and the bed was opposite a dresser with a plasma TV. A refrigerator and microwave lay between the dresser and desk on the far wall.

I didn't do much but sleep, but it got the job done.

On Damp But Not Defeated

Edward A. LeLacheur Park, 2014

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Connecticut Tigers (Detroit Tigers) vs.
Lowell Spinners (Boston Red Sox)
Edward A. LeLacheur Park
NY-PENN League (Short-Season A)
Lowell, MA
7:05 PM


Outside the Game:
I awoke at a reasonable time, got some breakfast, packed up, and was on the road by ten. After an uneventful, sweaty, sweaty ride, I was on the outskirts of Lowell, where the National Park service had their own AM radio channel talking about the local attractions. Listening to the broadcast, I pulled into my hotel at around 12:30 PM. They were good enough to let me check in early, so I dumped all my stuff in my room, and basked in the air conditioning for a while.

I grabbed a vended Gatorade on the way to the lobby, and asked for some local directions at the front desk. Armed with a map, I head off to find the National Park Visitor Center, a short walk away. Along the way, I passed some honest-to-god socialist party advocates on the street (because they clearly don't have jobs -- HA, I make joke). Once at the visitor's center, I oriented myself on the big map there, grabbed some pamphlets, and set out on my way.

I walked along the canal out to the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, which was a semi-operating cotton mill, and one of the last of the area buildings that weren't converted into hip condos for Yuppies. (Are they even still Yuppies anymore? What do you call hipsters with good jobs?) I was a little confused as to why there were ear plugs at the entrance of the museum, but that question was quickly answered as I walked into the mill itself. It was wall-to-wall weaving looms, and, as they were quick to point out, the current arrangement was not nearly as crowded or loud as the actual factory floor would have been back when it was a for-profit mill.

The oldest time sheet software

The upper floor of the museum talks about the development of the town, its rise to power, and how it then lost that supremacy. One of the more interesting bits was the displays kept using the euphemism "negro cloth" for the low-quality fabric that Lowell was famous for, made from cotton shipped from slave states, spun into low-quality cloth for cheap slave clothing, and then sent back south. Hmm. I wonder what "negro cloth" was a euphemism for, don't you?

In the upstairs level, there was a young female ranger on duty, and she was so painfully enthusiastic, it was nearly tragic. She was talking to each of the few visitors that were coming through that day and making sure she could answer any questions or offer help. She was so vulnerable in her desire to assist that I couldn't help but go to the video presentation she was in charge of, which turned out to be a summation of the competing views of Jeffersonian yeoman farming versus Hamiltonian industrial development for the emerging American nation.

Keruac memorial

After the mill, I went to the nearby boarding house and mill girls exhibit in one of the few remaining boarding houses left in the city (that were also not yet condos). I then made a short trip over to the monument to Lowell's favorite son, Jack Keruac. Walking back through downtown, I grabbed some pizza on the way to take a look at the various river locks around town, before a return stop to the visitors center to grab some souvenirs, and then back to the hotel to get out of the heat and take a needed nap before the game.

A tiny bit of blinding rain

But as I walked out to the car to drive over to the stadium, it started pouring. The sky opened up, and a torrential downpour was buffeted by strong winds, to the point that it wasn't safe to drive for a while due to a complete lack of visibility. Eventually, it slowed down to a hard rain, and I drove over to the stadium and parked. The cheerful lot attendant decked out in rain gear seemed enthusiastic about the chances for a game, so I got out in my own rain poncho and joined a small, damp group of people outside the stadium. After I picked up my ticket, I went around to do my photography, and as I made it back to the front of the stadium, the rain slackened to nothing, and a rainbow rose majestically in the distance. I took this as a good sign.

I went into the team store until the rain completely stopped, and I was there as an author showed up to arrange his book signing for the game. He wrote a ten year interview retrospective on "The Idiots," the Red Sox team that won their first World Series in nearly a century. Someone in the store asked him if everyone on the team participated, and he mentioned Manny Ramirez not doing the book, to which I chimed in that it might have something to do with him being in Taiwan when the book was being written. They ignored me.

The rain stopped, I went outside and got in line to get in to the park.

After the game, with most of the crowd inside waiting for the fireworks, I went to my car and took the short ride back to the hotel. I went to the room and laid everything out to dry overnight and got some much-needed sleep.


The Stadium & Fans:

Home plate to center field, Edward A. LeLacheur Park

Edward A. LeLacheur Park was clearly named for someone--in this case a state legislator instrumental in getting the new stadium funded. As with many NY-PENN parks, the field is nestled in a local college, the UMASS campus right by the river.

The main entrance is located in a plaza by home plate, with the ticket booth, the team store, and a large baseball mural. Further down the first base line is the "Gator Pit" entrance for tickets with the all-you-can-eat BBQ buffet. Down on the left field side is the "Exclusive Season Ticket Holder Entrance," as well as the service entrance, where all the vehicles for the on-field events are parked before the game. There is a river walkway, named for the 26th Infantry "Yankee" Division (probably the only positive mention of "Yankees" in relation to baseball in all of Massachusetts) that snakes its way all the way behind the outfield wall.

All the entrances lead up a flight of stairs, with the main entrance having the administrative offices for the team on the ground floor of the stairs, along with a mural with signs pointing to all of the Red Sox affiliates half-way up the stairway. It opens into a main entrance plaza, with fan assistance and program vendors.

The top promenade extends from left field to right field, with regular stairways leading down into the seating bowl. Concessions for food and activities line this walkway, which ends in the stairs down to the "Swamp Land" kids area in left and a bleachers area and alternate exit in right. A center box structure that sits atop the home plate seats houses the press box and what few luxury boxes there are on hand. Especially in light of pre-game rain, it is obvious that there is nowhere to grab shelter should it rain, and you have to wait for the sun to go down to get any relief from the heat. The usual memorials dot the upper walkway, and a long set of retired numbers sit in right field.

Canali- and Allie- Gator. Get it?

The two mascots are "Canaligator" and "Allie-Gator" who lead the on-field games. This close to July 4th, the color guard for the day's game were people dressed as revolutionary Minute Men. There were a lot of minor-league standard games and contests between innings (inflatable horse racing and mascot races, anyone?), but there were some unique ones as well, including a giant, inflatable version of the Operation game, a pie-eating contest, and a Mario Cart race using actual carts tearing around the outfield warning track, as well as a Mystery Machine with mascots hanging on for dear life while throwing T-shirts to the crowd. One particular local tradition was both home and visiting teams trying (and sometimes succeeding) at throwing water onto the on-field performers as they went about their duties. I assume it was in good fun, but who can tell with people sometimes? Especially in Massachusetts.

Inflatable Operation

Also interesting was the post-game fireworks were arrayed in the outfield instead of outside the park as per usual. Given its river-side location full of vegetation, I guess it made sense, but I have to imagine that the grounds crew didn't get a vote in the location of the explosions that no doubt messed up their nice outfield grass.


At the Game with Oogie:

Chicken fingers and Gatorade

As I entered the park as the rain stopped, I did my walk around the park for the usuals, and then scoped out some places to eat. There was a BBQ place under the seats that was advertised around the park. I went down and found that they only did open concessions once the game started, but before the game, they were an all-you-can-eat buffet for special ticket holders. That determined, I went up to the regular concessions and got "chicken tenderloins," which is apparently the spelled-out version of "chicken tenders."

I had a seat behind the home dugout as per normal. I was a couple of seats in, and sitting right next to me was an older couple and their college-aged daughter. We were sitting right next to each other, and after a couple of innings, they decided to move up a row so we'd both have more room. I tried not to take it personally.

They clearly thought of themselves as a "fun" family, as they certainly acted like it. I don't know if they were for real about it or not, because I'm honestly not familiar with what a well-adjusted family would be like. I dated someone in one of them in college, and frankly, it was like dealing with an alien species. I can only process statements hinged on sarcasm and bile. Actual love and support has no place in familial relations.

At any rate, they had a grand ole' time at the game. The scoreboard operator was having a lot of fun with visiting player "Pankake," by showing various pancake-related video clips with his head superimposed over them. (And from the annoyed look of his team mugshot, they had clearly just taken it after the cameraman had asked him if his name was really "pancake.") I told them when he was due up the next inning, and the mother and daughter had their fun with him.


The Game:

First pitch, Tigers vs. Spinners

This was an odd, odd game that appeared to be over at several points, but was only really over after the last scoring rally.

The visiting Connecticut Tigers only managed a walk in the top of the first. The Spinners had a leadoff single, but after a strikeout by the next batter, he was caught stealing. And then the last batter of the inning flied out to center. In the second, Connecticut had a two-out E4 get the runner on base, but that was all. Lowell started with a another leadoff single, but he was erased on a bizarre double play. A grounder went to the Tigers short stop, who took the ball to second and threw to first. Well, he over-threw the first baseman. The runner started his turn to second, but the catcher was backing up the play, threw to the first baseman, who tagged out the retreating runner. Happens every day.

The Tigers has a leadoff single in the third erased on a double play and nothing else. The Spinners broke through in the bottom of the inning, however. Back-to-back singles started their half, before a double-play moved the lead runner over to third. The second baseman botched a grounder and let the run score, but he was redeemed on a grounder by the next batter. The Spinners were up, 1-0, however, and given the offense so far, it seemed insurmountable.

The Tigers started the fourth with a leadoff double off a new Spinners' hurler, and with one out, a batter got plunked to make it first and second with one out. But two outs stranded them and ended the top of the inning. Lowell went in order in the bottom of the inning, marking the first clean frame all game. Connecticut started the fifth with a single, and the runner went to second on a wild pitch. A one-out walk was followed by another wild pitch that made it second and third with one out, but two straight outs stranded the runners again. The Spinners also started their fifth with a single who moved to second on a stolen base. A two-out hit batsman was subsequently part of a double-steal on a blown pickoff, but a strikeout stranded them, as well.

Things came together for the Tigers in the sixth. Another leadoff double was followed by a short single to left, and the left fielder bobbled the ball, letting the runner get to second and making it second and third with no outs. A grounder to second brought the run in and moved the trailing runner from second to third. A single brought the lead runner in, and a two-out walk made it first and second. A two-out double cleared the bases, and a new pitcher mercifully got a strikeout to end the half at 4-1, Tigers. The Spinners for their part got back-to-back one-out doubles to get one run back, but despite a two-out walk, that was all they had, leaving it 4-2 at the end of six.

The Tigers went in order for the first time in the seventh, but Lowell did not. Another leadoff double was immediately brought home by another single. The next batter also singled, and a double afterwards cleared the bases and put the Spinners back in the lead. Two outs followed, but a single to right brought in one more runner before a fly-out ended the inning at 6-4, Spinners.

Connecticut went in order again in the eighth, and this time, Lowell followed suit. As a steady rain began to fall, the Spinners' closer got a 1-2-3 inning, cementing the 6-4 Spinners' win.


The Scorecard:

Tigers vs. Spinners, 07/03/14. Spinners win, 6-4.

Perhaps I had the wrong idea about the NY-PENN League teams. All the teams around me gave away their programs, which made more sense to me, since we are talking about low-A short season. But here, at another NY-PENN park, we had a program for $2.

For a newsprint booklet with color covers, it was probably a little over-priced at that. The scorecard was in the center on a one-page layout. The pitching lines got a lot more space than usual, which made the position player lines a little cramped.

There were a lot of weird patterns with this game. For the first two innings, both teams put one more than the minimum to the plate. The scoring story of the game was, of course, the DP 6-6-2-3t in the top of the second. I think it is relatively safe to say that I won't come across that again.

There was also the unusually high number of wild pitches and errors (thanks to the low minors), and a blown pickoff in the bottom of the fifth led to dual stolen bases.


The Accommodations:

UMASS Lowell Inn Convention Center Hotel

I made my reservation at the UMASS Lowell Inn Convention Center Hotel not realizing, for whatever reason, that this was a hotel actually run by UMASS. It was a nice enough place (if a little hard to find thanks to a surfeit of twisty, one-way roads and sharp turns), but it was right in the middle of town, unlike the other hotels, which is probably why I booked it in the first place.

I had a double twin bed room on the second floor. The beds sat on the wall opposite a desk and TV stand/dresser, with a decent bathroom off the entrance. I had a mid-day nap there, but besides that, I didn't spent any time in the room except for sleeping. And that's okay.

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2014 July 4th

Norwich

On the Fickleness of Rain

Dodd Stadium, 2012

Saturday, August 18, 2012
Aberdeen Ironbirds (Baltimore Orioles) vs.
Connecticut Tigers (Detroit Tigers)
Dodd Stadium
New York-Penn League (Short Season A)
Norwich, CT
7:05 PM


Outside the Game:
This day did not start under auspicious circumstances. Before I left home, the forecast for Saturday was a bunch of rain in the morning, and then it was going to clear up for the rest of the day. In an inverse of the previous week, the weather report kept getting worse as time progressed. By Friday night, it was rain until mid-day the next day, and by the time I woke up Saturday, it was rain until mid-day, then no rain, and then more rain later in the evening. It did not look good to get this game in, and it was the last time the Tigers were going to be home before Labor Day, when I was going to be out of town to see the new Miami park. The Sunday game was not scheduled to start until 4 PM, making it very problematic for getting in a game (especially with questionable weather) and then getting home at a decent hour for work the next day.

 I had a fine breakfast at my hotel, packed up, and decided to head to Mystic Seaport anyway to see what I could see.

Almost immediately upon getting my tires on the road of 95, I hit a ridiculous traffic jam that completely validated my decision to avoid 95 like the plague on the way out. What should have been an hour ride was taking over an hour and fifteen before I bailed and used the TomTom's "roadblock" feature to take me off 95 for the rest of the way to Mystic.

It seems that everyone where I live had visited Mystic Seaport as a kid, and when polling around for something to occupy my Saturday morning in eastern Connecticut, it came up multiple times that I simply had to visit it since I missed the experience earlier in life. Not having anything better to do, I acquiesced.

Seaside-y

It was raining hard for all the trip down, and it didn't look to be stopping much when I arrived. I don't mind rain all that much at places such as these. It thins out the crowds. Seeing the way things seemed to be playing out, I broke out my rain gear from my game bag and rain slickered up.

I went to the entrance, payed my way in, and headed off into the rain. The place was nearly deserted, so I had my run of the area to myself, which is always appreciated. I poked my way through most of the exhibits at my own pace, and only the indoors ones had any other people around. In addition to walking my way around on the various ships they had at dock, my favorite part of the museum was the row of craftsmen shops they had. Each place (blacksmith, printer, instrument maker, cooper, etc) was staffed by a person who actually worked at the profession and was there to give talks and demonstrations to the visitors. Since it was so sparsely populated with guests, I ended up having long and excellent conversations with all the craftsmen about their work. It was really engaging. Especially of note was the printer, who had a hand-printed "rules of baseball" framed on the wall that was available for purchase at some of the stores on the premises.

And that was it operating properly

I spent a quite enjoyable afternoon walking around the place. There was an antique marine motor exhibition going on at one end of the seaport, and talking to some of the people there, they said that the radar showed that the rain was eventually going to let up soon, and, more importantly to me, that the storm had been just hugging the coast and had already passed up north. This gave me some hope that I may still yet get the game at Norwich in, and, as was foretold, the rain shortly started to let up and stop.

Almost immediately, more people appeared out of nowhere, and the seaport started to fill up. I stopped at a restaurant in the park to get some late lunch (again), and then I hit the museum store to get my poster and a bunch of other things I don't really need, before heading back to the car to go up to see if a baseball game was being played that evening.

Things looked up nearly immediately as I left Mystic, the sun was out and pounding down, giving credence to the reports from the folks in Mystic on the weather. The drive up went quickly, but it turns out that Dodd Stadium was located in the back of a winding commercial park. At the very start, I was heartened by the "Game Today" sign I saw at the entrance to the facility, but I got less and less enthusiastic every couple of minutes of curving driving that led to yet another sign to the park. After about ten minutes of this process, I eventually made it to the stadium, cracked a bad joke about getting there to the traffic attendant, and then went about my business taking pictures until the park opened.

After the game, the temperature had dropped, and all the cars in the lot were covered in dew. It took me a while to find my car, as it was hidden behind a large van that parked next to me after I left. With the sparse crowd, it was pretty easy to get out of the stadium. Remembering my lessons on 95, I managed to trick my TomTom into going the northern route home by picking waypoints along the path to feed to it until the way I wanted to go back to the Tappen Zee was the most direct route. I encountered no traffic on the way back, although night driving on the Saw Mill was a little nerve-wracking. I managed to pull into Hoboken a little before 1 AM, the same time I arrived from New Britain two weeks earlier.


The Stadium & Fans:

Home plate to center field, Dodd Stadium

Dodd Stadium, besides its insane location at the very back of a commercial park that does not seem to have an end, was a nice enough A stadium. Outside, the facade extends between the outfield. A small walkway goes most of the way around the place, dead-ending in the back by left-center. All of the wood outfield wall is exposed, and over on the left field side is a narrow chain-linked path out to a gate in left.

There is an entrance in left field to the Manshantucket Piquot BBQ area, but the main entrance is behind home plate. The old Navigators mascot, Tater the Gator, stands outside in statue form, between the main ticket office and the team store. Directly inside the gate is the main fan services area, where the autograph signings and bat giveaway for the evening were set up.

The stadium has the standard alignment of a two-tiered row of seats from outfield to outfield around home plate. A second level of luxury boxes runs from third to first. Out in left field is an extensive picnic and barbeque area, along with a small kids' play area and a picnic berm. The bushes out on the top of the berm are spray-painted "Tigers 1" in a show of home-team support. In right field is a specialty burger concession, a "Hole in the Wall" bar, and a gazebo with deck chairs and a small garden on top of another picnic berm. Regular concession line the walkway around the seating areas, and the team store is located by home plate.

I've heard that the franchise gets good attendance overall, but on this rain-soaked day with dire predictions of nothing but more rain for the rest of the night, the crowd was sparse, and mostly located in the luxury boxes and on the Tigers' first-base side of the field. Those in attendance were pretty into the game.

There was the usual between-inning tomfoolery you expect in low A ball. There were skills contests, and races, and give-aways to the crowd. The Tigers had an odd mascot situation. There was the obvious CT the Tiger, but the old Norwich Navigator mascot (before the team changed affiliations), Tater the Gater, was so popular that he was apparently also brought back this season. In addition to these two, a giant chicken rounds out the extensive mascot parade.

Edgy

The mascots are joined by a rather sizable events staff that also dress up and throw out things throughout the course of the game, in addition to leading certain audience participation events throughout the evening.

Perhaps trying to evoke some of the mystique of Wrigley Field, the radio announcer for the team leans out of his broadcast booth and leads the fans in "Take Me Out To the Ballgame." Another Caray he is not.


At the Game with Oogie:

Jumbo Dog

As surprised as I was that the game was actually going to be played, I was still there prior to the gates opening up. There was some manner of pre-game prayer meeting going on near first base, but the regular folk would not be let in until an hour before game time.

In doing my regular walk-around the stadium, I came across one of the Tiger players walking back opposite to me from the back of the stadium. I didn't think much of it at the time, but it turns out that it dead ends behind the stadium, and the only way back is the way I came, so I started to wonder exactly what he was doing back there. A mystery it shall remain.

It was a free mini-bat giveaway at the stadium, so I suppose I was a little cautious of things, but nothing came of it. I had again sprung for seats behind the home dugout, but given the light turnout, I don't know if the ticket seller misunderstood me about wanting to sit right behind the dugout, or if there were a lot of season ticket holders who didn't come out because of the weather. I ended up with great seats in the second tier behind the dugout, but there were tons of free seats in the areas in front of me.

There was a small family directly behind me for the game who seemed to be season ticket holders, but there was no one else in my immediate area. The first-base side was the most filled area of the park, with the exception of the "luxury" boxes. It was mostly families, and given the weather, the light turn-out was pretty much expected.


The Game:

First pitch, Ironbirds vs. Tigers

Towards the end of the single-A short season, most of the players who have any real promise find themselves elsewhere, so it can be a crap shoot on what you get. Tonight's game was low offense.

The visiting Ironbirds went down in order in the first with two strikeouts, and the Tigers did only slightly better, scratching out a single. There was some activity in the second, however. The Ironbirds led off with a questionable single to second. A ground-out moved the runner over to second, and a straight steal got him to third. A strike out got us to two outs, but another questionable single back to the pitcher brought the run home before a ground-out ended the inning. Not to be outdone, the Tigers had a one-out walk followed by a single and another walk to load the bases. A wild pitch brought in a run, and a throwing error by the catcher let another run score and moved the man on first to third with only one out. The pitcher calmed down and got a strikeout and a liner to second to end the inning 2-1 Tigers.

The Ironbirds went meekly in order in the third, and the Tigers got only a single, erased on a double-play. The Birds went in order again in the fourth, but the Tigers got going. A lead-off walk scored on a triple, then two straight strikeouts looked like the Ironbirds may get out of it. The next batter, however, walked, and a new pitcher was brought in. The runner at first attempted a steal of second and drew the throw and a rundown, allowing the runner at third to score before he got tagged out, leaving it 3-1 Tigers at the end of four, with only one RBI to show for any of those runs.

The anemic Ironbirds went yet again in order in the fifth, and the Tigers only had one epicly plunked batsman (the ball bounced off the helmet and almost made it to first base) to show for their half. The sixth played out the same way, with the Tigers going in order as well. The Birds continued to get mowed down in order in the seventh, and the Tigers only managed one two-out hit.

The Ironbirds finally got on base in the eighth with a two-out walk and a single, and a passed ball got them to second and third, only to be stranded by a weak ground-out to the pitcher. The Tigers went in order in their half on three quick ground outs. For their last licks in the ninth, the Ironbirds got their lead-off man on with an E3 on the first baseman, but he was quickly erased on a double-play ball. The next batter struck out, and the Tigers secured their 4-1 victory.


The Scorecard:

Ironbirds vs. Tigers, 08/18/12. Tigers win, 4-1.

The scorecard was part of a free newsprint program. The cheap paper and inlaid logo made scoring with pencils difficult, but with experience, I was able to pull it off. The scoring boxes were also unnecessarily small, with wide tracts of land wasted on the pitching lines and the scorekeeping instructions.

There were a number of calls I disagreed with the official scorer on. In the top of the second, there were two infield "hits" that just had to be errors. It had real implications as well, as if those hits were rightly called errors, the Tigers had a no-hitter going through 7.6 innings (though with a myriad of pitchers), until a legit single in the bottom of the eighth.

A 3-6-3 double-play went down in the top of the third (always a welcome occurrence), and there was a weird one in the top of the eighth when the first baseman broke the webbing in his mitt on a throw over from the pitcher. This entailed a rather lengthy period where the first baseman tried to fix his glove and then had to rummage in the dugout for a replacement that was not readily available. As mentioned, the four runs for the Tigers had only produced one RBI, and only two of the runs were earned. Defense can be a killer, folks.


The Accommodations:
Late, but Hoboken

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2012 New England Weekend