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

Goodyear (Reds)

On Finally Getting Ribs

Goodyear Ballpark, 2016

Monday, March 7, 2016

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Cincinnati Reds
Goodyear Ballpark
Cactus League (Spring Training)
Goodyear, AZ
1:05 PM

Outside the Game: 

There apparently was no tour group this morning, as I slept in until people going to breakfast woke me up. I grabbed some breakfast of my own and then went out to the park next to the hotel for another walk. Despite the tweakers around that one house (there were fewer this morning), it was nice to get out into the non-sweltering Arizona mornings to enjoy things, and since a lot of locals and people from the hotel brought their dogs out for walks, it was a nice enough place to spend some time in the AM walking off breakfast.

So, I eventually went back to my room for a shower and a little more sleep and made the short drive out to the park. I was one of the first people there, and I arrived before they set up the money collection and cones. I had to ask a guy who parked overnight there in an RV if I was in the right place. Convinced that I was, I parked up and went out to take my pictures and whatnot. A waited in a short line right before the gates opened, and I was on my way.

The drive back to the hotel was uneventful, and not looking for a repeat of the previous night, I dropped off my game gear and drove directly out to Honey Bears for dinner. I made it in respectable time, and I went in. When faced with the smells of the cooking food and the earlier patrons eating up, it was hard to heed the advice from last night and only get a half-rack, but I did, along with the sides and accouterments that comes with the meal deal. And thankfully I did, because these were some big-ass ribs. I ate them rapaciously, and then had to sit in the booth for ten minutes until I had digested enough to move. I slowly drove back to the hotel, and slowly went to my room to change into my bathing suit, and slowly went to the hot tub to soak for god knows how long.

There was no one else in the tub that night, and I eventually went back to my room, showered, and went to bed. Thanks to a scheduling snafu on my end, I was having a night game the next day, because I somehow forgot to buy a ticket for the Giants when I was first getting tickets. So every two-team stadium I was seeing for the rest of the trip were going to be back-to-back days, but I wouldn't be back for the Indians until the last day of the trip, but the night game the next day gave me actual day time to go around and do things.

And here is where the story should end, except that at 1 AM the fracking fire alarm in my room started beeping. This led to stumbling around half-awake in the darkness to get a chair and beat on the fire alarm until it stopped. I then placed an angry call to the hapless night clerk where I yelled at him about the fire alarm going off, and every last thing that was wrong in my room that I wanted fixed tomorrow. In my defense, I wasn't quite myself, but I think I was justified in this case. The teenager on the line assured me it would be addressed tomorrow, and I went back to sleep cursing just about everything I could think of at the time.

The Stadium & Fans: 

Home plate to center field, Goodyear Ballpark

Goodyear Ballpark marks among the low-points of Cactus League facilities. To each his own, I suppose, but it is a decidedly minor-league looking facility in the middle of nowhere, with an airport next door and the practice fields down the road a bit. The park isn't even that old, so I suppose there is a reason for it being like this, but with all the open space, there's really no reason for this to be a Grapefruit setup. The "Goodyear" moniker isn't just a coincidence, as the entire area used to be raw materials plantations for the Goodyear Tire Company for the fibers that they put into the tires to re-enforce them. Yes, the ballpark was built on the former locale of corporate plantations. I'm not sure what else to say about that.

The stadium has four entrances around the perimeter. The main entrance at home plate straddles the ticket office and team store. It is right behind the plaza with a statue to "Ziz," a giant bird apparently from Jewish mythology, re-imagined as a spiral baseball... thing. Two more smaller entrances are at first and third base, and a larger entrance by the main parking lot was out in center field. As per more recent minor-league stadium standards, all the entrances open out onto a main promenade that circles the park above the seating bowl. All the seats are standard stadium seats out to the short outfield, and the two outfield picnic hills as general admission. The scoreboard sits behind these in left-center, and a larger party tent sits in right-center. A smaller second level between the dugouts, holding a small section of luxury boxes, the press box, and the owners’ box.

There was a section of "club seats" in short left field that were more expensive for some reason that confused me when buying tickets. It turns out just this seating section has an overhang to keep off the sun. In retrospect, I would have paid more for the shade. Beyond right field is a Wiffle-ball field for the kids, while the play area is off in left, along with Zizzy's clubhouse and bunghole games for drunk adults. Another section of the "Cactus League Experience" was on the promenade by home plate, along with some displays on the ballpark. There is a POW/MIA seat by home plate, and the center field promenade wall has tributes to players and staff for both teams. Concessions ran along the promenade, letting you see the game while you grabbed some food.

Zizzy, for some reason

The roommates Reds and Indians are among the worst draws in the Cactus League, and that was underlined by this Monday afternoon game, which was probably the least-attended game I saw. The stadium was maybe 25% filled. In a unique turn, only the stadium mascot, Zizzy, shows up for the between-inning entertainment, which was a full docket of minor-league standards such as races, balloon wrestling, and the like, and even included a post-game catch in the outfield.


At the Game with Oogie: 

Sun scoring

This was as sparsely attended game as I ran across in the Cactus League. Even in my seats right behind the home dugout, there were plenty of empty seats. I wasn't even sitting directly next to anyone, so I didn't end up talking to anyone. I just kept scoring in the sun, waiting for the inevitable heat stroke to provide sweet release.

Ohio sliders and souvenir soda

At least I ate well. I got some Ohio sliders and a Polish boy hot dog, with a giant-assed souvenir soda to wash it all down.

The Game: 

First pitch, Angels vs. Reds

The Angels and Reds faced off in a match with a lot of scoring early and a late run, but a middle-inning stretch largely devoid of activity.

The Angels went in order in the first, but Cincinnati had a two-out rally started with a bunt single and walk. Another single brought in the lead runner for a 1-0 lead. In the second, Anaheim stranded a leadoff runner on second, while the Reds kept on going, with a leadoff homer to dead center. That was followed by a single, a steal of second, and another short single that made it first and third with no outs. A double-play to second scored the lead runner but left two outs. A great grab by the second baseman ended the inning at 3-0, Reds.

LA again stranded a runner on the bases in the top of the third, while the red-hot Reds lead off the bottom of the third with back-to-back homers to left and right. A third homer to left by the next batter was robbed by the left fielder going over the wall for a gem of a play. The next batter got a single and was driven in by a triple. A double completed the cycle for the inning, driving in the runner at third. By two outs ended the damages at 7-0, Reds.

The Angels got themselves in gear in the fourth with a one-out double. A short single made it first and third, and a homer to deep left brought everyone in. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs, but a convenient grounder to short ended the scoring at 7-3, Reds. Cincinnati immediate got one back in the bottom of the inning, as a leadoff single stole second and third. A walk made it first and third with no outs, and a sacrifice fly to right brought in the lead runner. A double made it first and third again with one out, but the scoring ended there at 8-3, Cincinnati.

And then the game shifted into low gear. Anaheim stranded a runner in the top of the fifth, two in the sixth, and only had only single in the seventh. The Reds went in order in the fifth, stranded two in the sixth, and went in the order in the seventh. The Angels made one last run in the top of the eighth. A one-out walk was driven in by a two-out double, himself driven in by a single. He stole second and made it to third on an error on the throw by the catcher, but was stranded by a foul-tip caught for a strikeout, leaving it 8-5, Reds. Cincinnati mustered a double in the bottom of the frame, and the Angels went in order in the ninth against the Reds closer, cementing the pointless 8-5 Cincinnati victory.

The Scorecard: 

Angels vs. Reds, 03/07/16. Reds "win," 8-5.

The Reds-branded scorecard was part of the $7 (kind of a rip-off, but it went to charity) full-sized, full-color magazine program, but in a nice turn of events, the centerfold scorecard was cardstock and unsullied by ads, giving a comfortable and spacious place to score even a Spring-Training game. There were even places for bench and bullpen players, but as they weren't announced or posted, I couldn't fill them in. For some reason, however, the home team was on the left side of the scorecard, which was just weird.

It was mostly a conventional game, but there were some plays of note. An F-7! in the bottom of the third had the Angels left fielder going over the wall to rob a home run. A stolen base the next inning was because of blown 1-3-4 pickoff without an error. A double in the top of the eighth was actually an E7 lost in the sun, but because it didn't hit his glove, it wasn't ruled an error. The Angels' started had the unenviable pitching line of 3 IP 10 H 7 ER 1 BB 1 K.

The Accommodations: 

Things were exciting in the middle of the night, as I mentioned earlier. The room, after a generous tip, was looking a lot cleaner. It was all about whether the problems were ever going to get fixed at this point.

Click here to see all the photos for this trip.

2016 Cactus League