Malone, NY

On a Day of Bad Omens

Thursday, July 2, 2026
Malta, NY

Outside the Game: 
The stress of the short work week had me up early this particular morning, and it correctly anticipated the stress-filled day of work that I was to have. In addition to being continually yelled at about resourcing and budgeting problems that were out of my control, we were desperately trying to get some work out the door only semi-successfully, as the remaining staff that were there all had a foot out the door or were overwhelmed with the demands of other people who also wanted to get the hell out of Dodge.

I was cooking and doing laundry in the background of the chaos, when the biggest sign from god possible flashed from the heavens and into a telephone pole right outside my house. I was refilling my water bottle in the kitchen when I heard screeching tires, constant horns, and then a crash of metal and then a larger crash of metal, closer than the last. I went out to my porch office to see a car had plowed into the telephone pole fifty feet from my window the way you see in cartoon car crashes, with the entire front end wrapped comically around the pole. The crash had also left the car's horn permanently on. I didn't see what happened, but the other crash-damaged car in the median led me to surmise that those two cars hit each other and sent the former into the telephone pole.

After seeing if there was any danger of the pole coming down (it was unmarked and unaffected by the impact), I saw that all parties in both cars seemed to be uninjured. The police arrived, quickly followed by three additional police cars, three fire trucks, an ambulance, and two tow trucks. The participants in the accident were across the street, both yelling at a neighbor who had apparently witness the accident and neither appeared to like what that neighbor had to say on the matter.

This was a little after 4 PM, and I still had work to do. Specifically, I had to do a lot of math, which was made more difficult by the constant horn that eventually faded out with the car's battery after a half hour or so. The portends for someone who was going to be driving ten hours in the next few days was as clear as day, yet here I was.

The cars all started to leave in the reverse order of their arrival, the tow trucks taking away the stricken cars, then the ambulance (empty, thankfully), then the fire trucks, and eventually all that was left was a solitary cop car, presuming filing paperwork in the hundred-degree heat.

Work eventually wrapped up, and I started planning at about 6 PM. I booked my hotels for the next two nights as I was packing, and then I headed straight out on the road.

There was an unexpected amount of traffic at the crossover into NY for a Thursday approaching 8 PM, but I eventually made it through to clear sailing, until the skies opened up on I-78 at some point in the darkness in NY just before 9 PM. The rain got so intense at points that we were crawling along, trying to keep the tail lights of the car in front of us in view, and during this deluge, I called my mom from the car. As I hung up with her, we finally outpaced the storm, and it was clear sailing the rest of the way to the hotel. I pulled in a little after ten, to be greeted by far too chipper college kids manning the front desk who had me checked in and had me on my way in no time at all. I parked my car, dragged my stuff up to my room, and got ready and into bed by 11:30 PM.

The Accommodations:

Hyatt, Malta, NY

Sometimes, you accidentally book too much room for a sleepover stay. The cost was barely over $100 bucks, but I managed to book a suite in the Hyatt in Malta, NY, just south of Saratoga. The room opened into a living room with pull-out couch and coffee table, across from a small kitchenette and a desk. There was a king-sized bed and end tables in the bedroom across from a dresser and TV, and a vanity sink outside of bathroom with shower and toilet.

I lounged around as much as I could to make the most of it, but it was far more room than I needed just to sleep in and have a lazy morning.

On Into Every Life a Little Rain Must Fall, Again

Veterans Field, 2026

Friday, July 3, 2026
Malone Border Hounds vs. North Country Thunderbirds
Veterans Field
Empire League of Professional Baseball
Malone, NY
5:00 PM 

 

Outside the Game:
I was up early after having slept poorly for some reason or other. I was at the breakfast buffet just as it opened, and what a buffet it was. Hot food, well cooked, along with all the expected continental stuff. I ate a ton, as I was a little peckish from the night before, and I ate several servings before retreating back up to my room for another make-up nap.

I packed and planned when I awoke, then took a shower and checked out, getting back on the road a little after 11 AM. It was a decent drive for the rest of the way with no major hiccups. I pulled off after an hour to get gas, and found that two gas stations at the exit were either having power problems or hadn't been refilled yet, but the third establishment got me gassed up and back on the road. I decided to wait until turning off the interstate to catch some fast food, and lost my bet when I declined a Subway at the intersection, only top find there was nothing but farm road for most of the remains of the drive.

When I did finally pull into town, I went straight to the drive-in on the eastern outskirts that I had visited the year before and grabbed some ridiculous burger or other with too many fries and a homemade fountain grape soda.

Thus fortified, I made the short drive to the hotel and checked in with another all-too-pleasant desk clerk. I parked up and unpacked for the day before taking a nap to get the drive off of me. I was back out the door at 4:30 PM, and I arrived shortly thereafter, enduring a small rain shower on my commute.

Later than I was expecting, I was out of the park after the game with a newly washed car. I needed to stop at the Walgreens by the hotel because I forgot to pack toothpaste, but I pulled in just to find out they had just closed. I went across the street to the convenience store and paid through the nose for a travel toothpaste and some snacks.

I was pack at the hotel and up in my room in a flash. I showered up and tried to call my mother as I caught up on podcasts and the like for the rest of the evening before an early night's sleep.

The Stadium & Fans:

Center to home, Veterans Field

Veterans Field is literally an old VFW field that they upgraded by adding a scoreboard, some clubhouses made of barn parts, a covered grandstand behind home plate, and a batting cage and additional bleachers. It was a very stripped-down affair, but it had its own appeal. The supports for the grandstand blocked the field a little, but you hardly noticed.

The scoreboard a simple box-score digital affair, and it wasn't well insulated against the weather, as it glitched out when the rain came later in the game. The lack of lights came into play even with a 5 PM start-time, as the rain delay pushed the game to eventually be called early for darkness.

The only entertainment between innings was the PA announcer and some music piped in through the system. Locals gave a burly hound dog chant in support of the team, and as both of the teams that called the place home were playing each other, it was a mixed bag of supporters, especially after the rain caused everyone to seek shelter in the grandstand.

Unlike some Empire League parks, there was a concessions stand that served up cheap grub, so it had that going for it. Also worth mentioning was that the umpires were comically dimorphic, with the home plate umpire being a tall, burly gentleman and the field ump being a diminutive fellow of slight build.

At the Game with Oogie:

Red Hot and Gatorade

This was a small-time affair, and once I paid my admission at the gate, I had the run of the park. I took my pictures as I needed and then went to the concessions stand. There were a bunch of elderly volunteers running the place, and I ordered up a local hot dog and a Gatorade and grabbed a seat in the covered home plate grandstand before the game started.

There were about a hundred or so people at the game spread out around the park, which is actually a percentage point or two of the small town's total population. An older couple were in front of me, a grandma with her granddaughter on my right, and the guy doing the play-by-play for the online radio feed was sitting at the top of the bleachers behind me. (I was able to pick up a bit about the game from him.)

During the rain delay, I got to talking a little with the couple in front of me. Everyone was watching the players/groundskeepers trying to get the field into playing shape for two hours. The crowd reduced by a little, but most people stayed. I figured some of them were the rides for some players after the game, so they couldn't leave until they did.

I went to the concessions stand to get an order of onion rings before they closed it up for the night, and I got talking to a player who thought I was press because of the camera. He said that they didn't have any Diamond Dry, so they were just hoping the field would soak up enough of the water that they could continue playing, but he wasn't optimistic.

He was proven wrong, as play did resume, and as the game ended, I turned to the play-by-play guy to ask about the courtesy runner the catcher had gotten in the first. A guy in the bottom the stands answered, and also asked me if I was press. He was the father of one of the players for the Thunderbirds. He had been playing in the Atlantic League for the Long Island Ducks until last week when he got cut, so he came up here to continue playing. The family eventually pulled him away, so I said my goodbyes and went out to my car.

The Game:

First pitch, Border Hounds vs. Thunderbirds

This was a weird one for a bunch of reasons. To start, the North Country Thunderbirds were sharing the field with the home-team Malone Border Hounds, so the Thunderbirds were the home team for this game.

The top of the first began promisingly for the Border Hounds, with a leadoff error and an infield single ultimately going for naught. North Country similarly stranded a two-out double and a walk. Things got going in the second with back-to-back homers to get Malone on the board with a 2-0 lead. That lasted until the bottom of the inning, when the Thunderbirds hit got an infield single and a homer to tie the game before getting another double and walk to strand again. The Border Hounds got the lead back in the third with a leadoff single, a passed ball, and another single regaining the lead at 3-2. North Country took the lead right back with a walk, hit batsman, and a home run to get it to 5-3 at the end of three.

Malone just had a stranded single to show off for the top of the fourth, while the T-Birds manufactured another run, but with a break. Rain began to fall after the first batter walked, and he stole his way to third before a thunderstorm warning pulled the teams off the field with two outs. As the teams had rainouts in their pockets already and they were trying to get to a complete game before nearby lightning forced them off the field, they were trying to sneak in five innings before the rain got too bad. Two hours later, they resumed play, after the players-groundskeepers got the field in working order again, for a walk and a single to drive in the runner at third to make it 6-3. The Border Hounds just had a walk to show for the top of the fifth (and an official game at last), and North Country just had a walk in the bottom of the inning. Malone got on base with a two-out error in the sixth, but stranded him, and the Thunderbirds had a two-out hit batsman that was also left on base.

Double-duty

As the seventh began, the sun was setting quickly on the lightless field, and the officials announced that any delay of game of more than 15 seconds would be called an out. Malone tried to get something go with a two-out hit batsman, but it died on the vine in the fading light, ending the game for darkness after 7 played.

The Scorecard:

Malone Border Hounds vs. North Country Thunderbirds, 7/2/26. Thunderbirds win, 6-3.

I was trying out the notebook-formatted small ball Scorebook from 72DoublePlay.com. It is an interesting experiment to get a truly pocket scorebook by using the Reisner method of continuous scoring, no stat lines, and a minimum of space.

Each team had nine player lines with space for one replacement. There were six contiguous scoring columns. There were space for six pitchers with no stats, and six lines for notes. At the bottom of the visitor's part of the inning was a box score, and at the bottom of the home team page was a stat line for the game. Each scoring square had four diamond points to fill in the baseline as the runner progressed.

It was an intriguing experiment, but the printing came off with any erasing, so that needs to be fixed. I found myself re-writing in scorecard lines that had erased away. Also, I wonder if the scorecard can handle a high-scoring game, as this one only went seven and there was a chance of running out of room.

As for the game itself, there weren't a lot of interesting scoring plays of note, outside of the increased fielding errors, hit batsmen, and walks you expect in the low indies. The pitcher for the Thunderbirds hit for himself and got cries of "Ohtani" when he raked a homer early in the game.

To account for having to show pitcher and inning changes, I used red ink for pitching changes and black lines for inning changes. I'd probably do squiggles for pitcher changes if I only had one color.

The league has a courtesy runner rule for catchers on base to speed up the game not waiting for catchers to put back on their gear. I noted the various rain delays, as well as the 10-minute warning at the end of the game that had 90-second inning breaks and any delay of game more than 15 seconds was an automatic out.

I also wrote "called for darkness" for perhaps the first and last time at a pro game.

The Accommodations:

Red Roof Inn+, Malone, NY

I hadn't stayed at a Red Roof in a long time, having had it conflated in my mind with Motel 6 and bad experiences therein. It is a budget hotel to be sure, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought I remembered.

The bathroom with tub was right at the entrance to my room, and the room itself held two queen beds and nightstands on one side and a desk, dresser, and TV on the other.

It was a little shabby at the edges, but it was meticulously clean and maintained.

On the Holiday

Saturday, July 4, 2026
Clifton, NJ

Outside the Game:
I was up early after an odd evening of sleep with some odd dreams.

As soon as the breakfast opened, I wandered down to be greeted by a cheery front desk manager and made up a decent breakfast in the definition of a decent breakfast spread. I loaded up on bread and cereal in the indelible Red-Roof colored plastic bowls and sat and ate as wave after waves of active-duty Army personnel strolled through. I'm not sure what the deal was, but a ton of army men were at the hotel with me.

After I ate, I wandered back to the room for a nap. I woke up again to pack up and exercise before checking what was on the agenda for today. Roadside America yielded nothing of interest along my driving route, but there was an antiques market on the way out of town.

I packed up my car and check out right at 10 AM, but upon driving over to the antiques market, I found it was closed, likely for the holiday. So I pointed my car southeast and headed out to the road.

I clearly didn't check my Google Map closely, because I was again dragged through the country farmland roads, though in the morning daylight this was less of a concern than the dark of night in inclement weather. I did have one big scare, as the map directions took me on the main street straight of some town or another in upstate that was prepping to have its July 4th parade down the road I was on. I lucked out in that I was going in the opposite direction of the soon-to-happen parade, so I snuck through at the last minute, and after an hour or so I was very happily on the interstate south.

There as not much to it after that. Once on the NY Thruway, I stopped at a rest stop for a lunch at Panera. I picked up some snacks for the car, added in some scones and figs at a farmer's market set up outside, and then was back on the road for the rest of the drive home. After five hours, I became quite goofy for the last half hour of the drive, mostly screaming the chorus for Home on the Range for reasons that seemed valid at the time.

After that half hour, I found myself in my driveway baking under 100-degree heat, but happily unpacking and ready for some laundry and settling up. I grilled a porterhouse for dinner and that was about that for "America 250," as the neighborhood sounded like Beirut from fireworks both professional and amateur.

The Accommodations:
Home, sweet Clifton

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2026 Stand-Alone Trip

Franklin

On Turning It Around

Franklin Field, 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026
Gary Railcats vs. Milwaukee Milkmen
Franklin Field
American Association of Professional Baseball
Franklin, WI
10:35 AM

 

Outside the Game:
I had a good night's sleep despite it all and was up early again to partake in the excellent breakfast buffet, along with all the union guys there for training. I had an early morning today, so I ate and went back up to the room for a minor muddle around, finding a hotel for that night, and then packing up and checking out at around 8 AM, as another school day game beckoned just outside of Milwaukee proper.

On my way out the door, I made sure to call Staybridge and praise John, the front counter guy who was the only reason that my stay wasn't a complete disaster--besides him deserving it, I needed to try and get karma looking for favorably on me after the last few days.

It was a quick morning drive past a ton of roadkill to the game. My GPS took me to the front of the park, which was opposite to where the lot was. I just grabbed a spot on the street and was trying to find the right way in when an older gentleman in team gear asked what I was doing. I told him, and he just let me into the park to take pictures. So I got my walk around and park photos done early, went outside to get pictures and buy a ticket, and then just waited for gates to open for real as the schoolbuses started to arrive and disgorge children.

After the game wrapped up at 1:30 PM, I had time on my hands, so I decided to visit a historic farm site right near the park, Trimborn Farm. It was a small farmstead that made lime in kilns in the back of the property. I took an online tour there, then trusted the rest of my ride back into Illinois to Roadside America.

Mars Cheese Castle, like it says on the tin

The first stop along my route was the Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha. It is exactly what you'd think it is by the name: a giant cheese and souvenir store, along with a restaurant and bar, formed way back in 1947. I had a cheese-laden Italian hero for lunch there, took some samples in the store, and grabbed some (insanely good) fresh cheese curds for the road before heading back out to it.

Subtle

The next stop was the Golden Pyramid, which was a giant Egyptian statue and pyramid some guy had built randomly on a lake in an Illinois suburb. It wasn't open that day, but you can see it easily enough from the road, it being a giant pharaoh statue and pyramid and all.

I headed on down to Peoria and hit a ton of traffic because of road construction and an accident or two. I pulled into my hotel at about six. I got settled in, prepped for that night and the next morning, and then booked a hotel for the next day in Peoria. I had a quick dinner at a local shop next to the hotel (I was still pretty full from lunch and the cheese curds), and then went back up to the room.

I spent the rest of my night calling my mom, cataloging my failures, and going to bed early for the next school day game tomorrow.

 

The Stadium & Fans:

Home to center, Franklin Field

Franklin Field in Franklin, WI, is a little too on the nose, perhaps, but they let me in early, so I can only hold so much of the high ground.  

The park was of the inevitable minor-league design, with a main promenade circling the park above one area of seats running below it, tapering out into grass berms and party areas after the infield. The second level of luxury boxes and broadcast studios was only above the home plate area, and not out to the bases as in many similar parks. The main scoreboard sat in left-center in front of the backdrop of pretty much nothing.

The park was odd in that it was in the middle of a housing development, with a golf driving range next door, and not much else. The park both sprawled in its dimensions, but felt curiously hemmed in by all the housing around it. All the apartment parking lots were aggressively signed about not parking there for games, and I have no doubt that there was at least one busybody sitting by the window, perched by their phone, waiting to call in anyone they suspected of parking there for the game or the driving range.

Bo Vine (get it?) is the bull mascot, who was an even bigger hit than normal at the school day event. I was originally sitting by the staging area for most of the on-field events, which were all cow themed (Moo-sical Chairs, etc).

At the Game with Oogie: 

The return of brat-fest

Having gotten in early to take all my pictures, once the gates opened, all I had to do was wander around, grab some food, and people watch. The giveaways for this game were quite generous, with a free team hat and a team towel. A member of the staff mistook me for a photographer who had worked their games before, which I'm not quite sure what the proper reaction was, except to tell him that it wasn't me.

I got a brat-fest of brat and soda, harkening back to last year's early games. The park was teeming with kids, and eventually they started asking me for a pen, because the players and mascots were signing autographs. I gave my autograph pen to the first kid who really asked, who thanked me while tearing full-speed toward Bo with all his friends in tow. Ah, youth.

My original seat was nice and on the third base side, but directly in the baking sun when it came out right before the game. After the second inning, I retreated to the last rows behind homeplate, blessedly in the shade and filled with sunlight-adverse refugees such as myself.

The park emptied out around 1 PM, when all the school buses started to pack up and leave, leaving the last half-hour of the game more a quiet and relaxed affair.

The Game:

First pitch, Railcats vs. Milkmen

This early season and early clock-time meeting between the Gary Railcats and the Milwaukee Milkmen was a little sloppy, but mostly conventional.

The Railcats struck first in the top of the first, turning a leadoff single, two walks, and a sacrifice fly into an early 1-0 lead. Milwaukee stranded their two walks in the bottom of the frame. Gary went in order in the second, thanks to help from a double-play, while on the contrary, the Milkmen clawed back into it in the bottom of the inning, with two hits, a sac fly, and a triple plating two runs to give them a 2-1 lead. The Railcats tied it in the third with a solo homer to dead center, while Milwaukee stranded a two-out triple, leaving it 2-2 after three.

In the fourth, Gary stranded a hit batsman and a walk, while the Milkmen stranded a single and a walk. Two singles and a walk went for naught in the fifth thanks to the Railcats hitting into a double-play, and Milwaukee regained the lead with a walk and a homer, jumping to a 4-2 lead. Gary got one back in the sixth with a double and a single, to close it to 4-3. The Milkmen stranded a leadoff double and got nothing across in the close of the sixth.

The Railcats had nothing to show but a walk for the top of the seventh, and Milwaukee erased a leadoff single in a double play in their half. Gary went in order in the eighth, and the Milkmen left a walk and single on the basepaths. The closer came in and closed, setting down the Railcats in order, and securing the home 4-3 win.

The Scorecard:

Gary Railcats vs. Milwaukee Milkmen, 5/19/26. The Milkmen won, 4-3.

I was using the BBWAA scorecard again in lieu of a home scorecard, and compared to the other games so far on this trip, it was relatively mundane, with a few notable calls that were mostly because of their ambiguity.

In the top of the first on a 3-2 count, the next pitch was called a ball, and everyone advanced, except there was then a huddle with the coaches, and he was then called out. An appeal maybe? It was never explained and the official record just called it a strikeout. In the bottom of the fifth, there was a stolen base that was clearly, visibly safe from the stands, but the runner was then called out. I can only imagine that he came off the bag. The official record, again, remained silent except calling it a caught stealing. And in the top of the sixth, there was an error on the pitcher somehow called an infield hit. I noted my digression. 

The Accommodations:

Baymont Inn, Alsip, IL

I was at the Baymont Inn in Alsip, right next to where my early first game was the next day. The room itself was quite nice. The vanity and bathroom were just off the entrance, leading to king-sized bed, nightstands, and easy chairs on one wall, and dress, desk, and TV on the other.

It was quiet enough for a lazy evening, as I'd imagine many are in Alsip.

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2026 Main Trip: Cheese Pigs Cars

Pomona

On Using Up a Holiday

Clover Stadium, 2024

Friday, August 30, 2024
New England Knockouts vs. New York Boulders
Clover Stadium
Frontier League (Independent)
Pomona, NY
6:35 PM


Outside the Game:
Another holiday weekend, another scorecard to try out at a revisit to a close-by park.

I had a languid morning of chores and laundry, before having lunch with my mom, a long nap, and my historic cooking before heading over the border to New York.

It was a quick and uneventful drive up, and outside of missing the stadium entrance twice, nothing worth mentioning. I parked up, took my pictures, and entered.

Despite the inclement weather and the delay to the game, I was still back home and dry by 10:30 PM.


The Stadium & Fans:

Home plate to center field, Clover Stadium

I had been to Clover Stadium before, under its original name, and not a lot had changed about the park beside the name of the park and the name of the team (expanded to "New York" instead of "Rockland"). The park was clearly too much park for an indie-league park, and they were hoping to cash out in the Manfred re-alignment/murder of the minor leagues, but somehow got left holding the bag. It's not that the park isn't nice; it is like wearing a tuxedo to Nathan's.

There was a decent-enough crowd that night for a drizzly holiday weekend and the promise of fireworks. There wasn't a ton between innings, though the unimaginatively named "Boulder Bird" did his rounds. There was also an elderly dance group named the "PaceMakers," whose youngest member was 55. Imagine someone that old...

A costly two-base error by the home third-baseman in the top of the third was met with one of those minor-league park moments of eerie silence right as he screamed "Fuck!" at the top of his lungs.


At the Game with Oogie:

A gyro, before the incident

It was food truck night at the park, and I decided to chance it on a lamb gyro, which was, in fact, delicious, but I also managed to spill all over my pants, requiring some emergency pants laundering with what I had available at the park.

I had a seat right behind the home dugout, with sun not being an issue for the game. I sat down with a Gatorade and a pretzel and didn't move house until the rain got serious towards the late innings, retreating up to the covered concourse.

Around me was a family that showed up in the middle of the first. The son  was quite into the game, but the tweener daughter was not as enthused, with her nose in her phone for most of the game. A little further on my left there was an old vet who was dutifully keeping score as well. We did the nod.


The Game:

First pitch, Knockouts vs. Boulders

This indie-league matchup pitted the newest expansion team, the New England Knockouts, against the flagship team of the league, the New York Boulders. The contest did not follow the script.

The game began with the Knockouts getting a leadoff triple, which the somehow managed to strand. The Boulders got off hotter, with a one-out walk, two singles, and a double leading to two runs, giving them the early 2-0 lead. New England stranded another runner (this one on a walk) in the second. While New York got a deadly leadoff walk in their half, he made it no further than second as the side struck out after him. The Knockouts out it in gear in the third. A single, fielder's choice, two-base error and a homer quickly got three runs across, surging them ahead 3-2. New York had back-to-back lead off singles in the third, but went in order afterwards yet again.

New England striking out in order in the fourth was only broken up by a two-out single. The Boulders for their part were unable to convert a two-out hit batsman followed by a walk. The Knockouts were knocked out in order in the fifth (get it?), while New York stranded a leadoff single. New England again went quietly in order in the sixth, while the Boulders stranded a leadoff double with a bizarre double-play.

The Knockouts only managed a walk in the top of the seventh, while New York got back in the scoring mood, turning back-to-back walks and a double into a run, tying the game at three. New England quickly regained the lead with a single and an inside-the-park homer to march back to a 5-3 lead. Pehaps out of gas, the Boulders only had a single in them in the eighth. The Knockouts, well, went for the knockout in the ninth, tossing four runs across with a single, two doubles, and two homers, stretching the lead to 9-3. Unable to muster the heroic comeback, New York struck out in order in the ninth, securing the Knockout win.


The Scorecard:

Knockouts vs. Boulders, 08/30/24. Knockouts win, 9-3.

This was another outing to test out scorecards, and I went for a full-sized on this time after spending the summer with the tiny cards. This was the spiral-bound #22 Scorebook from the Numbers Game. After using the small cards the last couple of months, the full-sized format struck me as luxurious, perhaps even decadent.

The top of the card had team and cumulative statistics. The visitors side had the team name, manager, uniforms, a little place to doodle the logo, and the umpires, as well as how you were watching the game (home, TV, etc.) and first pitch. The home side had all the same team areas, as well as the ballpark, attendance, date, weather, and final out.

The main scoring area had space for nine players and replacements and eleven innings. Each inning had a compilation area, and each batter had at bats, hits, runs, and RBIs. Each scoring frame was crammed with info. There was a pre-printed diamond, with two boxes above to record hits (boxed) or other ways of getting on base (unboxed), with the second box to record any RBIs. Three columns in the right of the scoring square were to record balls and strikes. (It was the first time I had run balls and strikes in a while, and it took a bit to get back in the groove.)

Below was a defensive alignment chart for the opposing team, as well as the pitching line for the opposing team, with nine lines for pitchers, and stats on handedness, innings pitches, pitches, batters faced, hits, runs, earned runs, walks, and strikeouts. The visiting team side had cumulative box scores, while the home side had copious space for game notes. It was on good cardstock paper and held up to the elements well.

There were a number of plays of note. In the top of the third, a routine grounder to short was ruled a hit even though the shortstop should have made the play. In the bottom of the fourth, the third baseman made a spectacular play leaping backward and still getting the out at first that deserved a longer description than "5!-3". In the bottom of the sixth, there was a "DP L5-5" where a liner straight to the third baseman lead to the runner at third getting doubled up that needed an explanatory note.

In the top of the seventh, a liner bounced straight off the pitchers foot into his glove, which should have been a line out, but the umpire thought it hit the ground, and the pitcher safely threw him out at first. After the play, they both had a laugh about it. And in the top of the eighth, there was the first inside-of-the-park homerun I ever saw in person, bouncing off the back wall away from both players into the outfield that got legged out around the bases.

Also worth mentioning was a pitcher with the Boulders with the unfortunate name of "Garret Coe," which is close, but not actually, "Gerrit Cole." And considering that in two-thirds of an inning, he gave up five hits, and four earned runs after facing only seven batters, there are other, subtle differences.


The Accommodations:
Home, sweet Clifton

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

Stand-Alone Trip

Paterson

On the Poor Rebirth of a Legend

d

Hinchliffe Stadium, 2023

Sunday, May 21, 2023
Sussex County Miners vs. New Jersey Jackals
Hinchliffe Stadium
Frontier League
Paterson, NJ
4:00 PM  

Outside the Game:

The Great Falls with the stadium in the background

After a deluged rainout the day before on Saturday, the New Jersey Jackals were going to have their home opener at historic Hinchliffe Stadium this Sunday, so I decided to take a trip out to see them after visiting my mother. It was an afternoon game, so I made the short drive with a couple hours to spare, arriving early enough that the newly built parking lot in left field was barely open. The attendant let me park and then work out the Website I had to go to pay for parking and show him the code and go about my day.

As I walked out, they were still doing batting practice, which could be observed through the chain-link fence in left field. I walked around and took pictures and saw they were nowhere close to being ready to open for the small crowd already there, so I took more exterior shots (along with one or two other ballpark collectors obviously there early that day), and made the short walk over to the Falls to walk around there for a bit.

I came back to find a small line forming at one of the ticket windows, which I thankfully got on early, as it would grow quite large in short order. The Jackals always seemed to have problems getting things moving at home openers at Yogi Berra Stadium, and that's when they knew what they were doing. My decision was rewarded as the line got longer and longer as they struggled to deal with the first customers, who wanted to exchange tickets from yesterday's rainout to tickets for today--not that they were much faster to new transactions for the day's game, as I discovered when I got up to the window. But ticket in hand, I eventually walked past the increasing disgruntled people on line and walked around until it was time for the gates to open.

After the game, I walked right to my car in the lot, pulled out with no issues, and was quickly on my way to route 80 and my mom's house to drop off the car and grab a Lyft back to my apartment.

The Stadium & Fans:

Home plate to center field, Hinchliffe Stadium

Hinchliffe Stadium is one of the last remaining Negro League ballparks that was still standing. It, like most of Paterson, had fallen into decrepitude over the decades, just avoiding demolition long enough to get federal grant money to renovate it. They also somehow lured away the indie-league New Jersey Jackals from their only home at Yogi Berra Stadium to start this year's contest at the renovated venue.

Hinchliffe was always a somewhat wonky venue for baseball, being located in a classic amphitheater, with a track running around the perimeter. The original layout had the infield nestled inside the track, facing away from the grandstands, with the outfield wall facing towards the open end of the stands. They changed that sometime in the 90s to angle it towards the stands, and for some reason, they decided to keep that layout for the new renovations. Which I consider a mistake for a ton of reasons. Firstly, the dimensions (stated as 320-385-327) were too small, as evidenced by the numbers of homers that flew out of the park. Also, it was awkward. They have to cover parts of the track with turf overlays in the outfield, creating a seam, and they had to artificially restrict the foul ground on the first base line with temporary fencing, behind which they put on-field tables and two giant blow-up attractions for kids--which, by the way, completely obstructs the view from the first-base seats, which is probably okay as they are about a quarter-mile from the field anyway.

They built a new building in what is now center field which effectively block the view of the Falls, which was one of the big selling points of the park. That building (rumored to eventually be a team store and museum) was just gutted out with nothing inside at the home opener. There were just one bank of overpriced concessions ready, as well, with an extremely limited selection, which was more forgivable (especially with the food truck promotion at the game that day). Outside of a few original stadium signs outside of right field and left field and the original historic marker, there was nothing about the park's history at all.

They also had to put up temporary foul ball netting, and some of those supports are in fair territory in the outfield, but at least thankfully padded to prevent outfielder homicides. Every last one of these things could have been corrected by going with the field's original orientation, and I would be very interested to know why they chose this mess.

There is an average scoreboard out in left center field, a party area in left, and on-field tables and party area in the voluminous area behind first. All of the seats except the on-field ones are uncushioned bleachers, which were only bearable with portable cushions. The view out to downtown Paterson was still available from right field, at least.

Jack the Jackal made the trip, always followed around by a gaggle of kids. The mayor and Yankee great Willie Randolph were there for the ceremonial first pitches. There weren't many activities until the later innings, but that was less of an issue. There was a good crowd, but given the grumblings already from their suburban fan base, one wonders how long they are going to stomach $15 each game for parking in crime-ridden Paterson. Time will tell, and this historic field deserves so much better.

At the Game with Oogie:

Overpriced hot dog and Gatorade

I went in as soon as the gate opened, and after an announcement that no bags were going to be allowed and then seeing a sea of people who, in fact, had bags, they did an impromptu bag check, and eventually I was into the park. (They did not give out the seat cushion giveaway from the day before, nor did they wear the Negro League throwback jerseys originally scheduled for this game.)

I took my time doing my walk-arounds, most of it in complete amazement at the layout of the park. Nothing was open yet except for the one concession, where I grabbed an over-priced hot dog, Gatorade, and pretzel. I eventually settled into my seat behind home plate (though it was pretty much open seating for the first game). I was jarred by the fake first-base line that they had put in ended in another screen which made the seats right behind home plate have a partially obstructed view of home plate, which was just nuts.

The game had a decent crowd. There was a man teaching his kids the rules of the game as it progressed, which always warms my heart. After overhearing me explaining a play to a group behind me earlier, a group in front of me asked me about the teams, and I had to explain the whole concept of independent baseball to them. I swear to god, as soon as you have a scorebook in your head, people assume you know everything. They were right in this case, but still.

After the first four or so innings baking in the heat, I retreated to a seat in right field, which had the benefit of being in the shade and having an unobstructed view of the field due to the lack of netting. It was definitely the preferable of the two seats, which you don't often say about home plate seats right behind the plate. There was a group of loud locals seating nearby who were drinking beers and going on about local politics as you might expect to see at a local high-school football game.

The Game:

The first pitch in the game between the Sussex County Miners and the New Jersey Jackals.

This game was house money for ownership, who happened to own both of these Frontier-league franchises. The Jackals were doing better so far in the nascent season, with Miners bringing up the rear of the league. A pitcher's duel this would not be.

As was indicated by the fact that the first batter for the Miners in the newly reopened park took one dead center for a homer. A strikeout later, a batter went yard to left, very accurately setting the tone for the game and staking the Miners to an early 2-0 lead. New Jersey started the game with a hit batsman, but their second batter got in on the fun, christening right field with its first home run. A two-out rally followed with a single, a catcher's interference, an error by the third baseman, and a single to bring in two runs before a strikeout ended the batting-around with a 4-2 home lead. Sussex County went in order in the second, while the Jackals only managed a walk in their half of the frame. The Miners only managed a two-out single in the top of the third, and he was promptly picked off first. New Jersey limped along in the bottom of the inning, stranding two walks with two outs.

A leadoff walk went for naught for Sussex County in the fourth, but the Jackals ended the intermission on scoring. A leadoff double was picked off, but a one-out walk was driven in by another homer to left, followed one out later by yet another homer to left, leaving the Jackals with a commanding 7-2 lead. The Miners got one back with another leadoff homer to left in the fifth, and New Jersey got that back with another homer to center, leaving the score 8-3 for those trying to keep up, presumably while dodging home run balls. Sussex County went back to more conventional scoring in the top of the sixth, with a leadoff double moved over on a wild pitch and scoring on a single, to close the score to 8-4. The Jackals just hit another home to left to start the sixth and then stranded a single and hit batsman to extended their lead back to 9-4.

The Miners went quietly in order in the seventh, and NJ only managed a single in their half. After a two-out walk for Sussex County in the top of the eighth, another homer to left brought in two to close the lead to 9-6. The Jackals got it back with a two-out homer to right to get the score up to 10-6. And there it stayed as the Miners went in order, sealing the Jackals home opener win.

The Scorecard:

Sussex County Miners and New Jersey Jackals on 5/21/23. The Jackals won, 10-6.

I used the BBWAA scorecard, as there was nothing on sale to given away at the park, and even when they did have their store up and running last year, they didn't have a scorecard.

One word: homers. There were nine in the game--five to left, two to center, and two to right. The wacky field layout definitely had an impact, as well as raising some legitimate questions about the stated field dimensions. Even indie-ball pitching isn't bad enough for hitters to take them yard nine times without some ballpark help. The other impact was the copious foul territory, leading to a play in the bottom of the second where the left fielder ran somewhere close to a mile to catch a foul ball for an out.

And then the other plays of note. I saw my first clock violation ball on a pitcher in the top of the third. In the bottom of the fifth, there was a sharp grounder to first, fielded by the first baseman who took it to the bag for the put-out, and both teams left the field. Except the umpires protested that the ball was foul, and made both teams return to the field to continue play (which eventually ended in a strikeout). In the top of the sixth, there was an infield single that I felt needed the clarification that it nearly murdered the pitcher, bouncing solidly off of him. There was also a rare catcher's interference in the bottom of the first, and one of the Miners got a golden sombrero.

But seriously: nine home runs.

The Accommodations:
Home, sweet Jersey City

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

Stand-Alone Trip

Saranac Lake

On a Smashing Evening

Petrova Field, 2022

Saturday, July 2, 2022
Japan Islanders vs. Saranac Lake Surge
Petrova Field
Empire League
Saranac Lake, NY
4:00 PM 
 

Outside the Game:
I was in no rush to get up the next morning, but after a sound sleep, I awoke relatively early. I sleepily walked down to the McDonald's by my hotel to find it not yet open even though it was supposed to be, so I walked back up the hill, retrieved my car, and drove to a deli in town to order up some breakfast sandwiches and head back to the hotel.

Still groggy, I went out on the patio to eat my greasy breakfast and was surprised by a seaplane taking off nearby. I finished eating and enjoying the view and went back inside to wash up, pack up, and plan my day. I booked another hotel just north of Albany to stay for the night, decided on my activites for the early afternoon, and headed out. After a friendly check out, I was off to an antique store half-way to my other destination for the day. Letting me in a well-stocked antique store is never a good idea under the best of circumstances, but especially when I don't have a plane ride between me and home, it is a recipe to spend a lot of money. At one point, I was actually measuring the trunk to see if I could fit a speaker's podium in there. As it was, I was buying things as diverse as a dummy grenade and an antique nutmeg grinder, but it all packed up nicely in the trunk, and I was off the rest of the way to Lake Placid.

Eschewing the Winter Olympics attractions, I went to the John Brown Farm. In addition to the monument and the grave, there is his restored house and barn that holds more exhibits. I had known of John Brown, but I hadn't really gone in depth, so this was a great opportunity to learn about his life, his homesteading efforts for African Americans, and other tidbits. (And learning things is important, kids, because--I kid you not--another patron was upset at the BLM banners that were located near the John Brown statue, and how my brain didn't just completely explode at the irony is lost to me.) After my tour, I made use of one of the several walking trails on the grounds (which did go right next to the Olympic ski jump) for a nice summer walk before relaxing for a bit in a shaded Adirondack chair, as is tradition.

John Brown often opined on the Olympic Ski Jump

I went back to town, stopping at the "Tail of the Pup" barbecue place for lunch. As luck would have it, I received an email from the previous day's restaurant--who apparently owned both establishments--offering me another free beer for eating at that restaurant, thus compiling the most beer I've drunk in the last decade or so, all for free. A one-man band played for the patrons, and I wolfed down a brisket sandwich and beer before heading out to the park.

I parked in what I was sure was a safe spot, walked around and called my mother prior to the game, and then headed in.

On coming out, I felt something wrong. As I going to the car, I couldn't quite figure it out until I realized that a foul ball had somehow smashed my sunroof. The angle was literally impossible. A grand total of three balls had even been fouled this way all game. An inch in either direction, and it would have been a dent in the roof. But nope, bullseye. A player parked next to me was horrified, but quickly disappeared. I cleared out the glass as best as possible, and then drove to a gas station and bought some duct tape to secure the roof closed and pray for no rain.

With nothing else to do for it, I got out on the highway and drove south to Albany and my hotel. I made it without further incident, was delirious with stress upon checking in to the point I was scaring the hostess, and then just showered the day off of me, tried to calm down, and did some research before collapsing on the bed.

The Stadium & Fans:

Home to center, Petrova Field

There's no two-ways about it or any way to sugar coat it--Petrova Field is a high-school baseball field that seems to be an appendix to a football field. There's no scoreboard, no concessions, and nothing to indicate any professional baseball except for a small Empire League sign facing the field and a small collapsible table and chair that they use to collect admissions.

The field itself is mostly chain-link fenced, with a "viewing area" of netting on the first-base side of home. The dugouts are two plexiglass-covered benches on either side of the field. The seating areas are a main metal bleacher behind home plate, and two satellite bleachers down first and third. The football field in far left field is clearly the senior partner of this two-field set-up, with a broadcast tower and football scoreboard out there, but the two seating areas also serve as outfield seating for the few brave souls that stayed out there towards the end of the game.

The crowd was small to non-existent, but did pick up steam towards the end of the game, with a smattering of people coming to see the outcome. Otherwise, the attendees were the players and the minimal staff.

At the Game with Oogie:

Bleacher scoring

I parked myself with my water bottles (purchased for just such an occasion) in the "window" on the first-base bleachers to get a relatively unobstructed view of the game. In my area sitting in lawn chairs were a smattering of true-believer fans of Saranac Lake who cheered on through the entire game. Outside of helping me when a water bottle fell down from my perch at the top of the bleacher during the game, there was no real interaction with anyone else. I sat, cooking slowly in the late afternoon, watching a ballgame, as god intended.

The Game:

First pitch, Islanders vs. Surge

After the utter anarchy that was the day before's game, this was a pleasantly bland game between the Japan Islanders and Saranac Lake Surge that didn't threaten to eat my brain at any point.\

The game began with the Islanders only having a two-out single and stolen base to show for their half of the first, while Saranac Lake had the same sole single without the stolen base. In the top of the second, Japan had a two-out walk and single stranded, while the Surge went in order. The third saw the Islanders get on the board. A leadoff single stole second and made it to third on an errant play on the throw by the shortstop. A ground-out brought in the run, but a walk and a double-play stopped the scoring there with the Islanders up 1-0. Saranac Lake only had an infield single that got thrown away to get the runner as far as second before being stranded.

The fourth had a Japan batter reach on an error by the third baseman with two outs, but the runner was stranded there. The Surge went in order. The Islanders got another run in the fifth with a leadoff walk that stole second and third and was then driven in with a single. The trail runner was caught stealing and two outs followed, leaving the new Islander lead at 2-0. Saranac Lake again went in order. The Japanese sixth began with back-to-back walks, and then a wild pitch to move the runners up and a hit batsman to load the bases with two outs, but they were all stranded by a strikeout. In the bottom of the frame, the Surge finally got on the board with a walk and two steals and a thrown-away ball by the pitcher to close the gap to 2-1 after six.

The Islanders had a leadoff walk and nothing else in the seventh, while Saranac Lake just had a single and walk in their half. Japan had a one-out single and walk in the eighth, while the Surge managed just a walk. Going into the ninth, the Islanders had a potential two-out insurance run make it to second after a passed ball, but there he stood. Saranac Lake made a last stand in the bottom of the ninth, starting with a walk and--somehow-- a defensive indifference as he took second. A dropped ball by the left fielder made it first and third with no outs, but the runner on third got picked off for the first out. The runner on first stole second on another DI, then a walk made it first and second. A fly out to right advanced the lead runner, while the trail runner advanced on yet another defensive indifference with two outs. But the Surge couldn't make it work, with a lazy fly out to center ending the game with a Japan Islander win at 2-1.

The Scorecard: 

Japan Islanders vs. Saranac Lake Surge, 07/02/22. Islanders win, 2-1.

I was again using the BBWAA scorecard, and while this game wasn't the complete travesty the previous game was, it had its moments.

There were two plays of literal note. In the bottom of the third, the Surge single and E3 noted that it was a clean infield single, but the throw got away from the first baseman on the play, allowing the runner to advance. In the bottom of the sixth, the scoring play was a delayed steal from second on the throw back to the pitcher, who promptly threw the ball to the next town over, allowing the runner to score from third easily.

The story of the game, though, was the three defensive indifference steals in the bottom of the ninth with a one-run lead. How bad is the catching in the Empire League? So bad that they don't even want the catcher to attempt a throw with the game on the line and would rather trust their equally awful pitching.

Not even mentioning getting the first out at third by getting picked off in the bottom of the ninth. Amazing.

The Accommodations:

Hilton Garden Inn

The Hilton Garden Inn was attached to a mall that had odd business hours for a Saturday night. (The connection to the mall was closed because the mall was already closed for the evening--not what you want to do to have a thriving mall, but that's not for me to decide).

My room was everything I'd expect from a Hilton. The adequate bathroom was off the entrance to the right, while the bedroom was straight ahead, with two queen beds on one side, and a dresser, TV, and desk and chair across the way. It was boring, functional, and I stress-slept a ton.

On Limping Home

Sunday, July 3, 2022
Jersey City, NJ 

Outside the Game:
After the insanity of the last night, I at least got a decent night's sleep, no doubt thanks to the stress exhaustion. Up early, I just decided to head out straight away, checking up on the tape, filling up and grabbing food at a nearby gas station, and then heading south.

Thankfully, the drive back to my parent's place was as uneventful as could be, and early afternoon had me pulling in. I had to then explain the whole situation to my slow-to-follow mother before clearing out the garage enough to put her car in and then replacing my father's car in the driveway.

Thoroughly done with the weekend at this point, I finished up a bunch of check-in tasks, and then got a rideshare back to my apartment, for a fun afternoon of calling insurance agencies and glass shops, as well as laundry and unpacking and the like.

Life just gets you sometimes.

The Accommodations:
Home, sweet, home

Click here to see all the photos from this trip.

2022 Adirondacks