Sunday, July 5, 2009
Happy Independence Day!
Here's the tail end of the fireworks show after the Missoula vs. Great Falls game on July 3.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Great Falls Voyagers 7, Missoula Osprey 1
July 3, 2009
The planets aligned for the Weisenheimer "Thunderstorm Baseball Tour 2009" on Friday night. There was not a drop of rain on a lovely, warm evening in Missoula, we circumvented the "wristband" rule and were able to buy and drink beer, we were part of a record Osprey crowd of 4,042, we got nine full innings of baseball into the books, and the wind died down enough to allow the fireworks to go on after the game. Unfortunately, errors and walks did in the home team as the Missoula Osprey lost to the Great Falls Voyagers 7-1.
Ogren Park at Allegiance Field is a lovely facility. Built in 2004, it has most of the amenities of modern small ballparks: ample concession stands, kids play area, beer garden picnic area, and the like. But it has something most ballparks don't -- an actual live team mascot living on the grounds. A family of Osprey live in an aerie on a tall pole out beyond the right field wall. They had a fish feast up there during the game. The team logo even depicts an Osprey carrying a fish. Too cool!
The park also features some short dimensions down the lines. It's only 309 down the line in left field and a mere 287 in right. There's a berm and a railroad bridge right behind the wall, so there probably wasn't room to make it much bigger. They try to make it not too cheap for home runs by making the wall 27 feet high at the lines. It slopes down to about seven feet by the time it gets to right-center.
The Osprey successfully annoyed me before the game. When I went to the beer counter to get a couple of Trout Slayer Ales for myself and my Sweetie, the official scorer, the young lady behind the counter informed me that I needed to get an ID bracelet before they'd sell me the demon alcohol. Incredulous, I inquired how old she thought I was and, in an Uncle Herb moment, stomped off vowing never to drink beer in Missoula again and write them a scathing review in the blog. Luckily the lovely Stephanie happened by and offered to go fetch beer and munchies for us. Missoula is the only ballpark on the tour with in-seat service, and Stephanie didn't seem to care a whit that I didn't have an ID bracelet. Nice save! (By the way, the Trout Slayer, by Big Sky Brewing in Missoula, is yummy.)
As for the game, Missoula starter Enrique Burgos didn't have much, getting shelled for five runs, three earned, on three hits in an inning and two-thirds. He walked three, hit another, threw a wild pitch,. and had an error committed behind him. Meantime, Terry Doyle of Great Falls turned in the best start of the trip. Doyle worked seven innings and gave up just one earned run on seven hits. He struck out 14 and walked only one. Great Falls won in a breeze. Box score.
The fireworks show after the contest was grand.
Homeward bound. Happy Independence Day!
The planets aligned for the Weisenheimer "Thunderstorm Baseball Tour 2009" on Friday night. There was not a drop of rain on a lovely, warm evening in Missoula, we circumvented the "wristband" rule and were able to buy and drink beer, we were part of a record Osprey crowd of 4,042, we got nine full innings of baseball into the books, and the wind died down enough to allow the fireworks to go on after the game. Unfortunately, errors and walks did in the home team as the Missoula Osprey lost to the Great Falls Voyagers 7-1.
Ogren Park at Allegiance Field is a lovely facility. Built in 2004, it has most of the amenities of modern small ballparks: ample concession stands, kids play area, beer garden picnic area, and the like. But it has something most ballparks don't -- an actual live team mascot living on the grounds. A family of Osprey live in an aerie on a tall pole out beyond the right field wall. They had a fish feast up there during the game. The team logo even depicts an Osprey carrying a fish. Too cool!The park also features some short dimensions down the lines. It's only 309 down the line in left field and a mere 287 in right. There's a berm and a railroad bridge right behind the wall, so there probably wasn't room to make it much bigger. They try to make it not too cheap for home runs by making the wall 27 feet high at the lines. It slopes down to about seven feet by the time it gets to right-center.
The Osprey successfully annoyed me before the game. When I went to the beer counter to get a couple of Trout Slayer Ales for myself and my Sweetie, the official scorer, the young lady behind the counter informed me that I needed to get an ID bracelet before they'd sell me the demon alcohol. Incredulous, I inquired how old she thought I was and, in an Uncle Herb moment, stomped off vowing never to drink beer in Missoula again and write them a scathing review in the blog. Luckily the lovely Stephanie happened by and offered to go fetch beer and munchies for us. Missoula is the only ballpark on the tour with in-seat service, and Stephanie didn't seem to care a whit that I didn't have an ID bracelet. Nice save! (By the way, the Trout Slayer, by Big Sky Brewing in Missoula, is yummy.)As for the game, Missoula starter Enrique Burgos didn't have much, getting shelled for five runs, three earned, on three hits in an inning and two-thirds. He walked three, hit another, threw a wild pitch,. and had an error committed behind him. Meantime, Terry Doyle of Great Falls turned in the best start of the trip. Doyle worked seven innings and gave up just one earned run on seven hits. He struck out 14 and walked only one. Great Falls won in a breeze. Box score.
The fireworks show after the contest was grand.
Homeward bound. Happy Independence Day!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Helena Brewers 5, Billings Mustangs 4
July 2, 2009
The Weisenheimer tour of the Pioneer League continued this evening in Billings, Montana with the hometown Mustangs taking on the visiting Helena Brewers at Dehler Park. I'll save the suspense: Of COURSE it rained. People may wish to blame this on people from Seattle. But I hear tell it's been clear and pushing 90 degrees in the great Northwest, so it's clear that we are following the weather, and not vice versa.
Dehler Park opened last year, replacing the ancient Cobb Field, where generations of Billings teams played. Dehler is a fine facility, a little odd in that it's not very high; the deepest sections in the grandstand are only about 10 rows or so. That means every seat is pretty darn close to the field. They have a BBQ area, beer garden, ample concession stands -- it's a nice operation. The one black mark -- inadequate parking. There's a tiny lot out beyond the outfield fence. We had to park in the surrounding neighborhood, which the residents must just love. We had a walk of several blocks, so it wasn't a huge deal. The park is set below a large bluff, on top of which sits the Billings airport. A number of flights came in and out during the game.
There were ominous black clouds around at game time, and the scoreboard claimed it was 81 degrees out, but it didn't feel that warm. A crowd of 2,483 turned up and saw the Brewers build a 2-0 lead after three innings. In the fourth the wind really kicked up. In the bottom of the fifth the Mustangs got on the board with back-to-back doubles to make it 2-1. A few drops of rain started to fall. Then, with two out -- one measly out from an official game -- Ma Nature turned the spigot and it absolutely began to pour. The umps called the game and everyone scrambled for cover.
My Sweetie, the official scorer, wonders why these teams we're visiting, where it apparently rains all the dang time, don't have any sort of adequate shelter for the customers when inclement weather hits. Security Service Field in Colorado Springs has a large covered area, but most of the rest are pretty exposed. At Dehler Park many of the fans simply departed. Those of us who haven't had enough baseball this week found restrooms, souvenir shops, and other small spots mostly out of the rain, hoping the storm would only be a passing thing.
It was. In less than an hour we had a double rainbow, a cool sunset, and were back in action. But only a few hundred of the original crowd remained. Billings took a 4-3 lead with three in the sixth, a rally capped by the play of the game: A booming, two-run triple by Mustang catcher Humberto Sosa. The program lists Sosa at 5' 11" and 195. I'm here to tell you that 195 might have been when he was in eighth grade. I'm thinking 230 at least. Still, he cracked one over the center fielder's head to the wall 410 feet away, and moves pretty well for a big man, making third easily.
Billings held the lead until the ninth, when a bad throw and a controversial call by the first base umpire ignited a rally for the Brewers. Left fielder Chris Ellington led off with a grounder to Mustang shortstop Shane Carlson, who uncorked a wild throw. First baseman Chris Richburg, lunging to his left, snagged the ball and swept the tag toward Ellington, but the ump ruled the tag missed. Carlson, who has a live and wild arm, was charged with an error. Ellington took second on a wild pitch by Don Joseph. Joseph then struck out Cameron Garfield, but walked Cutter Dykstra, and Ellington stole third on ball four. Helena's Kyle Dhanani then hit what should have been an inning-ending double-play grounder. But Billings second baseman Mauricio Pimentel hesitated on the throw to second, decided to take a sure out at first, and then made such a rotten throw he looked like a quarterback spiking the ball to stop the clock. E-4, and Ellington scored the tying run. Dykstra and Dhanani then pulled a double steal, and Dykstra scored the go-ahead run on another wild pitch by Joseph. Two runs, no hits, two errors, one left on, 5-4 Helena. Billings went out 1-2-3 in the ninth, Pimentel whiffing for the final out. Box score.
Weather aside, the game at Billings was a lovely time. They don't have a mascot. They don't throw crap at you or have constant on-field promotions. The PA announcer doesn't yell, he just announces. The food was pretty tasty and reasonably priced. All Billings really needs is a little infield defense.
Tomorrow: Missoula!
The Weisenheimer tour of the Pioneer League continued this evening in Billings, Montana with the hometown Mustangs taking on the visiting Helena Brewers at Dehler Park. I'll save the suspense: Of COURSE it rained. People may wish to blame this on people from Seattle. But I hear tell it's been clear and pushing 90 degrees in the great Northwest, so it's clear that we are following the weather, and not vice versa.
Dehler Park opened last year, replacing the ancient Cobb Field, where generations of Billings teams played. Dehler is a fine facility, a little odd in that it's not very high; the deepest sections in the grandstand are only about 10 rows or so. That means every seat is pretty darn close to the field. They have a BBQ area, beer garden, ample concession stands -- it's a nice operation. The one black mark -- inadequate parking. There's a tiny lot out beyond the outfield fence. We had to park in the surrounding neighborhood, which the residents must just love. We had a walk of several blocks, so it wasn't a huge deal. The park is set below a large bluff, on top of which sits the Billings airport. A number of flights came in and out during the game.There were ominous black clouds around at game time, and the scoreboard claimed it was 81 degrees out, but it didn't feel that warm. A crowd of 2,483 turned up and saw the Brewers build a 2-0 lead after three innings. In the fourth the wind really kicked up. In the bottom of the fifth the Mustangs got on the board with back-to-back doubles to make it 2-1. A few drops of rain started to fall. Then, with two out -- one measly out from an official game -- Ma Nature turned the spigot and it absolutely began to pour. The umps called the game and everyone scrambled for cover.
My Sweetie, the official scorer, wonders why these teams we're visiting, where it apparently rains all the dang time, don't have any sort of adequate shelter for the customers when inclement weather hits. Security Service Field in Colorado Springs has a large covered area, but most of the rest are pretty exposed. At Dehler Park many of the fans simply departed. Those of us who haven't had enough baseball this week found restrooms, souvenir shops, and other small spots mostly out of the rain, hoping the storm would only be a passing thing.It was. In less than an hour we had a double rainbow, a cool sunset, and were back in action. But only a few hundred of the original crowd remained. Billings took a 4-3 lead with three in the sixth, a rally capped by the play of the game: A booming, two-run triple by Mustang catcher Humberto Sosa. The program lists Sosa at 5' 11" and 195. I'm here to tell you that 195 might have been when he was in eighth grade. I'm thinking 230 at least. Still, he cracked one over the center fielder's head to the wall 410 feet away, and moves pretty well for a big man, making third easily.
Billings held the lead until the ninth, when a bad throw and a controversial call by the first base umpire ignited a rally for the Brewers. Left fielder Chris Ellington led off with a grounder to Mustang shortstop Shane Carlson, who uncorked a wild throw. First baseman Chris Richburg, lunging to his left, snagged the ball and swept the tag toward Ellington, but the ump ruled the tag missed. Carlson, who has a live and wild arm, was charged with an error. Ellington took second on a wild pitch by Don Joseph. Joseph then struck out Cameron Garfield, but walked Cutter Dykstra, and Ellington stole third on ball four. Helena's Kyle Dhanani then hit what should have been an inning-ending double-play grounder. But Billings second baseman Mauricio Pimentel hesitated on the throw to second, decided to take a sure out at first, and then made such a rotten throw he looked like a quarterback spiking the ball to stop the clock. E-4, and Ellington scored the tying run. Dykstra and Dhanani then pulled a double steal, and Dykstra scored the go-ahead run on another wild pitch by Joseph. Two runs, no hits, two errors, one left on, 5-4 Helena. Billings went out 1-2-3 in the ninth, Pimentel whiffing for the final out. Box score.Weather aside, the game at Billings was a lovely time. They don't have a mascot. They don't throw crap at you or have constant on-field promotions. The PA announcer doesn't yell, he just announces. The food was pretty tasty and reasonably priced. All Billings really needs is a little infield defense.
Tomorrow: Missoula!
We ain't afraid of no Ghosts; let's play two!
Weisenheimer and my Sweetie, the official scorer, bolted out of Colorado Springs after a late breakfast with family yesterday morning and rolled into Casper, Wyoming at about 5:30 p.m. thinking we had a little time to freshen up and maybe grab a catnap before heading out to watch the Casper Ghosts play host to Idaho Falls in a 7:05 contest. Luckily, 
Sweetie decided to plot the best path to Mike Lansing Field before taking 20 winks; in so doing, she discovered that the action was to start at 6:05, and that they planned to play two. So, we quickly grabbed our scorecards and gear and headed to the ballpark.
It turned out that the twin bill was scheduled to make up for the non-playing of the first stop on our Pioneer League tour, a June 26 date in Idaho Falls that was scrubbed because of "wet grounds." We've been following bad weather around on this trip. It was a beautiful day when we arrived in Idaho Falls, as the water preceded us. Our game in Colorado Springs was suspended midway by robust thunderstorms. And sure enough, we'd seen some nasty looking clouds as we wound our way into Casper.
Still, things looked OK as we arrived at the yard. It was warm and humid and cloudy, but comfortable. Lansing Field isn't too fancy, but it's comfortable. It's not picturesque as some we've seen, but in a pleasant setting. Mascot "Hobart" is a purple platypus. They don't go crazy with the promotions. Though there was some good humor. Just before the start of the game the PA announcer urged us to cheer as the Ghosts took the field. Nothing happened. We couldn't see them...
The home team took an early lead, but then the rain found us again. Casper led 4-1 in the third inning of the first game when it started to thunder, lightning and pour. After the Chukars batted in the top of the frame the umpires called play as the sparse crowd headed for what little cover is available at Lansing Field. One local opined that he'd never seen it rain so hard there during baseball season.
During the rain delay we had a nice chat with Ghosts' CEO Kevin Haughian, who spotted us because of all the out-of-town ticket stubs on Sweetie, the official scorer's official score book. He was a little disappointed with the crowd after having a couple thousand for the Ghosts' home opener the previous night. There were only a few hundred at best on a Wednesday night with threatening weather. He also thought it might help if the club won a few. They came into the doubleheader with one win and six losses. Also during the day, we met a gentleman from Pullman who does media relations work for the WSU baseball team. He was in Casper as part of his quest to see a game in all 50 states. He's up to about 42.
The rain let up and, after a 34-minute delay, we were back at action. Lucky for us, not so much for Casper. Their starting pitcher, Ricardo Ferrer, had a fine outing, allowing just one run on three hits in five innings. But they took him out and the wheels fell off. Idaho Falls scored three in the sixth and two in the seventh to win 6-5. Game 1 box score, but not with Sweetie, the official scorer, stats.
The nightcap was a 0-0 tie through five innings as Idaho Falls starter Carlos Arias worked five strong innings while Casper hurlers Paul Bargas and Coty Woods blanked the Chukars. Idaho Falls plated a pair in the sixth with the help of an error, and went into the bottom of the seventh with a 2-0 advantage and Lewis Gomez, who had pitched a scoreless sixth, on the hill. But Avery Barnes (the Big Gator) led off with a single and Casper catcher Brandon Whitby hit a towering, opposite-field homer to right to tie the contest and give us extra innings!
Casper had a chance to win it in the bottom of the eighth, when a walk, a hit batsman, and a sacrifice put runners on second and third with just one out. But the runner on third got picked off on what may have been a botched squeeze play, and then Barnes whiffed.
Idaho Falls then took the lead in the ninth. Tito Espinosa led off with a triple on a towering fly ball to left center that probably should have been caught. Espinosa then scored on a fly ball to left field. Casper manager Tony Diaz got run for the game for saying the umpire was "f---ing blind" -- with so few people in the stands we could hear everything! Diaz was arguing that Espinosa had left third early. The umps apparently felt that nothing that happens at 12:20 a.m. during a baseball game can be called "early."
Not to worry. Whitby led off the Casper ninth with a base hit, moved to second on an error, and scored the tying run on a pinch double by Chandler Laurent. Laurent moved to third on a groundout. With the Chukar infield playing in, Eliezer Mesa grounded one to Espinosa at first. Espinosa, however, double clutched and went from hero to goat as Laurent beat the throw home and gave the Ghosts their second win of the season. Box score.
In all, we got in 16 innings of baseball -- three more than we'd seen in our three previous games combined! It all ended at 12:38 a.m., Mountain Time. There we are above, happy to be a little damp and watching baseball after midnight in Casper, Wyoming.
Sweetie decided to plot the best path to Mike Lansing Field before taking 20 winks; in so doing, she discovered that the action was to start at 6:05, and that they planned to play two. So, we quickly grabbed our scorecards and gear and headed to the ballpark.It turned out that the twin bill was scheduled to make up for the non-playing of the first stop on our Pioneer League tour, a June 26 date in Idaho Falls that was scrubbed because of "wet grounds." We've been following bad weather around on this trip. It was a beautiful day when we arrived in Idaho Falls, as the water preceded us. Our game in Colorado Springs was suspended midway by robust thunderstorms. And sure enough, we'd seen some nasty looking clouds as we wound our way into Casper.
Still, things looked OK as we arrived at the yard. It was warm and humid and cloudy, but comfortable. Lansing Field isn't too fancy, but it's comfortable. It's not picturesque as some we've seen, but in a pleasant setting. Mascot "Hobart" is a purple platypus. They don't go crazy with the promotions. Though there was some good humor. Just before the start of the game the PA announcer urged us to cheer as the Ghosts took the field. Nothing happened. We couldn't see them...
The home team took an early lead, but then the rain found us again. Casper led 4-1 in the third inning of the first game when it started to thunder, lightning and pour. After the Chukars batted in the top of the frame the umpires called play as the sparse crowd headed for what little cover is available at Lansing Field. One local opined that he'd never seen it rain so hard there during baseball season.
During the rain delay we had a nice chat with Ghosts' CEO Kevin Haughian, who spotted us because of all the out-of-town ticket stubs on Sweetie, the official scorer's official score book. He was a little disappointed with the crowd after having a couple thousand for the Ghosts' home opener the previous night. There were only a few hundred at best on a Wednesday night with threatening weather. He also thought it might help if the club won a few. They came into the doubleheader with one win and six losses. Also during the day, we met a gentleman from Pullman who does media relations work for the WSU baseball team. He was in Casper as part of his quest to see a game in all 50 states. He's up to about 42.The rain let up and, after a 34-minute delay, we were back at action. Lucky for us, not so much for Casper. Their starting pitcher, Ricardo Ferrer, had a fine outing, allowing just one run on three hits in five innings. But they took him out and the wheels fell off. Idaho Falls scored three in the sixth and two in the seventh to win 6-5. Game 1 box score, but not with Sweetie, the official scorer, stats.
The nightcap was a 0-0 tie through five innings as Idaho Falls starter Carlos Arias worked five strong innings while Casper hurlers Paul Bargas and Coty Woods blanked the Chukars. Idaho Falls plated a pair in the sixth with the help of an error, and went into the bottom of the seventh with a 2-0 advantage and Lewis Gomez, who had pitched a scoreless sixth, on the hill. But Avery Barnes (the Big Gator) led off with a single and Casper catcher Brandon Whitby hit a towering, opposite-field homer to right to tie the contest and give us extra innings!
Casper had a chance to win it in the bottom of the eighth, when a walk, a hit batsman, and a sacrifice put runners on second and third with just one out. But the runner on third got picked off on what may have been a botched squeeze play, and then Barnes whiffed.
Idaho Falls then took the lead in the ninth. Tito Espinosa led off with a triple on a towering fly ball to left center that probably should have been caught. Espinosa then scored on a fly ball to left field. Casper manager Tony Diaz got run for the game for saying the umpire was "f---ing blind" -- with so few people in the stands we could hear everything! Diaz was arguing that Espinosa had left third early. The umps apparently felt that nothing that happens at 12:20 a.m. during a baseball game can be called "early."
Not to worry. Whitby led off the Casper ninth with a base hit, moved to second on an error, and scored the tying run on a pinch double by Chandler Laurent. Laurent moved to third on a groundout. With the Chukar infield playing in, Eliezer Mesa grounded one to Espinosa at first. Espinosa, however, double clutched and went from hero to goat as Laurent beat the throw home and gave the Ghosts their second win of the season. Box score.In all, we got in 16 innings of baseball -- three more than we'd seen in our three previous games combined! It all ended at 12:38 a.m., Mountain Time. There we are above, happy to be a little damp and watching baseball after midnight in Casper, Wyoming.
Missed it by THAT MUCH
On Tuesday, June 30, while we hobnobbed with family in Colorado Springs the evening after attending a game there that was washed out, righthander Brandon Hynick of the Sky Sox pitched the first perfect game in club history. Thus Weisenheimer and Sweetie's common lament is intact: "We never get to see a no-hitter!"
Hynick's gem came in the second game of a twin bill at Security Service Field. Portland won the opener 10-8 in the completion of the game suspended by emphatic thunderstorms the night before. Colorado took the nightcap 2-0. Coverage from the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Hynick's gem came in the second game of a twin bill at Security Service Field. Portland won the opener 10-8 in the completion of the game suspended by emphatic thunderstorms the night before. Colorado took the nightcap 2-0. Coverage from the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sky Sox splash
June 29, 2009
The Portland Beavers and Colorado Springs Sky Sox had a rousing game of back-and-forth baseball going when Ma Nature intervened and sent us all scrambling for cover at the Sox's Security Service
Field in Colorado Springs. There was thunder and lightning in the metropolitan area, and on the field, as the Beavers built a 7-6 lead after four and a half innings before some real weather hit, drenching the field and, after several hours of pondering by umpires and managers, causing the contest to be called off and replayed as part of a twin bill tomorrow.
Security Service Field is in a lovely setting in Colorado Springs. The drawback is that you can't see the nearby Rocky Mountains and Pike's Peak from the grandstand, which faces to the east and south. Facing west, into the Sun, would be detrimental to hitters. According to the club's Web site, the field, at 6,531 feet above sea level, is at the highest elevation of any professional ballpark in the U.S.
Apparently they also have lots of thunderstorms in the area, including a "gullywasher" that blew through before the game could be declared official. The photo at right does not do the storm justice. It was raining HARD. None of this sissy Seattle sprinkly stuff.
One big black mark for the Sky Sox experience: my Sweetie, the official scorer, is not at all pleased that you could not get a sheet with the team rosters anywhere in the ballpark. They did have free programs, but those only featured Colorado Springs players, and didn't have their numbers. This led is to an interesting discussion of what is most preferable: a ballpark with roster sheets but no beer, or a ballpark with beer but no roster sheets. We've got another thousand miles of driving to work that one out!
Those following this adventure know that I griped at some length that beer was not available in Orem. Well, I'm pleased to report that it is available in Colorado Springs. Naturally, I didn't have any. We'd had a fairly hefty dinner with family who live in the area before going to the game. I was planning to have a refreshing brew... about the sixth inning or so. Alas. but it was comforting just to have guys wandering the park bellowing, "ICE cold beer!!" Speaking of concessions pitches, here's one we heard: "Cotton Candy! You can hit people with it and it won't hurt."
One guy probably happy that the game was washed out was Sky Sox starting pitcher and former major leaguer Adam Eaton, who was cuffed around for seven runs on eight hits in five innings. He wasn't helped at all by his defense, which committed three errors behind him that led to five of the runs being unearned. Journeyman catcher Sal Fasano started for the Sox and hit a towering three-run homer that capped a five-run first. A note for Mariner fans: former M's manager Rene Lachemann is the hitting coach for the Sky Sox.
We had a great time despite the weather, but are probably not going back for the twin bill tomorrow.
The Portland Beavers and Colorado Springs Sky Sox had a rousing game of back-and-forth baseball going when Ma Nature intervened and sent us all scrambling for cover at the Sox's Security Service
Field in Colorado Springs. There was thunder and lightning in the metropolitan area, and on the field, as the Beavers built a 7-6 lead after four and a half innings before some real weather hit, drenching the field and, after several hours of pondering by umpires and managers, causing the contest to be called off and replayed as part of a twin bill tomorrow.Security Service Field is in a lovely setting in Colorado Springs. The drawback is that you can't see the nearby Rocky Mountains and Pike's Peak from the grandstand, which faces to the east and south. Facing west, into the Sun, would be detrimental to hitters. According to the club's Web site, the field, at 6,531 feet above sea level, is at the highest elevation of any professional ballpark in the U.S.
Apparently they also have lots of thunderstorms in the area, including a "gullywasher" that blew through before the game could be declared official. The photo at right does not do the storm justice. It was raining HARD. None of this sissy Seattle sprinkly stuff.One big black mark for the Sky Sox experience: my Sweetie, the official scorer, is not at all pleased that you could not get a sheet with the team rosters anywhere in the ballpark. They did have free programs, but those only featured Colorado Springs players, and didn't have their numbers. This led is to an interesting discussion of what is most preferable: a ballpark with roster sheets but no beer, or a ballpark with beer but no roster sheets. We've got another thousand miles of driving to work that one out!
Those following this adventure know that I griped at some length that beer was not available in Orem. Well, I'm pleased to report that it is available in Colorado Springs. Naturally, I didn't have any. We'd had a fairly hefty dinner with family who live in the area before going to the game. I was planning to have a refreshing brew... about the sixth inning or so. Alas. but it was comforting just to have guys wandering the park bellowing, "ICE cold beer!!" Speaking of concessions pitches, here's one we heard: "Cotton Candy! You can hit people with it and it won't hurt."
One guy probably happy that the game was washed out was Sky Sox starting pitcher and former major leaguer Adam Eaton, who was cuffed around for seven runs on eight hits in five innings. He wasn't helped at all by his defense, which committed three errors behind him that led to five of the runs being unearned. Journeyman catcher Sal Fasano started for the Sox and hit a towering three-run homer that capped a five-run first. A note for Mariner fans: former M's manager Rene Lachemann is the hitting coach for the Sky Sox.
We had a great time despite the weather, but are probably not going back for the twin bill tomorrow.
Orem Owlz 8, Idaho Falls Chukars 7
June 27, 2009
Brent Brown Ballpark, on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, is in a close battle with Boise Memorial Stadium for the title of prettiest setting yet visited on Weisenheimer baseball tours. We saw the homestanding Orem Owlz fall behind 6-0 in the fourth, then come from behind by twos, defeating the Idaho Falls Chukars 8-7 on Justin Bass's two-out, two run double in the bottom of the ninth.
One would think that a rousing come-from-behind win on a gorgeous evening in a beautiful little ballpark would be the recipe for a totally delightful outing. Alas, there were a lot of negatives about Owlz baseball, starting with the fact that you can't buy a beer in the ballpark. Baseball=warm evening+hot dog+brew. Maybe some peanuts. I reckon that, being in Utah, I should have expected this. But it honestly didn't occur to me until I was at the counter. The rest of the concessions at BBB were so-so at best. The "Hootz" dog, a foot-long frank, was good in itself, but the bun was toasted to a crunchiness you really don't want, perhaps from being in the heating tray since Thursday. The bottled water was tasty, but the corn was popped some time during the Nixon administration.
Did I mention there was no beer?
Even getting to the ballpark was a challenge. The whole addressing and street-grid layout of the greater Salt Lake City area seems designed to confound even the finest GPS system and befuddle visitors from blue states. Even when we could actually see the yard it still took us 20 minutes to get there. Winding one's way onto the campus and then finding the ballpark was not intuitive.
Did I mention there was no beer?
My Sweetie, the official scorer, gives the Owlz a D+ on their lineup announcing. They never gave the batting order for the Owlz, instead announcing them by defensive position as they ran out for the top of the first. They did announce slowly enough so that one could write the lineups down.
Did I mention there was no beer?
In the bottom of the first a couple of guys turned up wanting our seats. I'd ordered in advance on-line and got front-row seats just to the left of home plate. Sure enough, the late-comers had the same two seats on pre-printed tickets; they must have been season tickets or something. There were plenty of seats nearby so it wasn't a problem.
Did I mention there was no beer?
As for the game itself, it was a doozy. The Chukars took a 2-0 lead in the third on a home run by Deivy Batista, who also hit a triple in a four-run fourth as Idaho Falls jumped to a 6-0 lead. Orem got them back two at a time before winning in the ninth. Chukar closer Cole White has a little Nuke LaLoosh in him -- a live arm, but he's not always sure where it's going. He walked the bases loaded in the eighth before fanning Dillon Baird for the final out. In the ninth he walked Richard Cates with two out and a man on to set up Bass for the game winner.
Despite the glitches it was a fun time out at the park. A beer would have been nice, though.
Brent Brown Ballpark, on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, is in a close battle with Boise Memorial Stadium for the title of prettiest setting yet visited on Weisenheimer baseball tours. We saw the homestanding Orem Owlz fall behind 6-0 in the fourth, then come from behind by twos, defeating the Idaho Falls Chukars 8-7 on Justin Bass's two-out, two run double in the bottom of the ninth.One would think that a rousing come-from-behind win on a gorgeous evening in a beautiful little ballpark would be the recipe for a totally delightful outing. Alas, there were a lot of negatives about Owlz baseball, starting with the fact that you can't buy a beer in the ballpark. Baseball=warm evening+hot dog+brew. Maybe some peanuts. I reckon that, being in Utah, I should have expected this. But it honestly didn't occur to me until I was at the counter. The rest of the concessions at BBB were so-so at best. The "Hootz" dog, a foot-long frank, was good in itself, but the bun was toasted to a crunchiness you really don't want, perhaps from being in the heating tray since Thursday. The bottled water was tasty, but the corn was popped some time during the Nixon administration.
Did I mention there was no beer?
Even getting to the ballpark was a challenge. The whole addressing and street-grid layout of the greater Salt Lake City area seems designed to confound even the finest GPS system and befuddle visitors from blue states. Even when we could actually see the yard it still took us 20 minutes to get there. Winding one's way onto the campus and then finding the ballpark was not intuitive.
Did I mention there was no beer?
My Sweetie, the official scorer, gives the Owlz a D+ on their lineup announcing. They never gave the batting order for the Owlz, instead announcing them by defensive position as they ran out for the top of the first. They did announce slowly enough so that one could write the lineups down.
Did I mention there was no beer?
In the bottom of the first a couple of guys turned up wanting our seats. I'd ordered in advance on-line and got front-row seats just to the left of home plate. Sure enough, the late-comers had the same two seats on pre-printed tickets; they must have been season tickets or something. There were plenty of seats nearby so it wasn't a problem.
Did I mention there was no beer?
As for the game itself, it was a doozy. The Chukars took a 2-0 lead in the third on a home run by Deivy Batista, who also hit a triple in a four-run fourth as Idaho Falls jumped to a 6-0 lead. Orem got them back two at a time before winning in the ninth. Chukar closer Cole White has a little Nuke LaLoosh in him -- a live arm, but he's not always sure where it's going. He walked the bases loaded in the eighth before fanning Dillon Baird for the final out. In the ninth he walked Richard Cates with two out and a man on to set up Bass for the game winner.
Despite the glitches it was a fun time out at the park. A beer would have been nice, though.
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