Triplets

If you're just tuning into the blog the past few weeks, you'll probably think that all I do is hang out at Angel Stadium and at Chavez Ravine. While certainly those have been frequent visits, my hometown Minor League team in the Inland Empire 66ers out of San Bernardino. It has been more than a month since I had been to San Manuel Stadium for a game, so with my newly-found free time, I decided to play some catch up and hit three separate games last week with the 66ers playing host to the Visalia Rawhide.

It was the first time all season that I went to a weeknight home game at San Manuel, and I can say that it is a totally different atmosphere. The Wednesday night game was nowhere near as crowded as the Saturday night games. In a way, it was good because I got to roam around to different seats and catch the game from a different perspective. I went down and sat behind the dugout and interacted with some of the players and coaches. It was quiet and sedate; just the way a baseball game is supposed to be.

The 66ers did something pretty funny on Thursday, though. They hosted a Zombie Apocalypse Night, Yes, you did read that right. The team wore blood stained uniforms, had staff dress up like the Living Dead, and had blood spattered all over the concourse. It was all fake, of course, and kind of funny. What was cool was that the Major League Baseball social media feed took notice and posted on Facebook and Twitter pictures of the game and the characters involved. It was nice to see my hometown Minor League team get some national press.

Saturday was Mark Sappington Bobblehead Night. I guess it was cruel irony that Mark Sappington was the starting pitcher for his own Bobblehead night, and got really roughed up by Visalia hitting. He gave up four earned runs in barely five innings of work. It's gotta be tough for Mark, if you think about it. Whenever you see your bobblehead, you immediately recall being shellacked. Ouch... 

The 66ers won on Wednesday, lost on Thursday, and on Saturday. They ended up taking two of four from the Rawhide during that series and head into the Single-A All-Star Break finishing dead last in the Cal League South Division, 19 games back. Luckily the Cal League plays a split season schedule broken into two halves, and we just finished the first half. If the 66ers win the second half, they go to the playoffs regardless of how bad they were in the first half. If there's a silver lining, that's it.

All right, I'm temporarily lifting my moratorium on long distance road trips. Folks, I've been suffering from massive cabin fever and I just need to get out of the apartment. So, Sunday, I will travel down to San Diego for my first Padres game of the season. The Friars are playing the Dodgers, so it should be a fun rivalry game.

Well, until Friday...

Always take on a 3-0 pitch ;)