Archives for June 2019

Well, here is the final report from Ballpark Tours 2019 Kentucky Bourbon Tour.  If you want to track the whole excursion, for Days One & Two, click here.  Days Three & Four, click here.  Days Five & Six, click here. Day Seven, click here.  Day Eight, click here.

DAYS NINE AND TEN – AN OLD SCHOOL BALL GAME, FIREWORKS. A FATHERS’ DAY OOPS AND THE AMAZING TYLER.

Back home now, having completed our ten-day, whirlwind Ballpark Tours baseball excursion.  Before looking at Days Nine and Ten, here are a few tidbits about the trip.  Note: Once this post is published, Baseball Roundtable will go back to our regularly (and usually) scheduled programming.

• Approximately 1,600 bus miles.
• Eight games in five cities.
• The opportunity to enjoy Chicago’s 36^th Annual Blues Fest (and more live music along the way).
• The opportunity to visit museums ranging from the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory to The Mary Todd Lincoln House to The Chicago Art Institute (and more – even a hotel with an art museum right inside of it).
• Touring and tasting at one of the nation’s oldest distilleries.
• Two nights of fireworks – and the appearance of The Amazing Tyler.
• Whiskey Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday and 25-cent Hot Dog Night.
• Bloody Mary, Moscow Mule and Long Bottom Stretch Bars on the bus.
• Tequila, not just for breakfast anymore (and, now, neither is bourbon).
• A winery, distillery, restaurant/bar, ice cream parlor and fruit/vegetable sales all on the same (Huber Family) farm.
• The Kane County Beer Cave; The Cubby Bear (Wrigleyville); The Slippery Noodle Inn (oldest bar in Indiana) and the Big Daddy Caddy Band; The (bustling) Mussel & Burger Bar (Louisville); and Mike’s amazing driving skills.

While We Were Away

Photo by thatlostdog–

While we were on the road, The Astros’ Charlie Blackmon played in nine games – collecting 22 hits (44 at bats – a .500 average), scoring 14 runs, driving in 16 and bashing in six home runs.  Surprisingly, despite the hot bat, he drew only one walk while we traveled.

In short, as Ballpark Tours traveled across baseball country – everyone (including Charlie Blackmon) had a good time. Now back to the trip.

DAY NINE – A RAINY DAY AN OLD SCHOOL BALLGAME AND THE AMAZING TYLER

Day nine saw a rainy bus ride from Indianapolis to Charles, Illinois in anticipation of the final game of the journey, a Midwest League (Class A) match between the Kane County Cougars (Diamondbacks) and the Beloit Snappers (A’s).  A fairly uneventful ride, fueled by speculation (and weather report updates) as to whether (no pun intended) we might have a rain out.  We arrived in St. Charles early enough to take in lunch and the happy hour at the Spotted Fox Ale House – and to happily judge the weather playable. (In a Ballpark Tours “veteran move,” one of our happy travelers attempted to convince the waiter that, since our day started in a different time zone, Happy Hour should start an hour early for our group.)

The weather cooperated (the College of Cardinals may have an in) and the game proved to be one of the best on the trip – with Kane County earning a walk-off (run-off) win as the Cougars’ catcher and number-nine hitter doubled to open the bottom of the ninth (in a 3-3 tie) and slid across the plate, barely avoiding the tag, on a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

In this one, the pitching was dominant early, the Cougars starter – 22-year-old southpaw Michel Gelabert – was perfect after three innings, with four strikeouts.  His counterpart, 23-year-old Snappers’   right-hander Aiden McIntyre gave up just a walk in the first two frames (fanning four) before being touched for an unearned run in the third (an error and a pair of two-out singles.) For the game, Gelabert went six innings, giving up just three hits, one run and one walk, while fanning five. McIntyre went four frames and fanned seven batters, while surrendering three hits, three walks and the unearned run.

After the Cougars scored in the bottom of the third, Beloit came back with a run in the top of the inning – on a couple of singles and a sacrifice fly.  The Cougars took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth – walk, hit-by-pitch, strikeout, fielder’s choice (6-4), single, single.  Beloit came right back with two runs of their own in the top of the seventh – walk, fielder’s choice (1-6), single, sacrifice fly and a run-scoring passed ball. As you can read, lots of small ball – as the game saw a total of 11 hits (nine singles and two doubles), two sacrifice flies, three stolen bases and a sacrifice bunt.

Here, by the way, is how the decisive bottom of the ninth went. Cougar’s number-nine hitter Zachery Almond doubled to left off of Snappers’ reliever Michael Danielak (who had come on in the sixth). LF Keshawn Lynch then laid down a nice sacrifice bunt (thrown out pitcher to first) with Almond going to third.  After an intentional walk to CF Alex Thomas, RF Eduardo Diaz hit a (sacrifice) fly to medium center. Beloit CF Lester Madden made a strong throw (that appeared to beat the runner), but Almond slid home avoiding the tag.  It was an exciting finish to a well-played, old school ball game.

PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Zachery Almond … catcher and number-nine in the Cougars’ line up. Almond, who scored the winning run had the game’s only extra base hits (a pair of doubles). He also had a single in his four trips – scoring twice and driving in one. As I write this, the 23-year-old, 6’3”210 pound backstop is hitting .237 on the season, with two homers and 24 RBI. Almond was a 35^th round draft pick (out of Catawba College) in 2017. He’s hit .294 over three minor league seasons.

Will the real Zachery Almond please stand up! In this page from the Cougars’ program, the real Z. Almond is on the left. On the right is #10 … catcher Jose Herrera. Or are these the Almond Brothers?

Eduardo Diaz. … RF and number-three in the Cougars’ batting order.  The 21-year-old Diaz went one-for-four and drove in two of the Cougars’ four runs on a single and the game-winning sacrifice fly. On the season, he is hitting .281-3-23 and he’s a .287 hitter over four minor league campaigns. He signed with the Diamondback as an international free-agent in September of 2015.

Michel Gelabert … LHP and Cougars’ starter.  Gelabert, as noted earlier, went six innings and gave up just three hits and one run, while walking one and fanning five.  On the season, the 22-year-old, 6’3”, 200-pounder is 2-1, 2.70. In two minor-league seasons, he is 6-2, 2.09. The Cuban was signed as an international free agent in May of 2018.

The food at Kane County was solid, with the customer-grilled (outside. behind first base) rib-eyes and pork chop sandwiches drawing rave reviews – as did our seats, just five rows above the third base dugout.  The (craft) Beer Cave – a chilly, walk-in (yes, the fans walk in and select their beer) was also popular.  It is stocked pregame with about 1,200 bottles and cans (60-70 different beers). Jimmy Buffet would probably eat a cheeseburger in there.  One bit of sad news – no Bloody Marys in the ball park.

It was carnival night at the ball park and the Amazing Tyler entertained the crowd through the game by balancing pretty much anything on his face (nose and chin, primarily).  You know, full beers, foam fingers, baseball bats, umbrellas, etc. – culminating with a six-foot folding ladder.  Great stuff, except that, at one point, with the game tied 1-1 and the Cougars with two on and two out, he stood right in front of me, asking fans to provide him with personal items that he could balance.  Still, a pretty impressive showing.

After the game, it was another round of fireworks.

DAY TEN – NO GAME, JUST A BUS RIDE

Pretty quiet group on the way home – but all happy and looking forward to next year.  One slight glitch, we were headed for the Vintage (craft) Brewery Sauk City, WI for our lunch stop.  Someone – nameless except for Larry (inside joke) – forgot to factor in that it was Fathers’ Day.  An hour wait for a table, we were told.  Most of the group scattered to other local establishment  About six of us headed to the Gym Bar & Grill – where we found lots of locals, great food and service (I had the French Dip) craft beers and even $1 Jell-O shots.  Ah, another Ballpark Tours “find.”

The Gym Bar and Grill. Great spot in Sauk City. Sorry, Marty! Bad photographer.

And that’s pretty much it for this year’s tour.  Like I said, Baseball Roundtable now returns to its regularly scheduled programming.

Photo by Nina Manzi. Notice the jacket, Jeanne.

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DAY SEVEN – CULTURE AND CUISINE … It’s all about the food, Baby.

Breakfast AND a show.

Day Seven was also Day Two in Louisville, with an evening Pawtucket/Louisville match up leaving us with time to explore the city – after the Holiday Inn and Suite’s excellent “multiple choice” and free breakfast (biscuits and gravy, four kinds of omelets, bacon, sausage, bagels and much more.) And, no veteran readers and travelers, I am not going to wax poetic about the pancake machine.  But, for nostalgia’s sake, I will include a picture from the first time I referred to this baby as “breakfast and a show.”

Note: For Days One and Two, click here.  Days Three and Four, click here.  Days Five and Six, click here. Day Eight, click here.  Days Nine and Ten, click here.

As we hit the town, the most popular stop was probably the Louisville Slugger (factory and) Museum. The tour provides a great look at how baseball bats are made (and tailored to the players who order them), as well as the history of this weapon of the game.  In addition, there are opportunities to swing game-used bats of the stars.  Of you are a baseball fan, the tour is well worth the $14 charge.  The gift shop there also has a great range of offerings –from the usual trinkets like t-shirts and beer “coozies” to autographed game-used bats. (One of our group noted that the Kirby Puckett bat – at about $900 – was twice as pricey as the Stan Musial stick.  A bat signed by my favorite all-time player, HOFer, Eddie Mathews, went for only $245.00.  Ouch!)

My choices for the day were the KMAC Modern Art Gallery, with its “In the Hot Seat” exhibition of artist-designed chairs and the Muhammad Ali Center.  I’d recommend them both.  First, the KMAC is a free exhibit, with three floors of interesting, non –traditional art.

The Muhammad Ali Center features lots of film/video and deals as much with Ali from civil/human rights, political and humanitarian perspectives as from an in-the-ring point of view.  You can also do some shadow boxing, punch the speed bag and watch of TV coverage of key Ali fights.  I spent a very informative, entertaining and, in some way, inspiring 2 ½ hours there.  Well worth the $13.    The man was a master in the ring, but actually for bigger battles in the cultural arena.

Found the photo at the top of Ali throwing out the first pitch at the dedication of a youth ball field. The catcher is his son.

AT THE BALLPARK … IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD, BABY

Good seats once again.

The game – a Pawtucket Greenjackets/Louisville Bats rematch started at seven.  A few easy observations:

• The game started at 7:00, not 7:05 or 7:10 like most MLB games (which accommodate TV coverage).
• The announced attendance was 6,153 – and it appeared to be an honest count.
• Great seats, just to the first-base side of home plate.
• The National Anthem was again “old school,” live organ music and an, appropriately, brisk tempo.
• The game, like yesterday’s contest, illustrated the gap between the majors and (even) the high minors. In the first two innings, we witnessed:
  • Seven runs scored;
  • Eight hits;
  • Four walks;
  • Two errors;
  • A wild pitch; and
  • A Balk.
• It was “Thirsty Thursday” (following “Whiskey Wednesday” – these Kentuckians know their baseball), with 16-ounce Bud and Bud Lights available for $2. There was extra security around the center field  Overlook Grill and Bar.
• Maybe, it’s me, but I found it strange that the sixth-inning scoreboard “Turbo Trivia” questions focused on basketball.

A WEIRD BALLPARK –WHERE THE MASCOT IS A BAT

There was one strange (to me) incident at the bat-themed ball park. First, let me note that there were three additional trekkers, within eye shot of me, who were keeping score. In the top of the sixth, three of the four of us (Bob, Joe and I) apparently had a simultaneous hallucination. We all three scored Bats’ lead off hitter Alex Blandino with a strikeout, followed by a Christian Colon ground out to third.  The only problem was that, after the ground out, Colon seemed to again stroll to the plate.  Only the fourth scorekeeper in our group, Nina, had it right. Blandino never struck out, he was the one who grounded to third. PS: Neither alcohol nor cannabis was involved in this simultaneous divergence from reality.

Ultimately, Pawtucket prevailed in the see-saw battle 10-8.  Here’s a bit of the back-and-forth. After one inning, Louisville was up 2-0. Pawtucket tied it in the top of the second, but Louisville added three tallies in the bottom of the inning.  Pawtucket came right back with three in the top of the third to tie the game at five apiece. Then Louisville plated three in the bottom of the fifth, to jump out 8-5. In the top of the sixth, Pawtucket scored a game-tying three runs.  Pawtucket added single runs in the top of the eighth and ninth to complete the 10-8 scoring.

Overall, we ten pitchers, 25 hits (17 by Pawtucket); three home runs (all Pawtucket); 17 strikeouts; two errors (and a third that should have been charged); two wild pitches; one hit batter; and two balks.  We also heard plenty of cheering, as the score went back-and-forth. For the purists, we did see both a 6-4-3 and 4-6-3 double play (the 6-4-3 to squelch a Pawtucket rally in the fifth, included leaping tosses by the shortstop, who went into the hole for the play, and the second baseman on the pivot); a catcher throwing out a base runner who strayed too far off first; and a nice tag-avoiding slide on a play at the plate.

OBLIGATORY BLOODY MARY REVIEW

Skip this one.  Tried the Bloody Mary ($8.25) and was reminded that this is Bourbon Country.  Nothing wrong with the pour, but the mix was pretty much thick tomato juice (not spicy at all) and the garnish a small wedge of lime.  When in Louisville, stick to whiskey-based libations or craft beers

The food was once again All Star quality.  Yesterday, I noted that the Rib-Eye Sandwich, Fried Bologna Sandwich, Gyros, and Black Angus Hot Dog all got rave reviews.  Today, it was the Smoked Turkey Leg ($8.50); Buddy Bat Hot Browns ($5.50); and the $5 craft ice cream (both peach and mint-chocolate chip were reviewed) drew raves.

Jerry, who noted that he’s a turkey-leg regular at the Renaissance Festival and State Fair declared the Louisville Slugger Field turkey limb the best he’d ever had.  The Buddy Bats (pretzel bites with turkey, bacon, tomatoes and mornay sauce) were described as “ball park rich.” I had the peach ice cream. The flavor was great and there were plenty of large peach chunks.  Another BPT trekker (Joe) said the mint chocolate chip was well worth going back for more. In addition, another trekker (The Rev) was offered to test taste (free) a new organic all beef hot-dog. Thumbs up to the slightly spicy dog from Rev.

Really, the food (of all types) was a hit and we had just one criticism. While at the second Bats game, Casey (at the Bats) indicated that the offering of onions and peppers on the fried bologna sandwich bucked tradition.  She noted that the old school fried bologna is simply bologna, cheese and mayo on white bread.

BBRT PLAYER OF THE GAME

Bryce Brentz 2012 card.

Today’s star was Bryce Brentz of Pawtucket (LF, batting in the three spot) – and his story shows just how hard it is to make (and stay) in the big leagues. In yesterday’s game, Brentz went two-for-four, with two home runs, a walk, three runs scored.  On the season, Brentz is now .248-11-32 in fifty games.

Now for the background (and a lesson in how difficult it is to have an MLB career). Brentz is not one of those 21-year-old prospects (although he once was). He’s thirty-years-old and has 34 games of MLB experience (2014 and 2016), with a .287-1-9 stat line.  He was All-State baseball player in at South-Doyle High School in Knoxville (hitting over .400 for his H.S. years). In college (Middle Tennessee State), he was a consensus All American (2009). In those college years, he went .329-17-68; .465-28-79; and .348-15-63 … and was the Sunbelt Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore.   He was drafted in the first round (36^th overall, a supplemental pick) of the 2010 MLB draft,

Once a top-ten prospect in the Red Sox system, Brentz now has ten minor league seasons under his belt – .262-152-539 in 822 games. He was a 2017 International League All Star and topped Dan Vogelbach in the IL Home Run Derby that season. He has played in the Red Sox and Mets minor league system, as well as in the Mexican Pacific, Dominican and Puerto Rican Winter leagues.

So, here he is at 30, ten seasons (and a couple of injuries) into his professional career, still looking for a chance to “stick in the show.” This game ain’t easy, folks.

For our group,  here’s final tidbit. Brentz got his first MLB hit (a double) off then-Pirate Francisco Liriano and his first (still only) MLB home run off current Twin Martin Perez.

More posts from the road to come.

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Welcome to Louisville – Bats Baseball and Whiskey Wednesday.

It’s time to look at Days Five and Six of Ballpark Tours’ Kentucky Bourbon Tour – as well as give you a look at our group’s Lexington, Kentucky hotel.  For a look at/read about Days One and Two, click here.  Days Three and Four, click here. Day Seven, click here.  Day Eight, click here. Days Nine and Ten, click here.

DAYS FOUR AND FIVE

Now that’s some hotel!

Our two nights in Lexington, Kentucky were memorable – and not just because a good portion of them were spent in a ball park.  The hotel was also –and as usual – a Ballpark Tours plus.  Our esteemed (at least by some) tour operator works to put us in a position to comfortably enjoy the culture, cuisine and nightlife of the communities in which we also enjoy the “blessings of baseball.”

21c Museum Hotel … the fine art of Ballpark Touring.

In selecting Lexington’s historic 21c Museum Hotel, our leader outdid himself.  The 21c is in an historic building in downtown Lexington, has a great restaurant and lounge/bar and a contemporary (and free) art gallery right in the hotel.  What are we talking about here? The kind of hotel with plush robes in the bathroom, peppermint soaps and shampoos, an urban chic lounge (that makes you feel like you are at a party at Frank Sinatra’s house) and interesting art at every turn.

You know, the kind of place where they deliver chocolates and ice to your room each evening. Also, the kind of hotel that is just a block away from a below-street level bar – with a country flair – called The Stagger Inn.  Now, how do you top that?  Note: Remember in my last report, I noted the embarrassment of finding a fairly notable contingent of Ballpark Tour trekkers, including the tour operator, in the Whitaker Bank Ball Park Tap Room  – watching basketball (on television) during the baseball game. Well, on Day Five, the embarrassment was one of our group ordering a drink called “The Tutti-Frutti” at The Stagger Inn – a basement bar that features benches made the tailgate section of old pick-up trucks and prides itself on being “country.”

Breakfast at the 21c Museum Hotel. Chorizo, eggs, avocado, cheese and spicy jalapeno sauce – with sourdough toast.

DAY FIVE BOURBON, BEER AND BASEBALL – ON THE CHEAP

We started Day Five at about 9:30 a.m., hopping into our trusty coach for a ride to the Buffalo Trace Distillery in nearby Franklin – reportedly the oldest continuously operating distillery in the nation.  They teased us with a tour of the facility and its well-landscaped grounds before getting on to the real business of the day bourbon (as well as bourbon cream and vodka) tasting.  Needless to say, a good time was had by all.  It’s the Ballpark Tours way.

That evening it was back to the ballpark for a second Augusta Greenjackets/Lexington Legends mashup.  Let me say first, as in many minor league parks, there were bargains to be had.  It was 25-cent hot dog night – and they were tasty all-beef offerings.  Then in the sixth inning, the West Sixth craft brewery pours 12-ounce beers for a dollar.  Hot dogs and cold beers at a bargain price.  Our group was all smiles. I should add that one of our group offered up a very complimentary review of the Hot Brown Egg Rolls (egg rolls stuffed with bacon, turkey, tomatoes and a special sauce – with real cheese for dipping – and $8.50 ball park treat). The pretzel-crusted cheese curds were not as well received, with the most common comment being they were more like pretzel-dusted than pretzel crusted.

BAD CHOICE OF WALK UP MUSIC

Legends’ first baseman Reed Rohlman could, perhaps, have chosen better walk-up music than Garth Brooks’ “I ain’t as good as I once was.”  Then again, he was hitting in the .240’s after .286 a year ago.

The Lexington squad suffered another loss, 6-3 this time, but it was a better game. First the pitchers had a little more zip, touching the low- to mid-90s, which we didn’t see much of yesterday (lots of 88 m.p.h. fastballs).  Also, we saw only four walks, compared to 14 in yesterday’s game. We did see two errors, a wild pitch, a balk and a hit batsman – but, in the minors, that comes with the territory.

Bonus Photo: Lexington Legends at sunset. Photo: K. Dixon.

All in all, a much crisper game, played in slightly warmer weather, with even less expensive hot dogs and beer.  (Place your smiley face here.)

Both BBRT players of the game came from the victorious Greenjackets of Augusta.

RHP Keaton Winn (21-years-old/Fifth round of 2018 draft) was appropriately the WINN-ing pitcher. He went six solid innings, giving up just three hits and no runs, while walking one and fanning six. The 6’4”, 205-pounder improved his 2019 record to 3-4, 3.90. This season, he’s walked just nine, while striking out 44 in 60 innings.

Ismael Munguia, lead off hitter and CF for Augusta. Munguia went two-for-four, with two doubles, a run scored and two RBI. The 24-year-old is hitting.340+ for the season.

After the game, trekkers skipped, marched, swayed or meandered off to their chosen night spots. I joined a group headed for The Stagger Inn, a basement bar with a good juke box and reasonably priced beverages, which was quite lively for being the day before payday (you had to be there to get that reference.)

DAY SIX – ON TO LOUISVILLE

We left on the morning of June 12 for Louisville, where we slated to take in a Pawtucket/Louisville clash.  Notably, the Louisville team is called the “Bats” and we drove by Lexington’s Transylvania University on the way out of town.  Surprisingly, there was plenty of daylight foot traffic on the campus.

On the (Bourbon) Road Again

On the way to Louisville, our tour operator opened a Manhattan Bar mid-bus; sharing some of his Buffalo Trace Distillery purchases.  So, we’ve now had an on-the-bus Bloody Mary Bar; Craft Cocktail Bar; and Manhattan Bar.  Seeing a theme here?

We arrived at Louisville Slugger Field at about 11 a.m., parking right in front of the Pee Wee Reese statue.  It proved be a great ball park – good sight lines, a walk-around the stadium open concourse, games and even a carousel for the kids and LOTS of good food and drink options.  For the bigger kids, it was also “Whiskey Wednesday” – shots of Coopers’ Craft Bourbon for just three dollars.  It would be inappropriate to rate a Bloody Mary on Whiskey Wednesday, so let me say here the Coopers’ Craft 100-proof was smooth (and popular).  Not as much “bite” as some of the bourbons we tasted yesterday, but enough quality to make “Whiskey Wednesday” a Ballpark Tours hit.

Great seats – $11. Is this heaven? No it’s Louisville Slugger Stadium.

The Pawtucket Red Sox Louisville Bats game was a Triple A match up – so we were expecting a much cleaner contest than we saw an A-Level Lexington.  Oops! There were 13 walks, four wild pitches and two hit batsmen in this tilt – won by the Bats 10-8.  A few notes:

• Despite the 18 runs scored, the two teams went a combined 5-for-21 with runners in scoring position.
• It was 7-6 after two innings and we had already seen 10 hits (three home runs); six walks; and one error. (Things calmed down a bit after that with both teams scoreless from the thirds through the sixth inning.)
• In the space of two batters in the second inning (when Pawtucket scored six times), Louisville starter Vlad Gutierrez gave up a bases-loaded walk to Pawtucket DH Tzu-Wei Lin and a Grand Slam to SS Chad De La Guerra. At this point, Gutierrez’  day was done
• The attendance was 6,728 including several sections of very excited youngsters.

We saw 17 players with some level of major–league experience in the game (from just one game to 364 games to a former American League All Star).  Here are the two more notable examples:

Stephen Wright, who pitched three scoreless frames for Pawtucket has a 24-15, 3.77 record in six MLB seasons. He was an All Star in 2016, when he went 13-6, 3.33 for Boston. The 34-year-old is coming of an 80-game substance-related suspension.

Gorkys Hernandez, who started in CF and hit lead off for Pawtucket, had the most MLB experience of any of the players in the game – 364 games in  four MLB seasons, including 142 games with the Giants in 2018 (.234-15-40).  Hernandez is a well-traveled ballplayer: signed with the Tigers in 2005; traded to the Braves in 2007; traded to the Pirates before the 2008 season; traded to the Marlins in mid-season 2012; traded to the Royals, mid-season 2013; traded to the White Sox early in 2014, released in July; signed a minor league deal with the Pirates in December 2014; signed a minor-league deal with the Giants in 2018; signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox in December 2018.

Other MLB players appearing in the game (with MLB game appearances in parenthesis) were: Tzu-Wei Lin (75 MLB games); Rusney Castillo (99); Oscar Hernandez (22); Bryce Bentz (34); Ryan Weber (30); Dan Runzler (97); Tyler Thornburg (185);  Brian Ellington (97); Jenrry Mejia (113);Christian Colon (142); Phillip Ervin (116); Aristides Aquino (1); Sherman Johnson (10); Juan Graterol (61).

A few more observations:

• When we moved from A- to AAA-level ball, when went from two umpires to three.
• Each team managed to deliver one bases-loaded free pass.
• The organist played the National Anthem at the correct brisk tempo (first time this trip).
• Members of the senior choir that sang the anthem at one of our Lexington games were sitting behind us in Louisville.
• The scorecards had plenty of room for both scoring and adding comments.

The food choices in Louisville were a big hit. All of the following got rave reviews: Specialty Fried Bologna Sandwich (fried bologna, fried onions and peppers, cheese, mustard and ketchup on white bread – $6.50); Greek Gyros ($8); Big Angus Hot Dog ($8); and made-to-order Rib Eye Sandwich ($7.50).  I had the rib eye (medium rare) and it literally was one-third bigger than the bun (and delicious).

Everything from fried bologna to Big Angus dogs to rib eyes.

 

A FINAL THOUGHT ON THE GAME/BALL PARK

The Bats hand out a Kidzone magazine (free) with lots of activities for the youngsters (coloring pages, mazes, connect the dots, word finds, etc.). Of interest to BBRT was Page Six – a tutorial to teach kids how to score a ball game. Kudos to the Bats for that.

POST-GAME LOUISVILLE

Plenty to do in Louisville. The live music at Stevie Ray’s was popular with a number of trekkers.  However, the most popular was the Mussel and Burger Bar (a real local hot spot).  I’d say about three-fourths of our group ended up eating there. I went with a group of eight and we had about an hour wait for a table (no reservations taken), but it was worth it.  I had the curry mussels (they had about eight kinds) and Elote (Mexican roasted corn).  We had four or five of the mussel offerings at our long table (in the Bourbon Barrel Room) and passed them around.  A great meal.

Tomorrow another ball game and most likely some museum action.

More posts from the road to come.

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