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More From the Road … Bleacher Bums XL – More Museums, More Chandeliers, More Baseball, On-Board Hi-Jinx

June 22, 2023 by David

Baseball Roundtable, reporting again from Bleacher Bums XL … The Tulsa Culture Tour, which began on June 16. The trip will ultimately take our busload of 32 baseball fans and friends to six ball games (major- and minor-leagues), in five cities, in four states in eight days. Along the way, we’re taking in a number of cultural/historical sights, visiting a few breweries and enjoying the camaraderie of fellow baseball fans and friends. Over the next few days, I will continue to blog from the trip to give you an idea of what a Ballpark Tours trip is like. This post looks at Day Five. For Episode One of our journey, click here. For Episode Two, click here. For Episode Three, click here here.

Day 6 – June 21

It was on the bus by 10 a.m. after another free Holiday Inn breakfast – another big museum/history/culture and chandelier day.

The first stop was Tulsa’s Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History Center, where one of the worst racially motivated mass acts of violence in U.S. history is documented and commemorated. Termed “The Tulsa Race Massacre,” the tragedy – which took place on May 31, 1921 – saw the destruction of one of the most vibrant and successful Black communities in the nation. (known as The Black Wall Street). In a period of 12-16 hours, more than 1,000 homes and businesses were destroyed and an estimated 150-300 lives lost.

In eye-opening and heart-wrenching displays, the stories of the event, its causes (both immediate and underlying), the immediate impact and aftermath, and the irrepressible spirit and determined rebuilding of the Greenwood community are brought to light.

Our next stop, as we departed Tulsa, was the historic Church (recording ) Studio. Established in what was originally (1915) Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, the building was purchased by Leon Russell in 1972 and transformed into one of the most successful recording studios in the music industry (home of Shelter Records and the “Tulsa sound”) – attracting such talent as Tom Petty, Jimmy Buffet, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson – and the list goes on and on. Renovated and revived, it now includes a recording studio, musical archive and concert/event venue. Church Studio was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2017 – due to its significance in American musical culture.

Touring the studio, our group came upon two more unique chandeliers – this is now a four-chandelier trip (previously recognized chandeliers were at the Brickworks Brewery and Woody Guthrie Center.

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We reached Wichita about three hours before game time. The Drury Plaza Hotel proved very popular with our group – which was especially fond of the 5:30 “Kickback” social hour, which included three free adult beverages (won our hearts right there.) The group was expecting light hors d’oeuvres to be served. What we fond was everything from the likes of Alfredo pasta, chicken, baked potatoes and salad to nachos and hot dogs. A good time was had by all, but I expect the Drury freebies cut into the ballpark concessions.

Then it was on the bus for Wichita … a long ride for some those who enjoyed Tulsa the most.

The Wichita Windsurge plays at Riverfront Stadium, a beautiful park with simple (some say sleek) architecture, wide concourses, plenty of berm seating and ample food and merchandise locations.

Say it ain’t so, Windsurge

One notable gripe. The Windsurge do not offer a program or scorecard anywhere in the ballpark. You can scan a code for the rosters, but – as Guest Services reported – “We don’t do scorecards.” Well, some fans do. At first, I worked to create my own scorecard in a notebook, but was fortunate to have Joe Bliven (see Episode Two) tear a sheet out of his custom scorebook for me, Come on, Windsurge, a scorecard is part of the game.

Kudos to the Windsurge for the (free) on-site Wichita Baseball Museum, which got high marks from a number of our touring group.

The Windsurge dropped a 5-1 decision to the NW Arkansas Travelers, despite outhitting the Travelers 11-8. It seemed the Tulsa post-tornado power outages followed us to Wichita. All eleven of the Windsurge hits were singles, The Travelers showed more pop, with two home runs and a triple among their eight safeties. Those extra base knocks were the key to Travelers’ scoring. The star of the game was Travelers’ RF Isiah Gillion, who rapped a two-run homer in the top of the sixth and a solo shot in the eighth. His two-for-four outing gave Gilliam a .300-11-33 line for the season. The evening’s home run hero was appropriately wearing Henry Aaron’s number 44. Over on the Windsurge side, catcher Patrick Winkel had a three-for-five day – although all three safeties were harmless singles.

The winning pitcher, righty Shawn Semple, went five innings, pitching in and out of trouble. He gave up nine hits and a walk, but just one run (in the first inning) and did not have a single 1-2-3 inning. He was a strike-throwing machine, throwing 51 strikes in 73 pitches. Unlike yesterday’s game in Tulsa – where we saw 12 walks – only three free passes were issued in this one. The Windsurge had a chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the fourth, as SS Brooks Lee punched lined a two-out single to center with runners on first and second. However, Arkansas CF Jonatan Clase made a great throw to the plate to nail the runner trying to score – ending the inning and the threat. That may have taken the wind out of Wichita’s sails, as the Windsurge got only one runner to second base over the remainder of the game.

JUST A LITTLE OBSERVATION.

One more game- and one more post from the road – to go.

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200 Wins Without a 20-Win Season …. and a Statistical Rabbit Hole

August 8, 2021 by David

In this blog, I’ve often written about how, when I start delving into a hardball topic, “one thing leads to another.” The main topic of this post was to be “Pitchers with the Most Career Wins Without a Twenty-Victory Season.” Well, as usual, on thing led to another, so I thought I’d give you a brief look at how I get pulled down the statistical rabbit hole.

Once I started looking into pitchers with the most wins without a twenty-win season, I was drawn into the topic of the pitchers with the most twenty-seasons. On that front, I came up with the list below.

Cy Young – MLB’s winningest pitcher.

Now, I always try to verify stats and info I use in Baseball Roundtable from multiple sources. And, that’s where I found an intriguing rabbit hole. At the top of the list is Cy Young, with 15 seasons of twenty or more victories. However, I found some disagreement on that figure. While MLB.com, Baseball-Almanac.com, the Society for American Baseball Research (Cy Young by Bill Nowlin and David Southwick) and my most recent print version of The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia all credit Young with 15 seasons of twenty or more wins, Baseball-Reference.com, the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Cy Young page and the 2021 Edition of the Elias Book of Baseball Records credit Young with 16 such seasons. That, of course, threw me off a bit – especially since the sources all agreed on Young’s 511 career wins. So, deeper in the rabbit hole I went. It turns out, those sources citing 15 seasons of 20 or more wins, credit Young with going 19-19 for the 1900 Cardinals, while those reporting 16 such seasons reported Young’s 1900 record as 20-18. That still didn’t explain how they all came to a total of 511 career wins. So, deeper I went. It turns out that 15-season cadre reported Young’s 1893 record at 34-16, while the 16-season cadre list Young’s 1893 won-lost total as 33-16. Notably, if you check out Baseball-Reference.com, you will see Cy Young’s career record at 511-315, while MLB.com list 511-316. Tough call on what to use in my chart, but (as a SABR member) I leaned toward the 15-season record. Now, I have some more digging to do to see if I can resolve the discrepancies. Fortunately, whichever measure you use, Young still holds the record for most twenty-win seasons.

Now, let’s get on with a look at the 20-win season leaders – and then the pitchers with the most career wins without a 20-win season.

Note: When listing a pitcher’s age, it is their age as of June 30^th of the season referenced.

Cy Young – 15 (maybe 16) Seasons of 20 or more Wins

Cy Young notched 511 wins and 315 losses (both MLB career records) in 22 MLB seasons (1890-1911). Young had his first 20-win season (at age 24) for the NL Cleveland Spiders (27-22, 2.85) and his final twenty-win campaign at age 41 for the 1908 Boston Red Sox (21-11, 1.26). He led is league in wins five times and recorded five seasons of 30 or more wins. Now, it you side with those who report that Young had 16 (as opposed to 15) 20-win seasons, he also ran off a record 14 straight seasons of twenty or more wins. However, if you accept the 15 twenty-win season position, that record goes to the next hurler on this list – Christy Mathewson with 12 consecutive seasons of twenty or more wins.

Seeing the Job Through

Cy Young completed 749 of 815 MLB starts (91.9 percent). He threw forty or more complete games in nine seasons.

Christy Mathewson – 13 seasons of Twenty or More Wins

Christy Mathewson put up a 373-188 record (with a 2.13 ERA) in 17 MLB seasons (1900-1916). His first twenty-win campaign came in his age-20 season – for the New York Giants (20-17). His final twenty-win campaign came in 1914 (age 33) also for the Giants (24-13.). Mathewson had four seasons of 30 or more wins and 12 consecutive seasons of at least twenty victories. From 1903 through 1905, he won at least 30 games in three consecutive seasons – going 94-34, 1.87. In his career, he led the NL in wins four times, ERA five times and strikeouts five times. In the 1905 World Series, Mathewson threw three complete-game shutouts in three starts (over six days), allowing only 14 base runners (13 hits/one walk) in 27 innings.

One Final Tripe to the Mound

Christy Mathewson pitched in a total of 636 MLB games – in all but his final game, he wore a Giants’ uniform. On July 20, 1916, Mathewson (on the downside of his playing career and having voiced a desire to manage) was traded to the Reds, where he replaced Buck Herzog as manager. He did take the mound one time for the Reds (September 4), picking up his final MLB win (a complete game in which he gave up 15 hits and eight runs), as the Reds topped the Cubs 10-8.

Warren Spahn – 13 Season of Twenty or More Wins

Warren Spahn went 363-245, 3.09 in 21 MLB seasons (1942, 1946-1965). He would have put up even more impressive numbers if he hadn’t lost three prime years (1943-45) to military service. His first twenty-win campaign came for the Braves in 1947 (at age 26), when he went 21-10, with a league-low 2.33 ERA. His final twenty-win campaign was also for the Braves – 23-7, 2.60 in 1963 (at age 42.). He was an All Star in 14 seasons. In eight of his 13 20-win season, he won 21 games.

Can’t Touch That

Warren Spahn led his league in wins an MLB record-tying eight times (tied with the Negro Leagues’ Ray Brown) – including five consecutive seasons from 1957 through 1961.

Walter Johnson – 12 Seasons of Twenty or More Wins

Walter Johnson pitched 21 MLB seasons (1907-27) – all for the Washington Senators. His 417 wins (279 losses) included two seasons of 30 or more wins – a high of 36 in 1913, when he led the league in wins, winning percentage (.837), ERA (1.14), complete games (29), shutouts (11) and strikeouts (243). He had his first twenty-win season in 1910 at age 22 (25-17); and his final twenty-win season (20-7) in 1925 (age 37). Johnson led his league in strikeouts a record 12 times, including eight consecutive seasons (1912-19).

King of the Shutout

Walter Johnson’s 110 career-regular season shutouts are an MLB career record, as are his seven Opening Day shutouts and his seven seasons leading the league in shutouts (tied with Grover Cleveland Alexander and Cy Young).

Kid Nichols – Eleven Seasons of Twenty or More Wins

Kid Nichols played 15 MLB seasons (1890-1901, 1904-06), winning twenty or more games in eleven seasons. He won thirty or more games in seven seasons (including four consecutively from 1891 through 1895). In the eight seasons from 1891 through 1898, he averaged 31 wins per campaign. He ultimately racked up a 362-208, 2.96 record. His first twenty-win season (27-19) came at age 20 for the 1890 NL Boston Beaneaters. His final twenty-win season came in 1904 (age 34) for the Saint Louis Cardinals (21-13). Nichols led the NL in wins in three consecutive seasons (1896-98). He also led the league in shutouts four times.

I Got This

In three seasons, Kid Nichols completed every game he started – 47 starts in 1890; 43 in 1895; 37 in 1899. Over his career, he completed 532 of 652 starts (94.7 percent).

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Staying Power

Don Sutton had the fewest 20-win season of any pitcher with 300 MLB victories, He won twenty games in a season just once (21-10, 3.06 for the 1976 Dodgers) in his 23-season career (1966-88), he won 15 or more games 12 times and ten or more 21 times.

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—-Most Career Wins Without a Twenty-Win Season—–

Now a look at the pitchers who racked up the most career wins, without ever winning twenty games.

Dennis Martinez – 245 Wins

Dennis Martinez pitched in 23 MLB seasons (1976-98.) The four-time All Star, went 245-193, 3.70. He never won more than 16 games in a season, reaching that high mark four times. He did lead the American League in wins in the strike-shortened 1981 seasons (14-5 for the Orioles. He won ten or more games in 15 seasons.

Whew! That was close.

Photo by Keith Allison

Mike Mussina nearly toppled Dennis Martinez from the top of the list for career wins without a twenty-win season. Going into the 2008 season (Mussina’s last), Mussina was 250-144 – without a twenty-win campaign on his resume (he had led the AL with 19 wins in 1995). On September 28 of that season, he took the mound for his last MLB start with a 269-153 career record and a 19-9 record on the season (269 wins, with no twenty-win season). In that final career start, he threw six shutout innings, got the win (his 20^th of the season) and disqualified himself from this list.

Frank Tanana – 240 Wins

Frank Tanana started out as a fire-balling (mid-to-high 90’s fastball) workhorse (lots of innings, strikeouts and complete games). In the late 1970’s, that workload took its toll (elbow and shoulder issues) and Tanana transformed himself into a finesse pitcher – with a skill set that kept him in the big leagues until 1993 (21 seasons). Despite that long career, Tanana, Baseball Roundtable believes, tends to be considerably underrated. For example, among southpaws, his 240 MLB wins are the 15^th most all time; his 2,773 strikeouts rank fifth among lefties; his 4,188 1/3 innings pitched are seventh; and his 616 games started seventh. His final MLB line was 240-236, 3.66. He won 15 or more games in six seasons; ten or more in 14.

Tanana, a three-time All Star, while never having a twenty-win season did win 19 games once (1976 Angels … 19-10, 2.43). That season, he took four losses in complete games in which he gave up no more than two runs.

He Deserved better

Detractors point to Frank Tanana’s 240-236 won-loss record, but Tanana spent much of his career pitching for teams that didn’t exactly excel at providing him run support. Consider, for example, that from April 29 through July 3, 1977, Tanana threw fourteen consecutive complete games for the Angels. In those contests, he tossed five shutouts, never gave up more than three runs and put up a 1.36 earned run average. This work earned him just nine wins versus five losses.

Jerry Reuss – 220 Wins

Jerry Reuss pitched in 22 MLB seasons (1969-90), going 220-191, 3.64. He was a two-time All Star and won a career-high 18 games in three seasons (and won 15 or more games in five campaigns and ten or more in 12). His best season was 1980, when he went 18-6, 2.51 for the Dodgers, led the NL with six shutouts and finished second in the NL Cy Young Award voting to Steve Carlton. Reuss pitched for eight different MLB teams.

So close!

On June 27, 1989, Jerry Reuss started for the Dodgers against the Giants and Vida Blue in San Francisco. The third batter of the game, Giants’ RF Jack Clark, was safe on an error by Dodgers’ SS Bill Russell. Clark would be the only batter to reach base that day, as Reuss pitched a no-hitter (two strikeouts) and missed a perfect game by that one miscue. The Dodgers, by the way, won 8-0.

Kenny Rogers – 219 Wins- LHP

Kenny Rogers went 219-156, 4.27 in 20 MLB seasons (1989-2008). He won a career-high 18 games (18-9, 4.76) for the 2004 Rangers, making just his second All Star team (at age 39). Rogers won 15 or more games in five seasons and ten or more in fourteen. On July 28, 1994, Rogers threw a perfect game against the Angels (in Texas) – fanning eight. Notably, Rogers started his MLB career as a reliever – appearing in an average of 71.5 games per season from 1989 through 1992. In 1992, the year before the Rangers converted him to a starter (33 starts in 1993), Rogers led the AL in appearances with 81.

Maturing Very Well

Kenny Rogers made his first All Star team in 1995 (his age-30 season) and didn’t make the All Star Squad again until his age-39 season (2004) – when he began of string of three straight All Star selections. From his age-39 through his age 41 season, Rogers went 49-25, 4.04 – the moist productive three-season span in his career.

Zack Greinke – 218 Wins – RHP

Zack Greinke, the only active pitcher on this list, is in his 18^th MLB season. His record (as of this writing) is 218-129, 3.38. The six-time All Star, six-time Gold Glover and 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner won a career-high 19 games for the Dodgers in 2015 (when he also led the NL with a 1.66 earned run average). He has won 15 or more games in nine seasons, ten or more in 13.

Almost Dodged this Bullet

In his 19-win 2015 season, Greinke got a no-decision or a loss in eight games in which he pitched at least six innings and gave up no more than one earned run.

Charlie Hough – 216 Wins

Knuckleballer Charlie Hough had to work long (25 seasons … 1970-94) to make this list – at least partly because he spent his first 12 seasons primarily as a reliever (438 games, just 23 starts). He finished his career at 216-216, 3.75, with 61 saves. He was 174-173, 3.82 as a starter and 42-43, 3.45 out of the bullpen. Hough won a career-high 18 games in 1987 (18-13, 3.78) for the Rangers. He won 15 or more games six times and ten or more ten times.

Something Old, Something New

Forty-five-year-old Charlie Charlie Hough started the first regular-season game of the new Marlins’ franchise on April 5, 1993. He went six innings (three earned runs) to earn the team’s first regular season victory and record the Marlins’ first-ever strikeout, fanning Dodgers’ leader off bitter Jose Offerman on three pitches in the top of the first inning.

Mark Buehrle – 214 Wins

Mark Buehrle won 214 games (160 losses) in 16 MLB seasons (2000-15) – winning a career high 19 in 2002 (19-12, 3.58 for the White Sox). He won 15 or more games six times and ten or more in all but his first season (when he made his MLB debut in mid-July). He was a five-time All Star and four-time Gold Glover.

If You’re Not Perfect – Keep Trying

On April 18, 2007, Mark Buehrle pitched a no-hitter (for the White Sox) against the Rangers (in Chicago). He came about as close to perfection as you can get – allowing just one base runner (a walk to Sammy Sosa, whom he promptly picked off first). Thus, he faced the minimum 27 batters in his eight-whiff masterpiece. On July 23, 2009, he did himself one better, tossing a perfect game against the Rays (again for the White Sox, again in Chicago). In that one he fanned six.

Milt Pappas – 209 Wins

Milt Pappas went 209-164, 3.40 in 17 MLB seasons (1957-73). Notably he reached a career-high 17 wins in two of his final three campaigns – both for the Cubs (17-14 in 1971 and 17-7 in 1972). He won 15 or more games in seven seasons and 10 or more in 14. He was an All Star in two seasons.

Another NO-NO one this List

On September 2, 1972, Milt Paper no-hit the Padres (8-0) for the Cubs (in Chicago). He walked one a and fanned six in the game.

Chuck Finley – 200 Wins

Chuck Finley went 200-173, 3.85 in 17 MLB seasons (1986-2002). He won a career-high 18 games in both the 1990 and 1991 seasons – going 18-9 both times. Finley won 15 or more games in seven seasons and ten or more in 12.

I’ll Have One More, Please

Chuck Finley is the only MLB pitcher to have three four-strikeout innings in his career.

Tim Wakefield – 200 Wins

Knuckleballer Tim Wakefield played 19 MLB seasons (1992-93, 1995-2011), going 200-180, 4.41. He won a career-high 17 games in two seasons (1998, 2007). The one-time All Star won 15 or more games in four times and ten or more 11 times. Wakefield reached 200 career wins despite never having a 20-win season and having an ERA under 4.50 in only eight of 19 campaigns. His best season was 1995, when he went 16-8, 2.95 for the Red Sox and finished third in the AL Cy Young Award balloting. He made his first All Star team at age 42, in his 17^th season (2009). That season, he was 11-3, 4.31 in the first half – before injury (lower back straing) limited him to just four starts (0-2, 6.00 in the second half).

1992 NLCS

In the 1992 National League Championship series, Wakefield started Games Three and Six for the Pirates (versus the Braves) and pitched a pair of complete-game victories – giving up six runs in 18 innings. The Pirates, however, lost the Series four games-to-three.

Primary Resrouces: Baseball-Reference,com; Baseball-Almanac.com

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Ballpark Tours Kentucky Bourbon Tour – Days Nine and Ten – End of the Road

June 17, 2019 by David

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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Ballpark Tours’ Kentucky Bourbon Tour – Day Eight

June 16, 2019 by David

DAY EIGHT – WE FOUND PITCHING, FIREWORKS AND A ROCKIN’ BAND – BUT NO BLOODY MARYS

Our baseball adventure continues with a trip to Indianapolis to see the Indianapolis Indians (a Pirates affiliate) take on the Pawtucket Red So. We’ll look at the game later in this post, but first a quick quiz and a few comments on our trip to Indy. For a look at Days One and Two of the tour, click here. Days Three and Four, here. Days Five and Six, here. Day Seven, here. Days Nine & Ten, click here.

Side note: Writing this on a moving bus as my battery winds down. Please excuse any typos.

QUICK QUIZ – WHO/WHAT IS ROWDIE?

Rowdie the Indianapolis Indians’ mascot may very well be having a species-identity crisis. Our group of BPT trekkers made a few guesses with the most common being rat (or rodent of some sort) and possum, What’s your guess? Answer at the end of this post.

We left Louisville at about 11 a.m., after enjoying the (free) breakfast buffet at out Holiday Inn Suites and Express. On the way, we made a stop at the Huber Family Orchard, Vineyard and Winery. A family operation that boasted a winery, distillery, fruits and vegetables, restaurant/bar, ice cream shop and (for Bob) even souvenirs. We enjoyed outdoor dining, wine and spirits tasting, homemade ice cream and freshly picked fruit (“Let’s share a quart” took on a new Ballpark Tours meeting meaning when applied to strawberries.)

GAME TIME … YOU MEAN THE INDIANS HAVE NOTHING TO TO WITH THE INDIAN$?

Next it was on to Indianapolis, where the Indianapolis Indians (a Pirates affiliate) were taking on a familiar group – the Pawtucket Red Sox. On this overcast, slightly drizzly night, we once again had great seats – just beyond third base overlooking the bullpen.

Victory Field has a roomy, walk-around concourse, a view of Lucas Oil Stadium (home of the Indianapolis Colts – oh, those pesky naming rights) beyond right-center field; a very clear, easy-to-read video scoreboard; and banners hanging throughout the concourse area honoring past Indianapolis players (like Harmon Killebrew, Roger Maris and Herb Score).

We did see a more crisply played game, with Pawtucket prevailing 4-2. Indiana scored first, as lead off hitter RF Cole Tucker tripled to left and 2B Jake Elmore immediately followed with a double to center. After two outs, CF Jason Martin, singled to center scoring Elmore, but was retired on a bang-bang play at second base (throw by RF Gorkys Hernandez). Starting pitcher Kyle Hart then settled down and tossed six scoreless frames. The Red Sox were held scoreless by Indians’ starter Eduardo Vera until the fourth, when they manufactured a run on a single by CF Rusney Castillo, a double by 1B Josh Ockimey and a sacrifice fly by LF Cole Sturgeon. It would be the only run given up by Vera in six innings of work. The only other scoring came in the top of the seventh, after Vera had been relieved by Chris Stratton – and the Red Sox put across three runs (one earned) on a walk, a single, a double and an error. A few observations:

Scouting reports indicated both starters (Hart and Vera) are contact pitchers. They went a combined 13 innings with zero walks and ten strike outs.
After seeing double-digit walks as commonplace, there were only two walks total in this game.
We saw, much to BBRT’s pleasure, four double plays – a 2-6 strike ’em out – thrown ’em out; a 4-3 (on a grounder to second); a 5-4-3; and a 6-3 (grounder to shortstop).
A crowd of 13, 702 was on hand – and into the contest; not to mention the fireworks (lots of kids in the stands).

Friday Night Fireworks contributed to the size of the crowd – and made for nice post-game entertainment.

Refillable popcorn, with vodka lemonade.

The food fell a bit short of Louisville (but, then again, Louisville was exceptional). The breaded pork loin sandwich ($9.50) was well received). I had the foot-long grilled (way better than steam or boiled) hot dog with fried and raw onions and jalapenos ($7). But the real hit may have been the baseball-themed, refillable (no charge) containers of popcorn ($8).

Grilled foot-long, pictured resting upon BBRT mandatory scorecard.

Grilled foot-long, pictured resting upon BBRT’s mandatory scorecard.

If you are waiting for the usual BBRT Bloody Mary review. Bad news! No Bloody Marys at this ball park. Not that they don’t have them, they were totally out of Bloody Mary mix. Since I asked for one pre-game, I assume Bloody Marys are not a priority here. They, however, have all the “fancy” (Tutti-Frutti, anyone) beverages promoted on this sign. What is this world coming to? Next, we’ll have batters waived to first base on an intentional walk. Oh, wait ….

PLAYERS OF THE GAME – GOTTA BE THE STARTING PITCHERS (after what we’ve been seeing)

Kyle Hart, LHP, Pawtucket. Hart went seven strong innings for the win, giving up just five hits and two earned runs, walking none and fanning five. The 26-year-olds ran his record with Pawtucket to 3-1, 3.38 – with just four walks and 19 whiffs in 24 innings. (He was also 3-6, 2.91 with Portland this season.) The 6’5″, 170-pound southpaw was a 19th-round pick (out of Indiana University) in the 2016 draft. In four NCAA seasons (interrupted by Tommy John surgery), he went 27-6, 2.76. In four minor league campaigns, he is 18-23, 2.94.

Eduardo Vera, RHP, Indianapolis. The 24-year-old Vera (6’2″, 195-pounds) pitch six solid innings – six hits, one run, no walks, five strikeouts; but got no decision (he left with a 2-1 lead). Vera signed (out of Mexico) as a 17-year-old in 2012. In seven minor league seasons, he’s gone 28-18, 3.67.

POST GAME … MUSIC AND LIBATIONS

The post-game choice for trekkers was the Slippery Noodle Inn – Indiana’s oldest bar. Good food and drink and, more important, the Big Daddy Caddy Band; which played all kinds of music, tackled pretty much any request and rocked the house.

ROWDIE, THE INDIANS’ MASCOT IS A BEAR. REALLY, I’M NOT KIDDING.

More posts from the road to come.

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Ballpark Tours – Kentucky Bourbon Tour – Day Seven

June 14, 2019 by David

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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Ballpark Tours’ Kentucky Bourbon Tour – Days Five and Six

June 13, 2019 by David

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 rib eyes to Big Angus dogs to fried bologna.

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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Filed Under: Ballpark Tours, BB Fun Facts

Ballpark Tours – Kentucky Bourbon Tour – Days 3 & 4

June 11, 2019 by David

Days Three and Four … More versus Cubs Cardinals and a Legendary Half Inning.

Day Three (June 9) saw us still in Chicago – looking forward to an event Cubs/Cards tilt. During the day, our adventurers headed out to places like the Second City Comedy Club Brunch, the Steppenwolf Theater or back for a second day at Chicago’s Blue Fest. Note: To check out Days One and Two, click here. Days Five and Six, click here. Day Seven, click here. Day Eight, click here. Days Nine and Ten, click here.

In mid-afternoon, a group of us near the juke box at The Lodge to toast a much-loved and much-missed Ballpark Tours family member (Lin) that we lost this past year. The Lodge is a BPT Gold Coast tradition – and the juke box is a focal point. Side note: Some of the “crew” was still there as the Cubs and Cardinals took the field.

Most BPT trekkers made it (via the EL) to Wrigleyville in plenty of time to enjoy the neighborhood. As usual, the beverages were nice and cold, the fans nice and warm, the music nice and loud and the emporiums all packed.

The Cubby Bear was packed.

Our seats were again down the left field line, this time in the second deck ($65, by the way). The site lines were good, we could see all the scoreboards and all the players. The weather was bit cool, with a noticeable fog over the city. Much to the pleasure of the Cubs’ fans, the home squad completed a sweep, topping the Redbirds 5-1, behind eight strong innings from Kyle Hendricks who picked up his seventh win) and some key hits from another Kyle (Schwarber), who went two-for-three, with a walk, run scored and two RBI. Former Rockie Carlos Gonzalez chipped in with a pair of hits, including an eighth-inning home run.

From a Baseball Roundtable perspective, I was pleased to see the first 4-6-3 double play (Cardinals’ Wong-to DeJong-to Goldschmidt), as well as three successful sacrifice bunts.

BBRT Observation

It’s generally accepted that the National League is the “running” league and the NL relies more on bunts, the hit-and-run and stolen bases to create runs. However, as I write this post, seven of the top eight teams in stolen bases for the season are American League squads. (The only NL team to crack the top eight is the Brewers at number five.)

For the second Cubs’ game, I went traditional – a Chicago Dog. An all-beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun – and you add your own pickle spears, tomato wedges, raw onions, hot and sweet peppers, relish, mustard and ketchup. All for just $7.75. A ballpark bargain.

Once the final out was made, it was another rendition of “Go, Cubs, Go,” an EL ride back to the hotel and either off to bed or off to a few more celebratory libations.

DAY FOUR – A BUS RIDE, A LONG BOTTOM STRETCH AND A BALL GAME

Appropriate shirt for this group?

We said goodbye to the Windy City at about 9:30 a.m. June 10 (Monday), headed for Lexington Kentucky, home of the Class A Lexington Legends. We found out a few things early (some we already knew): the back of the bus is always louder than the front; certain members of the group will talk endlessly about such topics as baseball, Soupy Sales, pro-wrestling and gluten-free; Chicago Mix (cheese corn and caramel corn) is addictive; snacks shared are snacks best-enjoyed; and karaoke can fill a bus (especially “Highway to Hell”).

Early on, one of our intrepid travelers (Nina), traveled all the way from the front of the bus to the back – to set up a “Long Bottom Stretch” bar. These refreshing cocktails (High Balls?) proved to go well with everything from Chicago Mix to Meat and Cheese to nothing at all.

Long Bottom Stretch

In a tin, shake 1 1/2 ounces Fords Gin, 1/2 ounce lime cordial*, 1/2 ounce lime juice, and 1/2 ounce Benedictine. Strain into a 10 ounce Collins glass over ice. Top with tonic and a pinch of salt. Garnish with an orange peel.

*Lime cordial: Heat 6 1/2 cups water and 2 cups sugar in a saucepan. Stir until sugar is dissolved, and then cool to room temperature. Stir in a cup of lime juice and chill.

Traffic and a time change brought us into Lexington at about the time the ballpark gates opened, so it was a late hotel check-in … but first the game.

Lexington has a nice ball park with great site lines and, as you’d expect in a Class A park, all the seats are pretty close to the action. We were seated in the lower deck, between home plate and first base (and the tickets were just $12.)

Before taking out seats, we stopped in the Kentucky Ale Tap Room, where one of the popular choices was Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale (aged in a bourbon barrel and about 9 percent alcohol) at $6.25.

I had the obligatory Bloody Mary – at $9.00. Nice pour of smooth vodka, but the mix was a little too much tomato and not enough spice. Still, it was $7.00 less than Wrigley – gotta love the minor leagues – and the service was good. In fact, service was good all over the park. For example, I needed team rosters to fill out my scorecard. They were available at Guest Services, but a staff member ran off to get one for me, so that I wouldn’t have to abandon my drink.

A few thoughts about the game and ballpark.

The announced attendance was 3,001; but our group generally agreed that we’d be surprised if there were even 1,000 in the park. (That too was a surprise. The Legends started the game in second place in their division, just ½ game out of first and 1 ½ games up on the third-place Augusta Green Jackets – who they were playing that night.)
Class A ballplayers are young – and learning. Consider, this contest featured, nine walks, three errors, one hit batter, and one wild pitch BY THE WINNING TEAM (Augusta 8-5). Each team had 12 hits and Lexington pitchers also walked four batsmen.
Professional optimism was evidenced by the fact that the Legends (Royals affiliate) were pictured on the video board (as they came to the plate) not in Legends’ caps, but in Royals’ caps.

Now for a little Ballpark Tours narrative on the contest.

Legends’ starter Charlie Neuweiler (a 2017 fifth-round draft choice) seemed to have the game in hand early. Over the first four innings, he gave up just one run on four hits and had a 5-1 lead to work with. He retired the first two batters in the fifth and seemed to be on cruise control – and that’s when things went out of control. The next six batters went: walk; walk; single (loading the bases); two-run single; walk (loaded again); two-run single. Then, a pitching change (Bryce Hensley coming in), followed by: one-run single; one-run single; and finally out number three. So, Augusta had eight straight hitters reach base after two out in the inning – scoring six runs on three walks and five hits.

BBRT Players of the Game.

Legends’ CF Michael Gigliotti (23-years-old/2017 fourth-round draft pick). Gigliotti covered a lot of ground out in center (including a full-out, diving catch in the first inning) and went two-for-four with two walks. (He’s hitting .290 on the season.)

Legends’ LHP Bryce Hensley (23-years-old/2018 22nd-round draft pick). Gave up just one run in 4 1/3 innings of relief.

Augusta Greenjackets’ 1B Frankie Tostado (20-years-old/2017 19^th-round draft pick. Tostado went three-for-five, with a run scored and three RBI. He’s .278-10-43 on the season.

Greenjackets ‘RF Diego Rincones (19-years-old/2015 International Free Agent). Rincones went three-for-five (one double) with two runs scored and one RBI. He’s hitting .285 on the season.

Long Balls a Major accomplishment.

The Legends/Greenjackets contest featured 24 hits, but just four extra-base hits (all doubles, three by the losing squad). Contrast that with the Diamondbacks/Phillies game on the same day – which featured 27 hits – 16 for extra bases, including a new MLB single-game (combined) record 13 home runs. (The D-backs went deep eight times in the 13-8 win.) Here are the culprits. D-backs: Eduardo Escobar and IIdemaro Vargas (2-HR each); Jarrod Dyson; Ketel Marte; David Peralta; Alex Avila. Phillies: Scott Kingery (2-Hr); Jean Segura; Rhys Hoskins; Jay Bruce.

A few more observations:

Embarrassingly, a large portion of our group was seen in the eighth inning, in the bar, watching the NBA playoffs on TV – while a live baseball game was taking place just about 50-feet away.
Thanks to the Legends ten-plus hits, everyone won a free order of fried pickles from the Tilted Kilt (don’t know when we will collect).
The game included one inning of $1 beers.
The best audio of the evening was when a visiting player took a called strike. Over the PA you heard; Man’s voice: “Can I help you with anything?” Woman’s voice: “No thanks, just looking.”

This head-snapping punch to the jaw may have been the prize winner.

Finally, the Legends offered up perhaps the most brutal fan promotional contests BBRT has seen. Large glove boxing with fans cheers determining who had handed out the best beating. Post-Post Note: Seriously, look at the size of those gloves, no one was going to be hurt in this promo.

Anyway, we checked into the hotel about 11 p.m. and out tour master had outdone himself – but more on that in a future post. (Spoiler alert: There is a contemporary art gallery/museum right in the hotel. If that doesn’t have Ballpark Tours written all over it, what does?)

Watch for more from the road in the coming days.

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Filed Under: Ballpark Tours, BB Fun Facts, News

Ballpark Tours – Kentucky Bourbon Tour – Days 1 & 2

June 9, 2019 by David

DAY ONE – ON THE ROAD AGAIN

On Friday June 7, it was off again with St. Paul-based Ballpark Tours – my 31st trek with this dedicated if somewhat undisciplined, group or baseball fans. This time a ten-day trip that will take our hardy group of 26 baseball fans to five cities and eight ball games -not to mention several breweries and distilleries.

As I have in the past, I will chronicle this adventure to give readers and idea of what a Ballpark Tour is all about.

We left Saint Paul via motorcoach (fancy word for big bus with comfortable seats and a bathroom) at about 10:00 a.m. for a day of travel (without baseball) – headed for Chicago and a pair of Cardinals/Cubs contests. The trip started with a lot of the usual Ballpark Tours hoopla. At about 11:00 a.m., the tequila showed up and made it’s way down the aisle. (Tequila – It’s not just for breakfast anymore, but it is for breakfast.) At about the same time, the Bloody Mary Bar opened mid-bus. As usual, BBRT rates Bloodies and these were good – nicely spiced with horseradish and garnished with hard salami, white cheddar and green olives. (Side note: The Tequila was also very smooth.) Later, the traveler know as The Rev, The Associate Pope and the Lunchmaster fed the masses with crackers, cheese, deli meats and, appropriately, fish. (Side note: Given the conduct on our deluxe motorcoach, aliases are to be considered a good thing.) Meanwhile, an assortment of treats from bing cherries to brownies to Chicago mix was circulating around the bus.

From the A.M. Bloody Mary Bar.

A The Associate Pope feeds the masses, With a very “Latin” chant of “Nomar Garciaparra, my son.”

As we continued down that long – but no so lonesome – highway, other Ballpark Tours’ traditions were honored: A baseball book exchange; distribution of the traditional baseball trivia “K-Kwiz”: the contest forms for a contest in which you predicted how many runs would be scored in three days of major league baseball (Who’s Got The Runs?); the sharing of lots of tales (some even about baseball); and plenty of loud music and dancing at the “back of the bus.”

This trip, like so many before it, was becoming a “family and friends reunion.”

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

At about 2:30 p.m., it was time for the lunch stop – at (of course) a brew pub (Great Dane Brew Pub in Madison, Wisconsin). The beer was cold, the food both tasty and (in some cases) unique and the company excellent. I, by the way, opted for the Imperial IPA and the West African Chicken Peanut Stew, gorgonzola salad and pretzel bread. Then it was back on the bus, for the “run ” into Chicago – where back-of-the-bus music and dancing had deteriorated into some form of karaoke – with dueling “blue tooths.” Or should it be dueling blue teeth?

About eight p.m. we checked into the Claridge House (Chicago’s Gold Coast) boutique hotel and either settled in for the night – or headed out for a bit more celebration. I opted to stay in and monitor the Twins game. Tomorrow – brews, blues and BASEBALL!

Just When You Think Nothing Can Ever Be the Same Again.

We departed on June 7, which happened to the the 83rd anniversary of the day Yankee pitcher Red Ruffing picked up a 5-4, 16-inning victory over the Cleveland Indians. A couple of notes: Ruffing went the distance, facing 63 batters and earned his victory without striking out a batter. (Also, there was only one home run in the game – the 16th-frame game-winner by George Selkirk.) “My how the game has changed,” he mused with a bit of remorse.

Ah, but then on this year’s June 7, the Rockies’ Antonio Senzatela picked up a win (Rox topping the Mets 5-1), throwing six innings of one-run ball – without a strikeout. And, yesterday (June 8), the Phillies’ Nick Pivetta and Rangers’ Adrian Sampson both earned wins, while throwing their first-ever MLB complete games. Baby steps, but progress -maybe.

PS: For those of you who like to know this stuff, the average number of strikeouts per game so far this season (combined, both teams) is 16.8.

DAY 2 – BLUES AND BASEBALL

I started the morning of Day Two with a trip down the street to Chicago’s Division Street Farmers’ Market – vegetables, fruit, flowers and lots of food (cheeses, pastries, meats and even street-vendor paella. I grabbed a chocolate-filled croissant and washed it down with coffer al fresco, outside the hotel.

Breakfast!

Coffee in front of the Claridge House.

Then it was off to Millennium Park for the 36th Annual Chicago Blues Fest. Six stages of FREE live blues. Did about five hours there, before getting ready for today’s headliner – the Cardinals/Cubs at Wrigley. I learned later that other in our group spent the afternoon in places like the Museum of Science and Industry, The Field Museum, the Chicago Art Museum and The Lodge (you had to be there to understand). Ballpark Tours is nothing if not cultured.

Yes, Virginia, there was a ball game!

Our view.

I took the EL to Wrigleyville, for the 6:15 p..m game. As usual, I’ve written about this before, there was plenty of opportunity for pre-game music, libation and laughter at spots like The Cubby Bear, Murphy’s Bleachers and the Sports Corner. Once inside the friendly confines of Wrigley itself, we found out seats located in the deep, left field corner (foul territory). A couple of observations, from our seats we could not see the old, traditional scoreboard beyond the CF wall (which I missed) nor the newer, jumbo video board above the RF stands (which I did not miss). Still, the Cubs do charge $74 for those seats. Breaking the World Series curse may have gone to their heads just a bit. (Also, in the banner-style video board directly in our line of sight, the Cubs chose to display the ball-and-strike count – only when the Cardinals were at bat.)

Still, the site lines to the field were good – as was the company.

The game itself started out badly for the home squad. Jon Lester started for the Cubbies and after just seven batters, he had surrendered a walk, two singles and a pair a home runs. He was down 4-0 and not yet out of the first, Surprise! He settled down and, five innings later, was still around to pick up the win. Lester ended up going six innings and giving up five hits, two walks and four earned runs, while fanning six. In fact, after those first seven batters through the end of the game, the Cardinals only hit one ball out of the infield. During that time, hey touched Chicago pitching for:

11 strikeouts;
13 infield ground outs – one a double play’
Two infield foul pop ups’
One batter safe on an infield error – erased on that double play;
One walk;
One batter safe on a passed ball on strike three; and
one fly out to left field (second inning)

Chicago prevailed 9-3.

As is tradition, BBRT tried and rated the Wrigley Field Bloody Mary. First observation – not cheap at $16. However, it was top flight vodka and a good pour, came in a Cubs’ souvenir mug, was embellished with four large (and firm) olives and a line wedge. (A key BBRT pet peeve is mushy Bloody Mary olives.)

The bar was out of hot sauce, but my bartender did a good job of spicing up the Bloody with the pepper she had on hand. Overall, a solid offering (although the mix was a bit salty) that would place in the upper mid-range of the BBRT ratings.

A few other Wrigley observations:

I’m not fond of the new video boards, maybe I’m too into nostalgia.
Like most parks, lots of people seemed more into selfies than the action on the field.
I was proud to see at least four others in our group keeping scorecards – including mentor Nina and her “Grasshoppers” Joe and Pamela.
We were seated in the LF corner and I had been told a new Beer Can Chicken Sandwich – available in the RF corner – was a good concessions bet. One of our tour group made the cross field trek, but pronounced the sandwich not worth the effort.
The singer who presented the national anthem held the “free” longer than the anthem should have lasted. Why do so many feel the anthem is a chance to honor their personal”song stylings” and ignore the fact that the song is supposed to be rendered at a brisk tempo?
The seventh-inning “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is sung with special fervor in Wrigley.
Hearing the crowd’s boisterous rendition of the song “Go, Cubs, Go”is always stirring.

An Unlikely Hero

With the bases loaded and the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the sixth, the Cubs called on backup catcher Victor Caratini to pinch hit. In three MLB season to that point, Caratini was hitting .128 in 38 pinch hit at bats. He cleared the bases with a double. (Also in his two previous MLB seasons, Caratini had average just .238 in 107 games. This season, he is hitting .366 in 17 contests. He did, however, average .290 in seven minor-league seasons.)

A final thought, yesterday’s night game at Wrigley came on the 56th anniversary of the first Sunday night game in MLB history (June 8, 1963). In that contest, the Astros topped the Giants 3-0 in Houston. (Because of Houston summer heat, MLB had granted them permission to schedule Sunday evening contests.

Watch for more from the road in the coming days.

BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE ON THE TOP 100 BASEBALL BLOG LIST

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. To see the full list, click here.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Follow/Like Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here. More baseball commentary; blog post notifications; PRIZES.

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours, News

A New Deal for Cuban Baseball – A Safer Path to The Diamonds to the North

February 19, 2019 by David

The Cuban Baseball Federation, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association in December reached an agreement that would provide a smoother and safer path to major league franchises for Cuban players – who have been facing often nightmare-ish hardships (smuggling, extortion, kidnapping and banishment from the ball fields of their home land) in pursuing their major league dreams.

Saint Paul,Minnesota-based Ballpark Tours is planning its third Cuban baseball adventure for this fall and recently posted an article on the deal, its implications and the hazards Cuban players have been facing – and they even threw in an All-Cuban-Defector MLB All Star team. A good read.

To get the full story, just click here.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours

Ballpark Tours Rocky Mountain High Redux Days 9 & 10 … More Baseball, Vodka Snow Cones, World War I and Buddy Holly.

August 13, 2018 by David

Days Nine and Ten of Ballpark Tours Rocky Mountain High Redux were filled with varied activities – another Cardinals/Royals I-70 Series tilt (which played out a lot like the first one); museum visits covering topics from The Great War to The Day the Music Died; vodka-infused snow cones; jalapeno-enhanced hot dogs and pizza; and even a bit of a baseball pitcher-umpire dustup. And, of course, there was the long bus ride home, during which we shared stories from the trip, beer and snacks, and rock and roll music (from the back of the bus). Here’s a look at how it went for me.

DAY NINE – BASEBALL AND BATTLEGROUNDS

After breakfast at the Holiday Inn Country Club Plaza, my roomie and I hopped the hotel shuttle for a ride to The National World War I Museum and Memorial – open since 1926 and “dedicated to remembering, interpreting and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community.” It’s an emotional and educational experience, as the story of (and behind) World War I is told through a series of films, sound recordings, art, artifacts and interactive displays. I can almost guarantee that the only regret you will have is that you didn’t have more time to spend there. (Some of the Ballpark Tours trekkers actually visited the museum on consecutive days.)

Being a bit more specific, you will find: hundreds of uniforms of the day; weaponry from sabers to rifles to artillery pieces; medical equipment and a 1918 Ford Model T ambulance; aircraft; a Renault FT Tank; and a replica of the World War I trenches. There are also: video presentations of the battles, tactics and strategies of the conflict; moving (and educational) documentary films; sound booths with music, news broadcasts and propaganda from the period; related art work (from paintings to posters); and state-of-the-art interactive displays that let you select which aspects of the Great War you wish to focus on. At $16 (discounts for seniors, college students and youngsters), it’s a bargain.

THE GAME – CARDINALS PROVE “CLUTCH” AGAIN.

Saturday evening, it was back to Kaufmann stadium for a second Cardinals/Royals tilt – and again there was plenty of Cardinals’ red in the stands and Cardinals’ firepower at the plate (more on that to come.) Our seats were in the lower deck, right-field corner – good view, except for the occasional loss of the second baseman or shorstop behind the foul pole.

The Redbirds won – this time 8-2. A few observations:

The Cardinals once again put together some clutch two-out hits. In Firday night’s game, St. Louis accounted for four of its five second-inning runs with a series of four straight two-out hits – and also scored five of its their seven total runs with two outs. Saturday, the Cardinals again jumped to an early lead. This time scoring four third-inning runs on a string of five straight two-out hits – and also scored six of their eight runs with two out.
There were a handful of defensive gems: 1) In the third inning, Royals’ 3B Alicides Escobar leaned into the dugout to snag a foul off the bat of Cards’ 1B Matt Carpenter; in the seventh, with one on and no outs, Royals’ SS Adalberto Mondesi saved a hit with a diving grab of a Yadier Molina grounder, getting the force out at second; in the ninth, another fine play by Mondesi retired Carpenter 6-3.
Matt Carpenter ran his streak of game getting on base to 29 games, with a seventh-inning walk.

TREAT OF THE DAY – SNOW CONES FOR BIG KIDS – THE PICTURES TELL THE STORY

$10.25 and – on a hot day – worth every penny.

We saw a pair of traditional around-the-horn double plays. In the seventh, with runners on first and second and one out, a grounder (by Cardinals’ cleanup hitter Marcell Ozuna) was turned into a third (Escobar) to second (Whit Merrifield) to first (Ryan O’Hearn) twin killing. In the eighth, with runners on first and second (no outs) for the Royals, Whitt Merrifield hit into a third (Jedd Gyorko) to second (Kolten Wong) to first (Matt Carpenter) double play. There was also an unassisted double play in the bottom of the first, as the Royals’ Alex Gordon lined to Cards’ firSt-sacker Matt Carpenter, who caught Whit Merrifield off the bag.
In the ninth inning, Cardinals’ reliever Justin Hicks brought the heat when facing Royals’ CF Brett Phillips. In a five-pitch at bat that ended in a ground out to first, Hicks’ pitches were clocked at 101 m.p.h.; 101 m.p.h.; 102 m.p.h. 88 m.p.h.; 103 m.p.h. Hicks recorded a four-out save.
The Cardinals’ 22-year-old righty Jack Flaherty evened his record at 6-6 (with a 3.22 earned run average), went seven innings, gave up just two runs and fanned nine Royals.
I briefly visited the “Outfield Experience” (see yesterday’s post) between innings and was surprised by the number of people on the min-golf course, riding the carousel or involved in other activities and games that took them away from the game.

THE DOGFATHER AND THE TEFLON DON

My Kaufmann Stadium supper came from The Dogfather – a gourmet hot dog emporium near Gate D. My “Teflon Don” featured a hot dog topped with chili, jalapenos, chopped onions, parsley and yellow mustard – on a “garlicky” bun and accompanied by homemade chips. Spicy hot – great with cold beer – at $10.25. Hint: Take a fork and extra napkins for the chili.

The stand also offers the: “Sweet Tooth Lucky” – a dog topped sweet beans, maple-pepper bacon, chopped onions, yellow mustard and parsley; “KC Boss” – topped with mac-n-cheese, sweet barbeque sauce, maple-pepper bacon and parsley; and for the traditionalists the “Made Man” – just a nice hot dog topped relish, chopped, onions and yellow mustard.

The highlight of the contest – at least in terms of emotion on the field – was the ejection of Royals’ starting pitcher Danny Duffy in the sixth inning (Side note: Duffy was probably going to pulled at that time anyway.) After giving up a one-out single to Cardinals’ 3B Jedd Gyorka, Duffy (with the Royals trailing 4-2) got ahead of CF Harrison Bader 1-2. Duffy then thought he had fanned Bader on an 80-m.p.h. change up, but first base umpire Adam Hamari ruled that Bader had checked his swing. Three pitches later, Bader hit a two-run home run and Duffy let his frustration get the better of him.

There was a bit of remorse as we left the ballpark, as our group realized it was the last of the seven games on our ten-day baseball journey. Still, there was the hotel bar and live music (XPARTE) at The Levee to ease our pain over the remainder of the evening – and sure to be some surprises on Day Ten’s drive from Kansas City back to Saint Paul.

DAY TEN – THE LONG RIDE HOME AND A TRIBUTE TO BUDDY HOLLY

As I’ve noted before, Ballpark Tours is dedicated to great baseball and to getting participants close to the action and the attractions (as well as the cuisine and culture) that define the cities and towns tourers visit – whether it’s Denver, Colorado and Kansas City, Missouris or Hays, Kansas and Clear Lake, Iowa.

On the Day Ten bus ride from Kansas City, we took our lunch break in Clear Lake, Iowa – the site of the last performances by rock and roll icons Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson). Early on the morning of February 3, 1959 (now immortalized as The Day the Music Died), after a concert at Clear Lake’s Surf Ballroom, the three were among those who perished in a small plane crash just outside Clear Lake. (They were headed to Fargo, North Dakota, with their next show scheduled at nearby Moorhead, Minnesota). The Surf Ballroom – still operating as a music venue (seating just over 2,000) – now includes a museum of music memorabilia. In 1998, the Surf Ballroom, in fact, was inducted into the Iowa Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame; in 2009, the (national) Rock and Roll Hall of Fame designated the Ballroom as an historic landmark; and, in 2011, the Surf Ballroom was added to the National Registry of Historic Places.

Our lunch stop was at the Surf District Rock and Roll Grill, right across the parking lot from the Surf Ballroom and Museum (which we had time to visit over the lunch “break from the bus.” The Ballroom offered a great look at r0ock and roll history – as did the the Surf District Grill. The bar and grill (itself a live music venue) was filled with autographed memorabilia from acts that had performed ath the Surf Ballroom. Here are justa FEW exmaples; a Fabian-signed photograph; a Blue Traveler harmonica; a top hat signed by Alice Cooper; a Hootie and the Blowfish mike; guitars signed by such artists as Slash, B.B. King and Willie Nelson.

If you are looking for a baseball connection, thre is a signed baseball from Kevin Costner – whose rock/country band Kevin Costner & Modern West has released four albums.

I should add the lunch was accompanied by rock and roll videos featuring a wide range of musical acts.

A great stop – and great addition to our hardball adventure.

FOR THE FOODIES

The Surf District Rock and Roll Grill had a varied menu – lots of salads, sandwiches, pizzas (and a full bar). I went with the La Bamba Chicken Avocado Flatbread – tomato sauce, sharp cheddar, grilled chicken, jalapenos, avocado and cilantro. ($10.95, and yummy). Washed it down with a nice cabernet.

Overall, the return trip was smooth – lots of sharing of memories from the trip, plenty of music blaring form “the back of the bus,” the beer didn’t run out and there were still snacks to share. – and, of course, the group Awards Cermony at our final rest stop. Thanks , Julian, for another great trip.

Now, it’s back to more traditional Baseball Roundtable posts.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT.

Like/Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook page here.

Member: Society for American Baseball Research; The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours

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