$\"Spring$ <\/a>

Spring is here!<\/p><\/div>\n

Spring is now officially here for BBRT.\u00a0 Last year, it began with a Yankees\u2019 Spring Training game. See that post\u00a0 (Link Here<\/a>).\u00a0 This year, it began at yesterday\u2019s Mets\/Nationals contest, at the Nationals\u2019 Space Coast Stadium (Viera, Florida).\u00a0 While the score is of little impact (Mets won 7-5), the game had all BBRT has come to expect from Spring Training.<\/p>\n

There was, of course, the very messy scorecard \u2013 The Nationals used 25 players (seven pitchers), while the Mets used 20 (just four pitchers).\u00a0 It was, however, still my first completed scorecard of 2014.<\/p>\n

Like many spring games, it started out pretty \u201cclean.\u201d\u00a0 It was just 2-1 (in favor of the Nats) after seven innings \u2013 with a two-team total of 8 hits and two walks.\u00a0 And, like so many Spring Training contests, it got a little \u201cloose\u201d at the end \u2013 a total of nine runs on eight walks and seven hits in the final two frames.<\/p>\n

Still, it was baseball in the sun \u2013 63 degrees at game time, low seventies by the late innings.\u00a0 And, the price was right, right field box seats (row 5) for $22.\u00a0 And, as always, there was plenty to see and talk about –\u00a0a controversial infield fly call in the seventh, fan conversation surrounding the use of designated hitters in a game involving two NL teams, hot dog vendors in short supply and spectators wondering why the umps were wearing jackets.<\/p>\n

$\"Bryce$ <\/a>

Bryce Harper looks strong this spring.<\/p><\/div>\n

For BBRT, there was the first witnessed double play of the season (my season doesn\u2019t really start until I see a twin killing).\u00a0 In top of the third, Nats\u2019 third baseman Zach Walters made a nice backhanded grab, threw to second baseman Jeff Kobernus, who completed the play with a throw to first baseman Adam LaRoche. I got to see former Twins Denard Span (we still miss him in Minnesota) lead off for the Nats with a double, steal third and score on a ground out by Bryce Harper. LaRoche, Span, Harper, names we\u2019ll hear a lot more about during the regular season.<\/p>\n

There were a pair of unlikely hitting stars.\u00a0 The only home run of the game (a three-run shot in the eighth inning) came off the bat of Nationals’ first baseman Brock Peterson, who had replaced Adam LaRoche in the top of the inning.\u00a0 The 30-year-old Peterson had a mid-season call-up with the Cardinals last season (after a decade of minor league and independent ball). Peterson, who hit .296, with 25 homers and 86 RBI in 122 Triple A games last year, went just 2-for-26 with 11 strikeouts for the Cardinals in 2013 (and was released after the season).\u00a0 Trying to win a roster spot with the Nationals, the 1B is 7-for-18 (.389) with one home run and six RBI this spring.<\/p>\n

The other player with three RBIs in the game was Mets\u2019 right fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis (gotta love the name on the back of the uniform).\u00a0 Known as a fine defensive outfielder, Nieuwenhuis hit just .236 in 138 games for the Mets over the past two seasons.\u00a0 He\u2019s having a decent Spring Training (.304-1-7 in 10 games) \u2013 but is trying to retain a spot in a crowded Mets\u2019 outfield.\u00a0 In this game, he earned his three RBI with a bases loaded walk in the eighth inning and the game-winning two-run single in the ninth (breaking a 5-5 tie).<\/p>\n

$\"The$ <\/a>

This feathered fan is high on Spring Training baseball.<\/p><\/div>\n

The winning pitcher?\u00a0 Met\u2019s righty Jacob deGrom, who arrived in the \u201cwinner\u2019s circle\u201d via a blown save, 1 1\/3 innings pitched, with two hits, two walks, one earned run and one strikeout. (He came on with two outs and two on in the eighth and gave up Brock Peterson\u2019s three-run, game-tying shot. ) deGrom who has yet to pitch at the MLB level is 1-0, 1.23 ERA this spring \u2013 giving up one run on four hits, with three walks and seven strikeouts in 7 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n

Also got to see a \u201cprospect\u201d BBRT is high on (see my prospect post here<\/a>) \u2013 Mets 6\u20196\u201d right hander Noah Syndergaard, a rookie being counted on for the 2014 rotation.\u00a0 Syndergaard was a little shaky, but did show good stuff \u2013 fanning five in 3 2\/3 innings. He has ten Ks in 8 2\/3 spring innings and last season struck out 11.5 per nine innings at AA.<\/p>\n

$\"A$ <\/a>

A different kind of wave from the Nationals’ bullpen.<\/p><\/div>\n

A few other observations from this first game.\u00a0 1) I completed my usually ball park Bloody Mary test.\u00a0 On the plus, they pour the vodka and let you add the mix and condiments (olives, celery, peppers, pickles, various hot sauces, salt, pepper.) On the negative – $12 price tag and the cup was simply identified as \u201cBloody Mary\u201d \u2013 no team logo to make it a free souvenir. The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Bloody Mary bar is still the best I\u2019ve come across (see it here<\/a> ). 2)\u00a0 A seagull nesting atop a light pole provided a particular Florida flavor to the game. 3) The Nat\u2019s bullpen provided a friendly kind of wave and retrieved foul balls for young fans. 4) My first ball park hot dog of the year, with fried peppers and onions, was delicious (I was at a ball game, after all) and priced right at just $6; making up for the $12 Bloody Mary.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Ahhh!\u00a0 Spring is here!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Spring is now officially here for BBRT.\u00a0 Last year, it began with a Yankees\u2019 Spring Training game. See that post\u00a0(Link Here).\u00a0 This year, it began at yesterday\u2019s Mets\/Nationals contest, at the Nationals\u2019 Space Coast Stadium (Viera, Florida).\u00a0 While the score is of little impact (Mets won 7-5), the game had all BBRT has come to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11,9,1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n