Day Three of Ballpark Tours XXXIV \u00a0sees us remaining in Memphis, with a second Tacoma Raniers\/Memphis Redbirds game slated for 6:05 p.m.<\/p>\n

As usual on BPT \u201cfree days,\u201d the group split up to pursue local history, culture and\/or cuisine \u2013 and, thank you Julian, much of the travel was accomplished via hotel shuttle. \u00a0The most popular destinations seemed to be Graceland (It is Elvis Week here, after all); The National Civil Rights Museum; and the Sun (Records) Studio Tour.<\/p>\n

Being as major fan of the blues, I headed toward the Beale Street Entertainment District, where the barbeque is sweet<\/em> and the \u00a0live music starts at 11 a.m. and runs straight through to 3 a.m.\u00a0 It\u2019s also where I saw quite a few of my fellow tour participants. \u00a0<\/em>I stopped to take in a few tunes at a handful of clubs before heading for lunch at my previously selected destination – B.B. King\u2019s Blues Club.\u00a0 I could not miss visiting the original B.B. King\u2019s location. I was not disappointed. The house band was great \u2013 back in Minnesota they\u2019d be headliners \u2013 and so were the Memphis-style dry-rub ribs.\u00a0 I hung out at B.B. King\u2019s for a couple of hours (or a couple of brews, depending on how you measure) before heading over to Autozone Park for the evening\u2019s ball game (6:05 p.m. start),<\/p>\n

It was another heavy, humid day \u2013 with storms predicted \u2013which may have contributed to the very small crowd (as might the Redbirds sub-.500 record). We did not, however, get rained on. The announced attendance was 3,517, but I\u2019d be surprised if there were more than 2,500. \u2013 and they were a quiet bunch, despite Memphis\u2019 6-2 win. We tried to get something going, but often all you heard was the \u201csound of one fan clapping.\u201d\u00a0 Good seats again, by the way, third-base side this time.<\/p>\n

It was a cleaner game than yesterday, eight hits apiece, only four walks, and just one error. Once again, however, the pitchers lacked \u201ccommand.\u201d We saw six hurlers and every one had either a wild pitch (four in the game) or hit batter (two). Redbirds\u2019 starter Jeremy Hefner got off to a shaky starts (giving up a two-run homer in the first), but settled down and ended up giving up just the two runs over 6 2\/3 innings \u2013 six hits, no walks, five strikeouts.)\u00a0 Both cleanup hitters, as they are supposed to, did some damage. Tacoma catcher Rob Brantley poled a two-run home runs (his 13^{th<\/sup> of the season) in the first. (Brantly\u2019s line on the season is .244-13-38). The Redbirds’ number-four hitter \u2013 CF David Washington \u2013 hit a three-run dinger (his 23rd<\/sup> of the season at Memphis and 28th<\/sup> overall) in the fifth. His 2016 line with Memphis (at the end of the game) stood at .245-23-52.,<\/p>\n}

The game\u2019s outcome really turned on the Redbirds’ half of the fifth, when Raniers\u2019 starter Zach Lee\u2019s inning went:\u00a0 3B Jacob Wilson, hit-by-pitch; SS Alex Mejia, strikeout; 2B Breyvic Valera, single (his third hit of the game); 1B Efren Navarro, run-scoring single;\u00a0DH Jose Martinez, strikeout; LF David Washington, three-run homer; \u00a0C Mike Ohlman, flyout.<\/p>\n

For those the like to know such things, Memphis is a home power \u2013 now having won 14 of their last 20 home games and boasting a 36-25 home record and a 22-37 mark on the road.<\/p>\n

Once again, we received a free Redbirds hat, hot dog and beverage.\u00a0 I decided to give my hat \u201cto a kid\u201d and, as luck would have it, shortly after I picked it up, a youngster (I\u2019d say about 12-years-old) came up and asked me how much the hats cost.\u00a0 He walked away with a free one \u2013 mission accomplished.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve already commented on the ballpark and the Bloody Mary\u2019s, so this report from the road will be short.\u00a0 (For Day One, click here<\/a>.\u00a0 For Day Two, here<\/a>).\u00a0 Next stop, Nashville for a pair of Nashville Sounds versus Reno Aces games \u2013 and more libation, laughter and music.<\/p>\n

A Streak Ends<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday (August 14), Francisco Mejia (switch-hitting catcher in the Indian\u2019s system) saw his 50-game hitting streak come to an end. He went zero-for-three with a walk for Lynchburg in his team\u2019s 6-0 loss to Winston Salem.\u00a0 It was this season\u2019s longest streak in professional baseball, and the fourth-longest all-time. Joe Wilhoit holds the record at 69 games \u2013 you can read about that streak here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Mejia\u2019s streak was split between two teams \u2013 Lynchburg (High A) – 26 games and Lake County (A) \u2013 24 games.\u00a0 During the streak, he hit \u00a0.386, with eight homers and 42 RBI.\u00a0 Considered one of the Indians\u2019 top five prospects, Mejia is .345, with nine home runs and 73 RBI on the season \u2013 and is .290-24-186 over four minor league seasons.<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Well that\u2019s it for Day Three \u2013 more reports from the road to come.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT<\/h3>\n

Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day Three of Ballpark Tours XXXIV \u00a0sees us remaining in Memphis, with a second Tacoma Raniers\/Memphis Redbirds game slated for 6:05 p.m. As usual on BPT \u201cfree days,\u201d the group split up to pursue local history, culture and\/or cuisine \u2013 and, thank you Julian, much of the travel was accomplished via hotel shuttle. \u00a0The most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13,11,9],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n