News Blockout

Toledo Mudhens v Richmond Braves, June 12, 2000

The Diamond, Sec ?

John Rocker was on a rehab assignment, his first appearance after Sports Illustrated published off the record comments by the flamethrower in one of the first violations of press/athletes confidentiality in our time.

The comments were blown out of context as New York City was part of the ribbing.  The media tried their damnedest to railroad Rocker for his politically incorrect comments made off the record.

The stadium was sold out.  Local media was in a frenzy.  Atlanta sent Rocker down to rehab him before calling him up to the parent club.  Plus there was a few hour rain delay.  Yet, no one left the stadium, even knowing that if Rocker pitched, it wouldn't be til the 9th, well after midnight.

I noticed CNN cameras interviewing patrons about Rockers perceived inflammatory comments.  The reporter girl was leading the person being interviewed to badmouth Rocker.  The person being interviewed politely declined to take the bait and said she was excited to see Rocker pitch.  I thought it was funny how a novice fan bitch slapped the big city CNN babe.  So I followed the CNN crew while they attempted to get the money quote from a fan, any fan.  And 100% of them shot her down.

Everyone was there to see a hard throwing major league closer pitch, period.  Unheard of in CNN's eye.
Finally the CNN babe huffed up the equipment and marched on out of the stadium without leading one single fan into saying what she wanted them to say.

So CNN sends an entire crew from Atlanta to Richmond to cover a news story.  And they left before the news developed.  The next day there was zero mention on CNN of Rocker's comeback.

Talk about sensational journalism. 

Rocker did appear late in the evening/early morning to a still packed stadium and a standing ovation.

We Are The Champions.......

St John Flames v Philadelphia Phantoms, June 10, 1998
Spectrum, Sec 21 Row 14


Philadelphia was on a horrible non-championship streak, not having a winner since 1983.  I'll take a minor league title if that is all that is being offered.  The place sold over 17,000 seats for the team's 9th sellout of the year.  Rumor has it the team turned away almost 10,000 at the gates for this potential Calder Cup clinching game.

The boys were there with us.  Not sure if my 1 year old daughter was with us or with a baby sitter.

The Phantoms play a virtually flawless contest as they defeated the Flames, 6–1, behind the stellar goaltending of Neil Little who had allowed just 48 post season goals on his way to a 15–5 play-off record. Winger  Mike Maneluk earned the Jack A. Butterfield Trophy as the play-off MVP while also being the league's leading post season scorer with 34 points on 13 goals and 21 assists. Team captain  John Stevens (who had also won Calder Cups with Hershey in 1988 and Springfield in 1991) and his teammates paraded the Calder Cup around the same ice as the Flyers had skated their first Stanley Cup twenty-four years earlier.

Fight at the Bat Rack

New York Yankees v Baltimore Orioles, June 9, 1990
Memorial Stadium, Sec 8 Low DD2

One of the biggest plays of the game was a Brad Komminsk double to left in the first.  He also homered in the third.  Komminsk was a Richmond Brave when I worked for the team.  

The Orioles are coming off an terrible season and were currently in 3rd place in the AL East.  The Yanks were pitiful this year, 12 1/2 back in 7th place. And the O's took advantage of this woeful team by driving in 6 runs in the first. 

Cal Ripken went 1 for 3 while brother Billy went 2 for 4. 

The Yanks always seem to draw on the road.  Over 45,000 were on hand on 33rd Street. 

Glacier Bay

Toronto Blue Jays v Baltimore Orioles, June 8, 1991
Memorial Stadium, Sec 10 Row 8
 

Back in the early 90's a Boston buddy turned me onto a Canadian Beer called Glacier Bay. The bottle had a built in bottle opener etched into the bottom of the bottle. It was a cheap beer on the par with more expensive American swill.
Rumor has it the beer company was forced to change their name because there was an ice cream company in Canada called Glacier Bay. These were the days before the internet so information wasn't readily available to research rumors such as this. The beer company changed the label to Arctic Bay.
We were on a bus going to the stadium with a bunch of Jays fans from Toronto. I asked them if they drink Glacier Bay. None of them heard of it. It made me wonder if it really was a Canadian beer or one labels as such like a Fosters.
The Jays were shaping up to be a formatable rival of the O's. To draw 45,569 in that stadium was no easy feat.
The Jays got to Orioles starter Jeff Robinson in the first. Roberto Alomar singled to left then stole 2nd and 3rd. Rance Mulliniks singled to drive in the game's first run.
Toronto continued to add runs in the 3rd when Joe Carter drove in Devon White who singled and stole 2nd. The bottom half of the 3rd brought the O's bats to life. Billy Ripken doubled to left followed by a Mike Devereaux triple. A sacrifice to 2nd scored Devereaux.
The game remained tied 2-2 into the 8th when both teams respective bullpens took over. The Jays piled on 6 in the 8th. The O's made a mini run in the bottom of the 9th with a 2 run Sam Horn home run but fell to Toronto 8-4.

Infield Tailgate

Pontiac 400, May 6, 1998


Richmond International Raceway, Infield Seating

My brother in law had infield passes so we loaded up the truck and pulled into the infield.  My first time seeing a race from this vantage point.  The infield in Richmond sit down below the race surface in the corners as it is a banked track.  You really get an appreciation for how high the bank is when looking at it from the bottom.

Pre race they trot all the drivers around one by one in convertible cars.  A few driver draw loud applause like Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin.  Jeff Gordon was reigned on with boos.  Almost to the point that it was uncomfortable.  Today, Gordon has lost that crybaby label.  Many other new drivers have taken the whiners torch passed on to them .

There was a wood photographer platform constructed at the end of Turn 1.  After being around the fence for hours a photographer asked my son if he wanted to come up on the tower with him.  He did and also go to witness a Jeff Gordon wall rub/crash in that corner.  The same crash photo appeared on the front page of the local Sunday paper the next day.  The photo was taken by the guy who took my son up on the tower.

Results:

Terry Labonte
Dale Jarrett
Rusty Wallace
Ken Schrader
Mark Martin

Wailers No Marley

The Wailers, June 4, 2008

Innsbrook Pavilion, GA

I already seen the Wailers some about 8 years earlier.  It was an OK show.  The year prior I took the family to Jamaica.  The oldest boy got into Bob Marley (and probably some of the habits that go along with liking Bob Marley.  So I offered to take him to see the Wailers.

I guess he was excited.  The band came on.  A few of the songs were old Wailers staples.  It really wasn't a good show but I did not want to disappoint him so pretended to have a good time.

Near the end I asked him how they sounded.  He said they suck.  I asked him if he wanted to leave early before the encore.  He turned and started walking towards the exit without even answering.

Stanley Cup FINALS Game 4

Chicago Blackhawks v Philadelphia Flyers, June 4, 2010

Wachovia Center, Sec 217 Row 15

This season the Flyers needed an OT shootout in the final game of the year just to secure a playoff spot.
Then they proceeded to take a couple series to 7 games before advancing. 

We traveled into town in a pick up, set up a tent along the fence at Broad Street, unloaded the cooler, stereo and Molson Canadians and settled in for a 4 hour tailgate.  A few hours later a guy pulled up with his truck, opened the doors and started cranking Sirus radio.  Now I'm a huge fan of Sirius but tonight was a night for local radio.  The rock stations were here, the atmosphere was Philly all the way this 40 year old teenager with a jacked up pickup, amp and sub woofers overtakes the entire section with satellite radio. 

I had a life size blow up Stanley Cup hanging in the tent.  A local ESPN radio channel came and took photos for their website.  They ended up never posting any Stanley Cup Final pix. 


We went inside and sucked up the atmosphere.  CBC had their broadcast team had a stage set up at one of the entrances.  I'm a huge fan of Hockey Night in Canada so I was like a little kid watching them.

The national anthem was electric.  American TV usually runs commercials during national anthems.  Canadian TV celebrates the moment.  Lauren Hart did a rendition of God Bless America.  I never heard this barn so loud.

So the ends, the Flyers tie up the series.  The place erupted.  The eruption carried out into the concourse and into the parking lot.  After we came down the huge escalator we were still wandering around not wanting to leave.  I looked up at the escalators banks and noticed no one was on them.  People were hanging over the railing from the top level and from the luxury suite level yelling and chanting.

Then it occurred to me.  The security guard at the top stopped a single guy in a Blackhawks jersey and allowed the escalator to clear.  Then they sent him to the wolves by making him lead the crowd down the escalator.  The place went nuts booing and cursing at the guy.  I felt no remorse.  The mob ate this guy up.

Date Uncertain

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, June 3, 1984

Capital Center, Sec 221  Row M

My first live Springsteen show.  It was summer while I was in college.  I lived in Philadelphia but hooked up with a friend who attended William and Mary College in Virginia.
I remember the seats sucking, the building sucking but the sound was good.  This show is known for a rare playing of "Be True".

At the time I remember reading after the tour in a newsletter I got called Backstreets that they ranked this show in the Top 10 of the Tour.

01 Born in the USA
02 Out in the Street
03 Spirit in the Night
04 Atlantic City
05 Open All Night
06 Nebraska
07 Trapped
08 Prove It All Night
09 Glory Days
10 The Promised Land
11 My Hometown
12 Darkness on the edge of town
13 Badlands
14 Thunder Road
15 Hungry Heart
16 Dancing in the Dark
17 Cadillac Ranch
18 Sherry Darling
19 No Surrender
20 Be True
21 Cover Me
22 Growin' Up
23 Bobby Jean
24 Racing in the Street
25 Rosalita (Come out tonight)
26 Jungleland
27 Born to Run
28 Detroit Medley
29 Twist and Shout

Instant Success

Harrisburg Senators v Richmond Flying Squirrels, June 3, 2010

The Diamond, Sec 104 Row G

Richmond just recently lost the AAA Braves to Gwinnet, Georgia.  The Braves floundered in Richmond for years with no attempts to market the product or keep up with the minor league entertainment game.
The stadium was outdated so they entered into negotiations with the city.  The city council and mayor at the time, Douglas Wilder, were not really equipped for the job.  Negotiations broke off so the Braves fled.

Enter 2 season later the Flying Squirrels.  A relocation from Connecticut.  New owners, new blood, new vision, new attitude.

What the Braves couldn't do for over a decade, win over customers, the Squirrels figured out before the first pitch was thrown. 

The Richmond Flying Squirrels couldn't hold an early lead and endured their fifth consecutive defeat, 4-3, at the hands of the Harrisburg Senators in front of 6,444 on Thursday night at The Diamond. The Senators waited through a 40-minute rain-delay at the outset of the ballgame to complete a three-game sweep of the Squirrels.
The Squirrels opened the scoring in the first inning against Harrisburg right-hander Brad Meyers. Meyers started his night with a walk to Darren Ford. Brandon Crawford followed and moved Ford around to third with a single on the hit-and-run through the left-side of the infield. Conor Gillaspie gave the Squirrels the early lead with a fielder's choice grounder that forced Crawford.

Harrisburg quickly leveled the ballgame with a run against Squirrels' right-hander David Mixon in the second inning. For the third consecutive ballgame, Chris Marrero doubled to start the second frame. He scored to tie the game when Michael Martinez doubled down the right-field line a batter later.

Meyers again got Richmond started in the bottom of the second as he walked the lead-off batter, Clay Timpner. Michael Ambort singled behind him and Tyler La Torre recorded an infield-single to load the bases with nobody out. Ryan Lormand sent a come-backer to the mound that Meyers handled easily but threw wildly to the plate, allowing Timpner to score. Darren Ford brought home Ambort a batter later with a soft-liner that was played into a fielder's choice and Richmond enjoyed a 3-1 advantage.

Meyers' pitch-count ballooned in the second inning, and he was removed following the frame. He was charged with three runs - one earned - on three hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Mixon cruised trouble-free from the second to the sixth, but ran into trouble there. Marrero again sparked the uprising, singling with one out in the inning. Edgardo Baez followed with a single to put two aboard for Martinez. He drilled a three-run home run to right field to turn the game around and hand Harrisburg the lead, 4-3.

Mixon (5-3) lasted six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. Martinez's home run doomed him to his third loss of the season.

Of the six hurlers that Harrisburg used on the night, it was left-hander Chuck James (2-0) that earned the win. He was sensational for four innings, allowing no runs and just one hit. Zech Zinocola worked a scoreless ninth inning for his fourth save of the season. (courtesy: oursportscentral.com)

Perfect Day Ruined

Toronto Blue Jays v Boston Red Sox, June 3, 1989

Fenway Park Sec 24, Row ?

Tickets from this period were printed on paper with an old fax paper ink.  The ink wears off eventually.  I can see Section 24 but not the row or seat number.


Another Saturday day game at Fenway.  83 degrees and sunny.  Nothing better.  33,942 agree. The 3rd place Sox hosting the 6th place Jays.

The Jays bats were not kind to pitcher Mike Boddicker.  He gave up 9 hits and 5 earned runs and was yanked in the 6th.  His replacement, Dennis Lamp, didn't fare much better against the hot Toronto bats. 

Boston's Wade Boggs and Ellis Burks each had 2 hits for the Olde Town Team.  Fred McGriff hit a solo home run off Boddicker in the 6th inning.

For a 12-3 final there was only one long ball in the game.  I remember leaving Fenway with an empty feeling

Southside Who? What?

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, June 2, 1999

Innsbrook Pavilion, GA

Southside Johnny and the Jukes are a notorious Jersey Shore band.  They have reach elsewhere.  I recently moved from New Jersey to Virginia so I was thrilled to see Southside again.

I give credit to the Innsbrook promoters for bringing in a band to this summertime outdoor venue.
I've seen the band a number of times and the shows have always been more than energetic.

You can't fault a promoter or a city for trying.  But Richmond is a midsized media market.  But Richmond radio has always acted as if they were a small market.  It is quit possible an overwhelming majority of the attendees have never heard of the band on the radio (the days only music medium).  So you could expect thousands to be ambivalent to an energetic bar band on stage. 

What is ironic, in the late 60's/early 70's a band named Steel Mill called Richmond their 2nd home.  The band played bars all over the Fan neighborhood and the local college, Virginia Commonwealth University.  A few of the members of Steel Mill went onto the E Street Band, including Bruce Springsteen.  So it's not like Richmond is foreign to the Jersey sound.  It was just Richmond radio was foreign to any decent music.

Preaching Hollywood Entertainer

Jimmy Buffett, June 2, 1992

Mann Music Center, Lawn GA

Wow, notorious Obama suck up Hollywood lefty called this 1992 tour the Recession Recess Tour.  Wonder if in 2011 he will call his tour the Depression Depressed Tour?  Doubtful.  Jimmy, although a brilliant entertainer, is another out of touch Hollywood liberal.

I think this was Buffett's last date at the Mann.  The Mann was an amphitheater located in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park.  Kind of a seedy city park but safety in numbers allowed shows to continue.  A year or so later a new amphitheater would be built on the Camden, NJ waterfront and Buffett would take his local shows there. 

Buffett was still a relative unknown in the city at the time.  The show was packed but packed with the maximum number of fans he had at the time in this city..

Known setlist from 1992 Tour:
1  Volcano
2  Saxophones
3  First Look
4  Boat Drinks
5  Rivers of Babylon
6  Incommunicado
7  Come Monday
8  Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes
9  Son Of A Son Of A Sailor
10  Havana Daydreamin'
11  God's Own Drunk
12  Another Saturday Night
13  Why Don't We Get Drunk and Screw
14  Tampico Trauma
15  One Particular Harbour
16  Money Back Guarantee
17  Gypsies In The Palace
18  Cheeseburger In Paradise
19  You Keep Me Hanging On
20  Fins
21  A Pirate Looks At Forty
22  Margaritaville
  
   First Encore:
23  Cheeseburger In Paradise
24  Brown Eyed Girl
  
   Second Encore:
25  Defying Gravity

16 Cross The Plate

Ripken Swings for the Fences

Detroit Tigers v Baltimore Orioles, June 2, 1994

Camden Yards, Sec 362, Row G

Sparky Anderson was the skipper for the Tigers this year.  Prince George Country, VA's Johnny Oates was at the helm for the Birds.  This was an afternoon weekday game with a 12:35 pm start.  47,341 came to the ballpark this afternoon.
This was a day when the ball was jumping off the bat. Cal Ripken, Jr hit his 4th of the year in the 4th scoring 2.   Lou Whitaker drove one over the wall for the Tigers in the 3rd. 

Ripken went 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs.  Team mate Chris Hoiles added 2 more RBIs to the home cause.  Massive Cecil Fielder, Jose Felix and Whitaker doubled for the Tigers.  Both Felix and Whitaker had 2 RBI a piece. 

The O's won the affair 11-5. 

Amazins Shut Out Home Team

New York Mets v Philadelphia Phillies June 1, 1990

Veterans Stadium, Sec 513 Row 3

The Mets still retained a good number of their team from the 86 championship season.  Dykstra was a Phillie now.

It didn't take the Mets long to get ahold of Phils starter Dennis Cook.  The team already dropped 4 in a row coming into tonight's game. After a Keith Miller single in the top of the first Gregg Jefferies hit an RBI double to give the Mets a quick lead.  Mike Marshall lead off the Mets 2nd with a home run and Jefferies sent his own over the fence in the 3rd.

The Mets Tim Teufel drove in Darryl Strawberry in the 6th sealing the game for the Eastern Division rival 4-0.  John Franco closed out the game for the Mets.

Frank Viola Gets Win

34,457 were on hand to see the home team take on the first place Mets.

Wedding Visitors

Pre-Roids?

Pittsburgh Pirates v Philadelphia Phillies, June 1, 1991
Veterans Stadium, Sec 310 Row 3

We had my sister in law and her husband in town for a wedding.  It was a day time wedding.  They came home and we decided to go to the Phils game.  I think this was both of their first time at an MLB game.

The Pirates had a strong lineup with Bobby Bonilla, Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke.  They were in first place at the time with the Phils in 5th place and not even playing 500 ball.

Bonilla broke a 1-1 tie in the 5th with an RBI double to left.  Bonds had a double in the 8th and was drove in by Don Slaught.

John Smiley was credited with the win for the Buccos.  31,601 were on hand. 

Monster Mile

Miller 500 , May 31, 1996
Dover Downs

Normally I wouldn't even go to qualifying, let alone save a ticket stub.  But this was a time when my boys got excited seeing the NASCAR show cars around town when visiting their grandparents in Virginia.  I thought this would be a good opportunity to let them play hooky from school and get close to the big cars.


Dover was a few hours from us.  We got around to see plenty of show cars.  The kids were grinning ear to ear. 

Conference Call

Pawtucket Paw Sox v Norfolk Tides, May 29, 2003


Harbor Stadium, Sec 113 Row D

The stadium was a cut above the only other AAA stadium I have ever been to.  Richmond's Diamond was built in 1985 but had the character of a 1970's cookie cutter.
This is what AAA baseball needs to look like.
I recently started a new job and was in the Virginia Beach area working.  I decided to catch a ballgame but had a 8:00 PM EST conference call.  My home office was in LA and we typically had late conference calls.  Although I didn't expect anyone to expect me to be in an office at 7PM local, I was conscious of not letting it be known to the others that I was lounging out at a baseball game.
As the conference call progresses there were typical stadium noises I was trying to conceal.  At one point the moderator chimed in; "Who is at a baseball game".  I took a deep gulp and was about to "confess" when my counterpart in Houston yelled "I'm at an Astros game with ...........".  The moderator said "You sound drunk, are youhaving a good time".  He yells back "hell yeah".  And the call continued. So much for the stuffiness of my new company that I wrongfully assumed.
Notables on the Sox roster in 2003 were Kevin Youkilis and Bronson Arroyo.  Jose Reyes and John Franco were on the roster for Norfolk (Mets AAA).

Politically Incorrect Super Bowl

Cheesy 90's Pastel Logo

Syracuse Sky Chiefs v Richmond Braves, May 29, 1993
The Diamond, Sec 113 Row C

Since I have a ticket stub I have to believe I was at this game.  This was a time when a fraternity brother worked for the Braves and gave me good seats when I came into town to visit.
The Sky Chiefs were the Triple A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The following season both teams would meet to play for the league championship.  Because the MLB players went on strike and abandoned their duties, ESPN covered the Governors Cup finals in 1994. 

The Three Ring Sign

Old Connie Mack Stadium, Philadelphia

Atlanta Braves v Philadelphia Phillies, May 27, 2004

Citizens Bank Park , Sec 130, Row 24

"Hey, get your cold beer! Hey, get your Ballantine!...Just look for the three-ring sign/And ask the man for Ballantine." That's how the jingle went.  Just ask Mel Allen.
Not many people know this;  the beer of choice of Martin Crane, Frazier Crane's character father in the sitcom "Frazier" was Ballantine Ale.  

I watched from afar the planning, design and building of the new Phillies ballpark.  I grew up in the Vet.  Not knowing any better, it was the center of the universe.  Until I got a taste of baseball played on grass.  Then I grew bitter that my childhood was robbed of real baseball.
I couldn't wait to see the Phils play a home game on grass.  This was their first season in the new Citizens Bank Park.
I read previously that the Phils were going to honor the passion of Philadelphia for drinking beer by offering every beer brewed within a 30 mile radius of the city.  In addition, the defunct Ballantine Beer recipe was purchased, and that beer would also be sold at the new ball park.
The reason Ballentine held a special place in the heart of the Phillies was they were the main sponser on the center field scoreboard at the old Connie Mack Stadium.
I was on a mission to drink a Ballantine.  I remember the commercials as a kid.  The cans in the fridges at the corner local tap rooms.  I may have even had a cheap 6 pack or two in my youth.  But not all local beers were available at each beer stand.  Understandable.  And, as far as I could see, no list available to show where each individual brand was sold.
Being I was on a mission, the beer took precedence over the Braves v Phillies on the field.  I was with my wife.  She knows when I act like a kid in a candy shop to just let me go.  So she patiently followed me on my quest for the golden nectar once known as Ballantine. 
Our seats were above 3rd base.  Pretty good for a kid who spent countless Phils games in the 700 Level (mostly 714).  But I was drawn back upstairs to my roots in search of a Ballentine.
Finally, I found the stand offering the beer which disappeared from shelves 30 years prior.  I don't know what I was expecting, maybe a can or bottle, but remember being disappointed when I got a generic disposable cup of beer from a tap handle that read "Ballantine".
I walked several sections anticipating my first sip.  I found it.  This was my moment.
I took my first much anticipated swig................Ahhhh........No wonder they no longer make this swill.
But I have to endure being I spent months anticipating and innings searching.  As I made my 2nd or third sip, a typical lughead Phillies fan bumped into me, spilling my Holy Grail in a plastic cup to the concrete below.
Normally, that's good enough reason to pursue a new beer from the other gentleman.  He stopped and apologized, then offered to buy me a new beer.  Being he actually did me a favor, I patted him on the back and said, "no problem" and walked away.  Right to the next stand to buy my own replacement of something other than Ballantine.
Somewhere along the line the Braves went on to manhandle the home Phils 6-1.

Nomar Comes Home

Boston's Jim Leyritz takes BP

Boston Red Sox v Trenton Thunder, May 27, 1998


Waterfront Park, Sec ?

A festive day in Trenton this date.  The parent Boston Red Sox were visiting for an exhibition game and bringing short stop sensation Nomar Garciaparra with them.  Garciaparra spent the entire 1995 season in Trenton.  On this night the Thunder would retire Nomar's Number 5.

The Red Sox became the first major league team to play in New Jersey since the Brooklyn Dodgers played part of their regular-season schedule in the state in 1957. It was the first appearance in Trenton by a major league team since the Washington Senators played the Trenton Senators in 1936.

The big team would go on to win the exhibition 4-3 in an evening when stars such as Pedro Martinez and ex Thunder Trot Nixon and Lou Merloni were on hand.

Nomar in 1995