Baseball Blog 8-11-15 Take me out to the ballgame!

Yeah, that’s me holding the mitt, filling out the scorecard, listening to the radio call of the game, and wearing the team shirt just purchased from the team store.  The total fanboy look.  After listening to almost two seasons of Chihuahuas’ games on the radio (and watching one on a national broadcast), I finally got to go out to one of their games. 

Earlier this year, I actually got out to two NMSU Aggie baseball games that, since I’m able to blog again for the moment, I should mention.  Thanks to an endowment, Presley Askew Field got a major upgrade with seats in the grandstand and a canopy overhead.  At some point, it suddenly dawned on me that the stadium was just down the street and that I should check out the improvements.  It was $5 to get in and the concessions, while not exotic, were at least tasty and reasonably priced.  In short, it was a great place to see a ballgame.

Unfortunately, the Aggies themselves were having a down year, really down.  They went something like 0 – 11 to start the season and never really improved.  The best thing I can say about the two Sunday afternoon games I saw is that the team was at least very competitive in losing and showed lots of heart. 

I have hand out two special commendations.  The new radio voice for the baseball team was really good and given how bad the team was that’s quite an accomplishment at least in persistence.  Unfortunately, I can’t remember his name, which is truly embarrassing, since I went up to the press box and congratulated him on the job he was doing.  I also must, strangely, praise one of the Aggies’ opponents, North Dakota.  For the Aggies’ emotional Senior Day ceremonies, the opposing team, with their buses running outside the stadium, stayed late to applaud them as well.  The previous day, they had spontaneously joined in in honoring a little girl with cancer that threw out the first pitch.  Talk about good sports.

Flash forward four months, I’m invited by a couple of co-workers, Jacob (in the picture) and Chuck (who took the picture), to go out to a Chihuahuas’ game.  The El Paso team actually does have a really good draw here in Las Cruces.  I was amazed by how easy it was to get to the stadium from Cruces.  Here’s the directions: go south on I-10 to El Paso, take the Sunland Park exit, continue straight at the overpass going down the Border Highway, turn left at San Antonio street, and you’re there, literally.

The parking garage across the street from the stadium is $10 and is probably your best option, unless you want to try the stadium buses departing from various points around town.  There’s a bridge to cross over to get to the stadium which trains run under.  One came by while we were crossing that blew its horn, adding to the unique ambiance.  There were also planes occasionally flying overhead, which is odd, since the stadium is nowhere near the airport flight path.  Car traffic is also clearly visible through the fenced gaps in the outfield wall. 

Inside, Southwest University I-really-need-a-clever-nickname Ballpark (The “U”?  The “SUB”?) is really small and yet fully functional.  Because of the confined space that they had to build on, the park went vertical.  There’s two decks of seating in the grandstand.  The outfield features an elevated picnic lawn and kid’s area and a pair of buildings with club seating.  Fair warning, the lower grandstand is in the shade, some of the upper level and the outfield areas are in direct sunlight until sundown. 

The concourse runs gambit of food vendors.  I got confused and never found the hot dogs or the ice cream or the nachos (served in a souvenir dog bowl).  Yes, you read that right.  I couldn’t find ballpark food at the ballpark.  Consult the vendor map on their website and carefully note what section they’re in next time.  The wandering vendors were selling items that I couldn’t identify.  I’m told the Mexican food items were really good, but that doesn’t help someone who isn’t into spicy food.  Jacob found the Jumbo Hot Dog Meal looking for his dinner.  Frankly, for $8 I wasn’t expecting a stale bun, and I would have preferred regular chips to whatever those things were on the side.  Jacob said his Barbecue Pulled Pork was good at least.  My best food recommendation is the Kettle Corn. 

The team shop, also on the concourse, was crowded and expensive.  However, I found the camo jersey I’d been wanting since I’d seen the players wearing them.  That item isn’t on the website and there’s probably other exclusive stuff there.  If I’d had more time, I probably would have bought some souvenirs for some other people, but Jacob and Chuck deserted me while I was loitering around, so I paid for my shirt and hopped out.  

Our section was in the lower level along the third base line.  I swear that we were closer to the action than I was in the grandstand at the much small Aggie venue.  Really, I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house because of the small, intimate, vertical nature of the stadium.  We were in the shade and a cool breeze kept the proceedings from ever being uncomfortable.  The people in the club buildings in the outfield and on the grassy knoll were squinting and rather warm for a couple of innings, but were probably pretty comfortable after that. 

I might mention that the newly implemented pitch clocks are plainly visible, but not any sort of distraction.  Except for pitchers issuing walks (more on that later), the game moved at a good pace, probably thanks to time limits.  I brought a mitt, but wasn’t in line for any foul balls.  Those in the upper deck along the third base line, watch out!  There were several screamers in that area.  Those along the first base line need to watch for ricochets and balls hitting the roof and then falling back into the grandstand.  You can easily identify people who’d been to the ballpark before; they were still looking up after a foul ball had passed overhead.  

Our section included the lovely Anthem singer.  The couple in front of me made out for most of the game.  There’s a beverage holder on the seat in front of you, but note that if there’s a woman with long hair sitting there, it’s going to get in your drink constantly.  There was also a pair of young women wearing the tightest, smallest “Daisy Dukes” imaginable that created an unacceptable distraction every time they got up.   

Credit to the marketing department.  As questionable as the “Chihuahuas” are as a cool, not-embarrassing brand, they do sell well.  At least half the crowd, including myself, was wearing either a hat or a shirt with some form of the dog on it.  Further, I don’t think there were even more than two people wearing the same design.  There was even more than one “camo” style shirt.  The team themselves has like four or five uniforms and logos, not including the special dog face and Star Wars-Yoda uniforms.     

It didn’t seem like there were a lot of kids in the stands, though there looked like plenty in the play area.  Not sure if it was a school night or not.  Regardless, the crowd was 8,000+, a sell-out or close to it.  The fans in general were still filing in during third inning, so you won’t get a good sense of the crowd until well after the game has started.  They also started filing out in 8^th and there was a mass exodus in 9^th even though the game was tied.  Jacob and Chuck looked at each other at the end of the 9^th.  I was worried I wasn’t going to get to see the end of the game, but wasn’t going to say anything since I didn’t have to get up early in the morning like they did.  They both were okay with staying thankfully.

Whatever the size, the crowd was loud and enthusiastic.  The design of the grandstand likely amplifies the sound.  They cheered, groaned, jeered, gasped, and laughed with great emotion.  That last one occurred as the San Diego Chicken was there entertaining the crowd.  I won’t describe any of the bits, since some of them seemed a bit familiar, and I don’t want to spoil them for anybody who hasn’t seen them.  The Chihuahuas’ own “Chico” mascot got into the act a bit, but generally put in his appearances before and after the Chicken did his thing.  Judging by the people wanting pictures with him, his popularity wasn’t hurt at all.  (I wanted a picture myself, but the action in the 9^th and 10^th took precedence.)  This has to be one of those rare times where the Chicken was actually upstaged by the game itself.    

Something I should have learned from the Aggie games, “If you’re going to the eat nachos (I had no trouble finding nachos, ice cream, and hot dogs at the Aggie game, then again there was only one food trailer there) and keep a scorecard, you’d better get a couple of napkins.”  In this case, I ending up spilling Pepsi on my miserable, scribbled Chihuahuas’ scorecards, since I couldn’t find the nachos.  This is why being able to hear the radio call of the game is so essential.  When there’s two errors in the field that score a run, you’ll be right on top of it.  Unless, you accidentally pull the plug on your radio at that critical moment and end up scratching your head on how to score that play.  There’s a reason why there’s a guy at the ballpark called, “the official scorer.”  It’s an art.

The game was a titanic battle between division rivals, the Chihuahuas and the Las Vegas 51’s (they didn’t get a cool name or logo either frankly).  The dogs went into this homestand trailing the aliens by five games, but not out of the race yet.  The game played out with both teams trading the lead a couple of times, but neither being able to deliver a knockout blow.  You could have watched this game in the old Dudley “Dome” and been entertained.  All the amenities are nice if the game sucks. 

A few high-and-low-lights.  The 51’s got the scoring started in the 3^rd on a play where the Chihuahuas made two errors.  Travis Jankowski would make a great diving catch in the outfield in the 7^th to redeem the defense.  Rymer Liriano hit the only home run in the game in the 8^th, though a couple of other batters flirted with the warning track.  I also had to explain the Infield Fly rule in the 8^th as the second baseman dropped the ball with two men on, but an out was still recorded.  I don’t think my explanation was understood though.

Tayron Guerrero came in to close out the 9^th firing at 94 mph, the hardest thrower of the game.  The Aggies had a 90+ pitcher and in both cases, you can really hear and see the difference.  Unfortunately, Guerrero was also the most inaccurate pitcher as well, loading the bases and walking in a run.  The 51’s would tie it before a timely double play kept them from taking the lead.  The Chihuahuas got in the position to win in the bottom of the frame before the 51’s shortstop made a great play to take out a runner at third.  All of this was just the emotional low before the final triumph in the bottom of the 10^th as Ramiro Pena hit a sacrifice fly to swallow center and Jake Goebbert slapped home plate just under the tag.  Dogs win 9-8!      

I visited the bathroom after the game and have to issue another warning.  Apparently the Men’s bathroom was designed by a woman.  There’s a shelf over each urinal where you can put your purse.  It’s also perfectly placed to whack your forehead or face on while doing your business.  It was after 11:00 pm before we got out and another half-hour before getting back into town.  While I work in the afternoons, my co-workers had to be at work in the morning.  “Are you guys going to be okay tomorrow?” I asked.  “Sure,” said Chuck, “I’m calling in sick.”