Comics Review: Archie Meets the B-52’s and X-Men-Kwannon

I keep buying comics, in spite of the dissatisfaction, because I’m afraid at some point I’ll have bought my last comic.  My desire to put off that day is definitely driven more by nostalgia than by the product.  New comics are so Agenda-driven in message and production, even the most ardent fan is forced to dismiss them.  Not to mention the price is far out of line with what you’re getting.  The style format of the modern comic isn’t breezy entertainment; it’s ephemeral.      

The choice may be taken away from me in the near future as the whole comics industry is truly teetering on the brink.  I don’t even know why Marvel and DC are still publishing floppies.  [The current hot rumor is that DC is about to sell their comic publishing to Marvel.]  Other than a few classics, I’m not even sure trades are worth the effort.  Nearly all of the money their parent companies make off of superheroes is from movies and merchandising.  Perhaps it’s some loyalty to their downstream distributors and not wanting to dissolve the entire comic shop segment of the economy.  Not only did they initially create it, they don’t want to be held responsible for killing it. 

Maybe they want something to fall back on when superhero movies fall out of vogue (later this year), so they keep it around.  Maybe they’re awaiting the next general economic downturn, so they can suffocate it without blame.  In any case, there’s no comeback for the comic book format.  It’s done for.  There will be words and pictures combined to make stories in the future and forever, but only for kids’ books.  Comics will go back to where they started and will have to aspire to someday reach other audiences.

So, with that cheery intro, let’s review the comics that put me in this melancholy mood.

This was the comic that I actually went to the comic book store for when I saw it solicited.  I wasn’t expecting much story-wise, but a preview of the gorgeous interior art was enough to motivate me.  

I was even hoping to find the first issue, which I had somehow missed, even though I was looking for it.  However, for the first time since going to Zia Comics, a solicited comic wasn’t there.  They’d been very reliable up to this point.  When I asked, they said they’d only ordered one copy for a box holder.  This put me in a box too, since now I can’t rely on Archie comics I’m interested in being available there, which is one of the few things that cause me to go to the comic book shop.  I’ll have to wait for the trade.

What was there was another Archie comic that I was vaguely interested in.  I’m not going to pretend to be a big B-52’s fan, but I do like Love Shack, like everybody else.  What I really enjoyed was Archie Meets the Ramones, so I was hoping for something similar here.  

Dan Parent’s artwork is okay, probably a bit better than usual.  The firmly 80’s setting and the stylish layout are well done.  The story is okay.  It’s a typical innocuous Archie plot, but has a bit a melancholy edge to it.  The story is generally upbeat though.  

This was fun, breezy entertainment, but not a classic like the Ramones story.  What I question is the $3.99 price.  That’s what Marvel and DC charge.  Archie is usually a bit cheaper.  Moreover, the rear third of the comic is just house ads.  I really can’t recommend this, unless you’re a big fan of the band.  

True Believers: X-Men-Kwannon

By the later 90’s, I’d mostly dropped comic book collecting, particularly the X-Men.  All the gimmicks and trying to make all of the characters “cool warriors” had completely turned me off.  I had my doubts that buying up all of those “collector’s items” was ever going to pay off (which it didn’t).  

Still, for a $1, I was willing to pick up this refugee from about 30 years ago because it might be kind of fun.  (I still can’t believe Zia Comics doesn’t have a Dollar Box of old comics.)  The Andy Kubert artwork is good, but of its time.  It’s detailed, though a bit sketchy, because they were churning X-Men comics on an accelerated schedule.  The characters are posing like they came straight out of a superhero modeling agency. 

Still, there was no decompressed storytelling here.  There’s plenty to read and multiple plot threads going on.  Several of the characters are working through personal problems, which is what makes them relatable.  The comic is in the tradition of what made the X-Men the most popular comic for a couple of decades.  

I didn’t know Betsy made a play at Scott.  I can see it happening though.  Poor Psylocke.  Keep in mind, she was a purple-haired white English girl, related to Captain Britain, who got turned into an Asian psychic ninja.  I think they would have been better served at the time by just making a new character, but nobody asked me.  (I’m not saying this change wasn’t an upgrade.)  I’m also a wee miffed that while Illyana is in the comic, she has been de-aged into a little girl.  Magik is one of my favorite characters.  Luckily, she’s later changed back into a sarcastic, dark teenager at some point.

I like the very lack of Agenda items in this comic, which makes it so alien to everything new on the comic book racks currently.  I sort of recommend this, but be aware that the whole of it only sets up future issues.  In that, it was disappointing.  So, this is just a slice of a typical 90’s comic, an unfortunately bygone era of entertaining comics.  

El Paso Rhinos vs OKC Blazers Hockey 2-23-20

I had been looking forward to this.  Ron told me last year that he was going to take out some out-of-state friends, Steve and Jenny, to a hockey game for Jenny’s birthday when they would be here at this time.  He invited me to go too.  I’ve seen lots hockey on TV, but never live.  I’ve been told it is a different experience in-person.  Having seen it now, they’re right.   

We listened to Aggie Baseball during our short trip down the Interstate.  There was one bad patch with a dust storm, as the wind was bad today.  I saw the new race track along the way.  It looked like a nice facility.  We had a late lunch when we got to El Paso.  I’d mentioned the famous Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich to Ron before, and said we’d have to try one the next time we were in town.  (There isn’t a Popeye’s in Las Cruces.)  Did it live up to the hype?  I have to say, it’s pretty darn good.  That toasted bun and juicy chicken was a potent combination.  The Cajun fries were a good side. 

The trip to the El Paso County Coliseum was adventurous.  It featured Ron, who was the one driving Steve’s car, arguing with Steve and Alexa (or whatever the GPS voice is named) over the best route the whole way there.  I had been to Dudley Field once in high school to see the Diablos.  Dad had been very reluctant to go, even with free tickets, because of the neighborhood.  Let’s just say, it wasn’t scenic then and hasn’t improved since.  Dudley Field has been torn down is now an extension of the El Paso Zoo.  It’s all still a dump. 

The Coliseum is a majestic structure, kind of like the Roman Coliseum, in that it’s really old and dilapidated, but has classic styling.  Actually, the hockey team doesn’t play there.  No, they play next door at the Events Center.  How to best describe this?  A hanger?  A metal barn?  It was an equestrian arena where they hosted rodeos.  I don’t know if it can still be converted back-and-forth.  It was cold inside from the ice and the cold weather outside.  I wonder what it’s like inside when it’s hot outside.  I didn’t notice any air conditioning for the arena.   

It was $5 to park by the arena.  There may or may not have been free parking across the street, if you don’t value your vehicle overly much.  While the building didn’t look like much, there was an impressive photo marquee over the main doors announcing it as the home of the Rhinos, the “Back-to-back Throne Cup Champions.”  (It sort of looks like the picture at the top.)  Inside the doors, there’s something of a concourse with concessions before you get to the stands.  

I wasn’t expecting a palace.  I was there to see hockey.  I just needed a seat and a view.  The Events Center meets that bare minimum and then some.  There are large video screens on either end of the arena.  The seats Ron got were at center ice in the grandstand.  (Those were $15, not including the Tickemaster service charge.)  They were metal bleachers, but at least they had backs.  Did I mention it was cold inside?  Yeah, that was a cold metal seat.  Bring a cushion or something to sit on. 

There are smaller stands to either side (presumably cheaper seats).  There were folding seats lower down in front of the glass.  Across the ice and above the team benches were the season ticket holder seats ($30).  In between the benches was the PA’s booth, with the TV booth above that.  There was a skate rental office on the west side (?).  On the other side is something like a club area with tables facing the rink.  That looked like a pretty good place to take in the game.                   

It was a good crowd for a late Sunday afternoon.  It was later announced as a sellout.  The fans were pretty hard core.  A lot of them were wearing Rhinos gear.  A few were wearing team-signed jerseys.  There were plenty of families.  It was “Kids Weekend,” but I’m sure there are usually plenty of kids there.  There were couples.  This would be a great place to bring a date.  Not only would you be snuggling together from the cold, but I couldn’t help but notice that the women were really getting excited watching.  There were some pretty girls down in front with boyfriends.  A couple of them had tremendous hair.    

Hands down, the most interesting and inexplicable fans were a group of tall, handsome young men.  They were very sharply dressed in suits with a couple of them wearing nice cowboy hats.  The guys were completely out of place wardrobe-wise, but somehow fit right in.  They didn’t have seats, but were standing together at the east end of the arena right behind the glass behind the goal.  I’m sure there’s a story here, but I don’t know what it is.        

The sound system at the Events Center is loud.  The PA voice is excellent and does a great job of motivating the crowd.  Audience participation is mandatory.  That said, Ron was covering his ears when they blew the horn for Rhinos’ goals.  Also, the sound was a bit muddled.  Announcements about the goals and penalties tended to be a bit hard to hear.  (Of course, my ears might after been ringing after the goals.)  I could barely get the player numbers, much less the names.  Actually seeing the players scoring or being sent to the penalty box and getting their numbers was more difficult than you’d think. 

The championship sign out front is no fluke.  There are a row of banners hanging from the rafters facing the stands.  There are over ten and range from conference champion to a national champion banner.  The earliest one is from 2007.  Here’s where a nice program with the franchise history would be helpful, but there wasn’t even a photocopied lineup with stats available like at an Aggie Baseball game.  (The team name seems to demand explanation as well.) 

A giant inflatable rhino head was erected on the west end for the players’ entrance and introduction.  The player introduction videos were pretty cool (and I should have tried writing down names and numbers).  The first couple of guys were Swedes and then a Canadian.  A guy with long permed hair got the biggest cheer from the crowd (and for good reason, as we’ll see later).  Another one with a good beard got a big cheer.  These two are the guys pictured at the top of this post.  (It may have been the women getting excited by these guys.)  There was a good Anthem singer.  She was accompanied by a little girl nearby us in the stands who loudly sang with her.  There was definitely a patriotic vibe at the game all the way through.  At the end, the players on both teams banged their sticks on the ice to applaud.

I admit, the first problem I had with live hockey was not having expert voiceover commentary explaining the action to me.  I seem to remember there used to be some local radio coverage for the Rhinos, but that’s been discontinued.  There is a broadcast booth above the PA, but it is apparently for video over the Internet.  It took some getting used to, but I got over it.

The next issue was notetaking.  Without a program, I was going to have to look up everything on the Internet later (or so I thought).  The action is, of course, very fast and continuous without any regular breaks.  Noting anything that didn’t involve a stoppage, such goals and penalties, was going to be difficult.  I usually like mentioning the little things in a game that don’t show up in a box score.  I eventually worked out a kind of rhythm for it, but at the expense of nearly all legibility. 

Yeah, I’ll get all the names later on the Internet, I thought.  Yeah, there were no game stats recap there that I could find on their website.  There was something of a video recap, but it was just a montage of game footage.  Even the listed rosters listed were not current.  I couldn’t find players I’d noted during the game.  (I’m sure detailed player stats are kept somewhere by the teams, just not available to the public.)  I think I’m finally getting to the point of saying, this isn’t going to be much of a recap.  I’ll do my best here, but this a sport you need to actually experience rather than read about to really get anything out of it.  TV hockey is fun (and you can take notes on it), but recapping the game live with no help is nearly hopeless. 

First Period

A bunch of dudes played hockey for 20 minutes.

That much I’m sure of. 

Unlike watching soccer, I could not hope to track every shot on goal.  The game is too fast.  The Rhinos took the first couple of shots, including that guy with the long hair, #3 Sebastian Jovicic.  13’ left in the period, #18 on the OKC Blazers took a shot on a breakaway that was stopped. 

11’ our first penalty.  Since it was on OKC, they had a production number to go with it.  There was something like a police siren, flashing lights, and a song.  I didn’t quite get the lyrics, but it was something to the tune of Whoop, whoop, you’re busted.  The crowd joined in with the “whoop’s.”  During the power play, the Rhinos fired a couple of shots on goal.  The OKC goalie stopped a couple of point blank shots. 

We also had our first minor scuffle during the power play, which resulting in offsetting penalties.  The referees seemed pretty quick to jump on any fighting.  (There was a reason for that, as I found out later.)  Sebastian got the payoff with a shot into the top shelf to give El Paso a 1-0 lead.  At that point, a deafening horn went off and steam fired off behind the goals.  A little girl and a troop of kids ran down the aisle with a Rhinos flag.  (They’d use some other kids for succeeding goals.)  It was a spectacle.  After the PA’s goal announcement, which I couldn’t entirely hear from either being deafened and/or the muddled sound system, the section next to us sang out something.  I think it was something to tune of OKC, you suck!        

     

Heads up!  6’ a puck flew into the stands with a clang.  There’s another good reason to pay attention to the game apart from the action.  4’ scary, a loose puck floated in front of an open side of the Rhino’s goal.  It was nearly an own goal.  That would have been a downer.  3’ #9 EP got a penalty for hooking.  2’ there as a stoppage as puck went into a Rhino player’s uniform and somehow got stuck there.  1’ OKC got a penalty that would carry over to the second period.

First Intermission

Here’s something I didn’t expect at a hockey game: a buggy blasting out on to the rink.  It spun around on the ice wildly while a guy on the back fired a couple of t-shirts into the crowd.  Admittedly, that livened things up.  There was also a kid puck-shooting contest and a game of musical chairs.  Since the games were on ice, the contestants were wearing helmets. 

We used the facilities in the break.  I don’t know if there’s another bathroom, but the one we used had plenty urinals, so there was no waiting.  There was a stall with merchandise.  Wait.  That was a bad transition.  The merchandise stall was in the concourse, not the bathroom.  It wasn’t so much a concourse, as a wide hallway between the men and women’s bathrooms.  Ron noted the prices as $7 for a puck and $89 for a jersey.  Not sure about t-shirts or hats.  There was a line for beer/food on the other side and a soda and water stall next door. 

Spike, the Rhinos’ mascot, came by the stands.  He is a large, friendly individual with a happy, smiling big rhino head.  He’s also quite friendly.  He danced with several people in the aisle.  Steve handed me his large sock hat to sit on for the rest of the game.  He was worried I was getting too cold.    

Second Period

Events didn’t start on a good note.  18’ #18 on OKC tied it on a soft drive.  1-1.  Music was still played after the opposition goal.  17’ a Rhino player accidently made a massive trip on a teammate.  No foul on that.  17’ #28 OKC outskated two guys on a breakaway for a goal.  2-1 OKC.  Since so much of the action had been in the opponent’s zone, I was a bit worried about what would happen when the Rhino goalie was tested.

On the other hand, there was a hot and stylish team photographer on a platform next to the opposing bench.  I’m guessing some of the players have introduced themselves to her.  On the ice, the Rhinos went back on the offensive.  The OKC goalie had made four stops by the 15’ mark.  12’ there was a fight between two guys that went down to the ice.  However, it was on the other end of the ice away from the puck.  The refs didn’t see it, but most of the crowd was watching it.

11’ OKC penalty.  A Rhino player was hit in the mouth and went right to the bench.  I wish I knew the OKC goalie’s name, because he was doing a great job.  He stood on his head making stops.  The Rhinos even pulled their goalie during the power play to put another attacker on the ice.  9’ another OKC penalty immediately followed for slashing.  8’ oh, a beauty one-timer by #9 tied it. 2-2.  That took us into a media timeout.

8’ back to the action and we had our first full-on fight.  An OKC player knocked the hat off of a Rhino player pushing him into the boards and it was on.  There were again offsetting penalties for fighting.  7’ the EP goalie made a good catch.  After that, two more players went to the penalty boxes for ruffing.  It was getting crowded in those boxes.  6’ more pushing and shoving and an OKC player got dinged for it for a Rhino power play.  #23 EP, standing by the goal, deflected in a shot from the blue line to put the Rhinos back up 3-2.  The crowd took up a He shoots, he scores chant.

4’ there’s the rock star again, Sebastian slapped one in on a breakaway to make it 4-2 Rhinos.  Two players went down right away fighting.  An El Paso player got a penalty for ruffing.  Sebastian later whiffed on an outside shot.  It happens to the best of them.  1’ EP picked up another penalty, which would carry over to the third period.    

Second Intermission

Ron got up for a walk and I moved over to sit by Steve and Jenny.  Some fans had bought foam pucks, which were thrown on to the ice for a giveaway for a player’s jersey.  I’m surprised people would give up the souvenir for a low-percentage chance of hitting the target, but the player would come out to present the winner with the jersey later (presumably signed). 

Kiss cam was announced.  Steve immediately moved away from Jenny.  They have an interesting relationship.  With one couple, the girl literally jumped the guy and they won.  (Like I said, this is a good place to bring a date.)  There was also a race with a fan pulling another fan sitting on a sled.  There was a PA read for a dentist sponsor.  Jenny mentioned that every hockey game she’s been to had had a sponsorship with a dentist. 

Ron returned with some intel.  OKC is El Paso’s main rival.  Usually, play is even chippier.  While it was pretty full today, the arena is usually completely packed on Fridays and Saturdays.  He also looked around for our former boss, who we knew was a big hockey fan.  He was a season ticket holder back when the Buzzards were around, the previous El Paso hockey team in the 90’s.  Ron also mentioned that he kept thinking he was hearing the PA shouting “Let’s go Miners!” instead of “Let’s go Rhinos!”  I kept thinking he was going to say, “Let’s go Chihuahuas!”  I had to keep stopping myself from writing “Aggies” in my notes as well.

Third Period

18’ a good EP shot just missed.  17’ an OKC player went down hard.  Another player immediately called for the trainer.  The player came off the ice holding his arm and got a round of applause from the crowd.  Meanwhile, the nice-looking couple in front of me started making out.  (Note to self, next time, dump Ron and bring a date, preferably Emerson or Megan Hart.  Meg is Canadian.  She’d probably really enjoy it.)

13’ we have a hat trick!  Sebastian gets one in to make it 5-2 El Paso.  I took off my hat and . . . waved it in the air.  I’d already decided earlier that if this event occurred, I would NOT be tossing my favorite San Francisco Giants hat on to the ice.  (I know it was an odd hat choice, but it’s the nicest one I have.)  I think there was an announcement afterward that you could go get your hat back after the game.  Maybe. 

This also brought up the funniest moment in the game.  I missed it, but Ron and everyone else saw it.  The referees were the ones collecting the hats on the ice.  After one of the refs got all of the hats on one side, a fan tossed one behind him.  He skated back and got it.  As soon as he’d turned around, the fan tossed another behind him.  The ref collected it, skated up to the glass, and flipped the fan off.  This got a good laugh out of the crowd.  (Even the players know not to mess with a hockey ref.)

There was an OKC power play right after, but most of the penalty was actually spent in the OKC zone.  4’ there were words exchanged and a near fight.  7’ the OKC goalie pulled down an El Paso player by his goal.  Another OKC player piled on, maybe to keep the goalie from getting a penalty.  There ended up being offsetting penalties again. 

6’ El Paso got another power play.  5’ another Rhino player went straight to the bench after a shot to the mouth.  This gave the Rhinos a one-minute two-man advantage, but they didn’t score on it.  3’ the last good shot on goal clanged off the OKC crossbar.  The remaining time was uneventful.  Rhinos win 5-2! 

Afterward, the team skated around the length of the rink to salute the fans.  There is also a skate with the team for kids afterward.  I don’t know all of the details, but they do it after every game.  It’s free, though maybe you have to rent the skates?  I saw one kid putting on ice skates that had training wheels on them.  In any case, you can meet the players.  This might be how the fans seemed so well-acquainted with them without a program or up-to-date roster on the Internet. 

We didn’t hang around for the team skate.  Outside, the weather had gotten more unpleasant with a stiff, freezing cold wind blowing.  I’m glad we didn’t try parking further away.  Leaving downtown El Paso, usually feels like an escape from a maze, which it is.  After a chatty drive back to Las Cruces, we got some Caliches frozen custard, in spite of the cold, and said our goodbyes.  Jenny, the birthday girl, had had a good time, along with the rest of us. 

One thing live hockey has is the noises of the game.  When the pucks are slapped and the players crash into the boards, the sounds are sharp and distinct.  The speed of the game and, as tough as the players are, the gracefulness of their skating skill are so much more impressive in person.  In short (looking at the page count here, that’s a joke), I’m highly recommending to any sports fan in the area to go see the Rhinos.     

Boxing Journal: Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury

I was told this was a big-deal fight at work and later on sports talk radio.  I wouldn’t know.  I have no clue other than pretty much every other “big fight” has been a big disappointment.  From the radio this morning, I heard that both fighters came in “heavy” for this heavyweight fight.  What a surprise.  In person, Deontay Wilder was more muscular and looked in better shape.  Tyson Fury was taller and fatter.

Fury brought out on a throne to Patsy Clines’ Crazy.  This would prove prophetic.  (Apparently, he had actually spent some time in an insane asylum.)  Wilder had a live rapper/singer and came out in a sparkling black armored Groot costume.  Oh wait, that’s actually a crown and his eyes lit up red on his mask.  It was an easy enough mistake to make.  The Brit, Fury, seemed to be the crowd favorite in Vegas for some reason.

Here’s my highly uninformed fight scorecard.  For this fight, I don’t think anybody had a hard time scoring it.  I was watching this on TV Azteca in Spanish.  I basically missed all of the details because of that.

Round 1: Fury unleashed a barrage.  Wilder went into a shell and only got off a few wild swings.  Fury took this round.

Round 2: Wilder took a shot to the jaw and momentarily staggered.  He took some wild swings at Fury’s head then wrapped up.  Fury put Wilder in a headlock after making a good headshot on him.  (About 10,000 more headlocks and wraps would happen in the match.)  Wilder drove Fury backward with a savage exchange.  Wilder wrapped up again.  Fury drove him into a post with a wrap as bell rang.  Both fighters were still swinging briefly after the bell.  Fury. 

Round 3: Fury got in another headshot and a headlock.  Wilder wrapped.  Both were dancing energetically at first, but then collapsed on each in exhaustion.  This happened a whole bunch as the fight went on.  Both guys were leaning on each other so much, the ref had trouble breaking them up.  Wilder went down on a wild swing after a hit to his jaw.  The ref gave him an eight-count.  He went down again, but was saved by the bell.  Fury took the round.  Wilder lost a point, but I didn’t see the ref motion for it or what happened.  (Yes, I was watching.)

Round 4: This time I saw the ref motion for a point on Wilder, but apparently that was a warning.   (This is definitely a place I missed out not getting this in English.)  Wilder backpedaled on a hit and fell backward on the canvas.  Ref kept the fight going and kept having to break them up.  They were hugging like a slow dance at the prom.  Fury.

Round 5: Fury unleashed a massive combo that sent Wilder into the ropes.  A left dropped Wilder, but it seemed more like exhaustion than the hit itself.  Wilder backed up into the ref trying to get away.  Wilder seemed punch drunk.  Fury, I think, got a warning from the ref on a hit.  “Don’t knock him out too soon.  We need a couple more rounds.”  Fury was raining blows at the bell.  Fury.

Round 6: There was a huge exchange with both fighters buried into each other jabbing.  Wilder took a left and seemed dazed.  Fury then wrapped Wilder into the ropes and licked his neck.  I can’t believe I just wrote that.  I didn’t need to see that.  Fury took the round in very poor taste.  (He had to do something to make the fight memorable.)

Round 7: Wilder was dancing backward and cringing with Fury’s advances.  (This is starting to sound sexual.)  Fury’s left jabs were taking a toll.  Fury unloaded on Wilder and put him into a post.  Wilder didn’t seem to be reacting at that point.  The ref finally stopped the fight.  Fury in 7 by TKO. 

What I did not realize at the time was that Wilder’s corner had thrown in the towel and stopped the fight.  I found this out a couple of days later on sports talk radio, and this was confirmed by a friend at work.  The TV coverage didn’t show the actual towel being thrown.  The commentators mentioned it, but in Spanish, so I didn’t pick up on that.  The ref had apparently shown that he was going to let the fight keep going until Wilder dropped, though he could have stopped it much earlier.  When his trainer figured that out and saw Wilder’s condition in the seventh, he couldn’t responsibly let the fight continue. 

I also found out later that Wilder was bleeding out of his ears.  He had popped an eardrum when he went down in the third.  Wilder lost his equilibrium for the rest of the fight.  It was amazing he could stand up, much less fight.  Another co-worker said he wished he’d taken my advice and just gotten an antenna, rather than buying the fight.  Still, he had friends over and had a good time.   

Wilder seemed briefly upset afterward, but not too much.  A couple of days later, he blamed the weight of his entrance costume.  Fine.  The crowd seemed okay with the decision and the winner.  Wilder might have been able to stand up longer, but he wasn’t going to win.  As much as a wipeout as this fight was, it was a fight.  The combatants were not having a “technical” fight or carefully executing a thoughtful strategy; they were wailing on each other.  At least it was over before it got dragged out further.  Okay, I actually sort of enjoyed this “Big fight.”  I’ll give the rematch a chance. 

NM State Aggies vs Iona Gaels Baseball Feb 21 to 23-20

Since I only went to one game of this four-game series, I thought I’d combine the recaps.  Featured above is one of the two new schedule posters available.  Nick Gonzales is looking handsome there.  I learned a couple of things about the opposition.  Iona is in New York.  Their coach, Paul Panik, is the older brother of former Giant and World Series winner, Joe Panik.    

  

2-21-20

I’m kind glad I wasn’t there for the Friday game because of the in climate weather.  It was cold and overcast, but at least it wasn’t windy.  It may not have been too bad as long as the sun was out, but this late afternoon game didn’t finish that quick.  I started out listening to the game over the radio, but was able to watch on the WAC Digital Network when I got to work.  My friend Ron was actually there.  He didn’t think it was too bad.   

Gael Jake Liberatore led off the game with a first pitch home run.  Aggie starter Chance Hroch was known for avoiding giving up homers, so that was a bit of a shocker.  Nick Gonzales came back in the bottom of the first with an answering shot off a pitcher who hadn’t given up a homer all last year.  However, the Gaels added a two-run homer in the second to make it 3-1.    

Noah Haupt was back in the Aggie lineup.  I found out he’d been ejected last weekend for arguing balls and strikes.  Hroch had his best inning in the third with three strikeouts, but the Gaels increased their lead to 4-1 in the fourth.  In the fifth, Nick was robbed of a home run by the right fielder going over the wall to bring it back.  Hroch was out in the sixth and Mitchell Allen relieved him.  In the inning, a Gaels player was ejected for arguing balls and strikes.  No backtalk to the umps today either.

The ejected player’s replacement made an error in the bottom of the sixth that scored two for the Aggies, 4-3.  Allen allowed a run in the seventh to make it 5-3.  In the bottom, the Aggies loaded the bases.  Another Gael error scored two more runs.  A fielder’s choice and a hit scored two more to give the Aggies a 7-5 lead.  Alex Reyes worked the last two innings to nail it down for the 7-5 win.   

2-22-20 Game 1

Ron wasn’t able to go to this game, but I decided to go by myself.  The weather forecast for the weekend was poor, but Saturday morning it was only a bit chilly and overcast.  Since I had things (other sports) to do this evening, I decided I’d only stay for one game of this double header.  I made that stick by only taking along one set of scorecards.  (Have to have scorecard for every game I go to.  If I don’t, there will be a triple-play, a no-hitter, and/or Nick will hit four home runs, which will all cause me to be miserable because I didn’t record it.)

Emerson was a pleasant sight right at the front gate, but I didn’t see much of her later.  They only had a couple of promotions during the game.  Perhaps they were saving some for Game 2.  I made a mistake after entering by going to the Concessions.  They’ve taken their best item, Corn-in-the-cup, off the menu.  (And it was only ever good about half the time.)  The hot dog was only barely warm and the bun was stale and soggy.  The Lays chips were even a bit subpar.  Pepsi was the only soda choice.  At least it was cold.     

There was only Country music playing over the PA during warm-ups for a change.  Iona was wearing bright yellow jerseys with maroon trim.  Pretty nice.  They brought plenty of fans with them.  They were happy to be here, since it was still nicer here than where they’re from.  The rest of the crowd turned out to be pretty good too, but were kind of quiet.  The dugouts were fairly chatty to make up for it.

Three former Aggie athletes, who were being inducted into the Aggie Hall of Fame at tonight’s Men’s Basketball game, threw out the first pitches.  One of them brought a little boy with bright rusty red hair, hard to miss.  The former footballer threw from the rubber.  The Women’s Basketball player threw from the foot of the mound.  The former Men’s Basketball player threw from the rubber, but not without shaking off the catcher twice.  He nearly missed him, but the guy was still looking good in a great suit.  They all seemed to enjoy the experience.

      

This game became very tense late as my mechanical pencil ran out of lead.  I was forced to continue the scorecards in pen.  I could only hope nothing weird happened.  I ended up making a couple of judgment calls, since there wasn’t a radio call to bail me out.  New for this lineup, Tristan Peterson was in to catch, Zach Smits took his place at first, and freshman Mark McNelly was in at DH.

Aggie starter Lyle Hibbitts gave up a single in the first, but it was erased on a double play.  Iona star, Jake Liberatore, had to duck under one pitch over his head.  Hibbitts was pitching inside to guys.  Iona pitcher Mario Ferraioli came on in the bottom with the PA playing Welcome to the Jungle.  Nick Gonzales hit a deep fly to right, but it was flagged down.  The white sky must have made high flies difficult.  I had trouble tracking them.  Peterson banged an encouraging ringing double, but was left stranded.

An adorable baby in a green frog onesie came in with his dad carrying him like a doll for the second inning.  Hibbitts had two strikeouts in the inning.  One batter fired a foul into his own dugout.  A couple of guys collapsed.  It looked bad, but apparently didn’t hit anyone as the Iona players were laughing.  “I’m not moving!” one of them shouted. 

In the bottom, Kevin Jimenez doubled to start.  Left fielder Brian Picone then robbed Smits of a home run.  These Gael outfielders are pretty good.  McNelly sacrificed KJ in.  Daniel Head singled and was driven in by Zerek Saenz.  Nick struck out looking to end the inning with two on.  He was smiling while he said a few words to the ump.  The pitch looked outside to me too.  2-0 Aggies.

Peterson and Smits were tested in the third on a dropped third strike call.  TP made a wide throw and Smits had to stretch out for it.  The Aggie dugout loved it.  Between innings, I asked an Iona fan photographing the team about their coach.  She confirmed what I’d heard about him.  I told her I was a Giants fan and appreciated Joe Panik’s play in the World Series a few years ago.  She said they’d gone out there to see him play a couple of times. 

In the bottom, Ferraioli made a good play on a bunt by Austin Duffy.  KJ singled and advanced to third on a successful pickoff throw that the first baseman then overthrew.  Smits came up and a fan called him, “Big perm.”  (I haven’t seen him without his hat.  I wouldn’t know.)  The ump lost track of the count and rung him up on the second strike.  “Perm” went ahead and struck out on the next pitch anyway.         

It got a bit colder as more clouds moved in.  I kept watching the sky to see if any rain was coming.  Hibbitts got the first two outs, then hit the next batter.  Hib then picked him off to end the fourth inning.  McNelly singled in the bottom.  Danel drove Picone to the wall with a drive, but it was hauled in.  The game was clipping along at a quick pace, but that was about to change. 

In spite of letting on a couple of runners, Hib had only faced the minimum through four innings.  In the fifth, things started going south.  A double, a walk, and a single loaded the bases without an out.  After a mound visit, Hib walked in a run and gave up a two-run single.  Aldo Fernandez came in with two on and still nobody out.  He started a double play and got a strikeout.  3-2 Gaels.  In the bottom, a bad throw by the shortstop got Duffy to second.  KJ grounded to second next and the ball was muffed.  Unfortunately, Duffy tried to score on it and was easily thrown out.  He jumped into the catcher trying to avoid the tag.

I saw a co-worker at the game and said, “Hi.”  I’d seen him on Opening Day.  Somehow, we haven’t seen each other in stands, only in passing.  Aldo had a bad sixth.  He got two outs, but loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter.  Two singles drove in three more runs, but Aldo finished it out.  6-2 Gaels. 

Ferraioli had pitched a good game, but he was bounced after giving up a single and run-scoring double to Head.  The next Gael pitcher failed to record an out, as three more runs scored thusly.  Saenz got on via a tough chance on a grounder at second.  Tristan Stacy had an RBI single.  With two on, a hush came over the crowd as Nick came to the plate, but he worked a walk and came home on a wild pitch later.  TP got a bases loaded walk, before another pitcher had to come in.  He gave up a mile-high sac fly to Duffy for the fifth run of the inning.  Suddenly, the Aggies were up 7-5.

The sun came back out and it warmed up, but I’m sure that was just a coincidence.  Frank Dickson Jr. took the mound for the Aggies in the seventh.  He worked a quick inning with Nick contributing two slick plays at short.  Noah Haupt pinch hit to start the seventh.  He got on with an error and advanced to second on a passed ball.  However, he was cut down going to third on a good play by short on a fielder’s choice.  McNelly drove another ball into the Gael dugout before striking out.  Cal Villareal, pinch hitting on the FC, made it to second on a wild pitch.  He was scored on another single by Stacy.  Nick got his first hit of the day on an infield single, which loaded the bases.  Unfortunately, TP struck out.  8-6 Aggies.

Nick started the eighth with a highlight reel play.  He knocked down a ball to his right deep in the hole and still threw out the runner.  A Gael batter nearly took out the hole batter in the dugout before getting on from being hit.  That dugout has easily been the most dangerous place in the ballpark today.  Jason Bush pinch hit in the bottom.  He walked, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on a McNelly single to make it 9-6.  Bush stayed in to catch and made a good play on a foul popup in the ninth.  Dickson closed it out with no drama.  9-6 Aggies was the final.

Gameballs.  The bottom of the order for both teams did most of the damage.  Derek Becker and pinch hitter Jim Pasquale both drove in three runs for the Gaels.  Mark McNelly went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI’s, and Tristan Stacy went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI’s.  Credit to Nick Gonzales, even if his bat was a bit quiet, he did it with his glove in this game.  Starting pitching was good for both teams up to a point.  Neither starter figured into the decision.  Frank Dickson’s three scoreless and hitless innings locked down the win.

It was another entertaining game and another comeback win for the Aggies.  I don’t know if they can count on other teams making errors and having poor relievers though.  (With three errors, it was surprising the Gaels didn’t lose worse.)  It was swell, but not enough Emerson today to make it great.  

Game 2

After getting a satisfying amount of baseball today, I went straight home afterward.  The game had finished in just under three hours, but I didn’t want to go for dinner at 3:00pm.  (Though I considered going for ice cream.)  It was mentioned during Aggie Men’s Basketball later in the evening that the Aggies had won Game 2, but I didn’t get a score until later, 8-1.

I felt a bit better about not staying for Game 2 when I heard it raining outside my window a couple of hours after I got home.  It was only light sprinkles, but it had gotten cold outside with the sun down.  During the basketball game, Nick Gonzales was honored out on court.  He was in a sports coat that looked borrowed.  I suspect in a few months Nick’s wardrobe will get an upgrade.

2-23-20

I admit, even without Ron and mine’s plans to go to hockey in El Paso on Sunday, I’m not sure I would have gone to this game.  The high cold winds would have made viewing conditions miserable.  While the game featured some impressive hitting and pitching by the Aggies against Iona, it was a blow out.  It wouldn’t have been entertaining to sit through while shivering.

Once again, the game started an hour after its scheduled start time.  Is the schedule wrong on all of these Sunday games?  I tuned in on the radio before leaving and we listened to most of the game on the way to El Paso.  The hit parade started early with, of course, Nick Gonzales, who hit a first inning two-run homer.  Jason Bush, with his .500 average, was moved into the clean-up position and delivered an RBI in the third.  Zach Smits also drove in a run to make it 5-0 Aggies. 

I haven’t seen newcomer Tommy Tabak play, but he was impressive in the fourth.  He hustled a double out of a single, stole third, and took home on an error.  Bush came up and hit a three-run homer.  The ump then warned the Iona dugout.  Whatever they were saying after that home run to the Aggies apparently crossed the line.  I didn’t mention it before, but heard somebody yesterday from that dugout saying something derogatory about Las Cruces.  I don’t even understand that kind of criticism.

Chris Jefferson worked six scoreless innings today and has worked 11 scoreless this season.  In the sixth, Tristan Peterson hit his first home run of the season, in addition to getting hit a couple more times.  In the seventh, Nick hit a three-run homer to make it 15-0.  At this point, we lost radio reception travelling.  Looking it up later, the Aggies unsurprisingly won 18-4.  Nick Gonzales put up video game-like numbers today going 5 for 6 with 7 RBI’s.  It was another series sweep for the Aggies this weekend.