Baseball Journal: Bananas

 

6-3-26

LA Angel Jo Adell, who robbed three home runs in April, had a ball deflect off this head for a home run last night.    This game has a way of humbling you.

At the Chihuahuas game against the Space Cowboys, Cavan Biggio flied out to Will Wagner.    That’s Craig Biggio’s kid flying out to Billy Wagner’s kid.    While those two were teammates in Houston, Cavan is on the Cowboys, the Astros’ affiliate, while Will is on the Chihuahuas, though he was on Cowboys in a previous season.    While it was raining cats and dogs here in Las Cruces, apparently it wasn’t raining in El Paso.    Apart from some wind gusting in, there was no rain for the entire game.    Maybe that was too bad for the Chihuahuas as they lost, 15-8.

6-7-26

The big news this weekend (for me, at least) was the MLB debut of former Aggie, Sammy Natera, with the Angels.    I’d heard him pitch well for Salt Lake City against the Chihuahuas, so this was not unexpected.    From what I saw, his line was 2 innings, no runs, no hits, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts.    He’s looking good and Aggie Baseball will need to add another plaque to their batting cage.

I tuned into the Angels versus Dodgers game on Sunday afternoon on a Mexican station.    Natera did not pitch, but it was still interesting.    The Angels had a 6-1 lead in the fifth.    The Dodgers came with 4 runs in the sixth, but the Halos came up with 6 runs in the seventh.    The stat line right afterward was amazing.    The bottom half of their order went 11 for 11 at that point in the game.    Angels win 13-5, as Dodger management vowed to purchase every good free agent at the trade deadline.

Before this game, I went for lunch with dad and his neighbor to Roni’s for their great mac and cheese.    The three best words in the English language are not, “I love you,” it’s “Chicken Bacon Ranch.”    It was great, but it was over $45 with me paying for just myself and dad.    No wonder the place was empty.   

We came back and watched some Banana Ball.    It was a first with the Party Animals headlining a game in an MLB stadium, not the famous Savannah Bananas.    The two games in Milwaukee still sold out.    The fans there were tremendous.    They even caught 4 foul balls for outs.    (It’s so entertaining, I can almost see this rule being implemented in Major League Baseball, but how do you score that?    FF10?)

Elsewhere, the Rangers lost 6-0 on Saturday to the INDIANS!    However, the Rangers came back Sunday with a 10-0 win.    In Triple-A, the Chihuahuas finally broke a 6-game home losing streak on Saturday.    I think they hit a low-point on Friday night with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth, but the Space Cowboys’ reliever struck out the side.

6-11-26

It was a two-and-a-half hour rain delay with no rain.  So much for listening to the Rangers and the Royals’ baseball game this afternoon before work.  Never trust a Kansas City weather forecaster.  Rain Delay Theater was somewhat more relaxing than what I would have been listening to, I guess.

Meanwhile, the A’s were playing for a week in their future home city of Las Vegas at their Triple-A ballpark.    Early in the week, the A’s and the Brewers stunned the baseball world with a combined 11-home run barrage.    I don’t think Las Vegas Ballpark is known for being that hitter-friendly.    Maybe the wind was blowing out?   

In the evening, the Chihuahuas were playing Round Rock.   Early in the game, Nick Prado, who had changed dugouts after a trade during the series, hit a Chihuahua home run into the corner.    Broadcaster Tim Hagerty couldn’t see it, because the press box only had an occluded view to that corner.  

The pups got an amazing tenth inning win.    Up a run, the Express had the tying and winning runs on at the corners with one out.  The runner at first attempted to steal second.    The pitcher had already disengaged twice, but still threw to first and picked off the runner.    The runner at third tried to score and was thrown out at the plate to end the game, 7-6.    If the pick off hadn’t worked that would have balked in the tying run.   

6-14-26

This Sunday there was an unexpected ABC broadcast of the Cubs versus Giants.  I thought they’d abandoned MLB TV broadcasts.  It was a beautiful day in San Francisco and a full house.    Giants’ pitcher Logan Webb was pitching very well during the game.    In the eighth, a Cubs’ run came in via an error with two outs.  The manager went out to get Webb.    After a 5-second conversation, Webb stayed in.   The next pitch was a blast out to right field, a sure double.    Jun-hoo Lee ran it down, reached out and caught it, and ran right into the foul pole.    He held on.    Webb waited for him by the dugout to thank him, as the crowd chanted, “Jun-hoo!”    Giants win, 5-1.

I’d watched the game over at dad’s apartment.    I’d called him earlier about getting a pizza.    While I was out paying for the pizza, he called and asked about going out for a pizza with his neighbor, who had just invited him.    I told him to go ahead go, but dad chose me and told me bring the pizza I’d bought.    “She probably just wanted somebody to pay for the meal anyway,” he said.    I sure wasn’t going to pay for two pizzas.

   

A storm went through while I tried to listen to the Chihuahuas at Round Rock.  It was probably a good thing the pups were on the road.    The storm moved steadily from here to El Paso.    I think it was a good game.    I couldn’t hardly tell, because weather alerts were going off constantly on the radio.    In the eighth, the Chihuahuas took the lead on a bases loaded walk.    In the ninth, the pups blew the save and then lost it on a bases loaded walk to rehabbing Ranger, Josh Smith, who successfully challenged the final pitch, 5-4 Round Rock.

NBC was showing the Rangers at the Red Sox, but the story was the crowd.    A large contingent of Scotsmen were there for the World Cup.    They were celebrating Scotland winning their soccer match.    Some were in kilts.    Many were wearing a Scotish dark blue Red Sox shirt.    They’d had a parade before the game complete with bagpipes.    The Scots were standing, chanting, and singing for the whole game.    They sang all of Sweet Caroline, even when the PA stopped playing it.    They got louder as the game went on.   

However, Rangers would win it 6-4.    The Red Sox did make a pretty good comeback in the game to make it interesting.    Ranger Wyatt Langford hit a first pitch homer into the Green Monster Seats where it was retrieved by a group of Ranger fans.    Ranger Kyle Higashioka later hit a 3-run homer into the Monster seats that was retrieved by a happy kid in a Scotland jersey.

The Stanley Cup playoffs Game Six was on as well at the same time.    Congrats to the Carolina Hurricanes for their victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.    I only watched the third period with everything else on.    I was just never able to get into hockey this season.

6-18-26

You know your team is swooning when the regular announcers don’t even show up for the game.    The Rangers got swept by the Twins.    Today’s outcome was 9-3.    Eric Nadel, who isn’t doing home games, and Matt Hicks weren’t available for the broadcast.    At least it wasn’t totally unfamiliar with Jared Sandler there.    He was working with another guy I hadn’t heard before, whose name I didn’t get as usual.    He had a good voice and did a good job on a lousy game.                

6-19-25

I was home on a Friday night for the Juneteenth holiday.    Dad thankfully reminded me that the Rockies were playing on TV.    They were playing the Pirates and I found myself kind of rooting for both teams.    Aggie star, Nick Gonzales, was hitting second in the lineup for the Bucs.    He’s batting .293 and is now playing third, which I never saw him do at NMSU.    The Rockies announcers did give a shoutout to New Mexico State.

The Chihuahuas and the Rangers were playing on the radio at the same time.    I had to pick one and the Chihuahuas had better reception.    (Actually, it was okay reception versus no reception.)    I did get an update on the Ranger game anyway.    Broadcaster Tim Hagerty reported the Padres’ Ty France had hit a grand slam off Jacob deGrom and hit another homer in his next at bat.    The Rangers still won, 9-7.    I missed a good game there.

Back in Denver, Rockies pitcher, Kyle Freeland, got his 1,000 career strikeout in the seventh.    Some of the crowd were aware of it before the announcement and were cheering him on.   Freeland waved at the crowd and struckout the next batter to end the inning.    He put down 15 down in a row with 8 strikeouts.    Unfortunately in the eighth, he gave up a run and was taken out.    Pirate Bryan Reynolds, a late scratch in the lineup, came in to pinch hit, and on the first pitch, drove in the tying run to make it, 2-2.    Nick then tripled in the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the eighth with two outs, Rockies pinch hitter, Broxton Fulford, doubled in two runs to give the Rox back the lead, 4-3.    In the top of the ninth, the Pirates loaded the bases with no outs.    Reliever Antonio Senzatela got a strikeout and a double play to end the game, 4-3 Rockies.    What a game!    Let’s hear it for the day off.

It was also a sub two-and-a-half hour game.    I turned the Chihuahuas’ game back on. When the sun went down, the reception had gotten too bad to listen to.  I’d thought it was a close game when I left.    Imagine my shock that it was 14-1 pups over the Aces after a 7-run eighth.   The Aces even sent in a position player to pitch for part of that eighth inning.  The Chihuahuas have strangely been playing better since the Padres called up several of their best players.

Oddly I was getting better reception out of Albuquerque for an Isotopes’ game that was still going on late.    They had a 9-3 win over Sugar Land.    They’re going to finish the first half over .500, which is an accomplishment for them.

6-20-26

The next night, nearly the same situation.    Paul Skenes started for the Pirates against the Rockies.   I didn’t get to hear that part of the game.    I couldn’t get KOA until the sun went down.    I missed the Rockies’ Jake McCarthy hitting a lead off inside-the-park home run in the first.    It was an epic 13-second dash around the basepads.

When I was listening, it was the ninth with the Rockies up, 2-1.    However, the Pirates had the bases loaded and two outs.    On a slow roller to third, the fielder had no play on it, but he waved that he was interfered with by the runner coming from second.  I hear alternating accounts that the runner had brushed the fielder or the ball.    The umps conferenced and agreed that interference had happened and that was the end of the game.    Rockies win, 2-1.    Lucky wins still count.    Did I hear the postgame correctly? This was the first time since last year that the Rockies had won two in a row?    Also, they had 40k fans there.    They’re over a million in attendance already this year?    For this team?

NASCAR was racing in San Diego at the naval base there.    There were issues on the temporary street course. The Truck Series only had 4 undamaged vehicles by the end of the race.    The O’Reilly Series race, which I tried to watch, had an hour delay at the beginning of the race as a manhole cover came up and damaged a car.    They had to check all of the manhole covers at that point.    Then there was another hour delay with a 19-car wreck at the start of Stage 3. 

I thought the late finish would mean they’d join the following Banana Ball game in progress or not at all, but they waited two hours to start the game.    This meant that the fans were there after midnight in Nashville to watch the Party Animals versus the Texas Tailgaters.    At least they got a good game. 

In the ninth, a fan might have caught a ball for the second out of the inning, but he was on the concourse where there are no cameras.    The players and fans complained.    The fan even came out on field with the ball, but it was disallowed.    After a 14-pitch battle, which included another near foul out to a fan, the batter ended up hitting a 3-run homer for the Tailgators to put them in the lead.    In the bottom, there was a near fight between the teams after a play at the plate.    The Party Animals did come back and win it in the bottom of the inning, though.

NM State Aggies vs Towson Tigers Baseball 2-22-26

I saw an interview with Aggie Baseball great, Nick Gonzales, for his Aggie Hall of Fame induction.  When asked about his career, he was very grateful for the experience and the travel and said, “It never felt like a job.”    Hopefully, he’ll stick in the league for a while longer.    I just had to get this little story in somewhere.

Aggie Baseball started their 2026 season on the road against Baylor.    Usually, they’re at home, but they may have scheduled this to give themselves more time for the changes to their stadium.    This trip made the MLB website: “College player hits three grand slams in game.”  It wasn’t the Aggies who did the hitting.    Baylor Bear, Tyce Armstrong, went 3 for 4 with 12 RBI’s.    It was also a 7-inning, 15-2, run ruled game.    Colton Sneddon had a good start, but Cooper Reese (who we are rooting for) took the loss with 5 earned runs in 1 inning.    The next two games were, at least, closer losses at 5-2 and 7-3.    Connor Wylde made a good start in the finale.

The Aggies also played a single game against #21 Oklahoma at Globe Life Stadium, home of the Texas Rangers.    (OK’s stadium was also being renovated.)    Attendance for the game was only listed at 250, though.    There was well more than that for the Sooners playing the Aggies in Softball here last week.  The Sooners won, 10-6. Bryce Campbell hit his second home run of the season and the relief pitching did well.    Aidan Taclas led the Aggies with a .345 BA.

The Aggies’ home opening series was against the Towson Tigers.    They’ve been here before in 2016 (2-20-16) and 2018 (2-17-18).  AD Fields said that they had found a temporary solution to the canopy issue.    As near as I can tell the solution is that the team is scheduling most of their games for nighttime.    It was a simple, but elegant solution, unless it’s 50-degrees at game time and falling fast.    This caused me to skip the team’s first two games.   

The stadium has been renamed SportsGamblingAddict.com Stadium.    Just kidding, it’s Johnson Stadium after Mike and Judy Johnson, who have paid for a lot of improvements (though not a new canopy or scoreboard yet).    Technically, it is still Presley Askew Field, though.

I listened to Friday night’s game over the radio.    Colton was starting again, although so far nothing it’s been nothing but staff days for pitching. Jonatan Clough made his first appearance of the season.   

Towson took an early 4-0 lead.    The Aggies got runners on, but couldn’t get them in.    In the bottom of the fifth, Campbell and Easton Rulli drove in 3 runs, but an out on bases ended the inning early.    In the top of the sixth, the ump made a bad call on a dropped third strike, which loaded the bases for the Tigers. (The ump seemed to make an out call since first base was occupied, though there were two outs.    This would be scored as a passed ball that let the batter on.)    The Tigers scored 2 more runs after that.   

The crowd of 763 braving the cold was getting restless on further calls by the ump.    In the bottom of the seventh, Talcas tripled and scored a run and Campbell drove in a run.    Down 3 in the bottom of the ninth with 2 outs, Rulli hit the top of fence and drove in 2, but the Aggies couldn’t get him in for an 8-7 loss.

The Saturday night game was also on the radio.    Adam Young was doing basketball and a sub was in.    I didn’t get his name, but he was very enthusiastic. He made a couple of mis-calls, but immediately corrected them.

Towson started off with a bases loaded walk, which forced an early Aggie pitching change. 2-0 Towson.    Rulli doubled in 2 runs to tie it in bottom first.    Cole Rogers drove in a run in the sixth and Boston Vest sac’d in a run to give the Aggies a 4-2 lead.   

In the seventh, Towson brought in a run to make it 4-3, but in the bottom Steve Solorzano hammered one and Rogers drove 2 more.    7-3 Aggies.    Broadcast issues dropped the game coverage at the beginning of the game and then late. I flipped over to Aggie Basketball, where it was a close game.    I flipped back in time to hear a Tiger outfielder drop a flyball from Rulli and two more runs scored.    Aggies win 9-3.    Connor Wylde gave up 1 run in four innings of work and got the win.    Attendance for the game was only 412.    The Men’s Basketball game and the cold probably lowered the crowd.

Sunday morning was bright and sunny.    I was glad I waited for nice day to go the rubber game between the Aggies and the Towson Tigers.    All of the signage now does say, “Johnson Stadium.”    Maybe they’re hoping the Johnson family will fund a new canopy and a new video scoreboard after this honor.    The old scoreboard and empty scaffolding overhead does look rather poor with the bright, colorful new all-turf field.    Like Softball, an orange safety bag has been installed at first.

The full-color picture of Joey Ortiz has finally been remounted on the batting facility.    This was probably to avoid embarrassment as Ortiz was just inducted into the Aggie Hall of Fame.    I’ve discussed the new Diamond Club before (10-11-25).  I was surprised to hear that berm seating had been added to the facility in right field.    I’m not sure how you get to it, as it’s next to the gated off Diamond Club.    It’s also just a mound of dirt.    Fan Michael said it was for the kids, but he doubts they’ll use it.    Kids usually like running around under the stands and chasing foul balls.   

Regardless of the improvements, it was all for nothing.    There was no corn-in-a-cup available at the Concessions.    They were out of corn.    I suddenly regretted not having breakfast.    Entering the stadium, I ran into the Reese family sitting in the center reserved section of the stands.    They’d upgraded their season tickets.    This was too bad, since I was looking forward to chatting with Trey and Robin.    I was running late already.    I only mentioned to Robin that a club Men’s Volleyball program had just started at the university.

 

It was a light-looking crowd, but officially 711.    Maggie Lightheart and Bella Castro were under a blanket in the crowd representing Aggie Volleyball.    I found Michael in his usual spot.    I think he had a bit of a cold from being out in the cold for the last two nights.    He mentioned there had been a long line at the concessions for hot chocolate Friday and Saturday.    I did see fans with hot chocolate later.       

Aggie Football wide receiving star, TK King, threw out the first pitch. Unlike some other athletes, he made a nice throw.    He was surprisingly short compared to the Baseball players when standing at attention for the Anthem.   

The official scoring changed after the game, so we’ll never know how close I was to getting the scorecards correct.    After sitting down, a cold wind immediately started blowing right to left across the field.    Thankfully, it wasn’t blowing straight in.    I had a thermal shirt on, so I wasn’t freezing, but I wished I had a coat on over my hoodie.

The wind made flyballs and popups an adventure starting in the first inning, with Bradyn Barnes starting for the Aggies.    He worked 1-2-3 first.    In the bottom, the Aggies worked a pair of back-to-back walks.    Bryce Campbell came up and grounded to third.    The third baseman got the force at third, but threw the ball away going to first. Steve Solorzano came around and scored to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead.

   

The PA announced it was 37-degrees in Maryland, where Towson is, and it was snowing.    In Las Cruces, it was 54-degrees with an 8-mph wind, but seemed a lot stiffer and colder.    It’s a consolation that it wasn’t not snowing.    However, I overheard some visitors complaining about 6:00pm start time for Saturday.    It would have been much warmer to play the game during the day, which was my complaint exactly.   

Barnes ran into immediate trouble with two walks to start the bottom of the second.    After a sac bunt, Brady Nathison cashed them with a single, 2-1 Towson.    In the bottom of the first, Chris Daniels found the jetstream blowing out to left for a home run to tie it up.    There was no hot chick doing souvenir tosses to the crowd today after the homer.    It was a guy, who was doing an indifferent, terrible job of it.    This was a definite downgrade.   

   

Cole Rogers hit an infield popup.    The second baseman didn’t see it, as the ball swirled in the wind.    The first baseman went for it and may or may not have touched it, but it dropped and he took a hard luck error.    Rogers ended up on second.    Catcher Dane Woodcook bunted and it turned into an infield hit.   

With runners on the corners, the Aggies tried a safety squeeze, but only Woodcook advanced.    Boston Vest came up and hit a popup behind the plate.    Tiger Catcher, Brian Heckelman, couldn’t catch it in the wind.    Vest would end up popping out on the infield.    A walk loaded the bases, but a flyball ended the inning, tied at 2.     

The top of the third, the Tigers had back-to-back homers to left field via the jetstream. Adam Young on the radio call would later remark that the wind didn’t have anything to do with the score.    Those balls might have gone out anyway, but I’d beg to differ that the wind didn’t make a difference.    This chased Barnes from the game.    JT Price finished the inning with a single and two strikeouts.    There was a stolen base off of Woodcook trying to frame pitch.    4-2 Towson.   

       

Two big, beautiful, fluffy golden retrievers came in.    I thought about trying to bribe their owner into letting me borrow them to sit in mine and Michael’s laps to keep us warm.    Where was Michael?    He disappeared earlier.    Some more Volleyball girls came in, including Mia Fox.    Michael came back to his seat after chatting her up first.    (Actually, she’d stopped him to say, “Hi.”)    Michael had gone out to retrieve Daniels’ home run, his first in college ball.    He gave it to Daniel’s mom in the crowd.

Marketing Director Nicole Sack came by and said, “Hi.”    I questioned the inclusion of the Dancing Cowboy in the Aggie Softball intro video (2-15-26).  She was aware that he was rooting for the other team, but was limited on the clips at the beginning of the season.    It would be fixed.   

And there was also a ball game going on.    In the bottom of the third, the Aggies got two on via singles, but they were in between a double play.    Nathison in center made a diving catch on a liner to end the inning.

Jack Turner came in and worked a quick top of the fourth.    He had two strikeouts and only threw one ball.    In the bottom, Rogers dribbled one on the infield.    A bad throw allowed him to make it to first.    Rogers stole second, but the Tigers put in a new pitcher, Jake Michel, who finished out the inning without letting him score.

I hustled to the bathroom.    Coming back, I encountered a stiff headwind that held me up.    Turner gave up a single and walk to start the fifth, but a double play and a looking strikeout ended the inning.   

Tiger pitcher Michel got two quick outs to start the bottom of the fifth, but then ran into trouble.    He hit Easton Rulli.    (Maybe it was because of his Hollaback Girl walkup music.    Really?)    A single and two more walks forced in a run.    Woodcook then made a swinging bunt and legged it out, which drove in another run.    Who says, “Catchers are slow?”    Vest was hit to drive in a third run before the Tigers brought in Austin Perando to finish the inning.    The Aggies had tied it at 5.    They patiently worked a bunch of full counts in the inning.

In crowd, there was a guy with a little dog.    The dog was wearing a vest with a handle on top and the guy was carrying the dog like a piece of luggage.    I wish I had a picture.    Turner stranded a leadoff walk in the top of the sixth with two more strikeouts.    Likewise in the bottom, the Aggie stranded a double by Campbell.    The wind was still blowing, but the sun was fully out and it was warmer.   

In the top of the seventh, the Tigers started the inning with a pair of singles.    Turner fielded a bunt back to him and threw out the lead runner at third.    He got a looking strikeout for the second out and got within a strike of getting out of the inning.    Keldrin Rodriguez instead doubled to right field and drove in a run.    Nigel Sebastianelli kept running from first when the throw went to second.    The relay beat him at home, but went past the catcher for another run.   

There was then a bobbled grounder to short that brought in another run.    This would have been a second error in the inning on Vest, but it was later changed to a hit.    Woodcook would throw out a runner at second to end the inning.    Damage done.    Towson up 8-5.   

In the bottom of the seventh, Heckelman dropped a second popup behind the plate.    Again, no error was charged because of the conditions.    Adam observed that he should be tossing his mask on foul balls.    The third baseman overthrew first on an infield hit by Rogers, which advanced him to second, but he was left stranded there.         

Turner was back out for the top of the eighth and out for blood.    He emptied the tank with 3 looking strikeouts.    Jacob Whiteman, who’d come in in the seventh, also had a 1-2-3 bottom of the eighth.    Asa Briggs worked the ninth for the Aggies.    Brandon Clizbe, who’d pinch hit for Woodcook in the seventh (and I question that decision), made a play on a popup behind the plate to begin the inning.    The batter he got out was Heckelman, who was hopefully taking mental notes on the play.    Briggs only gave up a walk in the frame.

The Aggies would not go down without a fight.    Rulli was hit to begin the bottom of the ninth.    Daniels and Rogers both singled, which drove in a run.    Unfortunately, a foul out and a groundout ended the game with two on.    Towson wins 8-6.

There was no shame getting swept by Baylor and Oklahoma, but dropping a series to Towson is a terrible sign for the rest of the season.    The team seems to lack an actual starting pitcher.    With 13 runners left on base and 9 in scoring position, they weren’t driving in the runs necessary to cover the pitching.   

Gameballs.    For the Tigers, Brady Nathison went 3 for 3 with 4 RBI’s.    Austin Perando pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.    For the Aggies, Chris Daniels went 4 for 5 with a home run.    Cole Rogers was 2 for 4, but got on base in all 5 plate appearances and drove in 2 runs.    Jack Turner was the undeserved losing pitcher, as he turned in a 5-inning performance with 2 earned runs and 9 strikeouts.   

The game went 3 hours and 12 minutes and I was hungry.    I went back home and finally used the McAlister’s giftcard that my Aunt Judy had sent me for Christmas.    She had also included a coupon for free hot soup.    I’d been saving this for a time when I was cold and hungry.    That was today.   

I’d also talked to dad and he mentioned that the US Men’s Hockey team had won the gold medal at the Olympics this morning over Canada.    I’d seen that they were playing and forgotten all about it when I got to the ballpark.    U-S-A!    U-S-A!    I got to watch a replay of the game later that night.    It was a nice consolation win.    Also, even with the loss and the cold, it was nice to be out watching baseball again.

Memorial Day Weekend 2024 Part 2

Part 1

Sunday

I started watching a Blondie marathon Saturday night.  The Catchy Comedy network was showing the old movies and they are funny stuff.  They did a bunch of these in the 40’s.  There were running gags going through them, like Dagwood running over the mailman.  It was like a sitcom series, but for the movies.  Penny Singleton is extremely charismatic as the titular character (and also the voice of Jane Jetson).  Watching the kid actors grow up over the series was a trip.  I’d forgotten that there was also a string very classy hotties guest-starring in these movies as well.

 

I’m only mentioning this because there was a four-hour rain delay before the Indy 500 started.  I had plenty of time to watch Blondie.  This year, this would also be my only Memorial Day race.  Monaco’s F1 race was moved to ESPN, while ABC instead showed the NHL playoffs.  (The NY Rangers beat the Florida Panthers in OT.  They’re still early in the Western Conference final.) 

 

Also, dad was sick, so I was watching at home.  He said he didn’t need anything other than rest, so I just called a couple of times to check in on him.  He sounded better in the evening and did get up to watch the end of the race.  This left me in some suspense, as I wasn’t sure about dad or the race, so I just sat around waiting.  I wanted to rest my sore back, anyway. 

 

The Rangers were playing the Twins at noon on the radio to keep me company.  Corey Seager hit a couple of home runs in the game to help give the Rangers a 6-2 win and break their losing streak.  After Seager’s second homer in the fifth, the Indy coverage said they were an hour away from starting the race and dad said he was going to keep sleeping. 

 

I hadn’t eaten yet, so I took off next door to 5 Guys.  They’d sort of fallen out of favor with me.  (Legend Burger in the mall is better for the same inflated price.)  I got my usual plain hot dog and they gave me a bunch of fries.  It was really good.  The last two dogs I’d had there had had stale buns, but this one was fresh and perfect.  Still, dad had mentioned getting pizza today on Friday.  This was a bit of a comedown.    

 

I was a little shocked by the sunny skies over Indy when the race started.  It was overcast and raining hard earlier.  The Thunderbirds themselves were there for the Anthem flyover.  They made a surprise return for Back Home in Indiana and finished with a crowd-pleasing bomb burst over the track.  (Wait.  Not actually bombing the track.  They were flying in formation and then flew apart at the same time.)

 

The main storyline going into the race was NASCAR driver, Kyle Larson, was planning on doing the “Double” today.  The rain was messing up his tight schedule, but I was shocked he said, “Indy is the priority today.”  He would stick it out, as long as there was a chance of running the race today.  Jimmie Johnson was there doing some pre-race commentary with Danica Patrick.  He did bump out before the start of the race to go race in Charlotte today.

 

The first wreck happened even before the first lap finished.  Four cars were out almost immediately in the race for different reasons.  Katherine Legge’s engine blew up 23 laps in.  They were still running her sponsor commercial after she was out.  There was another blow up and a couple more solo crashes before we got inside 50 to go.  Larson did lead late, but that was due to a pit stop error earlier and he ended up on a different strategy. 

 

Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi started trading the lead as the laps wound down.   Pato O’Ward forced his way into second and passed for the lead with five to go to the cheers of the crowd.  (He’s got a lot of fans.)  Newgarden retook the lead with four to go, but Pato was in front to start the final lap.  Newgarden made the final pass for the lead coming out of the backstretch and took the checkers. 

 

Josef had won last year and had memorably rushed into the crowd at the finish line.  (Wait.  He got out of his car first and then went into the crowd.)  He did so again this time and went around further.  Josef had to sit down for a minute before his interview.  The exercise had winded him.  He and his crew had been penalized after the first race of the season and stripped of the win.  With much of his regular crew still suspended, this win was some vindication.           

 

I’d mentioned Newgarden to a co-worker on Friday and said he had “matinee idol” looks.  She looked at some of his pictures online and didn’t think he was that handsome.  Good grief, this guy makes my heart flutter a little.  She either has impossibly high standards or a really specific taste in men.

 

Poor Pato.  He sat in his car with his head down after the race.  To know how much this race means to the drivers, just look the reaction of the winner and the guy who came in second.  Kyle Larson took off in a helicopter after the race to catch a private jet.  He finished 18-th.  That’s pretty awesome for a rookie.  He was on his way to the NASCAR race, though it had probably been going on for two hours.  (And he didn’t to race.  It was rained out halfway through.) 

 

The Chihuahuas started their game with the Rivercats right after the race ended.  Sacramento went up 3-0 early.  It also got chippie.  After the third hit batter (hit in the back), the benches cleared (no fighting), and both teams were warned.

 

In the bottom of the fourth, a Rivercat player going after a flyball, hit the wall hard enough to open the gate.  He lost his hat and mitt, but still managed to throw the ball back in and hold the batter to a triple, instead of an inside-the-park home run.  The fielder had to come out after the play.  The pups get two runs in the inning to make it, 3-2.    

 

In the sixth, the Rivercats exploded for six runs to make it, 9-2.  Broadcaster Tim Haggerty started focusing on doing out-of-town scores after that.  In the eighth, Mason McCoy stole home on a loose ball at the plate.  The crowd loved it.  The Chihuahuas scored a couple more, but left the bases loaded.  McCoy also made a great diving play in the ninth, but pups didn’t have another rally in them and lost, 9-4.

 

Monday

Well, this recap is going to be quick and anticlimactic.  The Chihuahuas and Rangers had the day off and the Rockies were playing a day game I couldn’t get on the radio.  I was lucky that on Friday, KROD announced that they’d be carrying the Dodgers and the Mets in the afternoon, so wouldn’t be shutout.  

 

Unless there was a rain out.  I was lucky I tuned in on time and got the message.  I did try to watch tennis, after going out to get a slice of somewhat questionable pizza at the mall.  I lasted my usual 30 seconds.  Even watching my hero, Novak Djokovic, I couldn’t put up with the grunting.  I ended up watching some old sitcoms, reading a Conan trade paperback (which I’ll be reviewing in the near future), and taking an impromptu nap.  Well, not the worst way to spend the day off.