Tagged: Nationals
Great American Birthday
Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals (National League)
Great American Ballpark-Cincinnati, OH: I love it that I have a summer birthday. One perk is that it’s a good even split from presents at Christmas. My sister has a birthday on December 29th. It just seemed like Christmas presents simply flowed into birthday presents a few days later. Another perk of a summer birthday is that I can enjoy it at a ballgame. This year the Cincinnati Reds were nice enough to host a day game in celebration, so Brian and I made the short journey to enjoy some Major League Baseball. As usual, we parked over in Newport, KY, and took the boat across the Ohio River to the Great American Ballpark.
It was a super hot day out, but Brian still wanted to play on the kids’ field for a bit. Good gravy, the game hasn’t even started yet and this kid looks so hot and disheveled…
Our seats were amazing, even in the upper deck. We had front row and had a phenomenal view of the game taking place before us, sitting behind home plate. Unfortunately, as northern boys, the sun and heat were not making it comfortable for us, so we had to move down under some shade. At least we had a solid look at Eugenio Suarez’s home run in the second inning. And that was pretty much all the offense the Reds could muster.
Here’s a hit by Scooter!
If Tucker Barnhart is looking at me for a sign on what to throw to Bryce Harper, I have no clue. That guy can hit just about anything…
The game itself wasn’t a great one for the Reds. Scott Feldman started out on the mound, but only lasted one inning. He gave up five runs on five hits, including two home runs. One was a three-run blast by Harper. Well, he’s now on the DL… Asher Wojciechowski (who was just on Louisville last month) came in to throw five solid innings, giving up one run on two hits, while striking out four. And again, the only offense for the Reds was Suarez’s home run. FINAL: Reds 1, Nationals 6.
Despite the score and the heat, this was a great birthday. Lily and Trevor were up visiting Michigan, so I really missed them, but Brian and I had a good time. I definitely want to take in another game here before the season is over, but maybe in September, and maybe a night game so it’s cooler. We’ll be back at the Bats this weekend, but I can’t believe the season is half-way over, and we only have a few more games planned…
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Seeing Reds
Cincinnati Reds vs. Washington Nationals (National League)
Great American Ballpark-Cincinnati, OH: I have a new best friend, and it’s name is Seat Geek. It’s nice to live in an area where you don’t have to make plans too far out, as there are many places to catch a ballgame, and some days you have choices. When I woke up early Sunday morning, I checked out my app, and found fourth row tickets to the Cincinnati Reds game for only $9 each. I know the Reds aren’t exactly having the best season, but this was still a good deal in my mind, since it’s a ballpark we’ve never been to before. It was a day game, so God forgive me, we missed church, and drove just over an hour to Newport, KY. Now, Newport is a nice little town right on the Ohio River right across from Cincy, and after lunch were able to take a boat shuttle across the river to the game. It was pretty awesome, and only $5 a person. It’s better than paying and dealing with a parking garage, anyway.
A quick video:
The Great American Ballpark is a beautiful stadium, and it has a great baseball atmosphere. We were able to poke around a bit before the game, as there is lots to see once inside. Brian liked the play area, and especially the little fan ball field that he was able to play on.
We made it to our seats, and I was more than happy with our view! These are the kind of seats I’m used to at the Minor League venues. The boys were pretty much in ‘awe’, as this is the biggest stadium that they have ever been to.
Brian has a new best friend, too, and his name is Eugenio Suarez. When he was in the Detroit system, we saw him play as a member of the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps, and Brian just happened to be wearing a ‘Caps shirt. Suarez noticed it (I’m guessing, really, don’t know for sure, but..) he looked at Brian and threw him a game ball. Not bad, kid, a ball at your first MLB game!
Brian made another friend, too, as he noticed Mr. Redlegs up on he concourse, and of course, we had to run up there for a photo op with him!
Brian with Mr. Redlegs
Oh, yeah, and all this time, there was a ballgame going on, too. The Reds actually jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the 2nd inning. Pitcher Jon Moscot couldn’t hold the lead for his team, however, as the Nationals got all over him in the fourth inning scoring five, then the Nats scored five more over the next two innings. Moscot got the hook, but Daniel Wright didn’t do much better, giving up three runs in 1.1 innings and he ended up taking the loss.
The Reds really made a comeback, however, scoring three runs in the seventh and one in the ninth to cut the lead to one. Tyler Holt lead the way offensively, going 3-5 with two RBI’s. Jay Bruce chipping in, going 1-3 with two RBI’s and two runs scored, while Brandon Phillips added three hits and an RBI. FINAL: Reds 9, Nationals 10.
I also have to give a shout out to Kyle Waldrop, who we saw play in Louisville last month:
Also, I didn’t forget to take another video of the game and ballpark. I can’t wait until our next game here!
Photos and video property of Minoring In Baseball
Game 2 Scrappers/Doubledays
Mahoning Valley Scrappers vs. Auburn Doubledays (New York-Penn League)
Eastwood Field-Niles, OH: Well, I guess this would be considered the fifth game of our trip, still counting the All-Star Classic, the partial game in Columbus, the full game in Toledo, and the half game we already saw. At this point, counting innings instead of games may make more sense. Anyway, standing in line to get the $1 hot dogs and beers took a little longer than expected. It seemed the crowd came out just for the specials, and not really for the game. The crowd itself didn’t seem to be real baseball savvy, and no one seemed to be paying attention much to the game. It was good to see kids and families there, but atmosphere just wasn’t as good as other ballparks we’ve been to. Maybe it was the crowd the promotion brought out, but I though the proximity to Akron and Cleveland would bring out some of the baseball nuts, but then again we’re deep in the heart of football country…. I thought for sure I’d get my first NY-Penn League game ball, too, being next to the Auburn dugout, but I was shutout.
The second game was another pitcher duel, with the visiting Doubledays getting the better of this one. They scored two runs on seven hits, and that’s all that they would need. The Scrappers could only muster two hits in the game, one by outfielder Josh McAdams, and one by short stop Drake Roberts. On the mound for Mahoning Valley, Juan Santana took the loss despite only giving up one earned run in five innings, and striking out six batters. I’m not sure when we’ll have another opportunity to see a NY-Penn League game, we in all we did enjoy our time here in Niles. Final: Scrappers 0, Doubledays 2.
Here’s a video of the game from my YouTube channel. Feel free to subscribe, since my son Trevor is my lone subscriber at this point:
All photos and video property of Minoring In Baseball
Game 1 Scrappers/Doubledays
Mahoning Valley Scrappers vs. Auburn Doubledays (New York-Penn League)
Eastwood Field-Niles, Ohio: I was very excited about not only my first Scrappers game, but my first experience with the legendary New York-Penn League. As we usually do our baseball trip in May before the short season starts, we’ve just never had a chance to catch a New York-Penn League game. The ballpark is pretty unique, just in the fact that it’s located just behind a mall in Niles. What’s funny, is that they don’t just charge $2 for parking, but for fans that walk into the stadium. Hey, you don’t want fans parking at the mall to avoid that $2 do you? Such as things go, our first game didn’t go off smoothly, however. The same rain that washed us out of Columbus forced a cancellation here in Niles, also. They started a double-header and hour and a half earlier than the stated start time, and due to the drive from Toledo, we could only make the second half of game one. We had pretty good seats, though, and even another set of fans insisted that we were in the wrong seats. Of course we were right, and set camp right next to the Auburn Doubledays dugout. We were so close to the dugout, that you could probably just have put us on the roster. These amazing seats only cost me a whopping $5 a piece, another example of the minors being the best deal in pro sports. I tried to strike up a conversation with one of the Auburn players, but he no hablo ingles’. Because we’d already missed half of game one, I tried to snap as many pics as possible, too, to try to make up for lost time. Thier mascot is a bulldog named Scrappy, who we only saw a few times during some on-field activities, so I guess I was lucky to capture at least on photo of him. Personally, when I think of ‘Scrappy’, it’s that annoying puppy off Scooby-Doo…the only version of the show that Brian and I don’t watch.
What we saw of game one, was a good one, if you like pitching and defense, anyway. The teams only play a seven inning game when doing a double-header like this. The Scrappers were up 2-0 when we arrived, and saw them score another run in the fifth inning. The Mahoning Valley offense was led by first baseman Leo Castillo, who went 1-1 with two walks and a home run. Left fielder Jorge Martinez went 1-3 with two RBI’s, and center fielder Josh McAdams went 2-2. On the hill, Sean Brady threw four scoreless innings, but Justin Garcia earned the win, and Luis Gomez the save. Even though it was just half of a game, my first New York-Penn League experience was fun, and I expected a lot out of the next game. We took the time between games to get some $1 hot dogs and beers, and to visit the ‘Pet Shop’ gift store. I made a video during the second game, and I’ll have that posted on my next entry. Final: Scrappers 3, Doubledays 0.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
2012 Baseball Trip-Game 2: Red Wings Rematch
Syracuse Chiefs vs. Rochester Red Wings
Alliance Bank Stadium-Syracuse, NY: I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I love being at the ballpark early in the day. The grass still smells so fresh, and it just seems like the day was made for baseball, and nothing else. We were also blessed with another beautiful spring day to make us even more comfortable. Because of the noon start, eating lunch at the ballpark was essential. If you like hamburgers, this is the ballpark for you, as they have many different varieties, though they are pricey at $8 a piece. They offered good hot dogs, also, and a cold beer helped kick the day off. Since we sat in the front row for yesterday’s game, we decided to gain a little altitude and get a different perspective. One thing that I like about Bank Alliance Stadium, is that is does have a second deck to it, which is rare, even for Triple-A stadiums. The view of the game was fantastic, and in all honesty, if I had season tickets here, this is where they would be. I do like seeing at least a couple of games in the same ballpark, and getting a different feel for the crowds and seats. Syracuse cruised to another win, too. Final: Chiefs 6, Red Wings 4.
Former West Michigan Whitecap and Detroit Tiger Clete Thomas.
Syracuse University: While in the area, I always make time to visit the local colleges, especially when they have the prestige of the Orange of Syracuse. It is a very beautiful campus, and we also visited the gift shop/book store there as well. I didn’t realize how old the school was, but has some really stellar architecture.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
2012 Baseball Trip-Game 1: Welcome to Chiefsville
Syracuse Chiefs vs. Rochester Red Wings
Alliance Bank Stadium–Syracuse, NY: After almost nine straight hours on the road, we were finally ready to sit down and watch some baseball. Well, we weren’t thrilled with just sitting again, but being at a ballpark we’ve never been to before gave us a chance to walk around, explore, and mingle with the local fans. Alliance Bank Stadium is a decent venue, and the weather was perfect for a Mother’s Day at the ballgame. Don’t worry, I did call my mom and wish her a very happy Mother’s Day, and got her some souvenirs from our trip. Back to the game, it wasn’t a huge crowd, and the diehards can’t understand why people don’t come out and support the local team. I tend to agree, and think some people take it for granted. Living four hours from my ‘home team’ makes me appreciate the games that I am able to make it to. We had great seats in the front row down the third base line, just past the Chiefs dugout. The early game gave us a chance to get a good nights’ sleep, and be back at the ballpark the next morning…Final Score: Chiefs 4, Red Wings 2.
Photos property of Minoring In Baseball
Minoring In Baseball 