The Boys of the Hot Florida Summer Play Ball

Major League baseball spring training has now departed the halcyon fields of Florida and the real boys of the hot summer have arrived for Florida League Class A+ minor league ball, the Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlin’s affiliate) and the Palm Beach Cardinals (St. Louis’ affiliate) playing at our home turf of Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL.  We missed the first Weds. night game of the “Silver Sluggers” promotional circuit, still the best baseball deal around, 30 bucks total for a ticket to every Weds. night game of the season which includes a soda and peanuts.  They used to include a hot dog instead of the peanuts (or pretzel or popcorn) but I suppose cutbacks eliminated this perk.  However they give out an “Official Silver Sluggers membership card” which I guess they think to us seniors is as exciting as getting a Captain Video ring when we were youngsters. 

They’ve also cut back on places to sit and eat near the concession stands (actually, there are no more picnic tables there), requiring you to haul your food and drink to the seat and they don’t even provide a cardboard tray.  Hey, it’s good for you old people to learn balance your food as you walk up the steps! We used to arrive early, have a bite before the game at a table, then watch a little infield practice and then sit back and watch the game.

Roger Dean Stadium is showing its age and rather than providing some seating for eating and sprucing up the place they’ve ignored their new competition of the Ball Park of the Palm Beaches. Right now the BPofTPB is hosting only Spring Training but if they get a minor league team there, Roger Dean Stadium will be affected.

Still, it was a glorious Florida night to take in our first game of the season and serendipitously the visiting team was the Tampa Yankees, the Class A affiliate of the MLB team I most closely follow, the New York Yankees.  Much has been said about the Yankees building their team of the future from their farm clubs rather than signing multiyear contracts with aging free agent stars.  Well, after last night, don’t depend on the Class A affiliate but look to the Trenton Thunder (AA) or The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (AAA).

 

Regarding last night’s game, credit goes to Junior Fernandez the Palm Beach Cardinal’s pitcher who is only 20 years old but has been pitching professionally for three years already.  He’s high up on the Cards’ prospect list and for 6 and a third innings he had a perfect game going against Tampa until the Yankee’s #19 prospect, second baseman Nick Solak, got a single with one out in the 7th. Solak also chalked up a double later in the game and those were the only two hits the Tampa Yankees had.  Meanwhile, they managed to play a downright sloppy game, their two errors leading to three unearned runs which left Yankee starter and #13 prospect Domingo Acevedo with the loss, although his 99 MPH fastball was humming, leading to 6 strikeouts in 6 innings.

The much touted Yankee shortstop prospect (#4) Jorge Mateo had a lackluster game going 0 for four and his infield play was unimpressive.  Maybe it was just an off day, but he’ll have to play better than that to make the parent team one of these days.

Although the game was unremarkable (except for the nearly perfect game), the night was wonderful, enjoying the Florida breeze and the cadence of baseball.  I’ve seen many Class A ball games and I’ve always said that they are as professional as MLB in every way.  Last night was the first disappointment in that regard as, at times, the Tampa Yankees looked like a bunch of sandlot players.  But as they say, wait ‘till next week!

Play the Game

Watching some of the outstanding games from the World Baseball Classic it suddenly hit me.  Here is a metaphor for the real world, not the fake one we are being dragged into, kicking and screaming.  Make America Great again?  If the WBC doesn’t demonstrate what the REAL world is like because of this country’s greatness (well, up until now), then nothing will.  Here is THE AMERICAN PASTIME which has been adopted throughout the world and not on a half-hearted basis, but with the commitment and zeal that some would have you believe is a uniquely American trait.  Just look at the nations represented in addition to the United States: Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.  Yes, most of the players are those already in the US Major or Minor leagues, but it shows the diversity of what baseball has become, with implications for world economics as well.  The nationalistic agenda of the present administration not only denies this reality, it also unrealistically seeks a time that has long passed.  We will never see that world again.  Life progresses.  One needs to adapt and not seek refuge in a past before Jackie Robinson stepped up to the plate at Ebbets Field.

And look at the enthusiasm the WBC has generated.  This is truly a world series.  I think the game between the Dominican Republic and Colombia, with Jose Bautista throwing out Oscar Mercado by a hair at home plate, is one of the best games and plays I've ever seen: https://youtu.be/ikKHwbajnbE

If he had scored, Colombia would have won the game, but the favored Dominican Republic finally won in an extra-inning game by a large score.  The DR beat the US the night before, US blowing a five run lead.  We are merely competitors at our own game.

What also struck me about the DR – Colombia game is that every one of the 37,000 seats in the Miami Marlins stadium was occupied.  Contrast that to a typical Marlin’s ML game which would have only about a little more than half of that.  It is no surprise given the large Spanish population in the area.  But that is the point.  We are a multinational country now.  We need to embrace it.  Not run from it.  And Baseball, as well as the capitalist forces of the world economy, is of our own making.  No doubt, I will root, root, root for the home team (US of A) and if they lose it will be a shame, but we have to play the game. 

Ballpark of the Palm Beaches - Play Ball!

Amazing.  What was a landfill last year has been transformed into a beautiful spring training site shared by the Houston Astros and the Washington Nationals.  The whole training complex is so well done it seems as if it has been there forever.  

When our friends John and Cathy asked whether I’d be interested in seeing a Red Sox game there I jumped at the chance.  Cathy is a die-hard Sox fan and I’m a Yankees fan so the back and forth banter is fun.  I’ve already conceded this season to the Sox though as they have even further improved their roster for this year, especially with the acquisition of Chris Sale from the White Sox. He only had to change socks, so maybe that’s why New York failed to get him (actually, never really tried – guess they conceded the season as well).

As the laws of serendipity prevailed, yesterday’s spring training game at the new facility between the Sox and the Astros highlighted Chris Sale’s first outing as a Red Sox, throwing 37 pitches over the first two innings, giving up four hits, one earned run and notching two strike outs.  He looked rusty but he seemed to have his stuff, the scoreboard routinely recording his fast balls around 95 mph with one at 97. Not bad for the first outing.  He’s a tall sting bean but when he whips his long left arm toward the batter I can imagine the split second decision making at the plate, particularly for a left-handed batter.  He was a joy to watch.  Too bad he’s on the wrong team : - ). Judging by the grip on the ball (photo 3), think he's throwing a change up here...

The Sox are playing three games on the east coast of Florida, facing the Nationals today at the same park and up to St. Lucie to face the Mets tomorrow.  From what I understand, there are 9 players, mostly minor leaguers who will be at all three games, and there will be three buses, one for each day shuttling name players back and forth from the Sox training facility in Ft. Meyers.

Two of the big names other than Sale for the first day were Pablo Sandoval…

and Hanley Ramírez

They bring with them big expectations for 2017.

I enjoyed seeing ex-Yankee Brian McCann again.  Sad to see him go, a ballplayer great talent and a true gentleman...

One only hopes that the City of West Palm will now land a minor league team for these incredible facilities.  Would be nice to have more teams nearby in addition to the Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins Class A+) and the Palm Beach Cardinals (Cardinals Class A+).   Nonetheless, we’ve already booked our season’s tix for their “silver slugger” program at Roger Dean Stadium.

The game itself had a little bit of everything, home runs, stolen bases, double plays but after three and a half hours they played to a 5-5 tie.  End of game, but being out there in the cool breeze, taking in the cadence of baseball, was a nice change of pace. 

Play ball!  Life regains a semblance of normalcy with baseball again.  

Tabula Rasa

Time to veg out, wipe my mind clean of Donald and Hillary, Brexit, the mere existence of the gun lobby, personal finances, medical issues and appointments, logistics of packing for the summer and caring for the house, all that “stuff” that clatters in my brain.  Turn off the computer and CNN, MSNBC and Bloomberg, don’t look at email, run from the phone, and flee the endless advertisements and robo calls. Take the boat and go off to Munyon Island and be alone with a pelican.  Swim in the 80 plus degree water of the Intracoastal.  Watch some fish swim by.  Don’t move at times, sitting on the sandy bottom.  Let the water lap up to ears and nose. Shut off the mind and let quiet envelop.

Then in the evening: baseball.  See a relatively small (5’11”) lefty on the mound for the Palm Beach Cardinals, Ian McKinney, take on the St. Lucie Mets.  Over nearly seven innings he struck out five and walked one, giving up just an unearned run.  Not overpowering, he relied on his curve and change up, setting up his fast ball, in the high 80s, maybe 90. 

Watching a crafty lefty work is mesmerizing, a ballet in my mind, and a perfect end to a day without the disquiet of modern life.