April 2010
TALES FROM THE ROAD 2010: WELCOME TO DURHAM!
We leave Norfolk on Thursday after the afternoon game at Harbor Park and make our way across the nothing-happening part of Virginia down I-95 into Durham, North Carolina. After dropping the players and coaches off at the hotel, we head to Durham Bulls Athletic Park to unload the equipment. The Bulls and Charlotte Knights are still playing when we pull up. I take my equipment to the front office and am greeted by this by the lady behind the desk: “Ya’ll gonna lose tomorrow.”
Welcome to Durham.
The story is true, but don’t get the wrong idea. The lady at the front desk is nice, I knew here from last year. And she turned out to be correct as the Bulls, doing what they always seem to do, come back in the later innings to win game one on Friday.
When I arrived in the International League last season, I was told by many that Durham has arrogance unmatched in the league. One can see why. They seem to win every year. And each of the last four years under manager Charlie Montoyo, the have made it to the Governors’ Cup Championship series. Also, there was this movie made about the team…
But I really find the “arrogance” label to be wrong. They have a wonderful ballpark; they have big enthusiastic crowds and have always been nice to me. Additionally, they bring in the most beautiful women to the games in the entire league. I mean, wow!
Durham Bulls Athletic Park was opened in 1995. It is only two years younger than Harbor Park in Norfolk, but it seems 20 years younger. It seems like a brand new ballpark. It is part of what has become a pretty cool part of downtown Durham. And for those of you who have spent a lot of time in North Carolina as I have, you know that “cool’ and “Durham” have never been seen in the same sentence much. But this time it is well deserved.
The Bulls are playing well again this year. Seemingly another drive toward the top of the league. So excuse the Bulls if they seem snooty. It is a product of a deep Tampa Bay organization. And it really is unfair. Durham is truly one of my favorite stops in the IL.
TALES FROM THE ROAD 2010: WELCOME TO DURHAM!
We leave Norfolk on Thursday after the afternoon game at Harbor Park and make our way across the nothing-happening part of Virginia down I-95 into Durham, North Carolina. After dropping the players and coaches off at the hotel, we head to Durham Bulls Athletic Park to unload the equipment. The Bulls and Charlotte Knights are still playing when we pull up. I take my equipment to the front office and am greeted by this by the lady behind the desk: “Ya’ll gonna lose tomorrow.”
The story is true, but don’t get the wrong idea. The lady at the front desk is nice, I knew here from last year. And she turned out to be correct as the Bulls, doing what they always seem to do, come back in the later innings to win game one on Friday.
But I really find the “arrogance” label to be wrong. They have a wonderful ballpark; they have big enthusiastic crowds and have always been nice to me. Additionally, they bring in the most beautiful women to the games in the entire league. I mean, wow!
The Bulls are playing well again this year. Seemingly another drive toward the top of the league. So excuse the Bulls if they seem snooty. It is a product of a deep Tampa Bay organization. And it really is unfair. Durham is truly one of my favorite stops in the IL.
Tales From the Road 2010: First Stop in Norfolk
The Gwinnett
Braves took the long bus trip from Charlotte to Norfolk on Sunday for the
second stop in our 12 game; three city road trip. We left after the Sunday afternoon game at
about 6:00 p.m. and arrived in downtown Norfolk at 11:30 p.m.
The G-Braves
take two buses. How the team breaks down
who rides on what bus is still up for debate.
As I see it, and this comes from now my second year of being with the
team, bus one is for the staff and whatever player would like to be there. Bus two is for everyone else. For some reason, the Hispanic players on the
team always ride the first bus with the staff.
Go figure.
The bus ride
over–on bus one—was complete with two DVD movies: Cinderella Man with Russell Crowe and Pirates
of the Caribbean with Johnny Depp. I
spoiled the end of Cinderella Man for everyone when I announced that James J.
Braddock went on to win the heavyweight title over Max Baer. Most were ticked I had given away the ending,
but I thought most people already knew about Braddock. I mean its history. Anyway…
I love being
in Norfolk, Virginia. Before you scoff,
let me tell you that I’m sincere.
Harbor Park in
downtown Norfolk is big Triple A ballpark and well kept (except maybe for the
playing surface). We stay in a pretty nice
hotel which is walking distance to the park; and the cookies in the press box
are the best in the league. Also, Ian
who is the media relations guy with the Norfolk Tides is really good at his
job, and that makes mine easier. Plus,
they have a small brass band that plays during the pregame, and that is
ultra-cool.
One of the
drawbacks to playing here, especially in the early months when the weather is
cooler and school is still in session, is the fact a lot of loud drunks come to
the game. And they are pretty
vocal. Last season, Brian Barton, the
G-Braves rightfielder, had to be restrained from going into the stands after a
guy.
But it is
also a military town. It has the largest
Naval Base in the country. So there is a
lot of pride here to go with the drunks.
Again, go figure.
Finally, the
one thing that I do not like about playing here is the mascot. It’s called Rip Tide. At Gwinnett we have a groundhog. In Durham, they have a bull. In Charlotte, they have a dragon. But in Norfolk, I cannot figure out what Rip
Tide is. The closest guess is that is
Grover from Sesame Street at age 60, 400 pounds later.
Next stop
Durham!
Tales From the Road 2010: First Stop in Norfolk
The Gwinnett
Braves took the long bus trip from Charlotte to Norfolk on Sunday for the
second stop in our 12 game; three city road trip. We left after the Sunday afternoon game at
about 6:00 p.m. and arrived in downtown Norfolk at 11:30 p.m.
The G-Braves
take two buses. How the team breaks down
who rides on what bus is still up for debate.
As I see it, and this comes from now my second year of being with the
team, bus one is for the staff and whatever player would like to be there. Bus two is for everyone else. For some reason, the Hispanic players on the
team always ride the first bus with the staff.
Go figure.
The bus ride
over–on bus one—was complete with two DVD movies: Cinderella Man with Russell Crowe and Pirates
of the Caribbean with Johnny Depp. I
spoiled the end of Cinderella Man for everyone when I announced that James J.
Braddock went on to win the heavyweight title over Max Baer. Most were ticked I had given away the ending,
but I thought most people already knew about Braddock. I mean its history. Anyway…
I love being
in Norfolk, Virginia. Before you scoff,
let me tell you that I’m sincere.
Harbor Park in
downtown Norfolk is big Triple A ballpark and well kept (except maybe for the
playing surface). We stay in a pretty nice
hotel which is walking distance to the park; and the cookies in the press box
are the best in the league. Also, Ian
who is the media relations guy with the Norfolk Tides is really good at his
job, and that makes mine easier. Plus,
they have a small brass band that plays during the pregame, and that is
ultra-cool.
One of the
drawbacks to playing here, especially in the early months when the weather is
cooler and school is still in session, is the fact a lot of loud drunks come to
the game. And they are pretty
vocal. Last season, Brian Barton, the
G-Braves rightfielder, had to be restrained from going into the stands after a
guy.
But it is
also a military town. It has the largest
Naval Base in the country. So there is a
lot of pride here to go with the drunks.
Again, go figure.
Finally, the
one thing that I do not like about playing here is the mascot. It’s called Rip Tide. At Gwinnett we have a groundhog. In Durham, they have a bull. In Charlotte, they have a dragon. But in Norfolk, I cannot figure out what Rip
Tide is. The closest guess is that is
Grover from Sesame Street at age 60, 400 pounds later.
Next stop
Durham!
Tales From the Road 2010: First Road Trip at Charlotte
Knights’ Castle, the home of the Charlotte Knights, is an old dinosaur of a ballpark. It is not pretty, it is not convenient to anything in Charlotte, the grass berms for the fans to lounge and watch a game look like cow pastures and the dimensions of the playing field turn Triple A players into Hall of Fame hitters.
With that being said, I kind of like the old ballpark.
When George Shinn bought the Charlotte baseball franchise from the Crockett Family in the mid 80′s, he decided to move the club out of the downtown area. Charlotte traffic is bad. I mean Atlanta BAD. I guess the thought was to make it more accessible to the fans. He moved them to Fort Mill, SC. Until then, Fort Mill had been famous for only two things; Carowinds amusement park and the PTL Club of Jim and Tammy Baker fame. Word has it that Shinn got a deal for land for his new team and for the training facility for his new NBA team the Charlotte Hornets.
Knights’ Castle opened in 1990, so in this, the 20th year of the cinderblock structure, the front office is still hoping to get a brand-spanking new park in downtown Charlotte.
It won’t happen. The city of Charlotte has an NFL Stadium downtown and a relatively new NBA area. Putting a “minor league” park downtown would just not do. So here the Knights are. Stuck in South Carolina. Let’s hope they get their wish and move soon. However, unless Bud Selig comes calling, the city of Charlotte is happy with having a minor league team across the state line.
We arrived here at 3:00 a.m. on Thursday after the loss on Wednesday to Durham. So far the routine is the same for every game on the road. First bus to the ballpark at 2:30 p.m. for staff and guys who need treatments and/or want to get in some extra work. Second bus for everyone else at 4:00 p.m.
I take the early bus. Because even though Knights’ Castle is an eye sore, it is a ballpark. A big, ugly ballpark. And I love ballparks.
Tales From the Road 2010: First Road Trip at Charlotte
Knights’ Castle, the home of the Charlotte Knights, is an old dinosaur of a ballpark. It is not pretty, it is not convenient to anything in Charlotte, the grass berms for the fans to lounge and watch a game look like cow pastures and the dimensions of the playing field turn Triple A players into Hall of Fame hitters.
With that being said, I kind of like the old ballpark.
When George Shinn bought the Charlotte baseball franchise from the Crockett Family in the mid 80′s, he decided to move the club out of the downtown area. Charlotte traffic is bad. I mean Atlanta BAD. I guess the thought was to make it more accessible to the fans. He moved them to Fort Mill, SC. Until then, Fort Mill had been famous for only two things; Carowinds amusement park and the PTL Club of Jim and Tammy Baker fame. Word has it that Shinn got a deal for land for his new team and for the training facility for his new NBA team the Charlotte Hornets.
Knights’ Castle opened in 1990, so in this, the 20th year of the cinderblock structure, the front office is still hoping to get a brand-spanking new park in downtown Charlotte.
It won’t happen. The city of Charlotte has an NFL Stadium downtown and a relatively new NBA area. Putting a “minor league” park downtown would just not do. So here the Knights are. Stuck in South Carolina. Let’s hope they get their wish and move soon. However, unless Bud Selig comes calling, the city of Charlotte is happy with having a minor league team across the state line.
We arrived here at 3:00 a.m. on Thursday after the loss on Wednesday to Durham. So far the routine is the same for every game on the road. First bus to the ballpark at 2:30 p.m. for staff and guys who need treatments and/or want to get in some extra work. Second bus for everyone else at 4:00 p.m.
I take the early bus. Because even though Knights’ Castle is an eye sore, it is a ballpark. A big, ugly ballpark. And I love ballparks.
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