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Date: |
3/2/2006
9:22:05 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) The 2006 trip
begins. Don arrived in
|
Date: |
3/2/2006
9:44:36 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Don rented a
white Chevy Impala for our wheels... His new iPod
replaced our traditional scan of stations... First song was Flogging Molly's
"Swagger," followed by a Paul Anka
version of Lionel Richie's "Hello."
Lionel is a nod to the first trip, where it seemed all the stations played
nothing but him 24-7 ...
|
Date: |
3/2/2006
10:55:14 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) This park is
legendary... Beautiful.... In seats by 1130 for batting practice... Seats are
just past the end of the 1st Base dugout.... Beers are a problem: Nothing but
Bud and Miller generic products on tap, nothing interesting, and $5.50 a pop
on draft...
|
Date: |
3/2/2006
12:11:37 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) PA announcer:
"The game time temperature in Detroit, where it is overcast and thundering,
is.... 30 degrees! In Cincinnati, it is 54 degrees! And, here in Lakeland,
it's 81 degrees!" Bottom of the 1st inning, just before Rodriguez's
homer to put Tigers up 1-0.
(DON) Tigers vs.
Reds...good to be back in Lakeland. Beats being in Detroit… it was 30
in Detroit, 78 in Fla. Plus much less chance of getting plugged in a drive
by. It was good to see Pudge again. I saw him a lot
with the Rangers. He is thinner, but his bat looks solid, as he knocked one
out for us.
|
Date: |
3/2/2006
1:48:43 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Doyle called
at the top of the fifth.... "What are you doing in my state?"...
Left the stands to take the call (the right thing to do, FYI).... Florida's
gain, our loss in Wisconsin.... As I am taking the call, Don text msg-ed for a beer (“Beer Me”).... Can't
believe how technology has changed things.... Kudos to Sonny Lewis BBQ, a
real ballpark treat....
|
Date: |
3/2/2006
2:16:30 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Elise called at
the top of the 7th to say that she made it OK from Orlando to
Milwaukee... Tigers over Reds 5-3.
|
Date: |
3/2/2006
3:15:23 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Tigers win
8-5..... Game ends at 407pm, so we feel we got our money's worth... "Eye
of the Tiger" blares on the PA as the Detroit team packs up.... No. 38
of Tigers walks off the field holding hands with his young daughter.... A
very family moment for the Tigers.... Don reminds me of the thing we were
told years ago here: "Everyone come here for a different
reason.".... Again, that rings true.
|
Date: |
3/2/2006
3:56:08 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) We get in the
car.... And the iPod shuffles to a Lionel Richie song ("You Are")... So funny... It ends
a political discussion, during which we concluded everything was going to
Hell (but we got there, oddly enough, from different points, but I digress).
Read
more about this park:
- The official Web
site of Joker Marchant Stadium
- The Spring
Training site of the Tigers
- Detailed information about the park found here.
GAME NO. 2
Cracker Jack Stadium,
Spring Training home of the
(Braves win 8-7; see game
story here)
PHOTO FROM SPRINGTRAININGONLINE.COM
THE DAILY BLOG
|
Date: |
3/3/2006
9:13:24 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) We left the
Quality Inn, our 2006 camp in Kissimmee, just after 10am.... It's a dump, but
it's cheap at $53 a night.... Today, we head back to Disney, to the Braves
site, to watch Atlanta take on the Los Angeles Dodgers....
|
Date: |
3/3/2006
10:35:26 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) The Ballpark
at Disney is "one of the better parks," said Don, in his typical
understated fashion. And I must again confirm that it is a wonderful feat of
Imagineering.... Our seats are superb: 11 rows from the field, right behind
home plate.... Braves are taking batting practice as I type.... Coors and Coors
Light only on tap (very weird)..... Great quarter-pound dogs, which with a
beer cost $10 total.... No cup holders, which is an odd lacking for a Disney
site.
|
Date: |
3/3/2006
11:25:02 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Coors is
going down like water as the temps go higher and the sun gets brighter....
Dodgers taking batting practice now.... Big crowd for one hour before first
pitch.... A gyros stand beckons, but is it baseball
fare? I say, "Why not?".... Bought a green St. Patrick's Day hat
with the Braves logo, the official souvenir I buy each year.... Don bought a
green hat and a white hat (bold!)...
(DON) Hot at Disney.
Braves bats are not. Good park, free parking. Renteria
rhymes with diarrhea… Sloa, some scrub
numbered 54 for the dodgers signed a ton of autographs. I think his name was
Cody Ross, and it looked like he did play 14 games with la last year. Maybe
those autographs will be worth somethin .
|
Date: |
3/3/2006
12:31:36 PM Central Standard Time |
Is "She's a
Beauty" really a one-hit number, as Suzy Q, the on-field DJ says.?.... Tom Jones now playing between innings and new
pitcher change.... Dodgers up 4-0 at the end of the first.... In line for
more Coors.... E.J. Mitchell called before first pitch to give me grief about
being at Spring Training...
|
Date: |
3/3/2006
1:41:39 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Dodgers are whomping the Braves, 7-2 in the middle of the fifth....
Don bought peanuts.... We are baking in the sun.... Lesser fans are leaving because
of the heat.... Not us!.... Don enforces rule that I
can only blog with each new beer.... Homer by No.
67 (Schuerholt).... They do it right here, with
fireworks and the Star Wars theme when the ball leaves the park....
|
Date: |
3/3/2006
2:39:11 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) We realized
at the top of the 7th that ESPN was televising the game.... Called Elise to
DVR it (is that a verb?).... The sun is starting to move behind the park,
giving us a radiation break.... Don switched from Coors to water (so
responsible).... Dodgers lead 7-4 at the end of 7th.... 7,263 at today's
game... Beats yesterday's 4,000-plus at Lakeland.... 80's music rules between
innings, with "Tonight We're On The Loose" playing....
|
Date: |
3/3/2006
3:34:29 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Braves win
8-7 off a 9th inning homer by a high-roster catcher we called
"Salty" because we couldn't pronounce his name (it has 5 As in in)... Very dramatic finish, with fireworks and all...
Driving back to "camp" now.... A restaurant called “Smokey
Bones” beckons....
Read more about this park:
- I couldn’t find an official Web site
for the stadium, but here’s an excellent report from Spring
Training Online.
- The Spring
Training site of the Braves
GAME NO. 3
Osceola
Spring Training home of the Houston Astros
(Braves win 10-6. see game
story here)
PHOTO FROM SPRINGTRAININGONLINE.COM
THE DAILY BLOG
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
11:18:07 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Got to the Astros camp at 1105am.... We've
done a good job this year of getting to the parks early so we can watch
BP.... Stros are playing the Braves today, which makes two in a row for us with
Oh yeah, a surprise
here: It was Hat Day at the park! We've never seen that in all of our years.
A cheap hat, of course, and, yes, I still bought a new Astros
batting practice hat, but still.....
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
12:35:54 PM Central Standard Time |
(DON) Seeing the
Bravos again, although I am rooting for
Thomson pitched and
got yanked after one inning. The dodgers got four in the first, but the
braves kept at it and won in stunning fashion with a 3 run homer off Saltalamacchia, an up and comer for the braves. Disney is
always fun, although a little too plastic and over produced. They have a
thousand sound effects for foul balls and other plays. Overall, though, a
great place to watch a game. It wa sun to are Andy
and Adam Larouche play against each other. Why are so many male twins named Andy and Adam? Why not Cain
and Abel? Or male/female twins named Adam and Eve?
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
12:42:05 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Bagwell and Biggio are playing in this game.... I am stunned that
they are 1) Still playing baseball after all these years and 2) They are both
Astros.... Baggie got a hit in the first and is up
again in the second (he almost hit it out)... No St. Patrick's Day hats on
sale here, but Don finds a Braves fan who is wearing an Astros
Green hat. Don remembers I wore my Braves Green here and asks me if he can
have it (in exchange for the extra green hat he bought at Disney). I'll be
dammed if the SOB got the Braves guy to trade with him! So, what the heck, I
get Don's new hat, he scores an Astros Green...
Proud of Nephewboy.
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
1:21:09 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) We are sitting next to an
older gent from the
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
1:42:30 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Why do we do
this every year? It's a fair question to ponder as we approach the 6th
Inning.... Well, of course, one must acknowledge the streak, now in its 13th
year, and the momentum it has. Perhaps, tho, the
reason why there is a streak is because Spring Training is special... A sense
of renewal..... A sense that all things are possible..... Everyone is
friendly, hopeful, happy to be here.... The weather
is warm, the beer is cold.... OK, enough philosophy.... The middle of the 6th
nears.
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
2:39:16 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Bottom of the
8th.... Braves lead 9-5.... Stros have two on base
with one out.... But our minds turn to... Seafood! Emerging from Kissimmee's
limited options is the Boston Lobster Feast... We'll see how good it is.... Stros score one more, closing it to 9-6.
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
3:09:50 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Braves win
10-6. Stros fought hard but fell short. We moved to
the second row for the 9th and enjoyed it... "I Hope You Had the Time of
Your Life" played as we left.
Read more about this park:
- The official Web
site of Osceloa County Stadium
- The Spring
Training site of the Astros
- An old
Astros page about the park.
SPECIAL NIGHT EDITION OF THE DAILY BLOG
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
7:08:01 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) So here we
are at ESPN
Club at Boardwalk Disney, sitting at the bar next to two nurses from
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
8:11:20 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) As we sat,
and attempted to keep a respectful distance between the nurses and us, a guy
even geekier than us saw the opening and split the difference. Then, I went
to the bathroom and a couple from Carolina came up and angled into my space
(I offered my seat to the Mrs.). So, we band of seven hung out all night and
watched the game. Duke-fan nurse flirted with some ESPN assistant manager and
got the channels changed near us to watch all views. Ah, the power of a
blonde in a camisole.
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
9:01:18 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Kristen and
Robert are the couple from
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
9:23:53 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) The women, of
course, cannot resist the lure of Archie
Manning. Both Kristens go up to Archie
separately and ask for his autograph. The Kristen with Robert gets two and
gives me one, on an ESPN napkin. Score!
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
10:03:32 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) The night
bears on in an amusing, light and funny fashion. Since I made the mistake of
giving out this URL, I opt not to share some of the best conversations. But
being the graybeard of the crowd (oh, I failed to mention that I've been
growing the goatee) has its advantages. I root for Carolina, if only to annoy
Nurse Duke. The best night of the 2006 outing by far.
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
10:26:22 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) UNC wins!
Kristen (with Robert) buys Jager shots. Erin sorta sulks. Fun time. The clock now ticks for us, as we
must go back to the Quality Inn and prepare for the road trip to Viera. Signing off for now.
|
Date: |
3/4/2006
10:31:55 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) OK, I know I
signed off a few minutes ago.... But Kristen, Kristen and Erin asked me to
take a photo of them with Mr. Manning. I did (Flash lives!).... Said
Archie, "I hope this doesn't get on the Internet." Hummmm, I think.
GAME NO. 4
Spring Training home of the
(Nationals win 10-6;
see game
story here)
PHOTO FROM SPRINGTRAININGONLINE.COM
THE DAILY BLOG
|
Date: |
3/5/2006
9:21:09 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Last night
ended with a stop at Krystal... And today, we're
off at 10am on a road trip to Melbourne, site of Space Coast Stadium and home
of the Washington Nationals. It's a hour or so
drive, so this is our only real stretch by car. On the agenda: Crashing the
box owned by FLORIDA
TODAY!
|
Date: |
3/5/2006
10:35:40 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Arrived at 1110am,
making good time.... And we've determined that we've never been to this
stadium before! What threw us off is that we saw the Expos (who became the
Nationals) on a previous trip years ago, so we assumed that we saw 'em here. Turns out that the Marlins built Space Coast
Stadium, then swapped with the Expos, then became the Nats....
Gates did not open until 1130am, which is odd (and
ticks Don off)....
|
Date: |
3/5/2006
10:49:07 AM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Seats are
right in the sun, just beyond the 3rd base dugout.... I love it, since it's
my last chance for radiation (snowy Wisconsin awaits in about 26 hours)...
The foul ball poles here are memorials to Challenger (1st) and Columbia
(3rd)....
|
Date: |
3/5/2006
2:43:15 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Forgive the
lack of postings at this game.... The FLORIDA TODAY
crew was extremely generous and nice to us.... Editor Terry Eberle upgraded our seats to first row, behind home
plate... Then, his publisher, Mark M. (we worked together in Cincy), allowed us to hang in the luxury box for the rest
of the game. Poor Don, he had to listen to tons of Gannett stories, but he
soldiered on... Great beer and food and company.... A nice way to end the
trip.... Nats kicked butt
this game, going 10-4 into the ninth...
|
Date: |
3/5/2006
3:04:22 PM Central Standard Time |
(ANDREW) Nats hold on to win 10-5.... Our 2006 trip is now in the
books... Now, we road it back to K-Town... Quieter night forecasted for
tonight...
Read more about this park:
- The Spring
Training site of the Washington Nationals
- An old review of Space Coast
Stadium.
OVERALL RATINGS OF THE 2006 PARKS:
Best Food: Tigers camp. Local BBQ stand allowed this park to edge out Astros in this category.
Best Beer: Nationals camp. Largest
beer (28 oz.), most variety (Mich Ultra Amber and a
few other brews in bottle). The big gulp sold for $6.50.
Best Anthem: Astros,
who had a visitng Bluegrass trio do the deed. Worst
was the Nationals camp, where for some reason they only used a recording!
Cheapest Parking: Braves-Disney.
Hard to beat free. All other were $5 a pop.
Best Overall Park: Astros camp.
Its recent renovation made this place the best. Hat Day was a nice touch.
Good food (best hot dogs period, plus steak
sandwiches). No bad seats (and we were in the uppers). Edges out the
Braves-Disney compound, which was also a true treat.
Andrew liked the best: The first beer at the first camp (Tigers in
Lakeland)... Always a good feeling. Also, this year's weather was
fantastic.... Made every park a notch better. :
Andrew liked the least: The
overall beer selection at all camps. Isn't there any microbrew beers made in
Florida? Or, at the least, can't they put in a Killian's Red keg?
Don liked the best: The playing of
"God Blessed Texas" by Little Texas at the Astros
camp.
Don liked the least: Why in the
world does the Nationals not open its gates until
1130am?
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