Willets Point

Ouch (not the Onion but close enough).

The Old Time Baseball game is not the only smalltime baseball I've witnessed recently. Last Saturday, I attended Futures at Fenway - a minor league doubleheader featuring a single A game between the Lowell Spinners and the Oneonta Tigers (my wife rooted for Oneonta the entire game) and the Pawtucket Red Sox vs. the Rochester Red Wings (no 33 inning game this time). It's the first minor league games in Fenway in almost 40 years. A good crowd turned out on a beautiful day for baseball. Much of the crowd consisted of children which really is how a Saturday day game at Fenway should be and its nice the most expensive tix for this game were $20 so that folks who don't usually get to Red Sox games could attend. And people were loud! You've got to think that the single A kids especially appreciated 30,000 people screaming for them for probably the first time in their lives. Like many minor league games, the teams mascots were out on the field and there were on-the-fied promotions/fan interaction between innings which added to the fun. The biggest cheers of the first game came for Spinners closer Joshua Papelbon who was appreciated both for the name recognition of his big brother and his crazy Bradforesque sidearm delivery. In the second game, Pawsox Carlos Pena made an appearance, coincidentally the only player of the Old Time Baseball Game who has gone on to play in the Major Leagues (and is back again with the Boston Red Sox this week). This was another fun day and I hope they continue the tradition. Maybe get the Tides or Cyclones as visiting teams so I can root for the enemy. Article.

So here's why I bumped this thread. A week ago Thursday I attended the Old Time Baseball Game in Cambridge, MA (our fair city). This is an annual event (I went last year too) where two teams square off wearing classic baseball uniforms from throughout baseball history including some spiff minor league and Negro Leage uniforms. The Alaska Goldpanners uni circa 1950's was a lot of fun. A player in a 1969 Mets road uni #41 played third base and later pitched a couple of innings. I believe the uniforms are parceled out by size rather than position because last year the Seaver uniform was worn by a catcher. The players are all New England college players with a few celebrities included. This year Doris Kearns Goodwin threw out the first pitch, Johnny Pesky managed one of the teams and celebrity ballplayers included Boston Bruin Tom Fitzgerald (who homered in his first at bat), Red Sox assistant GM Jed Hoyer, SK's favorite columnist Jim Caple (in a Seattle Pilots uni) and Jeffrey Maier. Yes that Jeffrey Maier who is the career hits leader at Wesleyan University. Scarlett already posted Caple's column, but despite what he said Maier actually was not booed, but received polite applause. My wife, not knowing who he was, commented "That third baseman is a bit of a hot dog." The game was a lot of fun with a relaxed atmosphere. The pitchers were on top of their game as both sides racked up the k's. The game ended 4-2, the winning team's runs scored by a pitcher who stole two bases and scored on an error. He ended up with the game MVP and was already one of our favorites because earlier in the game he was stationed on the third base foul territory to protect us fans, including some teen girls who complimented his posterior causing him to blush. All in all it was a fun night, picking out the classic uniforms and watching some kids have fun playing baseball.

Yancy Street Gang wrote: In fact, the Mets have never swept a season series against any National League club, so there's a chance at history tonight. Why mess with tradition.

I suck at math (259).

Thank the heavens, Wells was sent to San Diego. Maybe we can beat his fat ass in the NLDS.

Cooby, that town is as real as John Nash's Princeton roommate.Steve, that's an excellent book I read earlier this year.

Rockin' Doc wrote: Willets and Scarlett look so much alike they could be twins. It's hard to keep track of who is who around here sometimes. I'm 242 posts away from my custom Mr. Met designation and some clarity.

5 earned runs in the last 7 innings sounds good.

Peninsula Pilots get a mention. I regret never getting to see them in my Virginia days before the franchise moved to Wilmington.

I bet he doesn't. He took a gamble knowing the Mets don't really need to win this game and he could keep his pen rested as long as possible and probably would stand by that decision.

Sumamabitch.

Runnin' Reyes steals 3rd. I hear a "Let's Go Mets" chant in the thin air.

Nope. Connecticut, Ohio and South Carolina all have Fairfield Counties though.I'm curious at what prompted the question.

...but he doesn't do windows.

Damn Tigers. No way the Yankees aren't winning the AL Pennant with the "competition" they have to face.

It's joelmonesque.

God forbid.

]"I got some good news earlier today before the show. Thanks to Alex Rodriguez, I am no longer the most overpaid disappointment in New York City." -- David Letterman Heh-heh.

Jeter worship in progress. Better get a bucket.

I dunno. The commercials alone cause my stomach to churn.

My God, YES is nauseating. I mean you guys have been telling me this for years but first-hand experience is still shocking.

The Yuckies are leading the Tigers 3-1 in the 5th. Just tuned in to watch Les Tigres. Hoping to some less suck from them.

Once upon a time, the rosters of teams were stable from year to year and fans became familiar with the players on their teams. Then free agency and increased trading came along adding frequent turnover to rosters so fans ended up rooting for the laundry. Now we've reached the point where the laundry is in a constant state of change as well.