Latches

I took yesterday's game at the Edgar Popowski field yesterday as my "rehab" start and will return to the Miracle games this week, in part because the Hummerheads are coming into town I keep hoping that they will bring Travis Bowyer with them.

I realize that is is unlikely to happen, but a girl can hope can't she? (Yes, I know, if you're a pitcher I will always tell you I will only love you until the next fireballer comes along and I can be very fickle that way, but Trav is well....He's my Bowyer-friend, you know? The stories I could tell about that guy!)

Anyway, I get down to the field and it's locked. So I head over to the front office. The old guy that comes to all the games is sitting in his car. "Is that locked, or just latched."

"It's locked," I say. "Latches wouldn't stop me."

So I thump into the BoSox front office with all my Twins gear and a guy comes out of the back room eating a piece of pie. "Can I help you with something."

"The guest enterance is locked," I inform him.

"Oh, we'll get that taken care of right away."

Took about five minutes but they did finally find the right key and open the gate.

"Sorry for the delay," he says.

"It's okay, 20 years ago I would have just climbed the thing, but I'm not up to that anymore. Besides, the poor fellow in the car with the walker wouldn't be able get in unless we got it open."

They've actually done a nice job on the BoSox Complex over the last three years. There's now a couple of concession stands and what looks like a merchandising booth, none of which are open during GCL games and which are likely only there for Spring Training when the BoSox are in town.

The bathrooms are very nice though and those are open. Especially since in the past all we used to have there was Port-O-Potties.

Michael Cowgill is looking for the bathroom. "Oh, you go around the corner there and there's this trailerrr...." one of his teammates is telling him. "You're in for a treat."

"Don't let him fool you," I tell him. "The bathrooms are really nice."

"I was just telling him..." Ya, but it's the way you were telling him.

Cowgill comes back a few minutes later. "Those ARE really nice." See.

If you're planning a trip to Fort Myers, make sure you stop by the Red Sox Training Complex on the end of Edison Avenue and check out the bathrooms. They're worth the visit. If the gate is locked, make them open it for you.

(Assuming of course the trailer lasts through the next hurricane.)

Loek Van Mil comes over and sits down. He tells me he's feeling under the weather. I can sympathize with this. Even though the weather was a bright and sunny day.

So he's not making his starts this week and will only pitch a few innings out of the bullpen. Good. Well...not good that he's sick, but good that I won't have to feel too bad about not being able to take off work to watch him pitch.

With all the time I have taken off I feel I need to be in the office for a whole week at least before I beg off another day for a ballgame.

Above offer of only loving you until the next fire baller comes along not withstanding, he's already fended off a crush on Dave Bromberg's slider and still remains my favorite in the rotation, so he's doing well. I shall be remarkably unhappy when he goes to Betsy.

Dan Leatherman and Justin Staatz both went to Elizabethton however. We signed lefty Adam Revelette out of the University of Kentucky to replace one and we are receiving Walt Patton back from Elizabethton.

I didn't really understand the promotion as his stats last year weren't all that great. 3-1 with a 7.43 era in 17 games (23.0 innings).

Walt's a nice kid, but he struggled last year at times. Loek says he had a tough extended as well.

I did rather like Abby's blog in which she said "I'd also like to say that I am terribly sorry, Mr Patton, but I fear you have no future in baseball. I know tonight's walks were probably not your fault, but the fact is you've only pitched .2 innings and you have an ERA of 135. That is not good. I am so very sorry."

I saw him make one very good outting but all the rest he needed work on. Hopefully he'll improve and (more hopefully) he's not injured.

We have enough injured boys around this place. Speaking of which...

Jeff Schoenbachler and Kyle Edlich come by. "When are you going to Minnesota?" one is asking the other.

"If you boys want to go to Minnesota, I wish you'd do it the right way already.

"You," I point at Mr. Edlich "Should be pitching in Triple A at least and YOU..."

Oh...don't get me going on Schoey. On July 10th, David Winfree played third base for the Miracle for the first time. YIPPEE!!!!

Jeff Schoenbachler has already broken my heart however, as I seriously doubt he's going to make it the Miracle in another year. Maybe if I'm luck he'll get here for his fourth-pro year. If he ever gets healthy again. ::sigh::

Bowyer was a fourth-yearer, although Bowyer's problems weren't related to his health, but to his control. Now he's out with arm problems too. How depressing.

Mr. Gassner made his first rehab start however and did pretty well, 1 run on 2 hits with 2 strike outs in 2 innings worth of work. Pity we couldn't make that ninth inning rally stand. Although he'd left the park by that time.

At least with Schoey and Edlich I will not have to worry about being left alone. A crowbar couldn't get those kids out of this city right now.

"Well," one says "See you tomorrow."

"No you won't. It's Sunday, you get a day off."

I'm hoping that someone takes Benson and Parmelee off and that they go....bowling, fishing, golfing, to the beach or something suitably fun, get out of the wretched little hotel rooms and relax. The pressure on those two kids is incredibly intense each time they step up to the plate. You can feel it in the air.

They need to get away for baseball for a day and do something fun. Mr. Fox, if he were here, would take them golfing. I miss Mr. Fox. He's a good guy.

Meanwile, Dear Mr. Van Mil:

I realize I have been tied up in my own problems for a while and forgot to offer to make you homemade chicken soup. I'm sure it will take care of your stomach ailment as it's been known to cure just about anything. (Except arm injuries, sorry Mr. Edlich & Schoenbachler.)

If you would like some please let me know. Please take care and get well soon.

(I'm sorry, I realize that oversight was quite unforgivable.)

Anyway, I started writing this all yesterday and accidently deleted it. Now it's Sunday and I really MUST go do laundry as there's a lot of it this week.

So...