Tag Archives: Winston-Salem Dash

Extra Innings or: The Night With 3B

12 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in Life as We Know It

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Salutations™!!

Okay, so, I’m admitting this is late because we had a long night. But, there’s nothing like going to a baseball game with your teenage son, just the two of you and it’s especially nice when the home team wins. It’s even nicer when it’s a memorable game.

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Scorp and 3B with a photobomber (I made sure she was in focus)

 

So, 3B and I cooked a little dinner and ran over to Underdog Records to try and catch Jonathan and go over to the game with him. We got there about 6:40p but I didn’t realize that he had closed early, around 5:15p and we went ahead and walked on to the BB&T Ballpark where the Winston-Salem Dash, a farm team for the Chicago White Sox, play their home games and this was their home opener.

That was only a few blocks but the trek was rough on this fat man. We got in the ballpark and made our way over to our seats but they were occupied. The folks in the seats looked kind of official so I had to ask an usher if I was reading the tix right or wrong. It turns out they were in our seats and moved down a bit.

The guy sitting next to me was the video analyst for the Carolina Mudcats (the team the Dash were playing tonight) and he logged every single pitch into his computer and had 8 video cameras total around the ballpark. It was interesting to watch him work. There were several guys in the area that were doing “scoring,” either on paper, on laptops or on tablets, and that too was cool to watch.

The game started and the first few innings were scoreless. The Dash struck first, though scoring one run before closing out the side. The Mudcats came back a few innings later and scored two runs. In the eighth, the Dash pulled off another run and it was tied. They had an opportunity to win in the bottom of the 9th with the bases loaded but a ground ball to short stopped that run.

In extra innings, there is a new rule in minor league baseball where they place a “pinch runner” on second base to increase the chances of there being a score. This is to try and keep the extra-inning games manageable and they seem to think this is how to help. I have mixed feelings about it, but I totally understand. I thought I had lost track of minutes off my life until the analytics guy explained to me what had happened. That’s only in the minors.

Later in the top of the 10th inning, a guy went to first on a count of 2-1. I thought he had been hit by a pitch but analytics guy told me about the new rule in MLB and the minors where if someone is going to intentionally walk the batter, they can just award him the base, he doesn’t have to take four pitches. I’m actually okay with that. It always bored me to tears when they would do the pitchouts.

In the bottom of the 11th, the Mudcats tried some trickery and had the ball in the second baseman’s glove and tagged the Dash’s pinch runner. But, because the ball wasn’t live they didn’t count that. The Dash had runners on at least third base and first but it may have been a “bases-loaded” situation. Anywhat, the pinch runner actually stole home and was safe. Bottom of the 11th, game over. Dash wins! The modest crowd came alive for that.

It was a great and exciting game. The first time I’ve ever seen a home steal in real life and really I don’t remember seeing it on a game I watched on TV, either. Not highlights but watching in real time. That was awesome. And, again, I got to share that with The Boy. We had fun. I saw several folks that I knew and had a warm beer whilst 3B had a cherry lemonade. I can’t wait to go back because I need a few ballpark dogs. We had already eaten so I didn’t have any this time. I will, though.

Yeah, being able to do that with my son is amazing. The dinner wasn’t too bad either. He is doing really good with that. We walked back to Underdog with Jonathan and used his restroom. We hung out for a little bit and then we had to come home and clean up the kitchen since we had to run out so quickly. So, that threw me back writing this. Again, sorry about that.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“Joel Booker stole home to give Winston-Salem a 3-2, walk-off win over the Carolina Mudcats on Thursday night.” – Winston-Salem Dash website

Yes, It’s Breezy or: Second City Dreamin’

04 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Life as We Know It, Travel

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Salutations™!!

Hello from Chi-Town! Yeah, I know some people hate that term but I love it. I have loved it since I was a kid watching the old NWA wrestling programs before WCW. There was something called “Chi-Town Heat” and I remember it featured The Road Warriors because they’re from here. It was the first PPV by NWA, just days after my seventeenth birthday. Just sounded seedy but sexy. Chi-Town. It’s just cool to me.

And, so is the town. The BCPF is here on business and I’m tagging along. We’re spending the first three nights in a great place called Swissôtel and it’s a triangular building that says you’ll have a room that either looks over the city, over the lake or over the river. Well, somehow, and we don’t know, nor are we questioning it, we ended up in a corner room so we get both the lake view and the river view. Included in that river view, we get the city, as well. It’s cool watching the local NBC channel knowing that we’re looking at the building they’re coming from whilst lying in bed. It’s silly to geek out on that, I know, but I do. I’ve always been fascinated with the location of radio stations and television stations. I’ve always just been fascinated with broadcasting all-around.  So, as I write this post, I’m sitting looking at the sun reflecting off of Lake Michigan with sailboats and other water craft passing by, the Ferris Wheel slowly turning (which looks faster than it did yesterday) and thinking the view is amazing. It is. I posted a video from the room and then again at night yesterday when we got here.

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Good morning, Chicago (around 5:30am)

Chicago is fantastic, so far. The BCPF and I walked about yesterday (I ALMOST made my 10,000 step goal; missing it by 800ish steps) looking around at places and saying we’d like to visit this or come back to that and so on. We had some world-famous pizza, too. We ate at Giordano’s and had the stuffed Chicago Classic. Yes, it had mushrooms, onions and peppers and no I don’t usually eat that, but I told The BCPF that, for her, I’d eat anything. I’m not Eugene, I’ll bend. Truthfully, as long as it was doused by cheese and sauce, it was okay. If they wandered out from that, they went to the side of the plate. When they stopped playing nice, so did I. Giordano’s delivers anywhere in the “Lower 48.” I’d really like to try other stuff from there but I acquiesced her.

The BCPF has a work thing to do all day today and tomorrow and only until lunch on Thursday, so I’m going to find ways to entertain myself for the next few days. I know what I’m doing tomorrow. My great friend Bruce Cole has found himself in Chicago for a little bit and in his awesomeness, decided that he was going to accommodate my desire to attend a “big league” baseball game. I was looking for the Cubs, but they’re not in town until later in the week and there’s not an afternoon game. The Winston-Salem Dash is a Chicago White Sox farm club, so I was also willing to support the “home” team. So Bruce is going to take me to see “the Good Guys” in an afternoon game. Thanks Brucie!!!!

Another thing that I’m looking for is the 19.5% (that’s NINETEEN POINT FIVE PERCENT) ABV version of Not Your Father’s Root Beer on tap. It’s only available in Illinois, on tap. It says on the website that it’s in “Chicagoland” and I want to find it. I have to try it. It’s probably not going to be served in anything bigger than a shot glass at that potency, but I’m still wanting to try it. I’ll report on it when I do. We had the 5.7% on The Less Desirables and we liked it, but we could only have so much of it.

I have a lot of other friends who either lived here, spent a lot of time here or just love it here that give me advice as to where to go and it’s hard to get all that in, but I’m trying. I’m a little limited on the funds so I can’t go everywhere and I can’t go crazy. I’m trying, though, Dear Reader. Okay, I think I’ve typed your ear off enough for today,

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“I think that what comes through in Chicago humor is the affection. Even though you’re poking fun at someone or something, there’s still an affection for it.” – Bob Newhart

Fighting On or: Silent Sunday

12 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by in Silent Sunday

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Salutations™!!

So, I made it through the Dash game with flying colors and I’m not just talking about the fireworks (which we didn’t stay for, we only saw maybe a few bursts). It 11692691_10153357772220490_2094640761739242796_nwas a very tiring thing but I felt really good about it. Many thanks to Jon Lowder and the Piedmont Triad Apartment Association for the awesome night, as well as PJ3 and his fam for hanging out with us. I really enjoy those guys; they’re my The Beer Dads cohorts. They mean the world to me.

Then, I got up on Saturday morning and walked the distance of about two football fields, uphill, to my ‘Rents’ abode to see ma mère. Walking back home was downhill and though the sun was out, the day hadn’t gotten too muggy, yet, it was a delightful walk. I felt good. I enjoyed my walk. I would have liked to do more of it but it was getting hot already.

11667476_10153359691470490_8709088055147250813_nThe BCPF and I planned on going out and doing stuff during the day, but I napped a bit because I didn’t sleep too well the night before. When we finally got up we spent a hour or so with our friends at West End Coffee House and then went to DiLisio’s to eat followed by drinks at Meridian (yes to the extra dirty martini!). We came home, watched some stuff and just finished the evening together. I’m mending well and glad to be doing well. Back to work tomorrow and business as usual.

Until tomorrow, same blog channel…
Scorp out!

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“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” – Mark Twain