June 30

The last day of the sixth month of 2011, hard to believe the year is half over already. In the morning I was with Jenny at her place, after lunch I brought her into Willow Street for an appointment. On the way we ran into some road construction delay which was absolutely indescribable. I've driven through my share of that stuff in my time but this was beyond words, it took twenty-five minutes to go a half-mile. There were long stretches where the traffic was stopped in every direction, NOTHING was moving. I realize it's no easy job but I'm convinced that work crew had no idea what they were doing, they should be ashamed. As it was I got Jenny to her appointment on time (just barely), her niece brought her home. In the afternoon I was headed northbound on 222 which has amazingly remained construction-free this summer. When we last saw the R-Phils they were in a team-wide offensive slump, they showed signs of breakout on the road trip. On this night they hosted Richmond and fell behind early 4-0 en route to a 5-2 loss. Carlos Rivero had an RBI hit, the other run scored on an Richmond fielding error. Joe Esposito made his Reading debut as the starting pitcher and took the loss, he was promoted from Class "A" Clearwater during the road trip. Pitcher-turned-infielder Joe Savery worked two innings in relief retiring all six men he faced. We had close to 7900 in attendance for a postgame fireworks show but you know where I was by the time they ever started. The series continues with night games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with fireworks after each game for the holiday weekend (all of which means I'll be beating a lot of traffic). Take care, thanks for reading.

June 29

Wednesday afternoon: Dick was in town for another appointment, he came to my place from there and we headed southeast to Wilmington. I did the driving, after two straight nights behind the wheel including a virtual all-nighter on Monday I could understand how Dick would want a break. We left town around 4:45 or so and arrived in Wilmington after 6:00, it's about fifty miles but like Aberdeen there's no highway travel involved. On this night in Delaware the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Kansas City Royals club) hosted the Salem (Virginia) Red Sox in a Carolina League game, the CL is a "High-A" league considered one step below the Eastern League. For a second straight night we saw a home team lose by shutout as Salem won the game 2-0. The game ended before 9:30, we were back in Lancaster before 11:00. On three consecutive nights this week we saw three games in three cities in three leagues at three levels of competition and each game ended before the two and-a-half hour mark, we don't get those in Reading very often. The R-Phils are at home on Thursday after a 3-3 road trip, the Richmond Flying Squirrels are in town for a four-game series. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 27-28

Monday afternoon: Dick, Marty Hornberger and I met up for a trip south of the Mason-Dixon Line to Hagerstown, Maryland. We decided the best way to go was via route 283 to Highspire, the turnpike to Carlisle and I-81 south from there. One could also take route 30 west from Lancaster but that's more stop-and-go, either way it's better than 100 miles. The Hagerstown Suns play in the South Atlantic League, a "Low-A" league which would be considered two steps below the Eastern League. Hagerstown has been in pro ball since 1981, I've been there many times but not for several years. The visiting club on this night was the Lakewood (New Jersey) Blue Claws, the Phillies' SAL affiliate (the Suns are a Washington Nationals club). Hagerstown won 5-2 in a game that started at 7:00 and ended before 9:30, we were back in Lancaster well before midnight. From there Dick drove another friend to the airport in Philadelphia for an early-morning  flight, at least they used her car for that. On Tuesday Ab Suter (one of Dick's longtime friends) was along as the four of us headed to Maryland once again, this time to Aberdeen for a New York-Pennsylvania League game. We left Lancaster shortly after 4:00 and arrived around 5:15 or so, it's only about 45 miles but little of it is highway. The NY-P is a "short season" Class "A" league which would be one step below the SAL, on this night the Brooklyn Cyclones (New York Mets affiliate) defeated the Aberdeen Ironbirds (Orioles) 1-0. For the second straight night we saw a rapidly played game, we were back home by 10:45. On Wednesday Dick and I are planning to head southeast for a game in Wilmington, he asked me if I could drive since he is feeling driver's fatigue (small wonder after what he did on Monday night). I can relate to that feeling so I told him I'd handle it, hopefully we'll see another quick game. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 24-26

Lunch and a haircut appointment on Friday afternoon, in the evening Dick Myers came into town and we met up for the ballgame. The Somerset Patriots (from Bridgewater, New Jersey) were the BSers' opponent and on this night it was a typical Atlantic League marathon. The Patriots won 5-3 in a game that started at 7:05 and wound down at 10:35. As it turned out that was a mere prelude to what would happen on Saturday. In the morning I visited and had lunch with Jenny, in the evening we were at the game. It was a fireworks night and in Lancaster that is a gold-plated hassle. The parking situation is barely adequate on a good night, for fireworks it's next to impossible. The game started at 6:35, we were there before 5:30 just to have any prayer at a decent parking spot. When Jenny is with me on a fireworks night we're usually gone by the seventh inning because I simply refuse to be trapped in that mess after the game. Such was the case on this night, we cut out at the seventh-inning stretch since it was almost 9:00 at that point anyway. I got back into town around 10:00, turned on the car radio and heard the game was tied in the eleventh inning. I learned the final outcome in the Sunday morning newspaper-the BSers won 7-6 in sixteen (that's 16) innings, the game ended shortly after midnight. In the afternoon Dick and I met up at the ballpark as the clubs played a make-up doubleheader (just what the doctor ordered after the Saturday proceedings). The first game started at 4:05, the second game wrapped up at 9:20. Somerset took the opener 9-5, the Barnstormers won the nightcap 2-1. Dick was talking about going elsewhere for games this week, maybe Hagerstown on Monday, Aberdeen on Tuesday and Wilmington on Wednesday so we'll see how it plays out. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 23

More rain showers in the early morning but by the time afternoon arrived it was warm and humid. In Quarryville in the morning for a visit and lunch with Jenny, in the evening we were back in Baseballtown. This was the 14th home date in the last 18 for the R-Phils, a lengthy stretch no matter how you look at it. After six straight losses on this homestand the ballclub finally broke through in a big way with a 10-3 win over Erie. At the outset it looked like more of the same as the 'Wolves took an early 3-0 lead. The R-Phils scored seven runs in the fourth inning as Michael Spidale, Stephen Susdorf and Derrick Mitchell had RBI hits, Tuffy Gosewisch put the punctuation mark on it with a grand slam home run. Carlos Rivero added a two-run shot in the fifth, Paco Figueroa's RBI hit in the sixth inning capped the scoring. Tyler Cloyd pitched eight strong innings in 80 degree heat to pick up the win, Justin Friend worked the ninth inning. Better than 7300 in attendance for a post-game fireworks show but needless to say I was gone ASAP. The ballclub's mark stands at 36-36 on the season, 18-22 at home. The boys hit the road for six days, the next home date is June 30. The Lancaster BSers play at home over the next six days, with dek hockey over for the season I'll probably get over to the ballpark on North Prince Street for most if not all of them. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 22

We had a violent thunderstorm overnight, around 2:00 or so it started to rain with strong winds and thunder and lightning unlike anything I've seen for some time. It was long gone by daybreak, I stopped by the rink in the morning to get the league roster book and secure things for the summer. In the afternoon I was headed north on 222 for game #3 with the Erie Seawolves. The R-Phils took the early lead but failed to hold it as Erie won 3-1. Matt Rizzotti had an RBI double in the first inning but that was the extent of the offense on this night as the club could muster only four base hits. J.C. Ramirez pitched into the eighth inning and deserved a better fate but with the club mired in the offensive doldrums his effort wasn't enough to avoid the loss. We had a little less than 4900 in the park on a hot, humid night with temperatures in the mid 80s. The ballclub will try to salvage a victory as the homestand wraps up on Thursday night. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 20-21

Monday evening: back at the ballpark for the opener of a four-game set with Erie, this was a L-O-N-G night. The R-Phils trailed early 4-0 before Matt Rizzotti got the club on the board with a two-run homer in the sixth inning. In the seventh Derrick Mitchell went yard to make it 4-3, Stephen Susdorf's RBI hit tied it in the eighth. It finally ended in the 12th when the 'Wolves pushed the winning run home to win it 5-4. We had 6700 in the park, considerably fewer than that by the time it ended. The R-Phils used six pitchers in the game, Derrick Loop was the losing pitcher. We started at 7:05 and ended four hours later, I walked through my front door seven minutes before midnight. On Tuesday afternoon Jenny was with me, Jamie Burkholder joined us for the drive north. The Phillie Phanatic made his first appearance of the season, over 7000 were in attendance. The downbeat continued as the R-Phils lost again, this time by a 4-1 count. The only run scored when Freddy Galvis doubled and scored on a wild pitch, B.J. Rosenberg took the hard-luck loss. The club has lost six in a row as the offense has gone into a deep slumber, they have not held a lead in any of the five games on this homestand. The series continues on Wednesday and Thursday then the club hits the road for six days. Got word that street hockey playoffs are over, the East Division ended Monday and the West was decided on Tuesday. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 19

Sunday afternoon baseball in Reading, the ballclub lost to New Britain 5-3 as the Rock Cats completed the three-game sweep. The R-Phils got an RBI double from Freddy Galvis and run-scoring hits from Derrick Mitchell and Brian Schneider (still on rehab assignment) but it wasn't enough to prevent a third straight loss at home (and fourth overall as the club had lost on the road on Thursday). Les Walrond was the losing pitcher in relief of Austin Hyatt, Justin Friend made his Reading debut following Walrond's appearance. We had an excellent crowd of better than 8600 in the house for Father's Day activities. Before the game kids were invited to play catch in the outfield, after that they had the opportunity to introduce their father to the crowd in a pre-game ceremony. After the game all fans had a chance to play catch on the field with Dad for the holiday. The R-Phils wore special jerseys, they were auctioned and raffled after the game for prostate cancer awareness. The game started at 1:05 and wound down at 4:00, I was home before 5:00. This series marked the only visit to Baseballtown for New Britain this season, the R-Phils will make their lone trip to Connecticut in August. With this game we reach the midpoint of the home schedule, 36 down and 36 to go thanks to a road rainout we'll make up at home (but that's a story for another time). The club will look to break out of the funk as the Erie Seawolves come to town for a four-game series beginning Monday night. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 18

On the road shortly after 8:00, we got started at the ballpark at 10:00 with the annual high school All-Star game. It started in 2002 as an all-Berks County affair, in '05 the Pioneer Athletic Conference (from neighboring Montgomery County) became the other half of the equation. The Berks team won on this day 8-7, after falling behind 1-0  they scored seven unanswered runs before the PAC battled back to tie it in the sixth inning. Berks scored in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead and made it stand up from there for the win. The PAC still leads the series four wins to three but Berks has won the last two. The game ended around 12:30 or so, I went out to get some lunch and relax before getting ready for the professional half of the morning/evening doubleheader. This was game #2 with New Britain, before the game Johnny Morris stopped into the press box to say hello. "Johnny Mo" played in the major leagues in the late '80s-early '90s including a season with the Phillies in 1991. He coached in Reading from 2004 to 2006, he currently scouts for the Cincinnati Reds and still lives in the area so he's at the ballpark quite often. He told me he discovered this blog online and reads it on a regular basis so Johnny if you're reading this here's your shout-out. The game started at 6:35, the R-Phils fell for the second consecutive night to NB by a final score of 2-1. Matt Rizzotti accounted for the lone run with a ninth-inning homer but it wasn't enough to save Tyler Cloyd from the tough-luck loss. Over 8600 in the house for another fireworks show but as usual I was out of there pronto. The boys will look to salvage the finale on Sunday afternoon, as for me I think I'll sleep well overnight. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 17

A few weeks ago there was an ad in the newspaper about a traveling health clinic coming to the area, they were offering a battery of tests at an excellent price so I arranged for an appointment. On this day the clinic was in Willow Street at a supermarket, my appointment was at 2:30. I was done before 3:00, they told me the results would come in the mail but they said nothing about anything urgent so I guess I'm OK at least for now. I headed north to Baseballtown directly from there as the R-Phils opened up a weekend series with the New Britain Rock Cats. J.C. Ramirez took the loss as NB won 6-0, there were no offensive highlights of any kind as the R-Phils managed only three hits. We had better than 9400 in attendance for a postgame fireworks show. The most newsworthy developments of the day were roster moves as four players left the club and five arrived. Cody Overbeck, Justin De Fratus, Ryan Edell and Phillippe Aumont were promoted to the AAA club in Allentown, they were replaced by pitchers Chance Chapman (returning from AAA), Derrick Loop and Justin Friend and infielder Joe Savery (all from Clearwater in the Florida State League). Savery is an interesting story, he was drafted by the Phillies as a pitcher and is being converted into a position player. The club also received catcher Brian Schneider on rehab assignment from Philadelphia, he has been on the disabled list in the major leagues. He is the third Phillie to rehab in Reading this season joining Jose Contreras and Shane Victorino on that list. Saturday will be a busy day with the annual high school All-Star game at 10:00 and our game at 6:35. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 14-16

Jenny was in town on Tuesday morning on business, I met her for lunch at a local sandwich shop. In the evening we played street hockey, the West Division Semifinals were both decided in two-game sweeps. On Wednesday night there was just one game on the docket as the East Finals got underway. On Thursday morning Jenny was again in the city for an appointment, the access van brought her in from Quarryville. I took her home, we had lunch at the pizza parlor then I brought her into Willow Street for an afternoon appointment (her niece brought her home later). We had some hard rain in the early afternoon but it cleared out, in the evening we were back at the rink. The West Finals got started and the East Finals continued, we had some light mist before the first game began. That game went into overtime as the rain returned, some thought was given to postponing the second game but both teams were there and wanted to play so we proceeded. In a classic "wasn't the world just waiting for this" moment that game also went OT, shortly after it ended the rain stopped as well (isn't that always the way). Playoffs continue on Monday the 20th but I'll be absent as the R-Phils return home on Friday for a seven day stand. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 13

The new week started as it usually does with a morning errand run and the mall for lunch. In the evening we were at Reservoir Park as street hockey playoffs are well underway. There was just one game on this night, it was the deciding game of an East Division Semifinal. The other series ended last week, the Finals will start Wednesday and continue Thursday. Ron and Bebop refereed, Wally ran the clock. The West Division plays on Tuesday, we may have two or three games on Thursday depending upon the results of Tuesday's games. We'll just see how it all plays out. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 12

Sunday morning on the road one final time this week as we wrapped up a seven-day homestand in Baseballtown. The first order of business on this day was the completion of the game suspended on Saturday night. The Altoona Curve led 11-1 in the third inning when time was called, they parlayed that advantage into a 13-4 win. Derrick Mitchell had a home run and two RBI for the R-Phils, Freddy Galvis hit a solo homer and Niuman Romero had a run-scoring double. J.C. Ramirez (the Saturday starter) was the pitcher of record, he took the loss. In the regularly-scheduled game the R-Phils rebounded for a tough 2-1 victory. Altoona scored first to take the lead, Freddy Galvis went yard again to tie it. In the sixth inning Terry Evans hit a two-out home run to provide the margin of victory. Les Walrond was the winning pitcher in relief of Tyler Cloyd, Justin De Fratus picked up the save. All thing considered the day went well, we started right on time at 1:05 and were done by 5:20 as the rumored stormy weather never materialized. Better than 5900 in attendance for another Sunday "kids day". For the record, we had more than 7000 in on Saturday night for a post-game fireworks show that never happened, the attendance was never announced for obvious reasons but it counts nonetheless. The ballclub's record now stands at 34-28 (17-16 at home), after an off-day on Monday they play three days on the road. We're back home on Friday the 17th for another seven-day stand. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 11

Saturday afternoon: Jenny and Helen were along for the drive north to Reading. This was supposed to be game #2 of the series with the Altoona Curve but it didn't work out quite as planned. Some storms rolled in from the west, the scheduled 6:35 game was delayed for better than an hour. We finally got started around 7:40, Altoona promptly scored five runs in the first inning. The rain returned in the bottom half of the inning and it got worse, in the middle of the third inning with Altoona leading 11-1 the game was stopped and the field was covered. Shortly after that the game was called and declared a suspended game. We'll complete it on Sunday afternoon then play the regularly scheduled game. The game in progress will be nine innings, the regular game will by rule be a seven inning game. It's not technically a doubleheader but it's the closest thing to it. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for Sunday so who knows what might happen, your guess is as good as mine. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 10

Saw in the morning paper where the Lancaster "BSers" played a game on Thursday that started past 8:30 because of rain and lasted close to four hours, they lost 25-10 (that's twenty-five to ten). It just goes to show you that no matter how bad you think you have it there is always someone else who has it worse. The warm weather was still with us on Friday but the humidity was down so it wasn't quite as oppressive. In the evening the R-Phils opened a weekend series with the Altoona Curve, a four-run sixth inning was the difference in a 4-0 victory. For the second consecutive night the club got back-to-back home runs, Cody Overbeck's two-run shot broke the scoreless tie and Carlos Rivera followed with a solo homer (the last run scored on a wild pitch). B.J. Rosenberg's conversion from reliever to starter hit a high point on this night, he pitched seven shutout innings for the win. Over 6400 turned out for post-game fireworks but needless to say I was out ASAP. The series continues through Sunday, Jenny and Helen are coming along on Saturday. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 8-9

On Monday temperatures were in the high 70s, on Tuesday we hit the mid 80s. On Wednesday the blast furnace was open for business as we hit the mid 90s. In Reading in the evening for game #3 with Trenton, it was 92 degrees at game time. After two straight walk-off wins there was no such magic on this night as Trenton won it 7-6. Tuffy Gosewisch had a home run and three RBI, Terry Evans hit a solo homer, Matt Rizzotti had an RBI double and Freddy Galvis contributed a sacrifice fly. Austin Hyatt started and pitched well but wasn't around at the end as Tyson Brummett took the loss in relief. It was a long, hot night-the game started at 7:05 and took three hours to play. We had over 7000 in the park for a rare Wednesday night fireworks show. On Thursday morning the oven was still burning as I was with Jenny in Quarryville, she had an 11:20 appointment for phyiscal therapy on her ankle and we had lunch after that. In the evening we were back at the ballpark for the final game of the series, we were delayed at the start because of unsettled weather conditions. There were strong storms in the area but we got very little if anything, the game finally got underway shortly before 8:00. The R-Phils rebounded from the Wednesday loss with a 4-1 win, they trailed 1-0 in the seventh inning before Tim Kennelly hit a two-run shot to give the club the lead. In the eighth inning Matt Rizzotti and Cody Overbeck provided some breathing room with back-to-back home runs. Ryan Edell gave the club another strong starting effort and picked up the win, Justin De Fratus saved it. The game ended shortly before 10:30 so all things considered it went well. A little over 6900 in attendance for yet another fireworks show but like Wednesday you know where I was by the time they started. The Altoona Curve comes to town for a three-game series on Friday. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 6-7

Jenny was in Willow Street on Monday morning, the access van brought her in from Quarryville. Her appointment was for 9:00, at 8:45 she called to say she was done (!!!). I took her home and we had lunch at the pizza parlor. In the afternoon it was north on 222 as the R-Phils returned home from a 1-2 road trip to start a week-long homestand. Over the weekend in Lancaster I saw a game that went eleven innings and took three-and-a-half hours, on this night the R-Phils and the Trenton Thunder went one better. The game started at 7:05, it took twelve innings before the R-Phils won it 8-7. Cody Overbeck accounted for five RBI including a pair of home runs, Tuffy Gosewisch had a run-scoring hit as well. In the last inning Derrick Mitchell singled home the winning run as the game finally ended at 11:10. Justin De Fratus was the winning pitcher in relief of Josh Zeid, we had 6700 in the house. On Tuesday Dick joined me for game #2 with the Thunder, it was Dog Night in Baseballtown as many of the 5000 in attendance were there with their furry four-legged friends. This game was played in more respectable time, it was over by 9:40. Trenton led 2-0 in the seventh but the R-Phils rallied, outfielder Terry Evans picked an RBI with a sacrifice fly and Tuffy Gosewisch's base hit evened matters up. In the ninth inning Derrick Mitchell was the walk-off hero for the second consecutive night, his two-run home run gave the R-Phils a 4-2 victory. Phillipe Aumont won it after Tyler Cloyd made the spot start out of the bullpen. The Thunder stays in town for games on Wednesday and Thursday, the Altoona Curve comes to town for the weekend. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 3-5

With the R-Phils on the road for the weekend and nothing else going on I finally had a chance to kick back and enjoy some games as a spectator. On Friday Jenny and I saw our first Atlantic League game of the season, the Lancaster Barnstormers (or as we kiddingly say, the "BSers") opened a series with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The Lancaster team has been in the league since 2005, the Blue Crabs (from Waldorf, MD) began in 2008. The popular Phillie Phanatic appeared at the game on this evening, he'll be in Reading on June 21. On Saturday Jenny and I had lunch as usual, in the evening Dick Myers and I were back at the ballpark on North Prince Street for game #2 of the series. After a 10-4 win on Friday the BSers made it two straight with a 5-4 extra-innings victory. It was a post-game fireworks night but Dick is like me in that regard, when the game is over we are gone. There was a light mist falling during the late innings, shortly after the game ended it opened up and poured but I was safely at home by that time. The rain was gone on Sunday morning, in the afternoon Dick and I went west to York for another Atlantic League game. The York Revolution hosted the Road Warriors in the finale of their weekend series, the Warriors won it 4-2. The Revs joined the league in 2007, they are the current defending champions. The Road Warriors are the league's so-called "travel team", they are owned by operated by the league itself. The Atlantic League has been around since 1998 and there have been some years when the league has had an odd number of cities. During those seasons the league uses a travel team to even up the schedule, since they have no home city the Warriors play all of their games on the road (hence the name). The team is not built to win (the roster is mostly players released by the other teams in the league) but its existence is vital, it allows every other team to play a regularly-formatted schedule. The game in York was rapidly played, it started at 5:00 and was over before 7:30, Dick and I were back in Lancaster before 8:00 (we won't complain about that at all). Take care, thanks for reading.

June 1-2

The unseasonably warm weather continued on Wednesday as the R-Phils hosted Akron in game #2 of the series, we got underway at 2:05 with an announced game-time temperature of 86 degrees. The ballclub made it two straight over Akron with a wacky 12-9 win. The boys led 9-2 in the seventh inning, the Aeros scored seven runs to draw even before the R-Phils scored three in the bottom half for the margin of victory. It was Home Run Derby as Tuffy Gosewisch, Matt Rizzotti, Cody Overbeck and the rehabbing Shane Victorino all went yard for the home team. Tuffy was the offensive star with a grand-slam homer and six RBI, Overbeck and Victorino each had two runs batted in and Derrick Mitchell had a run-scoring hit as well, Chris Kissock won it in relief of starter Josh Zeid. We had better than 4400 in attendance, many attracted by Victorino's presence. The game ended right around 5:00, I high-balled it down 222 for the night's street hockey at the rink. Ron was there to open up and get things ready, I was there by 6:05 as we started at 6:15. Three games were played, we were done by 9:00 and by 11:00 my bedroom light was out in anticipation of the early wake-up call on Thursday. That call came shortly before 6:30, the game began at 9:35. We play one morning game each year, the practice began in 2002 and I freely admit I'm not entirely fond of it but if 8100 people are crazy enough to show up at that hour I guess I can be crazy enough to show up and work. It was much cooler on this day, 68 degrees at game time. The ballclub lost 8-4, Tim Kennelly had a big day with three hits, a run scored and two RBI. J.C. Ramirez started on the hill and took the loss. The game wound down at 12:30, in the evening we played another three-game night at the rink. The regular season is all but over, the playoffs start on Monday the 6th (and I'll be absent since the R-Phils return home that night after a weekend on the road). With the weather considerably cooler since Wednesday morning it should a good night for sleeping. Take care, thanks for reading.