August 28-30

The rain and wind continued overnight into Sunday, at some point during the early morning our neighborhood lost power. I was out of bed on a nature call sometime before sunrise and every light on the block was out. With the electricity out my mother and I went to a local eatery for lunch, she didn't want to chance opening the refrigerator door and letting what cold there was escape. The power was not restored until midway through the afternoon, by then the rain was gone, the wind velocity settled and the sun actually came out. Monday was slow much as Sunday had been, the morning errand run was about all that happened. On Tuesday Marty came into town, we went over to York for the ballgame as the Revolution hosted the Camden Riversharks. This was in all likelihood my last time in York for the season unless they have a home playoff game on a date that works for me. The Revs won the game in walk-off fashion, a three-run homer in the ninth turned a 5-4 deficit into a 7-5 win. There's a good chance the Revs and the Lancaster ballclub could meet in the playoffs, the BSers are already qualified and York is right in the race so who knows what may happen. The Barnstormers are at home this weekend, Jenny and I will probably be there on Sunday. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 27

It was overcast on Saturday morning, Jenny and Helen were with me as we headed to the ballpark for the doubleheader. When we arrived we found out that the day/night format had been scrapped in favor of a straight twinbill. The latest forecast indicated the rain would arrive sometime in the afternoon so the idea was to get in and out as quickly as possible. We got started at 1:05, the R-Phils defeated Portland in the opener by a count of 6-2. Derrick Mitchell had two hits and three RBI, Carlos Rivero had an RBI hit, the other two runs scored on a double play and a fielder's choice. J.C. Ramirez pitched five innings for the win, B.J. Rosenberg finished it for the save. The second game started shortly before 4:00, most of it was played in a steady light rain. The R-Phils could not complete the sweep as the Sea Dogs salvaged a 4-2 win. Michael Spidale had three hits and an RBI, Derrick Mitchell picked a ribbie on a fielders choice. Derrick Loop made the spot start and took the loss, Jake Diekman and Mike Cisco pitched in relief. We were done shortly before 6:30, with the rain falling it was clear the proposed evening game would have never happened. This day concluded the home portion of the schedule, the final mark at home was 36-36 (one extra home game thanks to the May rainout in Portland), the overall record is 68-66. The ballclub is still in contention for the postseason, what happens with the eight games left on the road will tell the story. After a supper stop we headed south into Lancaster County as the rain and wind picked up in intensity. With it all I walked through my front door at 8:30 and was damn glad to be there. The weather is supposed to improve sometime Sunday, time will tell. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 26

Friday afternoon: back at the ballpark for game #2 with Portland. The R-Phils went down for the second straight night, this was a tough 4-3 come-from-ahead loss. The ballclub scored three runs in the first inning on the strength of a John Suomi two-run single and a Matt Rizzotti RBI on a bases-loaded walk. Unfortunately that lead did not hold as the Sea Dogs scored single runs in the third and sixth innings before pushing home two runs in the ninth to win it. Tyler Cloyd pitched seven strong innings and deserved a victory but it was not to be as Justin Friend took the loss in relief. It was another long game, we started at 7:05 and wound down at 10:25. Better than 9500 in the yard, as they stayed for fireworks after the game I headed west on route 12 towards the 222 junction. The plan for Saturday is to play the day/night doubleheader as planned but nobody seems to know exactly what the weather will bring. We're supposed to get the day game going at 1:05 with the night game at 6:35, what is to transpire is anyone's guess. As they used to say in television, "don't touch that dial". Take care, thanks for reading.

August 25

Thursday started with rain in the area, it was raining while I was with Jenny in the morning. There is a hurricane forming in the Atlantic Ocean that is expected to move north along the East Coast over the weekend, the weather forecast is not encouraging. In the afternoon I headed north on 222 as we started the final homestand of the regular season, the Portland Sea Dogs were the opponent. Before the game it was announced that due to the impending weather conditions Sunday's game has been moved to Saturday afternoon as part of a day/night doubleheader. Day/nighters are rare at the minor league level, we haven't had one in Reading since 2003. After winning two of three in New Britain the R-Phils' playoff push took a step back on this night as Portland took the opener 8-4. Tuffy Gosewisch had two hits and two RBI, Fidel Hernandez had a run-scoring hit, another run scored on an error. Tyson Brummett took the loss in a game that took three-and-a-half hours to play. We had some rain in the middle innings but the game was never stopped (although a case could have been made for it at various points), we had better than 7500 in attendance. The series continues on Friday night at 7:05 then on Saturday we play the day/nighter at 1:05 and 6:35 weather permitting. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 22-24

Monday and Wednesday were very quiet and uneventful, the two days served as the perfect bookends for a busy Tuesday. Over the weekend Dick Myers and I had discussed going to Salisbury, Maryland on Tuesday, with his car in the shop I did the driving. Barry Giberson joined us, he lives just north of Quarryville (not too far from Jenny). Dick, Barry and I have all known each other for a long time: from 1974 to 1977 I did the PA for a recreational softball league at Bing Conlin Field in Lancaster, Barry played in the league and Dick was a regular attendee. We picked Barry up at his place and headed southeast into Elkton, Maryland, cut east into Newark, Delaware and due south from there virtually the length of the state into Salisbury. It was a long trip both in miles and time, it took close to four hours to go 150 miles. The ballclub in Salisbury is officially known as the Delmarva Shorebirds, they are the Orioles' affiliate in the South Atlantic League. Their opponent on this night was the Lakewood Blue Claws, the Phillies' SAL club (we saw the 'Claws earlier this season in Hagerstown). The Blue Claws won the game 3-0 but we never saw the end, they were delayed by light failure at the outset and again in the fourth inning. By 9:00 they were only in the sixth inning, with the long drive home looming we decided to cut out early. The drive back was shorter in terms of time (less traffic on the road at that hour) but it was still 150 miles, by the time I got to my place it was almost 12:45 in the morning. This was the first time I ever saw a game in Salisbury (they've been around since 1996), since they're an Orioles club I'm glad I finally got there but it's not a trip I'm looking to repeat anytime soon. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 21

On the road at 10:00 for the ballpark as we finished the series with Altoona. This was our first day game at home on a Sunday since June 19 and the first on any day since July 11. The R-Phils completed the three-game sweep with a 3-1 win over the Curve to improve to 65-62 on the season. Carlos Rivero hit a two-run home run in the first inning, Brent Clevlen added a solo shot in the fourth. Those three runs were all Tyler Cloyd needed as he pitched seven innings of shutout ball with ten strikeouts to earn the win, Les Walrond worked the eighth inning and Justin Friend closed it out for the save. The game was played in good order, we started at 1:05 and finished at 3:35. It was another "Kids Day", we had better than 5700 in the house. The ballclub has fifteen games left on the schedule, they travel to New Britain for three games this week before returning home for four with Portland on the weekend. On Monday the 29th they head to Akron for four games and Binghamton for four as well, the season wraps up on Labor Day Monday. There were storms in the forecast on this day but the only rain I saw was on the way home after the game and later in the evening. Not much on the schedule over the next three days, I may get to a game elsewhere but nothing is for certain. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 20

Saturday morning in Quarryville with Jenny, after lunch she and Helen were along for the ride to Reading for game #2 with the Altoona Curve. The R-Phils are in the running for a playoff berth, if they make it this game may be remembered as the match that lit the fuse. The ballclub took an early 2-0 lead on a Brent Clevlen RBI groundout and a Tuffy Gosewisch base hit but by the ninth inning the Curve led 6-3. In the bottom of the ninth Paco Figueroa and John Suomi reached base, they both scored on Steve Singleton's double to make it 6-5. Brent Clevlen followed with a double of his own to score Singleton with the tying run, Fidel Hernandez's base hit scored Clevlen with the winning run to cap an improbable 7-6 win. Justin Friend was the winning pitcher following B.J. Rosenberg, Chris Kissock and Jake Diekman. A crowd in excess of 9500 was in attendance, the largest crowd of the season and eighteenth largest in modern franchise history. The victory puts the club at 64-62 for the season and it's a huge step forward but with sixteen games left to play the only thing for sure is nothing's for sure. The game started at 6:35 and wound down at 9:45, the big crowd stayed for fireworks while the ladies and I hit the road. The series wraps up on Sunday at 1:05, the first Sunday day game we've had at home in nine weeks. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 19

Friday afternoon: on the road north as the Altoona Curve came to Reading for a three-game weekend series. A line of storms passed through Berks County in early evening but amazingly missed the ballpark completely, we started right on time at 7:05. The R-Phils won their second consecutive game as they defeated Altoona 11-1. Four different players recorded two RBI each: Tuffy Gosewisch (home run), Steve Singleton (two doubles), Carlos Rivero (two singles) and Matt Rizzotti (two-base hit). Derick Mitchell had three doubles and an RBI, Brent Clevlen had a run-scoring hit as well. Amid the offensive pyrotechnics was a solid performance from Austin Hyatt, he went six innings allowing only two hits and striking out six to earn the victory. Mike Cisco worked the final three frames to pick up the save as the ballclub moved back above .500 at 63-62. We had better than 7900 in the house for a fireworks show but as usual I was out ASAP. The game ended around 9:45, I was back in Lancaster by 10:30. The series continues on Saturday night, Jenny and Helen are planning to come along. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 17-18

At some point in the future we may look back on the events of August 17, 2011 and place the blame firmly on the weather bureau in Portland, Maine. Had it not rained in Portland on May 19 we would never have been subjected to what happened in Baseballtown on this night in August. We played a doubleheader that got started at 6:05 and finally ended five hours and thirty-three minutes later. The R-Phils lost both ends of it as Portland took the opener 5-4 and the nightcap 5-3. In game #1 Carlos Rivero hit a solo home run, Matt Rizzotti had an RBI double, Tuffy Gosewisch had a run-scoring base hit and Ozzie Chavez picked up a ribbie on an infield groundout. B.J. Rosenberg lost it in relief of J.C. Ramirez. In the second game (which began at the princely hour of 9:20) the Sea Dogs took a 5-0 lead and made it stand up. Carlos Rivero went yard again, Chris Lubanski had an RBI sacrifice fly, the third R-Phils run scored on a wild pitch. Derrick Loop made the spot start and took the loss, Chris Kissock worked in relief. We had 5300 in attendance but much less than that by the time we finished, with it all I had the pleasure of walking through my front door at 12:25 on Thursday morning. Some thunderstorms moved through the area overnight but by sunrise they were gone. On Thursday Jenny and I had our usual lunch date at the pizza parlor in Quarryville, later in the day I was back at the ballpark as we wrapped up the series. The R-Phils rebounded nicely with an 8-3 win before close to 5500. Tuffy Gosewisch had three hits including a home run and three RBI, Fidel Hernandez had a hit and two RBI. Michael Spidale hit a solo home run, Carlos Rivero and Paco Figueroa had run-scoring hits also. Les Walrond won it in relief of Joe Esposito, Justin Friend worked the last inning. There were storm warnings up for the Reading area but the game was uninterrupted, I was home before 11:00. The homestand continues through the weekend as the Altoona Curve comes to town. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 15-16

Monday was a very slow day as expected, the morning errand run was about all that happened. On Tuesday Jenny was in town on business, we got together for lunch. August 16 is a big day on Jenny's calendar, it's her birthday. She never asked for a specific gift this year but she wasn't disappointed with what I got for her. We've been together for almost ten years and my life would be empty without her, I love her with all my heart. In the afternoon I was on my way to Reading for the start of a six-day stand, the Portland Sea Dogs were in town. The R-Phils lost two of three on the road over the weekend, they entered the night dead even on the year at 60-60. They got the homestand started on a good note with a 7-4 win over the Sea Dogs in front of close to 6800 on Fan Appreciation Night. Tuffy Gosewisch hit a three-run home run, Brent Clevlen added a homer and two RBI. Carlos Rivero (back from AAA Lehigh Valley) hit a solo home run and Derick Mitchell had an RBI hit as well. Tyler Cloyd won it with relief from B.J. Rosenberg, Jake Diekman and Justin Friend (save). The game took better than three hours, I walked in my front door at 11:00. On Wednesday we may well still be there at that hour, we have a doubleheader starting at 6:05. The teams were rained out back in May on the R-Phils' last visit to Portland so the game is being made up in Reading, we had a similar situation last year with Binghamton. Doubleheaders are bad enough to begin with, when they happen because of a road rainout it borders on cruel and unusual punishment. The saving grace is that both games are seven innings by rule so maybe we can get a couple of quickies. I wouldn't mind. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 12-14

Friday afternoon: Marty called, he was coming into town for the Barnstormers game. He came by my place before 6:00 and we rode over to North Prince Street together. This has been a strange year for me with BSers games, this night was only the seventh time I've been there so far and they have all been on weekends (no Monday through Thursday games at all). The Long Island Ducks were the opponent, they won the game 4-3. On Saturday I was with Jenny in Quarryville, after lunch she and Helen cane back to the city with me. The plan was to go to the ballgame in the evening but it didn't work out quite that way. In the afternoon it got very dark and windy with off-and-on rain, around 4:30 or so it just opened up and poured. We talked it over and Jenny said she wasn't into going over there and getting caught in a rain delay (the thought didn't exactly thrill me either). The forecast for the evening wasn't much better so we elected to forgo the game, after some supper I took them home so they would be there before dark. The game went on in our absence, I saw in the Sunday paper where with rain delays figured in they weren't done until almost 11:00 so we made a good choice. On Sunday morning it was more of the same but by afternoon the weather improved dramatically so I decided to go to the game since it was a 6:00 start. It was overcast with occasional peeks of sun, the game was played without issue as the Ducks won 6-4 to sweep the series (they had also won on Saturday). Another routine three-hour Atlantic League game, it ended shortly after 9:00. Monday figures to be very quiet (nothing on the schedule), the R-Phils start a six-day homestand on Tuesday. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 11

Had lunch with Jenny on Thursday morning, after that I brought her into Willow Street for an appointment (her niece was going to bring her home later). From there I took my car to the service center, it is being serviced and inspected on Friday. My mother met me there, I used her car for the drive to Reading in the evening. On this night in Baseballtown the Bowie BaySox finished a three-game sweep with a 5-2 win over the R-Phils. The pattern in this game was very similar to what had happened in the first two games of the series. On Tuesday the ballclub trailed 5-0 and never got even, on Wednesday it was 3-0 before they pulled even only to lose in extras. On this night it was 5-0 before the R-Phils broke through in the eighth inning, Matt Rizzotti knocked home a run on a groundout and Chris Lubanski picked up an RBI when he was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded. J.C. Ramirez took the loss in another marathon that started at 7:05 and ended just before 10:30. We had better than 8800 in the park for Ladies Night activities and post-game fireworks but as is my norm I was out of there ASAP. The ballclub's record now stands at 59-58, just 30-31 at home. The boys will be on the road for the weekend, we're back home on Tuesday the 16th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 10

Wednesday afternoon: Jamie Burkholder joined me for the drive to Reading, he is (like me) a Phillies fan and an Orioles fan as well. It was 80 degrees at game time with no rain in sight, the game wound down three hours and thirty minutes later. For the second consecutive night the R-Phils lost to the BaySox, on this occasion it took extra innings before Bowie prevailed 6-4. The BaySox led 3-0 in the sixth inning before the R-Phils rallied to tie it, a two-run tenth inning gave Bowie the win. Newcomer Chris Lubanski had three hits and a run scored for the R-Phils, Steve Singleton and Tuffy Gosewisch contributed RBI doubles and Michael Spidale had a run-scoring triple. Tyler Cloyd worked six innings as the starter, Les Walrond (two innings), B.J. Rosenberg and Justin Friend (one inning each) worked in relief with Friend taking the loss. A crowd of close to 6200 in attendance on Dog Night, many of Man's Best Friends were in the house as well. The series wraps up on Thursday then the boys head back out on the road until Tuesday the 16th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 7-9

Sunday was a quiet day, with nothing going on I never left the house. Monday was much the same save for an errand run and a morning visit to the dentist, they took some impressions for some work to be done in September (and I will again go on record as saying that I positively loathe dental work). On Tuesday morning storms moved through the area from the southwest, the rain was severe at times but by afternoon it had cleared out. I headed north on 222 for the ballpark as the R-Phils opened a series with the Bowie BaySox. The BaySox are the Orioles' EL club, this series is their lone visit to Reading in 2011. Around 5:00 it got very dark, the grounds crew put the tarpaulin on the field just in time for the rain to move in from the northwest. It rained hard for a time but once it moved out it was gone for good, we started on time at 7:05. The R-Phils lost to Bowie 5-4, the Baysox scored all of their runs in the first inning and made them stand up for the win. Austin Hyatt started on the mound and was clearly not at his best, he worked less than one inning and suffered the loss. Michael Spidale had three hits and two RBI, newcomer Brent Clevlen hit his first R-Phils home run and had two RBI as well. With Terry Evans and Stephen Susdorf both injured and likely done for the season the ballclub needed outfield help, the Phillies organization recently signed Clevlen and fellow outfielder Chris Lubanski as free agents. The boys will look to square the series on Wednesday night. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 6

With Jenny in the morning, after lunch she came back to the city with me. The Lancaster Lightning (the local semi-pro football team) had a home game in the evening, I was going to work it since I was available and Jenny wanted to come along. The Lightning plays its home games at a recently-opened athletic complex north of the city, we were there at 5:30 for the 7:00 kickoff. The complex has no permanent public address system, the team arranged for a portable system that unfortunately did not work. The company that supplied it hurried in a replacement but it wasn't up and running until the end of the first quarter. Showers and thunderstorms were in the forecast, it started to rain during the second quarter and by halftime it was pouring. The second half was played in rain that ranged in intensity from light to steady, Jenny came into the press box to escape it. The Lightning won the game, they defeated the (Washington) D.C. Explosion 20-18 on a touchdown pass with four seconds on the clock. I took Jenny home and was back in Lancaster by 10:30, the rain continued all the way and was still coming as midnight approached. Not much on the schedule for Sunday and Monday, the R-Phils are back home on Tuesday. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 5

Earlier in the week Marty had called, he wanted to know if I was interested to going to York on Friday evening. I met him at the local shopping center at 4:45, the game started at 6:30 as the Revolution hosted the BSers. In the world of pro baseball the Atlantic League is considered near the bottom of the ladder but on this night it didn't matter as the fans in attendance (both from York and Lancaster) were treated to a hell of a game. The Revs scored in the first inning to take the early lead, the Barnstormers tied it in the third. In the bottom of the inning the Revs took a 3-1 lead, the BSers got one back in the sixth to make it 3-2. In the eighth inning the 'Stormers scored three runs to go up 5-3, the Revolution quickly replied with two of their own to tie it at 5-5. In the ninth inning the Revs had the bases loaded but could not score, in the tenth inning the same scenario arose but this time a clutch base hit ended it as York prevailed 6-5. The game took three and-a-half hours to play but nobody was complaining, everyone there got their money's worth. There was a Reading connection to this game, the winning pitcher for the Revs was former R-Phil Geoff Geary. He pitched in Reading in 2000 and 2001 and had major league time with the Philles from 2003-2007. With the drive east across the river after the game we got back to Lancaster around 10:45. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 4

Went to Quarryville in the morning to visit Jenny, we had lunch at the pizza parlor. In the afternoon I was back in Baseballtown as we wrapped up the series with Harrisburg. We got underway at 6:05 with the completion of Wednesday's suspended game, the score stood at 1-1 after eight innings. The R-Phils' run had come in the second inning on Wednesday when Derrick Mitchell doubled and scored on a Tim Kennelly base hit. The matter was resolved in the bottom of the tenth inning as the R-Phils won it 2-1. John Suomi singled and advanced to third base on an Ozzie Chavez base hit. Chavez was caught off base and in the ensuing rundown Suomi scampered home with the winning run. It took forty-one minutes to finish the game, the regularly-scheduled game started at 7:22 (only seventeen minutes late, not bad under the circumstances). In this game offensive highlights were few and far between as the R-Phils lost by an identical 2-1 score, the only run scored on an error and a wild pitch. B.J. Rosenberg took the loss in relief of Tyler Cloyd, Les Walrond had won the suspended game in relief of Wednesday starter Austin Hyatt. It was a night for post-game fireworks but as usual I was out of Dodge as quickly as I could be. The boys head back out on the road for the weekend, after an off-day on Monday we'll be back on Tuesday the 9th as the Bowie BaySox come to town. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 3

Wednesday afternoon: back at the ballpark in Reading for game #2 with Harrisburg. It was an overcast day with the looming threat of showers and thunderstorms. The popular Phillie Phanatic was the main attraction as we got underway right on the dot at 7:05. There was some light rain before the game started, in the fourth inning it returned and picked up in intensity. We managed to play eight innings before the weather forced a halt to play at 9:45, the game was suspended with the score tied at 1-1. We'll pick it up right where we left off on Thursday at 6:05 with the regularly-scheduled game to follow. For the record we had better than 7400 in attendance but if they want to see the rest of the game they'll need to join us on Thursday. Jenny had talked about coming to this game to see the Phanatic but decided against it because of the weather forecast. As it turns out she made a good choice. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 2

Jenny was in town on business in the morning, we got together for lunch. After a week apart it felt good to put my arms around her and hold her close to me. While I was in Elmira we were never further apart than the telephone but it's not the same as being together in person. In the afternoon I headed north on 222 as the R-Phils returned home after a 2-2 road trip and a well-deserved off-day on Monday. The ballclub had some roster movement before the game as Carlos Rivero and Freddy Galvis were promoted to the Phillies' AAA club in Allentown. They were replaced by Steve Singleton (promoted from Lakewood in the South Atlantic League) and Ozzie Chavez (a former R-Phil signed as a free agent from the Atlantic League, he was playing in Lancaster with the BSers). In the game itself the club rallied from an early deficit to defeat Harrisburg 8-4. Tuffy Gosewisch hit a solo home run in the second inning but Harrisburg led 4-1 into the sixth inning. An RBI hit by Tim Kennelly made it 4-2 before Singleton delivered with a grand slam home run to give the R-Phils a 6-4 lead. Run-scoring hits from Matt Rizzotti and Derrick Mitchell clinched the win for Tyson Brummett, Les Walrond and Justin Friend worked in relief. The game started at 7:05 and took almost three hours to play, we had more than 8200 in the house on an 87-degree night. The series continues on Wednesday and Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 28-August 1

Left for Elmira at 10:30 on Thursday morning, we arrived around 3:30 or so. Not much going during the day on Friday, I went to the local mall for lunch and to walk around. On Saturday we had a cookout at Roxanne's house, everyone in the family stopped in at some point during the course of the day. On Sunday Roxanne's daughter Krista and her boyfriend David took us to lunch in Watkins Glen, in the evening we had a get-together for pizza at Roxanne's house. In the evenings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday I was at Dunn Field for baseball as the Pioneers had a three-day homestand. Elmira, New York has a rich baseball history including a forty-four year run in the Eastern League but the city can no longer support a professional franchise. The current Pioneers play in a summer wooden-bat college league for players who aspire to play professionally, the season runs from early June to early August. The Pioneers are fighting for a playoff spot and they won all three games I saw as they defeated the Mohawk Valley Diamond Dawgs on Thursday, the Newark Pilots on Friday and the Cooperstown Hawkeyes on Saturday. On Monday morning we headed southward into Pennsylvania, like Thursday it was a 10:30 to 3:30 trip with a stop for lunch factored in. Thunderstorms moved through the area on Monday evening so we got home in plenty of time to avoid the rain. Sometimes it's good to get away and relax but then it's equally good to get home and back into the swing of things. For me that will be on Tuesday as the R-Phils come home for a three-game series with the Harrisburg Senators. Take care, thanks for reading.