December 30-31

Nothing going on Sunday except pro football on TV. On Monday I was at the mall in the morning for lunch, the rest of the day was spent quietly at home with college bowl games from noon to midnight. In seasons past there was a New Years Eve game in Hershey but not this year and since I'm not the "go out and party" type of guy anymore there was little to do on the final day of 2012. In the new year there will be a major change in my life, one that won't be fully realized until spring. After thirty-five years I will no longer be involved with professional baseball in Reading. This is not a sudden decision, it's been building for some time. The years take their toll. Driving sixty-five miles round trip seventy times a summer takes its toll. The nightly grind takes it toll. In recent seasons the job hasn't been as much fun as it used to be and it gets tiresome. When the once-prevalent enjoyment factor begins to disappear that is a signal to step back. I'll be 56 before too long and thirty-five years is a long time to do anything. There is no question that I will miss it, I worked with a lot of good people over the years and I'll always hold many of them in high regard but the time has come to move on. They say as one door closes another can open, as 2013 unfolds we may find out how true that axiom really is. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 28-29

Friday afternoon: on the road north for game #2 of the Royals' weekend miniseries with the Trenton Titans. The boys lost in overtime on Thursday in Trenton, on this night in Reading the Royals returned the favor with a 5-4 win in regulation. For two periods it was somewhat mundane as the club built a 5-1 lead, in the final period all hell broke loose as the teams combined for better than a hundred penalty minutes. Between seven major penalties (four against Trenton), seven ejections (including three Royals) and a three-goal Trenton comeback the Royals managed to hold on for the win. Yannick Tifu scored twice (including the GWG), with Ethan Cox, Barry Almeida and Adam Comrie also lighting the lamp. Rookie goaltender Sergey Kostenko picked up the win in his professional debut, he's a twenty-year old Washington property from Novokuznetsk, Russia. Saw on the 'net where McCaskey defeated York in the tournament championship game at JPM, that's a quality win over an excellent opponent as the boys improve to 7-2 on the season. Strange how this season has worked out so far: the Red Tornado played nine games in December, six at home and I missed four of the six. In the new year we'll play thirteen games and I'll only miss two (both on the road). There was talk of snow on Saturday, it arrived in the morning and came heavier in the early afternoon. I was able to get to Quarryville and lunch with Jenny but by the time I was back home in the afternoon I was more than happy to be there. The snow ended later in the day, I spent the evening at home watching college football and listening to the Royals game in Trenton. The Royals came from behind to win 3-2 wrapping up the 2012 portion of the schedule at 23-7-2 (including a 13-3 mark at home). The club's first home game in the new year is on January 5th against Elmira. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 23-27

With the annual holiday recess upon us the last few days were very slow. We had some sloppy weather on Monday and Wednesday but in both cases it was gone almost as quickly as it had fallen. On Tuesday (the "big day" itself) I was in Quarryville in the morning to visit Jenny. Her gift requests were modest, I gave her a music CD she wanted and she got me a pro football wall calendar. On Thursday night at McCaskey it was the opening round of the annual holiday tournament. York defeated Franklin Learning Center (from Philadelphia) in the first game, in the nightcap the Red Tornado beat Carver Engineering & Science (also from Philly) 87-50. Four players hit double figures for JPM: Diante Cherry 17, Devonne Pinkard 15, Aaron Swinton and Sha-ki Staten 12 each (Keyon Cowan just missed the cut with 9). The win improves the club's record to 6-2 and sets up the tournament championship game on Friday. It's all about playing good competition in your non-league schedule, that's why York is in our tournament each year. It should be a great game but I'll be absent as the Royals host Trenton at the Sovereign Center. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 21-22

The rain picked up overnight into Friday, with the wind blowing at a gale and the rain splashing against the windows it was quite noisy while I was trying to sleep. In the morning I was in Quarryville, the ladies and I did our Saturday lunch a day early. In the afternoon the rain was gone but it was much colder as we headed to Reading for the start of a big weekend of hockey, the Gwinnett Gladiators were in town for the opener of a two-game series. The Royals and Glads entered the weekend as the top two clubs in the ECHL's Eastern Conference, the Royals in the top spot at 19-7-1 for 39 points and Gwinnett virtually even at 19-8-1. On Friday the Royals bolted to an early 2-0 lead on a pair of goals from Ian O'Connor but the Glads fought back to tie it in the second period. Kirk MacDonald gave the Royals the lead once again and Philipp Grubauer made it stand up, Brett Flemming's empty-netter in the final minutes cemented a 4-2 win. Saw on the Internet when McCaskey kept the ball rolling with a 72-47 decision over Penn Manor. On Saturday Jenny and Helen were not along for the rematch with Gwinnett, they were invited to a neighbor's house in the evening (thus the reason for our Friday lunch). The Royals completed the sweep emphatically with a 6-3 win as David Marshall led the charge with two goals. Joel Champagne, Kirk MacDonald, Adam Comrie and Ethan Cox added single tallies as Philipp Grubauer picked up another solid win. The club's mark improves to 21-7-1, since the start of November the Royals have gone 20-2-0. After starting the season 1-5-1 they won eleven in a row, after dropping two of three the current win streak is up to eight. The boys play in Trenton on Thursday the 27th, the Titans come to Reading the following evening. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 19-20

Wednesday night basketball at McCaskey as I made my season debut on the mic. I was absent from our first two home games because of the Royals, I always hear about how much I'm missed when I return. On this night at JPM we saw two of the more uncompetitive games you may ever see, it started with a junior varsity win over Solanco by the unsightly score of 91-17. It was 33-3 at the quarter and 50-8 at halftime, the entire second half was played under the mercy rule. The varsity game wasn't much better as the Red Tornado won 99-40, we were up 28-4 after one and 55-18 at halftime, the mercy rule kicked in early in the third quarter. Twelve players were in uniform (one short due to injury) and everyone scored, four hit double figures (Devonne Pinkard 16, Sha-ki Staten 15, Keyon Cowan 11 and Keyvon Myers 10). In fairness it should be noted that Solanco was shorthanded as well but a win is a win and they all count the same. The boys improve to 4-2 on the season, 3-0 in league play (and ironically the JV record has followed the exact same pattern). The club is at home on Friday as divisional play starts against Penn Manor, I'll be out once again as the Royals are at home. Thursday morning in Quarryville for lunch with Jenny, later in the day rain arrived and stayed through the evening. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 17-18

It started raining late Sunday night, on Monday evening we were at McCaskey for the short bus ride to Conestoga Valley High School. Every year our crossover games with Section II are supposed to alternate home-and-road, for some reason we were playing at CV for the second straight season (later in the year we'll host Lebanon as we did in '11-12 so I guess that evens it out). After squaring the record with two wins on the weekend the Red Tornado kept the ball rolling with an 89-56 verdict. We led by nine at the quarter and twenty-six at the half as the issue was all but decided. Coach Powell got the entire roster into the game and all but two scored, Devonne Pinkard led the way with 16 while Sha-ki Staten added 14 and Diante Cherry hit for 13. There was some nice balance underneath as Derrick Dixon had 9, Luis Fuentes and Jalen Washington had 8 apiece and Kyaire Bynum had 7. The mark improves to 3-2 overall (2-0 in league play), the boys are at home on Wednesday against Solanco. When we came out after the game the misty rain and fog made the ride home somewhat melancholy but the trip only took ten minutes. Tuesday was uneventful except for lunch with Jenny, she was in town on business. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 15-16

Had the usual lunch date with Jenny and her mother on Saturday, in the evening we were back at the SC as the Orlando Solar Bears came to town. Orlando (like Fort Wayne) is a new franchise in the ECHL but the city had an IHL franchise in the 1990s also known as the Solar Bears. This was an emotional night for many Royals fans as former team captain Ryan Cruthers returned to Reading as an opponent. Ryan was dealt away at the trade deadline in March and signed with Orlando as a free agent over the summer. It was also the annual Teddy Bear Toss night for Toys For Tots. The Royals ran the winning streak to five on this night with a 5-3 win, Stanislav Galiev led the charge with three goals (including the "teddy bear" score). Yannick Tifu and Ian O'Connor also lit the lamp as Philipp Grubauer picked up another win. The club's record now stands at 18-7-1, after starting 1-5-1 the boys have won seventeen of their last nineteen. The Royals' next home game is on Friday the 21st as the Gwinnett Gladiators visit for a two-game set. Saw on the 'net where McCaskey defeated Reading High on Saturday night at McCaskey, that evens the record at 2-2 with league games coming this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Sunday was quiet at home with football on TV but the week will be busy with the aforementioned basketball and hockey schedule. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 14

Friday night hockey at the Sovereign Center as the Royals hosted the Fort Wayne Komets for the first time ever. Fort Wayne, Indiana is new to the ECHL but the franchise has been around since 1952. The "Ks" played for many years in the old International Hockey League, in recent seasons the club played in the Central League. Before the game I had the honor of meeting Komets radio broadcaster Bob Chase. Words like "legend" are often used freely but this man is truly worthy of the designation. Bob has been the Ks broadcaster virtually from the beginning of the franchise, he is 86 years of age and still going strong. When I was a youngster the Fort Wayne radio broadcasts were on a powerful station that could be heard over most of the nation, that was my first exposure to Mr. Chase's work. Earlier this year he received the Lester Patrick Award for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. During a stoppage of play we formally announced his presence and the fans gave him a very warm reception. In the game itself the Royals upped their winning streak to four with a 6-4 victory. David Vallorani scored two goals, the club also got single tallies from Denny Urban, Yannick Tifu, Ian O'Connor and Joel Champagne. Philipp Grubauer picked up the win in net. Saw on the Internet where McCaskey defeated Ephrata in the league opener, the boys play again on Saturday (and I'll be absent again because the Royals are at home as well). Take care, thanks for reading.

December 11-13

The sun finally reemerged on Tuesday morning, we hadn't seen it in several days. At 4:00 we boarded the bus for the biannual trip to Chester. We've had Chester on our non-league schedule since Coach Powell (a Chester alum) became head man at JPM in 1993, they are perennially one of the top programs in the entire country. The whole point of a non-league schedule is to play tough competition, between Harrisburg, Chester, Reading High (coming up on Saturday) and York High (possible holiday tournament matchup) it doesn't get much better than that. Chester is the two-time defending state champion, they haven't lost a game since 2010. On this night that streak continued emphatically as the Red Tornado lost 83-57. Three players hit double figures for JPM as Devonne Pinkard scored 17, Keyon Cowan had 11 and Sha-ki Staten added 10. The lessons learned from games like this can be more valuable than a blowout win over a weak opponent. Every time we go to Chester the true adventure is the trip itself. The JV game was supposed to start at 6:00, thanks to traffic we were only arriving at that time. On the way home we stopped for eats, with it all we were back in Lancaster at 12:20 Wednesday morning. The boys start league play on Friday at home against Ephrata. Not much going on Wednesday, on Thursday morning Jenny and I had our usual lunch date. The weekend will be busy as the Royals play back-to-back at home, the Fort Wayne Komets visit on Friday followed by the Orlando Solar Bears on Saturday. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 9-10

Nothing going on Sunday, with the chilly and damp weather still around and football on TV there was no reason to leave the house. At the mall on Monday for lunch, in the evening the Lancaster Ice Rink was the destination for high-school hockey. Hempfield played Lower Dauphin (from Hummelstown in Dauphin County near Hershey). The struggles continued for Hempfield as Lower Dauphin won 8-4, Devyn scored two of Hempfield's goal and assisted on another. Most of the games are on occasions when I have other things going, this was the last game I'll be able to see until the middle of January. It must have rained while I was inside, my car windshield was wet when I came out after the game. The weather is finally supposed to clear out on Tuesday, time will tell. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 8

The dreary weather was still around on Saturday morning as we boarded the bus for the start of my 25th year as PA voice/scorer for McCaskey basketball. The season got underway with an afternoon game in Harrisburg, JV tipoff was at noon. Coach Powell is carrying thirteen players on the varsity roster, we have the seven holdovers from last year and four moving up from the JV squad. We also have two players (Keyon Cowen and Trey Fletcher) who made the club despite not playing since they were freshmen in '09-10. Every year we always seem to have at least one player who returns from absence, in '11-12 it was Deron Johnson who proved to be an invaluable part of that club. On this day in Harrisburg the Red Tornado fell in overtime 99-94. In thirty-six minutes of game play the officiating crew managed to call no less than SEVENTY-ONE fouls, there were one-hundred-and-four foul shots taken. Diante Cherry led JPM with 30 points (16-for-19 at the line), Devonne Pinkard added 22, Keyon Cowan scored 19 in his varsity debut and Luis Fuentes chipped in with 12. The club played without Aaron Swinton, he was away on a college recruiting trip and his absence was felt. The junior varsity lost 52-44, JV coach Mike Mitchell has fourteen players on his roster (two returnees from the undefeated '11-12 team). We'll be on the bus again on Tuesday the 11th as we head southeast to Chester and a game with Coach Powell's alma mater. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 5-7

Jenny was in town on business on Wednesday, we had lunch at the local sub shop. Later in the afternoon it was on to Reading for midweek hockey at the Sovereign Center. On this night the Florida Everblades made their lone appearance of the season, they are one of six clubs on our schedule who are one-and-done (two others will make one visit for back-to-back games). After splitting two on the road last week the Royals got back into the win column with a 4-2 win over the 'Blades. Adam Comrie, David Marshall, Denny Urban and Stanislav Galiev lit the lamp in support of winning goalie Philipp Grubauer. Galiev's third-period clincher was a thing of beauty, the video was featured on several national sports broadcasts. The club's record improves to 14-7-1, the next home game is on Friday the 14th. Little of note on Thursday besides a lunch visit with Jenny in Quarryville. It was raining on Friday morning, the entire day was lousy weather-wise. In the evening I was at the Regency Ice Rink in the western part of the city for a high-school game as Hempfield played Hershey (the high school, not the Bears). Don's son Devyn is in his senior year at Hempfield, on this night he scored the lone goal in an 11-1 loss. Don was telling me about how Hempfield lost a lot to graduation, outside of Devyn and one or two others there isn't much talent on the current squad. They play again on Monday the 10th at the Lancaster Ice Rink (a completely different facility only a few miles away). Take care, thanks for reading.

December 2-4

Not much happening on Sunday or Monday, temperatures on Monday were in the 60s. It continued unseasonably warm on Tuesday, in the evening we were at McCaskey for a basketball scrimmage. The Red Tornado had a road scrimmage on Saturday, on this night they hosted Wilson (from Berks County). No official score was kept but JPM had the better of the play for most of the night. As it stands right now the club has seven returnees from '11-12 (Aaron Swinton, Diante Cherry, Luis Fuentes, Sha-ki Staten, Devonne Pinkard, Jalen Washington and Derrick Dixon) plus four members of the undefeated JV squad (Kyaire Bynum, Keyvon Myers, Alex Montanez and Josh Montanez). The season starts on the 8th with a game in Harrisburg, on the 11th the non-league gauntlet continues as we travel to Chester. The sixteen-game league schedule starts on the 14th at home against Ephrata. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 1

The final month of 2012 began with a typical Saturday, I was in Quarryville for lunch with Jenny and her mother. In the afternoon we ventured north to the Sovereign Center for the final indoor lacrosse game of the season. This game was originally scheduled for November 29, it was switched to this night when the arena became available. The Professional Lacrosse League experienced its share of growing pains during this inaugural season, one team folded before the year started and another went down in midseason. With it all the Rockets saw a six-game home schedule truncated to just four, on this night the year ended with a 14-10 loss to the Charlotte Copperheads. It was Teddy Bear Toss night for Toys For Tots, the Royals will have theirs on Saturday the 15th. After the game fans were invited onto the field for autographs and a jersey raffle. Several of the Rockets will be attending training camps in the National Lacrosse League (the sport's major league), a number of them with the Philadelphia Wings. Those games are televised on occasion, perhaps we'll be seeing some familiar faces on TV when the NLL season starts in January. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 26-30

Street hockey playoffs continued at the rink on Monday evening with game #4 of the Midwest finals, the Misfits (great name) met Jr's Cycle Shop. As fate would have it the team trailing the series won to force a deciding game on Tuesday. Mother Nature had other ideas, we had a light snowfall overnight into Tuesday that made the rink surface unplayable. By Wednesday morning the rink was clear except for a small crust of snow along the one side, I shoveled that out and threw it into the center of the rink, with warmer temperatures and a brilliant sunshine it melted away in no time. The game on Wednesday was your typical "for all the marbles" fight to the finish, each team worked out its pregame jitters by scoring in the first minute of play. That 1-1 tie held until late in the game, after the Misfits scored two quickies for a 3-1 lead they held off a furious rally by Jr's to win it 3-2. The end of the series marks the end of the season, we'll be back for the Spring league in April. The Royals played two games on the road during the week (winning on Wednesday and losing on Friday), the boys are back home on Wednesday the 5th against the Florida Everblades. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 24-25

They say an animal is most dangerous when it is wounded, that might be the best way to describe what happened on Saturday night at the Sovereign Center. The Evansville Icemen (one of the new clubs in the ECHL this season) made their first appearance in Reading, they came to town with one of the league's worst records and because of injuries and suspensions they played a lineup that was three men short. With the Royals riding an eleven-game win streak it looked like it might be easy but it wasn't as the streak ended with a 4-2 loss. The Royals' goals were courtesy of rookie Barry Almeida and veteran Patrick Wellar, Brandon Anderson started in net and took the loss. On a side note I had the pleasure of meeting Evansville radio announcer Terry Ficorelli before the game, he is a veteran of the business who worked AHL hockey in Baltimore in the mid-1980s. I was able to hear those games on radio back then and always enjoyed listening to Terry, his broadcasting style is unique and very popular with his fanbase. On Sunday we capped a busy weekend with an AHL game in Hershey. The Bears hosted the Toronto Marlies in a game of Royals affiliates past and present. The Marlies' roster featured ex-Royals Greg Scott, Will Acton and Kenny Ryan plus goalies Mark Owuya, Ben Scrivens and Jussi Ryness. On the Bears' side were Alex Berry, Evan Barlow (just recalled from Reading) and T.J. Syner. The Bears won the game 4-2, Alex Berry scored the game's first goal and Evan Barlow assisted on the second. Mark Owuya was the goalie of record for the Marlies. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 22-23

Thursday was the typical slow holiday, I never left the house because there was no reason to. Had a haircut appointment on Friday afternoon, in the evening we were back at the Sovereign Center as the weekend homestand continued. The Royals extended the winning streak to eleven games with a 5-2 decision over the Greenville Road Warriors. It was 2-2 early in the third period before a three-goals-in three-minutes salvo broke the game open. Denny Urban led the charge with two goals including the game-winner. Adam Comrie, David Vallorani and David Marshall added single tallies in support of winning goaltender Philipp Grubauer. The club has not lost since October 28, they'll look to keep the ball rolling on Saturday night against Evansville. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 19-21

Street hockey season is headed down the home stretch, the Midwest division championship series started on Monday evening and continued on Tuesday. The teams split the two games insuring that the series will continue after the holiday weekend. On Wednesday the ladies were along as we returned to the Sovereign Center in downtown Reading. This was to be a historic night in franchise history as the Royals notched their tenth consecutive win defeating the South Carolina Stingrays 5-4. The previous mark of nine straight had stood since November of 2004, that year the club started 0-5 before going on the 9-0 run. This season had started remarkably similar at 1-5-1, with the win over the 'Rays the club's record now stands at 11-5-1. Goal scorers for the Royals included newcomer Evan Barlow (two goals and the game's #1 star), Kirk MacDonald and Denny Urban also lit the lamp. It took an OT shootout to decide matters, Philipp Grubauer stopped three of the five SC shots he faced to earn the win. The boys are at home on Friday against Greenville, on Saturday the new Evansville Icemen make their first appearance in Reading. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 15-18

Street hockey playoffs continued on Thursday evening, with two of the divisions finished we're down to one game a night. This night featured the deciding game of a semifinal series, the finals start on Monday the 19th. Friday and Sunday were quiet and uneventful, the perfect bookends for a busy Saturday. Jenny and Helen were along for the evening's lacrosse game at the Sovereign Center, for Helen it was her first time seeing the sport in person. The Rockets' inaugural season has been a struggle as the franchise seeks to establish an identity, on this night the club broke through for its first win as they defeated the Syracuse Stingers 23-8. It was 12-1 at the half, the second half was more competitive but for the out-manned Stingers it was too little too late. The Rockets have one final home game on Saturday December 1 when the Charlotte Copperheads visit. The day's big news came in the afternoon when the Reading Phillies revealed the club's new nickname. The team is now the Reading "Fightin' Phils". I will freely admit I was against a name change because the franchise has forty-six years of tradition and history, changing the name would compromise that especially if the new name was something bizarre and ridiculous (as is the trend these days in minor league sports and something I truly feared might happen). As it is the new name is merely the old name with an adjective added, it's not really a change at all. "Fightin' Phils" is a nod to our major league affiliate's history (the 1950s era in particular) and most fans will still call the team the Phillies. Early reaction on the internet seemed to be largely negative as most of the fanbase wanted no change of any kind. It's been very controversial ever since it was announced, what may happen from here remains to be seen. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 12-14

The new week started with some terrible news: our dear friend Mazi lost her mother over the weekend. She suffered a stroke on Friday morning and passed away early Saturday morning. She was in her 80s and had her share of health problems but that doesn't soften the blow at all, we had just seen her when we visited Mazi in Pennsville last August. Mazi has had a rough time lately, her older brother (who I never met) passed away in early October. We don't get to see her very often since she moved from our area but we talk frequently via internet, she's a wonderful woman and a dear friend. Street hockey playoffs are well underway, on Monday the East Division championship was decided. The West Division wrapped up on Tuesday so all that remains is the Midwest, we could be done before the holiday weekend if we're lucky. On Wednesday night we were at the Sovereign Center as the Royals hosted the Elmira Jackals. After winning just once in their first seven games the club posted its seventh straight victory with a 2-1 overtime win. Elmira struck first and carried that lead into the second period, the Royals tied it on Jesse Todd's first goal as a pro (he played at Merrimack College in '11-12). It stayed 1-1 into OT, the game was decided when Ian O'Connor tipped home a shot by defenseman Brett Flemming for the GWG. O'Connor earned the game's number-one star for his effort, winning goalie Philipp Grubauer was #2 star. The club improves to 8-5-1, after two road games over the weekend the boys are back home on Wednesday the 21st. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 10-11

The busy weekend continued on Saturday as the Trenton Titans came to the Sovereign Center for back-to-back games. With Veterans Day on Sunday both games featured a salute to those who have served. On Saturday the Royals got on the board early and were never headed in a 4-1 victory. Kirk MacDonald, David Vallorani, Denny Urban and Adam Comrie scored for the Royals, Brandon Anderson was the goaltender of record. On Sunday afternoon we were back at it early for a 4:00 faceoff, the boys completed the weekend sweep with a come-from-behind 4-3 win. It was 2-0 Trenton in the second period before David Vallorani and Alex Berry pulled the Royals even. The Titans retook the lead midway through the third, in the closing moments of regulation time Ian O'Connor lit the lamp to force overtime. It would require the OT shootout to decide matters, the Royals took it two goals to one to earn the win for Philipp Grubauer. Since starting 1-5-1 the Royals have six in a row, five of them over the Titans. The clubs have seen each other seven times already, they will not meet again until late December. The Royals' next home date is on Wednesday the 14th against Elmira. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 5-9

Street hockey continued at the rink on Monday evening, the East Division started its playoffs while the West wrapped up its regular season schedule. On Tuesday the Midwest finished its season, after an off-day for rain on Wednesday all three divisions were into playoffs on Thursday night. On Friday I started a three-in-three at the Sovereign Center as the Reading Rockets lacrosse team played their first home game in six weeks. The club came in winless at 0-2-2, on this night the struggles continued as the visiting Charlotte Copperheads won it 16-12. With Friday night high school football games around the area the crowd was light but those who were there were into it, indoor lacrosse is a fast-moving rugged game. The Rockets have two home games left, they are on November 17 and 29. The Royals won in Wheeling on Wednesday and in Trenton on Friday, they host the Titans back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday. McCaskey and Lancaster Catholic were involved in football playoffs on Friday evening, LCHS won while JPM lost to the defending state champions (no disgrace there). Take care, thanks for reading.

November 3-4

Saturday night hockey at the Sovereign Center with the Royals as they met the Trenton Titans in the back end of a home-and-home. The boys won on Friday in New Jersey 4-2, on this night they made it two in a row with a tough 2-1 verdict. Yannick Tifu and Alex Berry scored for the Royals, Philipp Grubauer picked up the win in goal. Berry played for the Royals in 2010, he spent the following season in the AHL. In September of '11 he suffered a severe injury that kept him out most of the year, this season he's working his way back. The win improves the club's record to 3-5-1 in the early going, the boys are back home on Saturday the 10th. On Sunday we had street hockey make-up games at the rink, we started at 4:30 and were done by 9:00. The big news of the day broke in the afternoon at the ballpark in Reading, they had a charity fundraiser (which I was not at because of street hockey). The news was shocking and stunning to say the least. It was announced that the franchise will be "rebranded" including a new nickname, the "Reading Phillies" will no longer exist. Internet social media exploded upon the announcement, most of it harshly negative. I will admit I'm not crazy about it either, to me it seems completely unnecessary. If the franchise was struggling it might be understandable but that is far from the case. Since 1967 the Reading Phillies have stood as the gold standard for minor league success, it is a name recognized worldwide. It seems to me that forty-six years of history and tradition is being forsaken in favor of change for the sake of change. The new name will be revealed on November 17, I have no clue what it may be but give the recent trends in minor league sports I fear the worst. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 1-2

Thursday night at Reservoir Park as we resumed the league after a three day weather hiatus. The Midwest division played three games, we were done before 9:00. We'll be playing makeup games on Sunday the 4th, two of them are from this week while three others are outstanding from September (a makeup schedule is like a jigsaw puzzle, you plug the pieces in wherever they fit). On Friday it was chilly and blustery, in the evening we were at McCaskey for the final football game of the regular season. The LCHS Crusaders made the short trip to Tornado Alley for the latest chapter of the city rivalry. The schools were division-mates for a number of years in the 70s and 80s, after two years as a non-league game this marked the first divisional meeting since 1988. Before the game we did the requisite senior night stuff, not unlike the previous week at Rossmere Stadium. This game is always unusual for me, as a McCaskey alum my heart will always be there but since I also work for LCHS my attitude is let them knock each other silly and may the better team win. On this night at JPM the Crusaders were that team as they took the measure of the Red Tornado with a 36-13 win. Roman Clay scored twice for LCHS, Nassir Weaver rushed for a TD, Charles Scarff caught a scoring pass and and Keenan Reigel returned an interception for a touchdown. The Red Tornado got on the board with TD runs by Collins Gantz and Aaron Swinton. McCaskey finishes the regular season 4-6, LCHS (in their return to Section I of the LL League) wrapped up at 7-3. Both teams will advance to the district playoffs, the Crusaders as a higher seed in Class AAA and the Red Tornado as an underdog lower seed in Quad-A. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 29-31

In 2011 the last weekend of October brought us a freak snowstorm, one year later it was a tropical storm/hurricane named Sandy. The rain from Sunday continued straight through to Tuesday evening, on Monday and Tuesday mornings I was out for only as long as I needed to be. By Wednesday morning the worst of it was over. I had lunch with Jenny in Quarryville. After that I stopped by the rink, the wind and fallen leaves had made it a shipwreck. I did what I could to make it playable but with showers forecast for later and discretion being the better part of valor we decided to postpone the evening's games. The contingency schedule I had developed came in handy as Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's games were plugged into the following week. Many years ago we adopted the practice of not playing on October 30 or 31, experience showed us that the outside mischief on those particular dates wasn't worth the aggravation. This season with three divisions, an odd number of teams in each and the need for off-night games we decided to schedule for those nights out of necessity. Maybe the weather we've had was the street hockey gods telling us not to do that anymore. There is a slight chance of rain forecast for Thursday but chances are we'll be able to make a go of it. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 27-28

Had the usual Saturday lunch date with Jenny, the rest of the day was quiet with little else on the schedule. On Sunday the ladies were along as we returned to Berks County, the Toledo Walleye visited for their lone appearance of the regular season. The Royals went 0-1-1 in Wheeling on Friday and Saturday, on this day the slide continued with a 4-2 loss. Yannick Tifu and Brett Flemming scored for the Royals, Philipp Grubauer was the goaltender of record. The month of October was a struggle for the club as the record drops to 1-5-1 (1-2 at home), in November the boys play fourteen games (seven home, seven road). The next home date is Saturday the 3rd, it's the back end of a home-and-home with Trenton. It was raining when we came out after the game, with that storm system moving up the coast the forecast for the week is not encouraging. The brunt of it is expected on Monday and Tuesday with heavy rain and high winds. I've already worked out a contingency make-up schedule for street hockey since it appears we'll need it. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 24-26

A typical Wednesday morning errand run got the day started, in the evening we played three games (one from each division) at the rink. On Thursday Jenny and Helen rode the access van into town, Jenny had a 9:00 appointment. I met them there, we had an early lunch and went to Jenny's second appointment at 11:45. She was all done shortly after noon, I took them home from there. In the evening we wrapped up the week at Reservoir Park with four games. Six weeks are in the book but the first part of week #7 could be a challenge, there is a storm center in the western Atlantic Ocean that is expected to move north along the east coast. Early reports are for severe rain and high winds (shades of late August 2011) so we'll just wait and hope for the best. On Friday evening it was football night at Rossmere Stadium, just my second time there this season and first in five weeks, This was LCHS's final home game featuring the usual senior recognition activities in the pregame. The game itself was over shortly after it started as the Crusaders scored early and often in a 49-0 whitewash over Cedar Crest. This was the sort of game LCHS used to have in Section III, it was 42-0 at the half as the entire second half was played under the mercy rule. Roman Clay scored four touchdowns, Carmelo Cruz added two (one rushing, one receiving) and Sean Titus returned an interception for a score. Evan Purvis threw the TD pass to Cruz and went perfect on extra points as the placekicker. The win ups the Crusaders' mark to 6-3 and sets the stage for the city rivalry game at McCaskey on November 2. Saw on the Internet where JPM lost at Manheim Township, that drops their mark to 4-5. Both teams are in contention for district playoff berths but with one regular season game left the road for the Red Tornado is a little longer and harder. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 22-23

Monday morning at the mall for lunch, in the evening we played two games of street hockey at the rink. It started raining overnight into Tuesday, it was still coming when I left the house in the morning. I had a dental appointment at 11:00, perhaps the fact that it was raining was appropriate since both experiences tend to be depressing. This was just a routine six-month checkup, they said everything is in good order. In the afternoon the rain stopped, the sun came out and the temperature rose accordingly, it was in the high 60s when I went to the rink at 5:00. The rink surface was relatively dry but the undersurface was still wet, by 6:15 game time the sun was setting and condensation was forming making the surface slipperly. We played a full night of four games with no incidents, there was a lot of slipping and sliding but luckily nobody got hurt. They are calling for record highs on Wednesday, somebody forgot to tell the weather bureau that this is late October. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 21

Sunday afternoon with Jenny and her mother on the road north to Reading, the Royals hosted the Wheeling Nailers in the season's second home game. The club has started slowly, a midweek loss in Trenton dropped the team's record to 0-3-0. On this day at the Sovereign Center the Royals broke into the win column with a 3-0 victory as rookie goaltender Brandon Anderson posted his first professional shutout. Goal scorers included returning captain Yannick Tifu and newcomers Joel Champagne and T.J. Syner. Champagne played in the AHL in '11-12, Syner is a first-year pro who played college hockey at UMass-Amherst. The Royals meet the Nailers again on the weekend for a pair of games in West Virginia before returning home on the 28th against Toledo. When I got back to town I headed to the rink for what remained of the day there. we had makeup games going. Ron was supervising in my absence, he had been there since 4:00 (the first game started at 5:15). He had a early wakeup call on Monday morning, I relieved him so he could go home and get some rest. There were five games played, with it all the day ended for me around 10:00. The league continues with a full docket Monday through Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 19-20

The Thursday night rain continued overnight into Friday morning, there were periods where it was torrential. I had a haircut appointment in the afternoon, from there I planned to spend the evening at home since both McCaskey and LCHS were on the road and more rain was in the forecast. On the Internet in the evening there were reports of a tornado in Maryland, rain started to fall in Lancaster. Later on Marty called, he was at JPM's game at Cedar Crest. It was raining there as well, the game had gone into a rain and lightning delay and was ultimately postponed to Saturday. I called Jenny around 10:00 or so, when there was no answer I figured she probably went to bed early. She called me on Saturday morning, they had a power outage in Quarryville from 8:00 Friday night until Saturday morning at 5:00. The tornado had tracked northward into her area, there were trees and power lines down and reports of building damage. After lunch we took a short trip to her sister's house, there were several trees down in her back yard but luckily everyone was OK. In the afternoon I joined Marty and Dick Myers as they made the return trip to Lebanon County, the game was picked up in progress at 7:00 (they had played fewer than three minutes on Friday before the storm hit). I've been to Cedar Crest many times for football but not for about five or six years, every time we go there it either rains or gets cold as hell. No rain on this night but temperatures were in the 40s by the time the game ended. The Red Tornado led 35-21 in the fourth quarter before CC rallied late to tie it and force overtime. In OT JPM scored on the first possession to take a seven-point lead before Crest replied on its possession to pull within one point. CC gambled on a two-point conversion for the win but the attempt went awry as JPM held on for a 42-41 triumph. Aaron Swinton scored four touchdowns (including the game-winner), Diante Cherry also found the end zone twice as Connor Zahm went six-for-six on extra points. The win evens the club's record at 4-4 and keeps them in the hunt for a district playoff berth. The boys will play at Manheim Township on the 26th before wrapping up the regular season at home on November 2nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 15-18

Another week of street hockey at the rink, all of the play was divisional (no East-West crossovers this week). On Monday we had an East game and a West game, Tuesday featured three Midwest contests and the off-night East game. On Wednesday night we had one game in each division and Thursday had the off-night West game scheduled following the Midwest. Rain was forecast for later on Thursday evening, it started during the third period of the third game and caused postponement of the West game. We have make-up games set for Sunday the 21st, we plugged in the Thursday rainout as the first game beginning at 5:15. I will be absent as the Royals will be at home for a 4:00 game but I'll be at the rink later in the evening. Five weeks are in the books and the league has gone well all things considered, we have not yet had a suspension but you know that will change as we head down the home stretch towards the playoffs. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 13-14

Saturday morning lunch in Quarryville, in the afternoon Jamie Burkholder joined the ladies and me for the drive to Reading. The Royals opened the season with a 3-2 loss in Elmira on Friday, on this night the Trenton Titans were the opponent for the twelfth home opener in franchise history. This game was eerily similar to the exhibition game the clubs played on the 6th as the Royals lost by the identical score of 6-2. Popular returnee Denny Urban scored for the Royals as did Kirk MacDonald, a Royal in '08-09 who has come back to Reading as a free agent. Brandon Anderson took the loss in goal, he is a first-year pro who played in the Western League in '11-12. The club currently has ten players on assignment from Washington/Hershey plus eight new players on ECHL contract, how the talent meshes together will be the big story in the early going. The boys play in Trenton on Wednesday, the next home game is on the 21st against Wheeling. Sunday was quiet until late afternoon, we had three games of street hockey at the rink. We generally reserve Sundays for makeup games but this day was the second of two regularly-scheduled Sundays (ironically, the first one was rained out on September 30). We got underway at 6:15 and were done in good order, I was home shortly after 9:00. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 12

Chilly, windy conditions greeted us on Friday morning, in the evening it was football time at McCaskey as the Red Tornado wrapped up a three-game homestand. It was Homecoming night with all the usual pomp and circumstance involved. Here is one of life's great mysteries: how can the third of three straight home games be Homecoming, after two weeks at home where are you coming home from? The night went about as well as we could have asked as JPM defeated Warwick 42-7. Aaron Swinton caught two TD passes from Collins Gantz and scored another on the ground, the club also got rushing scores from Diante Cherry, Sha-Ki Staten and Darrell Walton (all familiar names from basketball season, Walton played on the JV squad in '09-10). Diante reached a milestone when he eclipsed the 2000 yard mark for career receiving, he needed eight yards coming in and got it out of the way early. The win improves the club's record to 3-4 with three games remaining. After the game the McCaskey band performed their field show which was followed by a fireworks show sponsored by the JPM Alumni Association, I was home and in the shower by the time they started (one of the advantages of living a block-and-a-half from the school). The boys play the next weeks on the road, the final home date is November 2 against LCHS in the big season-ending city rivalry game. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 8-11

Another week of street hockey is in the books, with four weeks completed there are four weeks left in the regular season. We have seven outstanding make-up games on the docket so it's not the true midpoint but it's close enough. This was another week of crossover play between the East and West divisions, so far the East has had the better of it but that's not entirely surprising. I was absent for the first time this season on Wednesday, Jenny and I were at the Sovereign Center for the Royals annual meet and greet for season ticket holders. For me it's not a big thing (I've never been an autograph hound) but Jenny likes to meet the guys and get autographs, her team jersey has three years worth of signatures on both front and back. A local eatery sponsored the evening, all attendees got a food voucher so we had supper there as well. We were there when the doors opened at 6:00, by 7:15 the rounds had been made and we headed home. Helen was going to come along (she attended last year's event) but she had to babysit the great-grandchildren. The Royals play the season opener on Friday in Elmira, the home opener is on the 13th against Trenton. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 6-7

Saturday night hockey in downtown Reading as the Royals hosted the Trenton Titans in the second game of the home-and-home exhibition series. The organization is billing 2012-2013 as a "new beginning" in recognition of the affiliation with the Washington Capitals/Hershey Bears. The change in NHL/AHL partner brings many new faces to the Sovereign Center, the only returnees in uniform for the Royals were Yannick Tifu, Ian O'Connor, Ethan Cox and Derrick LaPoint. Many of the players in this game won't be around when the season starts, there are still assignees forthcoming from Hershey. After winning in New Jersey on Friday the Royals came up short on this night as Trenton won 6-2. Adam Comrie and David Vallorani scored for the Royals, Philipp Grubauer took the loss in goal. Grubauer is a highly-regarded prospect who appeared in an exhibition game with Hershey earlier in the week, he may see AHL time during the regular season as well. The Royals open the season on the 12th in Elmira, the home opener is the 13th when Trenton returns for a game that counts. It was rainy and chilly on Sunday, at 5:00 Don and I talked and decided to try to play the evening's games at the rink. These were the games postponed from September 30, we started at 6:15 and played most the night in light rain (never heavy enough to stop play but just enough to be annoying). We were done by 8:45 so at least for this night we avoided having to schedule make-ups of make-ups. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 1-5

The final quarter of 2012 began as a Monday usually does with lunch at the mall. The evening's street hockey games were played in good order, on Tuesday we were not as lucky. It rained for most of the day, at 5:00 Don and I conferred and postponed for the night. The weather improved markedly on Wednesday as the rest of the week's schedule was completed without issue, we'll be playing make-up games on Sunday the 7th. On Friday it was a football night at McCaskey, the Red Tornado lost to Penn Manor 42-14. PM was undefeated coming in so the result may not be entirely surprising, it was a competitive game for most of the first half before PM pulled away. Aaron Swinton scored both touchdowns for JPM, one on a pass reception from Diante Cherry and the other on a seventy-yard run. McCaskey's mark drops to 2-4 on the season, the boys host Warwick on Homecoming Friday the 12th. ECHL hockey season got underway with training camp in Reading on Monday, on Friday the Royals traveled to New Jersey for the exhibition opener and beat Trenton 5-1. The clubs meet again on Saturday night at the Sovereign Center. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 29-30

In Quarryville on Saturday morning for lunch, in the afternoon Jenny and I headed north on 222 for Reading. On this night at the Sovereign Center the Reading Rockets played their first game in franchise history. The team is a member of the Professional Lacrosse League which is itself a first-year entity, the Jacksonville Bullies were the opponent. Jenny had never seen a lacrosse game of any kind, I have seen indoor lacrosse on TV but this was my first live game. I'll freely admit that I don't understand every nuance of the sport but it was still a good time, I learned a few things as the night went along. A league representative was at the penalty bench running the shot clock and he had everything in order, all I had to do was handle goal, penalty and promo announcements (not at all unlike a Royals hockey game). The Rockets management seemed to be satisfied with the job I did, they said they were glad I could help them on such short notice. Jacksonville won the game in overtime 11-10 (the sport is inherently high-scoring), by a strange quirk of the schedule the Rockets' next home date is not until November 1. We had street hockey games set for Sunday night at the rink but they never happened as late afternoon storms rolled through our area, Don and I talked it over and rescheduled them for Sunday October 7. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 28

Friday night football at McCaskey as the Red Tornado returned home from a three-game road swing. This was the first of three straight at home as JPM hosted Hempfield, the club got the homestand off to a good start with an anything-but-boring 44-30 win. Collins Gantz threw three TD passes (two to Diante Cherry, one to Aaron Swinton) and scored himself on a quarterback keeper. Cherry also scored twice on the ground to cap his four-touchdown effort. Placekicker Connor Zahm added six extra points to the ledger and the club also posted a safety when linebacker Percell McNeil tackled a Hempfield runner in the end zone. The win improves the club's record to 1-1 in league play and 2-3 overall, the season is half-over and it's not October yet. The homestand continues with Penn Manor and Warwick as the upcoming opponents. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 24-27

Week #2 of street hockey season is in the books, we got all four nights played but it wasn't without challenge. On Monday and Tuesday there were a few leaves on the rink, with the Billy-Goat out of commission we had to make do the way it was. On Wednesday Don picked up the machine from its maintenance visit, having it in working order at this time of year makes all the difference. With a new gas tank, muffler, spark plug and oil change it's running better than it has in some time. We had some light rain during the games on Wednesday and Thursday but nothing that threatened any delay, had we not had the Billy-Goat it may have been a different story. On Thursday morning I had a phone message from the Reading Rockets, a new professional indoor lacrosse franchise. They'll be playing their home games at the Sovereign Center, the opener is on Saturday the 29th and they asked if I could do the PA for it. I've seen the sport on TV, it's very much like hockey so I'm sure it'll be a good time. It also makes for a busy weekend with football at McCaskey on Friday and street hockey on Sunday night. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 21-23

Friday night football at Rossmere Stadium for the first time in 2012 as the Lancaster Catholic Crusaders hosted Manheim Township in their return to Section I of the LL League. Earlier in the week LCHS athletic director Terry Klugh informed me that there would be no scoreboard on this night, it had been damaged by rain and high winds and was still being repaired. It was decided that the game time would be kept on the field by the officiating crew and relayed to me via radio. The plan worked with no issues, as the officials left the field after the game they commented to Terry on how well everything had gone. The Crusaders went 2-1 in their non-league schedule, on this night they improved to 3-1 overall with a come-from-behind 28-14 victory over MT. Roman Clay scored three rushing touchdowns, backfield mate Carmelo Cruz found paydirt as well. An excellent crowd was on hand, another benefit of playing in Section I against larger schools with bigger fan followings. LCHS only has four home games this season, I am there next on October 26. Saw on the Internet where McCaskey lost their game, JPM is at home for the next three weeks. Saturday featured the usual visit and lunch with Jenny, from there the rest of the weekend was quiet. With street hockey underway and football on Fridays an open weekend can come in handy. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 19-20

Wednesday was a day to remember in more ways than one. It started well enough with a morning drive to Hershey, I got the tickets for the AHL games we'll be attending this season. In the afternoon I got an SOS call from Ron, he was at the rink. We had trouble getting the "Billy-Goat" started on Monday night, Ron took time on Wednesday to try to get it working. The rink was leaf-covered thanks to the rain and wind on Tuesday, we had to get it cleared or postpone the night's games. Our Billy-Goat is very old and it may finally have died, we couldn't get it running to save our lives. We called Don to let him know what was going on and he made an emergency phone call of his own. Our of the guys in the league runs a lawn care business, he was able to get away and help us out. He owns a mower that can also function as a vacuum, he rode it around the rink surface and had it cleared in excellent time. Thanks to his help we got the evening's games played without issue. On Thursday I was in Quarryville for lunch with Jenny and her mother, after that we drove to the fairgrounds and walked around for a while. The annual Solanco fair started on Wednesday and runs through the weekend. In the evening we were back at the rink to wrap up the week, when Don arrived we loaded the Billy-Goat into his truck. He's going to have it serviced and/or replaced, time will tell which is the best option. League plays continues on Monday. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 17-18

Monday morning at the mall for lunch, in the evening it was opening night at Reservoir Park for Lancaster Dek Hockey's fall league season. The six teams from the East and West divisions matched up for the first of six crossover games. On weeks when there is crossover play the nightly format is three games on Monday (all crossover), Tuesday and Thursday (all Midwest division) with four games on Wednesday (three crossover and the off-night Midwest game). On weeks when the play is all divisional the format is 2-4-3-4 with the odd East game on Tuesday and the West game on Thursday. It sounds confusing but it makes sense on paper. When a division has an odd number of teams there is always one team that sits out on a given night, the odd-night game allows everyone to play twice a week. As opening nights go Monday went well, there was little nonsense (always a concern where certain parties are involved) and things overall moved nicely. There was rain on the forecast for Tuesday, it moved in overnight and stayed around all day forcing postponement of the evening's schedule at the rink. The Midwest teams will have to wait until Thursday to get started (except for the two who play on Wednesday). Take care, thanks for reading.

September 14-16

Had a haircut appointment on Friday afternoon, in the evening I was back in Berks County for high school football as McCaskey played at Exeter Township (a southeastern suburb of Reading) in the first-ever game between the two schools. The Red Tornado had evened its record at 1-1 with a victory in York on the 7th, whatever momentum there was died quickly on this night as Exeter won 30-14. JPM trailed 17-0 in the second quarter before linebacker Peterson Odney fielded a short kickoff and returned it for a touchdown, the other score came late in the game when Diante Cherry threw a TD pass to reserve wideout Felix Trevino. The divisional schedule begins on the 21st, JPM will play a third consecutive road game while I will be at Lancaster Catholic. LCHS returns to Section I play that night for the first time since 1988 as they host Manheim Township. On Saturday morning I was in Quarryville for lunch with Jenny and her mother. September 15 is Helen's birthday, she turned 75 years young (she said she was going to turn the numbers around and claim to be 57). In the evening I was at the ballpark on North Prince Street as the Barnstormers defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 8-2. Right now it looks like the Stormers and the York Revolution may meet again in the league playoffs, the series would start in Lancaster on the 26th. Sunday was another stay at home and do nothing day, with baseball and pro football on the tube there was no reason to leave the house. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 10-13

The early part of the week was very slow, with baseball in Reading over for the season and the street hockey league not yet started there was little going on. On Tuesday Don and I firmed up the league format, the schedule was formulated on Wednesday. We will have three divisions, the East and West will each have three teams and play an interlocking schedule chiefly on Mondays and Wednesdays. The Midwest division will have seven teams, most of its games are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. With each division having an odd number of teams there are "off-night" games as well, this insures that everyone plays twice a week. The season starts on Monday the 17th. On Thursday Jenny was in town for an appointment, we had lunch at our usual spot in Quarryville. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 7-9

Friday evening: made one final trip north on 222 for the week, the destination was Albright College in Reading for a special guest-starring appearance on the PA at Reading High School's football game. RHS athletic director Al McCloud is a former McCaskey AD, we've known each other for some time. When RHS played at McCaskey Al asked me if I would be available for September 7. It was RHS's Athletic Hall-of-Fame Night, one of the inductees was their regular PA guy. Paul Jones (better known as "Cooter") played pro baseball in Reading in the 1950s, after his playing days he made the city his home and coached at RHS for many years. I've known him for a long time as well, he helps out with the press box crew at the ballpark and is a fellow member of the Reading Baseball Hall-of-Fame. Al figured if I could work the game it would allow Cooter to fully enjoy his special night, since I was available it was my pleasure to help out because we're talking about good people. The game itself did not go well as Reading High lost 34-0. Saturday was uneventful except for a lunch visit with Jenny, on Sunday I never left the house. The last few weeks were very busy, taking a night or two to rest and recharge the system is not a bad thing. Baseball season in Reading ended officially over the weekend as the R-Phils lost two straight in Trenton, the Thunder took the series three games to one and will advance to the EL finals against either Akron or Bowie. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 6

Thursday morning with Jenny in Quarryville, we did our usual lunch date. Later in the day it was back to the ballpark for game #2 with Trenton. On this night the Thunder evened the series with a 4-1 decision. The lone R-Phils run came in the first inning when Tyson Gillies walked and took second on a Cody Asche single. Darin Ruf followed with a base hit to left field, Gillies advanced to third and scored when the Trenton outfielder fumbled the ball for an error. The Thunder tied it in the fifth inning and won it with three two-out runs in the ninth. Colby Shreve was the hard-luck loser in relief of starter Trevor May. The series moves to Trenton for the duration of what is now a best-of-three series, the winner plays for the Eastern League title. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 5

Wednesday night in Baseballtown as the Reading Phillies hosted the Trenton Thunder in game #1 of the Eastern League Divisional Series. The R-Phils took it 4-2 for the franchise's first home playoff win since 2001. That year the club beat Erie in the Division Series and was headed to the Finals against New Britain, the events of "9-11" caused the series to be canceled and co-champions were declared. The next playoff appearance did not come until 2009 when the Akron Aeros swept the R-Phils in the first round, in 2011 the boys split the first two games in New Hampshire before losing two straight at home. On this night the Thunder took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning, in the R-Phils half of the fifth Jake Fox homered to get the club on the board. Tug Hulett followed with a base hit and eventually scored on a Jiwan James groundout to even the score at 2-2. In the seventh inning Tommy Joseph and Leandro Castro went yard back-to-back to give the club the lead for good. Austin Hyatt started and worked into the seventh inning, Tyler Knigge was the winning pitcher as Justin Friend saved it. With the win the R-Phils lead the series 1-0, game #2 is in Baseballtown on Thursday with the remainder of the best-of-five set in Trenton over the weekend. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 1-4

We'll get the big news out first: the R-Phils finished the regular season on Monday, the club's final mark of 76-66 was good for second place in the division and a league playoff spot. The boys meet Trenton in a best-of-five semifinal series, the first two games are in Reading on Wednesday and Thursday. This is the second consecutive year the club has qualified for the postseason, the 2009 team also made the playoffs. On Saturday morning Jenny and I did our usual lunch date, in the evening I was on North Prince Street for the first of four straight nights as the Barnstormers defeated the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs 5-2. On Sunday Jenny and Helen came into town for the ballgame. we sat in seats three rows off the field. One of the good people in the Stormers' front office gave me free passes for a game, I wasn't expecting it but he said it was professional courtesy. He appreciates the fact that I attend games in Lancaster on my nights off. There was rain in the area, we had some light mist here and there but nothing that threatened the game as the BSers won again 5-4. On Labor Day Monday (the unofficial end of summer) there were major league games all over the dial on TV in the afternoon, in the evening the Barnstormers hosted and defeated the Bridgeport Bluefish 5-1. It rained overnight into Tuesday morning, we had another downpour in the afternoon but the game on North Prince Street went on as scheduled. On this night the Stormers' win streak ended resoundingly as the Bluefish scored nine runs in the final two innings to win it 12-5. The series continues on Wednesday but I will be up north as the Eastern League playoffs get underway. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 31

Daytime temperatures hit the 90s on Friday just in time for the start of high school football season. I was at McCaskey in the evening as I began my 25th year as the PA voice, the Red Tornado hosted Reading High in the first of three non-league games on the schedule. This is a series with a rich history, over the years JPM and RHS engaged in some memorable contests when Reading was a member of the L-L League. RHS now plays in the Berks County League, this meeting was the first between the teams since 2009. The Red Tornado lost 23-20 in a game that was very sloppy on both sides, you could tell it was the first game of the year as both teams made a lot of mistakes. JPM quarterback Collins Gantz (a member of the '11-12 undefeated JV basketball team) threw three touchdown passes, two to wideout Diante Cherry and one to running back Aaron Swinton. The defensive effort was improved but key penalties at the wrong times contributed to the end result. The boys play their next three games on the road, the next home game is not until September 28. Saw on the Internet where the Lancaster Catholic Crusaders opened their season with a win, for LCHS it's a whole new world as they move up to play in Section I of the L-L for the first time since 1988. The Crusaders only play four home games in 2012, I'll be able to work at Rossmere on September 21 and October 26. It's interesting to note that all of JPM's league opponents at home will be road opponents for LCHS (and vice versa), the two clubs will meet in the season's last week at McCaskey on November 2. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 29-30

Wednesday afternoon: Jenny and Helen were along for their final game of the regular season, before the game started Jenny saw Darin Ruf outside the team clubhouse and got a photo with him. The team awards were presented in the pregame, to no one's surprise Darin won the club MVP and Big Stick award. Justin Friend won honors for top pitcher, Cody Asche received the Player of the Game award, Troy Hanzawa won the Gold Glove award and Leandro Castro was named Unsung Hero. The ballgame itself was rather lackluster as the R-Phils lost 6-2 to Binghamton. Tug Hulett had an RBI double and Troy Hanzawa added a run-scoring hit in support of losing pitcher Adam Morgan (who pitched well and deserved a better fate). Those who attended in anticipation of witnessing history went home disappointed, if they returned on Thursday they got their money's worth and then some. Before the game it was announced that Darin Ruf had been named Eastern League MVP and Rookie of the Year. The R-Phils ended the home season with a 7-2 win as winning pitcher Austin Hyatt helped himself with a two-run double and Tyson Gillies had an RBI two-bagger. The big moment for Ruf arrived in the second inning, his thirty-eighth home run of the year was a three-run bomb and established a new club record for home runs in a season. For good measure Darin added an RBI hit later in the game to finish the night with four RBI. Jordan Whatcott worked in relief of Hyatt, in the ninth inning Justin Friend finished it for his twenty-fourth save. That ties Justin with Toby Borland (1991) and Wayne Gomes (1996) for the club's season record in that category. The ballclub's final home record was 42-29, the overall mark stands at 74-64. The boys are on the brink of a playoff spot, what happens on the road over the weekend will tell the story. As for me the weekend will be busy enough, Labor Day weekend signals the start of high school football season. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 27-28

Monday morning at the mall for lunch, later in the day we were back in Baseballtown as the Binghamton Mets came to town. The R-Phils took the opener on Monday by the final score of 4-1 as the odyssey of Darin Ruf continues, he went yard in the fifth inning for his league-leading thirty-sixth home run. Tug Hulett had a two-run double and Jake Fox had an RBI two-base hit as well but the story on this night was Trevor May who pitched eight innings of two-hit ball and struck out nine for the win. On Tuesday night it was Home Run Derby as the R-Phils outlasted the B-Mets by a count of 12-8. Tommy Joseph hit a round-tripper and had three RBI, Tyson Gillies duplicated that with a long ball and three RBI of his own. Jake Fox went yard as well and had two ribbies, Tug Hulett had an RBI single and pitcher Colby Shreve knocked home a run on a fielder's choice. The highlight of the night came in the sixth inning when Darin Ruf did it again, his two-run bomb was his thirty-seventh home run of 2012, that ties the Reading franchise record established by Ryan Howard in 2004. Since August began Darin has been on a wonderful ride, his play has caught the attention of the organizational bigwigs in Philadelphia. There is talk that he may get a look at the major league level in September but that remains to be seen. Shreve was the winning pitcher in relief of starter Ethan Martin, Kyle Simon finished it for the save. The series will continue on Wednesday (with the possibility of more history being made) and wraps up on Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 25-26

Saturday afternoon on the road to Baseballtown as we continued the series with Erie. Jenny and Helen had planned on attending but family matters took precedence, I had lunch at home. The boys made it three straight over the 'Wolves with a tough 2-1 win, Leandro Castro hit a home run and Darin Ruf had an RBI hit. Austin Hyatt was the winning pitcher, Justin Friend picked up the save. This was our annual motorcycle enthusiast's night, the pregame ceremonies featured a cycle parade around the perimeter of the field. The R-Phils also wore special jerseys which were auctioned for charity. Close to 9700 were in attendance, as the fireworks show began after the game my car was already out of the parking lot and headed west on route 12. On Sunday the ladies and I had our Saturday lunch a day late, in the afternoon we headed north as the series wrapped up. The ballclub was unable to complete the sweep as Erie won on this night by a score of 9-1. The 'Wolves scored six runs against starting pitcher Brody Colvin in the first inning and coasted home from there. The lone R-Phils highlight came in the eighth inning when Darin Ruf went yard for his 35th home run. He is now in second place on the franchise's single-season home run list behind Ryan Howard (37 home runs in 2004), with eight games left on the schedule he has a legitimate chance to set a new record. Darin has been on a remarkable roll as of late, after hitting eighteen home runs in April through July he has added seventeen to that total in August. He'll have his next shot on Monday as the ballclub hosts Binghamton in the final home series of the season. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 23-24

Thursday morning in Quarryville with Jenny for lunch, later in the afternoon I headed north to Reading. The final playoff push is underway as we began the final homestand of the regular season. The Erie Seawolves were in town for the start of a four-game series, on this night the R-Phils rallied from behind for a 7-6 win. The big blow came courtesy of Darin Ruf, his seventh-inning grand slam turned a one-run deficit into a three-run lead. Cody Asche added a solo home run, Tug Hulett had an RBI hit and Tommy Joseph picked up a ribbie on a sac fly. Julio Rodriguez won it in relief of starter Ethan Martin, Justin Friend recorded the save. It was a big night for our media/PR intern Matt Spezialetti, it was his last game with us before leaving for a new job in Connecticut. Spez has always wanted to do some PA work, on this night I stepped aside and let him work the mic as the ballclub batted in the eighth inning. I figured it would be a nice going-away present since it's something he was truly interested in doing. On Friday Jenny and Helen were along for game #2 with Erie, the R-Phils made it two in a row with a 6-2 win over the 'Wolves. Darin Ruf went yard once again as he continues on a torrid home run pace, he has hit sixteen homers in twenty-four games in the month of August. Cody Asche, Jake Fox and Leandro Castro each contributed an RBI double, Miguel Abreau had a run-scoring sacrifice fly. Adam Morgan went six innings for the win with Jordan Whatcott, Jay Johnson and Kyle Simon working an inning apiece out of the bullpen. As the majority of the 8600 in attendance stayed for fireworks the minority of three (Jenny, Helen and me) hit the road in short order. The series continues on Saturday and Sunday, on Monday the Binghamton Mets will visit for the final home series of the regular season. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 20-22

The new week began as it usually does with lunch at the mall on Monday morning. In late afternoon I was at Don's house, Ron joined us as we met to discuss plans for the Fall street hockey season. We went over the rulebook and made modifications as needed, we also scheduled the captain's meeting for August 30 at the rink (I'll be absent because of baseball). I had planned to go into the Barnstormers game later but it started to rain around 6:00 or so, by the time we were done with our meeting it was coming down steadily. I decided to head for home and call it a night, the game was eventually postponed and rescheduled as a doubleheader on Tuesday. Marty and Dick were both in attendance on Tuesday for the double-dip, the Sugar Land Skeeters (the Atlantic League's Texas entry) were the opponent. The first game started at 6:00, the nightcap didn't get going until 8:50. The Skeeters took both games by scores of 5-2 and 3-2, the night finally wound down at 10:50 but I wasn't there for the end. That's the nice thing about being a spectator, if the night becomes long you don't have to stay if you don't want to. The series continued on Wednesday with a single game at 7:00, the BSers rebounded from the Tuesday sweep with a 7-2 win. The teams will conclude the series on Thursday but I will have more important matters at hand as the R-Phils return home for their final homestand of the regular season. The boys are in the running for a playoff spot, with twelve game left on the schedule (eight home, four road) every night is big. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 18-19

Saturday morning: went to Quarryville for Jenny and Helen, from there we drove to Pennsville, New Jersey to visit our dear friend Mazi. We were there in April for a weekend visit, on this occasion we made it a day trip because Mazi has been busier as of late. On weekends she babysits her granddaughter, a five-year old named Mirandah. We arrived in Pennsville around 1:00, later in the day we made our way into Delaware for the evening's ballgame in Wilmington as the Blue Rocks hosted the Lynchburg Hillcats. This was Mirandah's first time at a baseball game, Blue Rocks' mascot Rocky Bluewinkle became a quick favorite. There was a pregame ceremony saluting the history of Negro League Baseball, the field in Wilmington is named for former Negro League player Judy Johnson. The game was a proverbial barnburner, the Rocks won it 1-0 on a two-out bases-loaded hit in the ninth inning. The ending was not without controversy, several of the Hillcats were visibly upset with the umpires as they left the field. The game started at 6:00 and was over by 8:30, we were all home safe and sound before 11:00. When she lived in our area Mazi joined Jenny and me frequently for games in Reading, since she is in New Jersey she hardly ever gets to any games anywhere. On two occasions this summer we were able to visit and "take her out to the ballgame", it's always good to get the band back together. Sunday was a total day of rest, relaxation and doing absolutely nothing, I never left the house and my car never moved from its parking space. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 16-17

Thursday, August 16: Jenny's birthday. This was the first time since I've known her that she wasn't excited about her birthday, this year it's one of those milestones with a certain stigma attached. I told her it's no big deal, I turned that age once and I survived so there's no reason to think she won't. On this day she and her mother were along for the ballgame as the R-Phils wrapped up the series with Trenton. At the ballpark I work most closely with our PR/media director Rico Scarcella, video director Andy Kauffman, music/sound effects man Ben Smith and PR/media intern Matt Spezialetti. The guys got together and made sure Jenny had a day to remember, in addition to her gifts they arranged for Darin Ruf to come into the stands before the game and autograph a baseball for her. For a birthday she was dreading it turned into one that will undoubtedly be very memorable. In the game itself the boys lost to Trenton by the unlikely count of 14-12. The sixth inning alone took almost an hour to play, the Thunder scored seven runs in the top half before the R-Phils responded with six of their own. Offensive highlights included Cody Asche with three hits and four RBI, D'Arby Myers had five hits and knocked in three runs, Tommy Joseph hit a solo home run and Miguel Abreu had an RBI hit. Brody Colvin started and took the loss. The game wound down at 10:30, as 8600 stayed for fireworks the ladies and I hit the road. The ballclub plays their next six on the road, we're back home on the 23rd. On Friday evening the York Revolution was at home, since Saturday was going to be busy I wasn't going to drive there myself but Dick Myers called in the afternoon and asked if I wanted to ride along with him. As it turned out we should have stayed in Lancaster, the game never started as rain moved into the area and forced a postponement. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 14-15

It rained overnight into Tuesday, the streets were still wet during the morning errand run. In the afternoon it was on to Reading for game #2 with Trenton. We had some light misty rain as the gates opened but it was of no consequence, the game started right on time. The R-Phils made it two straight over the Thunder with a 7-2 win. Darin Ruf led the way with three hits including a two-run home run, Cody Asche had three hits and two RBI, Miguel Abreu had a two-run single and Leandro Castro had a run-scoring hit. Starting pitcher Adam Morgan (a recent addition from Clearwater) won it with bullpen support from Kyle Simon, Jay Johnson and Jordan Whatcott. The game ended shortly after 9:30, on the way home I saw lightning in the distance. After midnight it began to rain, between 1:00 and 2:00 it just poured with lightning and thunder so loud it was hard to sleep. On Wednesday after lunch I went to Jenny's house, she was coming to the game in the evening because the ever-popular Phillie Phanatic was scheduled for an appearance. Helen was going to come as well but she was roped into babysitting and had to miss out. After two wins over the Thunder the R-Phils lost on this night by a 6-5 score. Miguel Abreu had two hits and three RBI, Darin Ruf hit a two-run homer. Ruf has been on a home run streak, this was his fifth consecutive game with at least one long ball. Austin Hyatt started and took the loss, Colby Shreve and Julio Rodriguez worked in relief. The series wraps up on Thursday, a date of major significance for Jenny. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 10-13

A haircut appointment on Friday and a lunch date with Jenny on Saturday was about all that happened on an otherwise uneventful weekend. Dick called on Saturday afternoon, he wasn't feeling well and decided against going anywhere in the evening. On Monday it was back to Baseballtown as the R-Phils opened a four-game series with the Trenton Thunder. The season is into its home stretch now, there are three weeks left on the schedule. The boys got the week started the right way with an 8-4 win over the Thunder as Darin Ruf hit two home runs and had three RBI, newcomer Jake Fox went yard with a man on, Leandro Castro hit a solo shot and Miguel Abreu chipped in with a sac fly RBI. Fox has had major-league time with the Orioles, Cubs and A's, he recently signed with the Phillies organization as a free agent. Ethan Martin pitched five innings for the win with Tyler Knigge, Colby Shreve and Justin Friend working in relief. Close to 6900 in the house for Fan Appreciation Night activities. The series continues through Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 7-9

Tuesday and Wednesday mornings featured the typical errand runs, on Thursday I was in Quarryville for lunch with Jenny and her mother. Each of the evenings was spent at the ballpark on North Prince Street as the Atlantic League's version of the War Of The Roses continued. The Lancaster Barnstormers began in 2005, the York Revolution started in '07 and every year the winner of the season series wins the "Community Cup". This three-game set marked the final time the teams would meet in the regular season, on Tuesday the BSers won 4-3 to tie the season series at 9-9. The Revs took Wednesday's game 9-6, on Thursday the BSers won again 4-3 to finish the series with the clubs deadlocked at ten wins apiece. Since the Barnstormers had won the season series in 2011 they will retain the cup for another year (this is the first time the series has ended in a tie). The teams met in the playoffs that season with the Revs victorious on their way to the league championship, who's to say it couldn't happen again. Marty was at the games on Tuesday and Wednesday, on Thursday Dick Myers was there for the first time in the series. With the BSers, the Revs and the R-Phils all out of town on the weekend he was talking about going somewhere for a game on Saturday but we'll see how it plays out. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 4-6

Saturday afternoon: on the road north for the evening's doubleheader, this was the makeup from the rainout on May 29. Jenny and Helen were not with me on this night, after attending our last home twinbill they elected to be smart and stay home (can't say that I blamed them, at least they had a choice). We got started at 5:35 in 89 degree heat, Binghamton took the opener 7-2. Brandon Tripp had an RBI hit, the other run scored on an error. Julio Rodriguez started for the R-Phils and suffered the loss. In the nightcap the ballclub rebounded with a 4-1 win as Darin Ruf homered and had two RBI, D'Arby Myers added a solo shot and Cody Asche had an RBI double. Kyle Simon won it in relief of starter Jordan Whatcott, Tyler Knigge saved it. Each game took less than two hours to play, the second game was over at 9:55. As the 6700 in attendance stayed for fireworks I (as they used to say on the TV westerns) saddled up and rode out. With a stop for gasoline figured in I walked in my front door at 10:50, a full two hours earlier than on July 28. On Sunday I had lunch with Jenny, she and Helen were along in the afternoon for the drive to the ballpark. Shortly before 5:00 a line of storms passed through, for the better part of an hour it just poured. We had the grandstand vacated for safety, all fans were moved underneath in shelter from the rain and the wind. The game finally got underway at 7:30, the R-Phils finished the series with a 5-2 win. Cody Asche hit a three-run homer, Darin Ruf went yard as well and Troy Hanzawa picked up an unusual RBI when his fly ball was caught in the outfield, the fielder lost his footing on the wet grass and D'Arby Myers was able to tag and score from second base. Brody Colvin picked up the win in his first appearance in Baseballtown with relief support from Juan Morillo, Jay Johnson and Justin Friend. The game ended just after 10:00 (which wasn't bad all things considered), with it all I was home just after 11:30. The ballclub's mark stands at 61-53 (34-25 at home), the boys will be on the road for the next week. Monday was an off-day all the way around, the Barnstormers are at home Tuesday through Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 3

Another miserably hot day, they're calling for daytime highs in the low 90s all weekend. On the way to Reading in the afternoon I made a stop in Ephrata. Dick Myers gave me the address of a business that accepts and recycles worn-out electronics, I took my old laptop there to give it a dignified retirement. I had it almost ten years, the last thing I wanted to do was toss it in the trash. At the ballpark the R-Phils hosted the Binghamton Mets in the opener of a weekend series. The ballclub's roster has undergone a makeover in recent days as Jonathan Petibone, Sebastian Valle and Cesar Hernandez were all promoted to the AAA club in Allentown. In return Justin Friend was reassigned from AAA and pitchers Brody Colvin and Kyle Simon joined the club from FSL Clearwater. The organization also sent pitcher Ethan Martin and catcher Tommy Joseph to Reading, they were acquired via trade earlier in the week. The R-Phils got the weekend off to a good start as they defeated the B-Mets 4-1, all of the runs scored courtesy of the long ball. Darin Ruf hit two home runs and had three RBI, D'Arby Myers added a solo shot and for the record the lone B-Met run was a home run as well. Ethan Martin picked up the win in his Eastern League debut, Justin Friend recorded the save. Before the game we had a "renew your wedding vows" ceremony, one couple was saying theirs for the first time. After the game we had fireworks but it goes without saying that I was nowhere to be seen once they got started. The series continues with a doubleheader on Saturday and wraps up with a single game on Sunday. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 31-August 2

Jenny was in town on business on Tuesday, we had lunch at the local sub shop. After supper I took a drive west to York for the evening's Atlantic League game. I only get there a few times each season and rarely on a weeknight but with no other game anywhere it was an opportunity to get out of the house. The skies to the southwest were very dark as the Revolution hosted the Bridgeport Bluefish in a 6:35 start, shortly before 8:00 the rain arrived and forced a delay. By 9:00 it was still raining (albeit lightly), with the 28-mile trip home figured in I decided to call it a night. Saw on the Internet where the game resumed and was completed but it didn't end until almost 11:15, Bridgeport won it 9-6. On Wednesday morning some more storms rolled through the area, in the evening in Lancaster the Barnstormers hosted the Camden Riversharks. The BSers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2. In Quarryville on Thursday with Jenny for a lunch visit, in the evening I was back on North Prince Street for the ballgame. The early part of this game was similar to Wednesday as the Sharks took an early 2-0 lead but the BSers scored six runs in the seventh inning and won easily 10-3. The BSers' homestand continues through the weekend but I will be absent as the R-Phils will host Binghamton for a four-game series. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 27-30

Saw some pictures on the Internet of the tornado damage in Elmira, reports are that the winds were in excess of 100 miles per hour. I guess it's a good thing we went to visit when we did, it's going to be a long recovery period in the Southern Tier. On Friday Jamie joined me once again since he was rained out of his chance to see New Britain on Thursday. This was the start of a long (I mean L-O-N-G) weekend in Baseballtown, the game on Friday started at 7:05 and wound down at 10:50. The R-Phils won it 10-9 as Cesar Hernandez hit a three-run homer, Tug Hulett went yard with a man on, Leandro Castro had a two-run single, Sebastian Valle had an RBI hit and Jiwan James picked up a ribbie on a sac fly. Austin Hyatt went five innings for the win with Colby Shreve, Tyler Knigge and Jay Johnson working in relief. Better than 9700 in the park for fireworks but as usual I was more interested in getting home before midnight. On Saturday morning I was with Jenny, after lunch she and her mother were along for the evening's doubleheader. The lengthy game on Friday was a mere warmup for this night, we got started at 5:35 and ended at 11:20. We had a 37-minute rain delay during the first game, the between-games intermission was thirty-six minutes. The R-Phils won both games by scores of 5-4 and 6-0, in the opener Darin Ruf had a homer and two RBI, Jiwan James had a run-scoring hit, Tug Hulett plated a run on a groundout and Troy Hanzawa had a sac fly. Trevor May was the winning pitcher, Frank Gailey picked up the save. In the nightcap (which didn't start until 9:10) Julio Rodriguez pitched six innings of shutout ball for the win as Leandro Castro hit a two-run homer, Cesar Hernandez had a two-run double, Troy Hanzawa had an RBI hit and Sebastian Valle had a sac fly RBI. Once again we had fireworks on the schedule but the ladies and I were gone ASAP, Jenny slept in the car on the way home. With it all I walked in my front door at 12:50 in the morning very glad for the fact that Sunday was not a day game. At the ballpark on Sunday it got very dark around 3:45, the grounds crew tarped the field just in time for a rain shower. Jenny and Helen had planned on coming on this night as well but "doubleheader burnout" prompted them to stay home. The rain moved on and the game got going right on time at 6:05, the ballclub completed the four-game sweep with an 8-3 verdict. D'Arby Myers hit his first home run as an R-Phil, Darin Ruf had two doubles and two RBI, Leandro Castro had a hit and two ribbies, Cesar Hernandez had a RBI double and Sebastian Valle had a run-scoring hit. Mario Hollands won it with Johnson, Knigge and Jordan Whatcott in relief. Another marathon contest as we finished at 9:20, the ballclub is back home on August 3rd. Monday was an off-day all the way around, with nothing on the schedule I enjoyed a rare evening at home. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 25-26

It was cooler on Wednesday, daytime highs in the 80s. Jenny and Helen joined me for a rare weeknight appearance at the ballpark, Jamie Burkholder was with us so we had a full car. After two straight losses on the homestand the R-Phils broke through on this night with a 6-1 win over Altoona. Cody Asche was the offensive star with two home runs and four RBI, winning pitcher Jonathan Pettibone had a run-scoring base hit (the second consecutive night an R-Phils pitcher helped himself with an RBI). On Thursday morning it was very dark with rain in the area, I met Jenny at an appointment she had in Willow Street and we had lunch. It cleared up in the afternoon as temperatures rose into the 90s, Jamie rode with me once again as the New Britain Rock Cats came to town. It was Reading Baseball Hall Of Fame Night, the class of 2012 was enshrined before the game in ceremonies that were curtailed thanks to Mother Nature. There were strong storms coming from the northwest, the wind picked up considerably as the grounds crew put the tarp down. As the rain started it appeared to be falling sideways thanks to the wind velocity, after a delay of close to one hour the game was called and rescheduled as a doubleheader on Saturday the 28th. The storm system touched much of the state and bordering areas as well, there were reports on the internet of a tornado touchdown in Elmira. I messaged my cousins to see what was up, Roxanne's daughter Krista called later in the evening and said that everyone in the family was OK but Elmira was under a state of emergency with a curfew in effect until Friday morning. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 23-24

Had lunch at the mall on Monday morning, in the afternoon it was back to Baseballtown for the start of a week-long homestand. The R-Phils have struggled mightily since the month began, the club's record in July is just 5-15. It got very dark around 5:00, the grounds crew got the tarp down just in time for the skies to open. It poured for about twenty minutes but once it ended there was no further issue, the game time temperature was 82 degrees as we started right on time at 7:05. This was game #101 for the R-Phils and unfortunately the results were familiar as the visiting Altoona Curve won it 7-1. Darin Ruf's second-inning home run was the lone bright spot for the R-Phils, Trevor May started and took the loss. Tuesday was a much more uncomfortable day, temperatures were in the 90s in the afternoon. At the ballpark it was down to 85 by game time as Altoona made it two straight with a 6-2 win. Once again the R-Phils' offense was largely silent, a Sebastian Valle home run and an RBI groundout by pitcher Mario Hollands accounted for the scoring. Hollands was the hard-luck loser, he deserved a better fate. The loss drops the ballclub's record to 51-51, the first time the club has been at .500 this season. The boys will try to right the ship in the series finale on Wednesday. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 21-22

Saturday morning: went to Quarryville for lunch with Jenny, it felt so good to hold her in my arms again. I last saw her briefly on Monday morning, she was in town on business as we were leaving for Elmira. She and her mother are slowly getting settled in their new unit but they still have a lot of boxes to go through. In the evening I was on North Prince Street as the Barnstormers hosted the Bridgeport Bluefish. This was the second game of the weekend series but after driving for better than four hours on Friday I elected to stay home and wind down. Saturday was a fireworks night in Lancaster but I was walking out the front gate as soon as the game ended, the Bluefish won it 3-1. On Sunday evening Jenny and Helen were along for the series finale as the BSers won 4-3. Sundays for them are always better than Saturdays because game time is an hour earlier and they don't do fireworks on Sundays. The R-Phils finished a road trip on Sunday, with exactly 100 games in the books the record stands at 51-49 (26-22 at home). The boys open a week-long homestand on Monday as the Altoona Curve comes to town. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 16-20

With the ballclub on the road for a week it was a perfect time to get away for some R&R in the Southern Tier of New York State. On Monday morning my mother and I embarked on the drive north to Elmira, whenever we are there we stay with my cousin Roxanne. For my mother it's a chance to catch up with my father's side of the family, for me it's that plus some baseball at Dunn Field. The Elmira Pioneers (of the Perfect Game Collegiate League) were at home on Monday evening, they lost to the Newark Pilots 4-3. On Tuesday the daytime highs were in the 90s, in the afternoon I made the 55-mile drive east to Binghamton since the Pioneers were on the road. The Binghamton Mets hosted the Trenton Thunder in Eastern League action, game-time temperature at 6:35 was 97 degrees. Trenton won the game 5-4, there were fireworks afterwards but needless to say I was headed west on route 17 before they ever started. There was no game anywhere on Wednesday, we had a cookout in the evening at Roxanne's house with most of the family in attendance. On Thursday I drove north to Ithaca (the home of Cornell University), in the evening the Pioneers were back at home, The Newark Pilots were the opponent once again, there was rain in the forecast which arrived in the early innings. It never amounted to any more than a light mist, with temperatures down into the 70s it brought some much-needed relief. The game itself was one for the books, the Pioneers led by five runs in the ninth before Newark rallied to tie it. In the bottom of the inning the Pioneers pushed across the winner for a wild 11-10 win. The rain came harder overnight but by Friday morning it was gone as we packed up and headed south for home. We drove through varying degrees of rain most of the way, we got back to town around 3:30. In the evening I elected to stay in and relax, with rain still in the area it was a good night for it. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 14-15

Saturday morning in Quarryville with Jenny, she and Helen have been busy the last few days. When they moved into their apartment complex some years ago they were given an upstairs unit because nothing was available at ground level. A downstairs apartment recently opened up, they were given the OK to start moving on Wednesday. On Thursday they were told they had to be out of the old unit by Sunday (talk about short notice). They are moving within the same building (from unit E to unit F) so it's hardly a long distance but it's still work no matter how you look at it. By Saturday morning most of the big stuff had been moved but there was still a lot to do, I helped with some of it before we had lunch. Later in the afternoon I headed back to Reading for game #3 with Bowie. The R-Phils' momentum from the win on Friday was short-lived as the Baysox took it 4-2. Troy Hanzawa had a run-scoring single and Darin Ruf had a sac fly RBI as Mario Hollands took the loss. Over 7800 in attendance for You-Know-What after the game ended but I was long gone before they lit the fuse. On Sunday we hit the road early for a 1:35 start, this was our final scheduled day game at home for the season. The ballclub's bats continued in the deep slumber as Bowie won 3-1, Cody Asche's RBI hit scored the R-Phils' lone run as Johnathan Pettibone started and took the loss. This day wrapped up a six-day homestand (the All-Star jazz made it feel much longer), the boys will hit the road until Monday the 23rd. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 12-13

Thursday afternoon: Jamie Burkholder joined me for the drive to Reading as the R-Phils hosted the Bowie Baysox (the Orioles' EL affiliate). After a 1-5 road trip the downbeat continued for the R-Phils as the Baysox took it 3-1. Sebastian Valle's eighth-inning home run was the only marker for the home team, Julio Rodriguez started and took the loss. Over 7000 in attendance for (more) postgame fireworks but it was moot to Jamie and me because we were in the car and gone. On Friday Jamie rode along again for game #2, the R-Phils got back in the win column with a tough 7-6 verdict. Cody Asche hit a two-run homer, Cesar Hernnandez and Darin Ruf had RBI hits, Brandon Tripp picked up two ribbies on sacrifice flies and Leandro Castro plated a run on a bases-loaded walk. Trevor May started but was not involved in the decision, Jay Johnson won it in relief as newcomer Tyler Knigge saved it. Knigge was recently added from FSL Clearwater, he had been the closer there. 7300+ in the house for (yet another) fireworks show, but of course Jamie and I were out pronto and never looked back. The series continues on Saturday and wraps up on Sunday with our final afternoon home date of the season. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 10-11

Tuesday evening in Baseballtown as the Reading Phillies hosted the Eastern League All-Star formalities for the first time since 1974. This night featured the now-requisite home run derby which was officially billed as a "hitting challenge". There are no printed words that can accurately describe what occurred at this event and I am not going to try to explain, it literally had to be seen to be believed (and even then you may have rubbed your eyes in utter bewilderment). The late Rod Serling of "Twilight Zone" fame would have been proud. By the time the night was over I was glad it was, I was thoroughly exhausted and had a headache. On Wednesday morning I had lunch with Jenny and Helen, they had attended the hitting challenge but elected to forgo the All-Star game since it was going to be on TV. I must admit I've never been a big fan of All-Star games, there are those who think they're a huge deal but to me it is much ado about nothing. Once you strip away the spectacle, the pageantry and the other assorted triviality all that remains is the game itself and it's usually a rather unimportant one at that. For the record the Eastern Division (the R-Phils' division) won the game defeating the Western Division 5-4. The R-Phils were represented by manager Dusty Wathan, coaches Bob Milacki and Frank Cacciatore, trainers Jonathan May and Justin Miloszewski, pitchers Lisalberto Bonilla, Julio Rodriguez and Jordan Whatcott, catcher Sebastian Valle, infielders Darin Ruf, Cesar Hernandez and Troy Hanzawa plus outfielder Leandro Castro. A crowd of better than 9400 stayed for fireworks after the game as I got into my car for a quiet drive home and a sense of relief that the whole thing was finally over. It's been thirty-eight years since the last one, if it doesn't happen again until 2050 I'm perfectly fine with it. Take care, thanks for reading.