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.