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.