July 28-31

Sunday evening baseball on North Prince Street as the Barnstormers finished the weekend series with Southern Maryland. A win on Saturday gave the ballclub a chance at the four-game sweep on this night but the Blue Crabs had other ideas. It started well enough as newly-signed outfielder Greg Golson (a one-time Phillies prospect) hit a lead-off home run to give the Stormers a quick 1-0 lead, a Ryan Harvey sac fly and a two-run double by Olmo Rosario upped the advantage to 4-0. The Blue Crabs got back to within 4-3, an RBI single by infielder Kyle Haines restored a two-run Barnstormer lead after five innings. From there it was all SM as single runs in the sixth and eighth innings tied the game, a three-run ninth allowed the Crabs to avoid the sweep with an 8-5 win. Derrick Loop started and worked five innings, Brodie Downs took the loss in relief. The Barnstormers play on the road for the next week, they're back in town on August 6. Had a dental appointment on Monday morning, just the usual six-month checkup but I still hate going to the dentist. Not much else going on Monday or Tuesday, on Wednesday we were back at the ballpark. Every summer the local newspaper sponsors a youth baseball championship tournament which dates back to the 1940s, on this night the semifinals in the midget division (for players aged 15-16) were played as a doubleheader. In the opener Hempfield beat Strasburg/Willow Street, the nightcap saw Lititz defeat Elizabethtown in extra innings. The championship game is on Thursday the 1st weather-permitting, they are calling for rain during the day. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 26-27

Friday morning: an 8:15 doctor appointment started the day (nothing serious, just the routine periodic checkup). In the evening we were back on North Prince Street for game #2 with Southern Maryland. The visiting Blue Crabs took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning, in the bottom half Ryan Harvey went yard with the bases loaded to give the Barnstormers a 4-1 advantage. The Crabs got one back but that would be as close as they would come, solo homers by Olmo Rosario and Daryle Ward upped the lead to 6-2 in the fifth. Travis Denker's sac fly RBI in the seventh plated the night's final run as the Stormers took it 7-2. Rich Rundles went six innings for the win, Nate Reed and newcomer Kris Regas finished it out of the bullpen. Regas is actually a returnee, he pitched for the Barnstormers in 2011 and spent 2012 in the Mexican League. On Saturday I was with Jenny for our usual lunch date, in the afternoon Dick Myers and I met for the drive southeast and the evening's game in Wilmington. The Blue Rocks hosted the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in a Carolina League contest, the Pelicans are an affiliate of the Texas Rangers. After three innings Myrtle Beach was ahead 7-1, a late Rocks rally fell short as the Pelicans won it 8-5. It's about fifty miles from Lancaster to Wilmington, I don't get there often but I always enjoy it when I do. I have friends there and it's an excellent operation. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 24-25

Wednesday morning: in Quarryville with Jenny, she wanted to do lunch a day earlier. As a rule we have lunch together on Thursdays and Saturdays but occasionally the pattern is broken, those days are not necessarily etched in stone. The Barnstormers finished their series with Sugar Land but with the late morning start I was absent, with extremely rare exception I am not an aficionado of day games especially at this time of year. On Thursday the Stormers welcomed the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs for the start of a weekend series. The Blue Crabs were a division champion during the season's first half, they and Sugar Land have their playoff spots already reserved. On this twenty-fifth day of July the Barnstormers celebrated "the holidays", the club wore uniform jerseys designed like the suit a certain jolly old man would wear in December. Daryle Ward got the home team on the board with a solo home run in the fourth inning but the Crabs replied quickly to tie it 1-1. In the seventh Travis Denker reached base with a single, infielder Jason Taylor followed with a two-run shot to provide the winning margin as the Stormers took it 3-1. Taylor joined the club in late June, he played previously in the Kansas City Royals organization. Starting pitcher Dwayne Pollok was in control most of the night as he worked into the ninth inning for the win, Jason Urquidez got the last two outs for the save. The series continues through Sunday. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 22-23

The new week started with spotty rain showers and more comfortable temperatures, it's still warm but nowhere nearly as oppressive as the previous few days were. On Monday evening the Barnstormers returned from a week-long road swing for the start of a seven-day homestand, the Sugar Land Skeeters were the opponent. On this night the visitors from Texas scored early and often as they took a 7-0 lead in the third inning. The Stormers got on the board in their half of the third, a two-run double by Jerry Owens and a Ryan Harvey two-run homer made it 7-4. The Skeeters added a run in the fifth to extend the lead to four runs, in the seventh an Owens RBI groundout made it 8-5. In the ninth the Stormers rallied on an RBI groundout from Daryle Ward and a run-scoring single by Harvey but could come no closer as Sugar Land held on for the 8-7 win. Will Savage started and took the loss, Brian Grening finished it in relief. Throughout the game we could see dark clouds to the north, it rained lightly during the middle innings but never hard enough to stop play. Shortly after the game ended it opened up and poured, the rain continued well into the early morning hours. By Tuesday the storms were long gone, in the evening at the ballpark the Barnstormers rebounded from the Monday loss to even the series. Once again the Stormers fell behind early, it was 2-0 Sugar Land into the bottom of the fifth. New catcher Dayton Buller (recently added from the Milwaukee Brewers organization) got the home team on the board with a solo homer, a three-run shot by Ryan Harvey in the sixth upped the lead to 4-2. An RBI single by Jerry Owens made it 5-2 in the seventh and that would be the winning run as the Stormers took it 5-4. Nate Reed won it in relief of starter Derrick Loop, Jason Urquidez picked up the save. The series wraps up on Wednesday with an 11:00 morning game. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 15-21

The last seven days were about as slow and uneventful as they come. With daytime temperatures consistently in the 90s and heat indices in triple digits there was little incentive to go outside unless absolutely necessary. Jenny was in town on business on Monday and Tuesday, we saw each other briefly over the noon hour each day. On Wednesday I took a morning drive north to Reading, first time I've been in town since the Royals' victory celebration in May. My destination was the Royals souvenir shop at the Sovereign Center, merchandise guru Gregg Lewis recently got a new shipment of Kelly Cup gear in stock. I picked up a t-shirt for myself and a cap for Jenny. She wanted to get one at the celebration but I told her we could wait since the store was swamped that night, this day in mid-July finally afforded me the opportunity. The Cup itself was on display at the store, it has been well-traveled since the club won it in May. After that I grabbed lunch in Reading and made a stop at the local outlet center before heading home to the air conditioning. Jenny and I had our usual lunch dates on Thursday and Saturday but the evenings were spent at home, with the Stormers on the road and no others games anywhere there was simply no reason to be out and about. On Sunday things cooled down somewhat (if temperatures in the 80s can be considered cooler), showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for the early part of the week. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 14

A very warm Sunday in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the evening Jenny and her mother were along for the ballgame on North Prince Street. The Barnstormers and the Camden Riversharks split a doubleheader on Saturday night, the second game ended after midnight. Had this day featured an afternoon contest it would have brutal in more ways than one: the afternoon heat and humidity combined with the quick turnaround. Luckily for everyone involved this was a 6:00 start but it was still very warm. At the ballpark in Lancaster the sun sets in left field, when the ladies are with me we sit on lawn chairs at the top of the hill beyond the left field fence. As the sun sets behind us the advertising signs on the stadium's outer fence afford a degree of shade. Since we last saw the Stormers the roster has undergone quite a bit of change, on this night newcomers played a big role. New outfielder Kyle Russell (recently signed as a free agent out of the Atlanta Braves organization) hit a second-inning home run, that would prove to be the only run of the game as the Stormers defeated the Sharks by that 1-0 score. Starting pitcher Rich Rundles (another newcomer late of the Orioles organization) worked five innings for the decision, relief support from Ross Peeples, Yoslan Herrera, Brodie Downs and Jason Richardson got the game into the hands of closer Jason Urquidez who wrapped it up for the save. After a week away from home this weekend was just a brief respite for the Barnstormers, they head back out for another seven days before returning home on Monday the 22nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 9-13

With the end of street hockey season and no baseball around anywhere the last few days were very uneventful. Jenny and I had lunch on Thursday as usual and again on Friday, she had some papers that needed to be taken into town and where they needed to go is closed on Saturdays. After a week away the Barnstormers were scheduled to open a series at home on Friday but a steady all-day rain caused the game to be postponed and rescheduled as part of a Saturday doubleheader. Earlier in the week Dick Myers and I discussed going to Aberdeen on Saturday night for the ballgame, in the afternoon he came into my place and we headed south into Maryland from there. The Williamsport Crosscutters were the opponent, they are the Phillies' New York-Pennsylvania League affiliate. Williamsport, PA has a long history in pro baseball dating back to the 1880s, the Phillies have been there since 2007. The Aberdeen Ironbirds are the Orioles' club (since 2002) so it was a rare chance for me to watch the two major league organizations I follow go head-to-head (albeit at a lower level). The Cutters trailed by one in the seventh and scored twice to take the lead, a six-run eighth inning put the icing on a 9-2 Williamsport win. On the way back into Pennsylvania I called Jenny, she said they were having fireworks at the community park in Quarryville. As we came further north on 222 I could see them to the east from about five miles away. Such are the rural, wide-open areas of southern Lancaster County. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 8

Monday morning at the mall for lunch, in the evening at Reservoir Park as we (finally) wrapped up the Spring street hockey season. The Union Station Kings and Dominion Pizza lined up for the fifth and deciding game of the West Division finals. The Kings won the first two games but two straight postponements after that seemed to derail their momentum as Dominion Pizza rallied to tie the series. On this night the Kings got out to a 3-0 lead and won it 4-2 to claim their second straight title, they met Dominion Pizza in the Fall 2012 West finals as well. It's actually quite a story: the Kings are largely an older group, back in the 80s and 90s they were one of the league's top teams. In the Spring of 2012 they reunited after a long absence for what was intended to be a one-season reunion tour, the guys enjoyed being back together and playing again so much that they kept it together for what is now a third season. Back-to-back titles indicate that although the reflexes and foot-speed may not be what it was the instincts for playing the game never go away. It's like swimming or riding a bicycle, once you learn how you never forget. We must also give due respect to Dominion Pizza, they could have folded the tent when they were down 0-2 but they showed their mettle proudly, It won't be long until we're back at the rink, the Fall season will be starting in September. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 5-7

Friday afternoon: met up with Marty at his place, we made the drive west across the river to York for the evening's ballgame. The Barnstormers were the opponent in a match of clubs still looking for their first win of the season's second half, while the Stormers went 0-3 against Sugar Land the Revs were swept in a three-game series in Bridgeport. On this night in York the Stormers got out of the gate quickly, a bases-loaded double by Daryle Ward made it 3-0 in the first inning. RBI hits from Jerry Owens and Gustavo Molina upped the lead to 5-0 in the top of the third, in the bottom half the Revolution roared back with six of their own. The first run scored on a wild pitch, a two-run single by catcher Salvador Paniagua made it 5-3. Eric Patterson's bases-loaded double gave the Revs a 6-5 lead. From there the game remained scoreless to the end as the Revs held on for the 6-5 win. Neither starting pitcher made it to the fourth inning, York relief pitcher Yunior Novoa was awarded the win while Nate Reed took the loss for the Stormers. Saturday lunch and a visit with Jenny was the extent of the weekend's activities, with the heat and humidity plus the constant threat of thunderstorms there was no real reason to go anywhere. Saw where the Revs took game #2 of the series on Saturday night, the Stormers got into the win column with a victory on Sunday. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 1-4

The second half of 2013 started much as the first half ended: hazy and hot with the threat of rain all around us. It stormed overnight into Monday but the evening's street hockey game at the rink went on without incident. Dominion Pizza beat Union Station to stay alive in the West division finals and force a fourth game. We scheduled it for Tuesday at 7:30 and the way the day played out was nothing but a cruel tease. It rained in the morning and early afternoon, the evening's forecast indicated more moving from the south. At 6:00 Don and I had preliminary discussions, a half-hour later with a light drizzle falling we postponed the game. The rest of the night was virtually rain-free, the storms from the south either dissipated or missed us altogether. If anyone on either team was upset about it I can tell you that nobody was angrier than I was. Whenever we postpone games we attempt to make an informed decision, this was one occasion where we got screwed over. You pay your money, you take your chances. On Wednesday morning I was with Jenny at her place, we did lunch a day early. In the evening we were back at the rink for game #4, Dominion Pizza once again stayed alive to force a fifth and deciding game. Since Thursday was a holiday that game was set for Monday the 8th, if it comes off as planned the series will end two weeks after it started. On Thursday Jenny and her mother were invited to a cookout (thus the reason for our Wednesday lunch date), I spent the afternoon at home in the AC watching some games on TV. In the evening the Barnstormers were at home, the Sugar Land Skeeters were the opponent in the final game of a three-game set. The Stormers lost the first two games (both in extra innings), on this night the Skeeters finished the sweep with an 8-1 win. It was 3-0 Sugar Land into the sixth inning, Daryle Ward got the Stormers on the board with a solo home run. It stayed that way until the ninth when the Skeeters scored five runs and salted it away. Brain Grening started for the Stormers and took the loss. After the game there was a holiday fireworks show but I was gone in short order (if you've seen one you've seen them all). Take care, thanks for reading.