December 31

The final day of 2019 began with cloudy skies and temperatures in the 40s, in early afternoon we made our way north on 222 for the first time in seventeen days. The Royals went 2-2 on their most recent road swing, on this day the Maine Mariners were the opponent for the third of their six regular season visits. This was the first time the Royals played a home game on New Years Eve since 2014 (a 4-0 loss to the late Elmira Jackals), on this day the puck dropped at 4:00 with the club wearing special "tuxedo-style" sweaters that had to be seen to be believed. Maine took an early 1-0 lead but the Royals struck back in the latter part of the first period, goals by Garret Cockerill and Steven Swavely made it 2-1 at the intermission. Brayden Low upped the lead to two early in the second, midway through the frame the Mariners replied to make it 3-2. Goals by Swavely (his second of the night) and first-year Flyers property Matthew Strome (recently assigned from the AHL Phantoms) gave the Royals a 5-2 lead entering the third period. Maine got one back in the final frame but it wasn't enough as the Royals took it 5-3, Kirill Ustemenko got the start in net and recorded the win. The Royals close out the 2019 portion of the schedule at 18-10-4 overall and 12-2-1 at the Arena, the new year starts with back-to-back home dates on January 3 and 4. In December the club played eight of its eleven games on the road, in January nine of eleven are at home (and the two road games are in the same city nineteen days apart). I had Jenny and Helen home safe and sound and myself as well by 8:30, there was a New Years Eve celebration in downtown Lancaster but I couldn't have cared less because my partying days are long since in the rear-view mirror. Thanks for reading, my friends. Take care, see you in 2020.

December 28-30

Saturday lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the afternoon we were back at McCaskey for night #2 of the "Holiday Showcase". No middle school game on this day, just the usual JV/varsity doubleheader. Liberty HS (from Bethlehem PA, about seventy-five miles northeast of Lancaster) was the opponent for a battle of weather phenomenons: the "Red Tornado" versus the "Hurricanes". The JV game was a sixth consecutive victory for JPM, in the varsity game the Good Guys prevailed 83-66. On this night the club came out strong, scored the first points of the game and never lost the lead. Freddy used seven players, six of them scored and five hit double figures: Elijah Terry and Makai Ortiz-Gray tied for high with 21 each, Samir Gordon had 16, Isaiah Thomas had 13 and Carter Gingerich had ten with Irving Gonzalez rounding out the box score with two points. The club's mark sits at 4-4 (the same record after eight games as '18-19), divisional play within the league starts on January 3. Sunday was a miserably rainy day, perfect for staying indoors which was exactly what I did. The rain was still around on Monday morning when I was at the mall,  in the afternoon it cleared off as the JV team convened at McCaskey for a short bus ride just outside the city limits to Lancaster Catholic HS. This was a JV-only date that came about largely through personal connections since Freddy was the JV coach at LCHS before coming to McCaskey (I have my own personal history there as well although my association had nothing to do with basketball). From an enrollment and power ratings standpoint the schools' varsity teams would not meet in a non-league game but at the JV level there are no such concerns, the more games you can play against good competition the better it is. LCHS has traditionally had a competitive program and the game was an excellent test, at halftime the score was tied but in the second half JPM turned it up a notch and pulled away for a 61-45 win. The squad finishes the 2019 portion of its schedule at 7-1 overall (4-0  in the league), they are back on the floor along with the varsity on January 3. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 26-27

Out and about on Thursday morning as the world began to return to normal, on Friday afternoon I was at McCaskey for a rare basketball triple-header. The annual holiday tournament which has been beset by a variety of problems in recent seasons was canceled (at least for this year), in its place we have back-to-back non-league dates at home involving both JV and varsity. The proceeds from the tournament always benefited the booster club, in lieu of the tournament these two home dates are serving as the fundraiser. Friday's events began at 3:00 with a game involving two of the city's middle school teams, John F. Reynolds defeated Abraham Lincoln (my middle school alma mater, class of 1971). I wasn't obligated to work the game but I did because the kids at that level rarely get the big-league treatment, for many of them it's the only time they'll get to play in The Big Gym in The Big School. The JV/varsity games featured Strath Haven (from suburban Philadelphia) as the opponent, the JPM JV continued on their winning ways with a seventeen-point decision. The varsity game was eerily reminiscent of the game against Elizabethtown, we came out flat and never led in a frustrating 65-64 loss. We trailed by five at the quarter and by twelve at the half, in the second half the guys battled back but could not get over the hump. On the one hand it's good to see the club fight back without surrender but on the other hand we fell way behind early for a second straight game and that trend needs to come to a screeching halt. Elijah Terry (24 points) and Makai Ortiz-Gray (22) were the only two in double figures for JPM as the record drops to 3-4 overall, the boys are back on the floor on Saturday the 28th (night #2 of the tournament that isn't a tournament). Take care, thanks for reading.

December 20-25

Friday night at McCaskey as the Red Tornado hosted Elizabethtown in a divisional crossover. The JV squad started the night with another one-sided win, since losing their non-league opener the club has won four straight within the league by an average of twenty-nine points. The varsity game on this night was another matter entirely, it was an exercise in aching frustration. E-Town is (along with Warwick) expected to be a major force in Section II, given this result it makes the victory over Warwick all the more valuable. On this night it was our turn to be behind the eight-ball, E-Town scored the game's first twelve points and we never recovered. The final score was 76-67, Elijah Terry and Makai Ortiz-Gray had big nights with 25 and 24 respectively but it means little when you don't win the game. The record drops to 3-3 overall and 3-1 within league play, the boys have one more crossover game but that comes up in late January. Had lunch with Jenny and her mother on Saturday, the rest of the weekend and the early part of the new week had little to recommend it. We're in "that time of year" which has been historically depressing and in light of what happened during the summer it hasn't changed one iota. Over the past five months I honestly believe I've been handling things as well as I can (because in my opinion I HAVE) but that doesn't mean the loss isn't felt. On Wednesday (the "big day" itself) I went to Jenny's place and spent most of the day there, I merely thought it the better alternative to sitting around the house all day by myself (plus it goes without saying that anytime Jenny and I are together is a good thing). In the afternoon Jenny's sister Carol, her niece Amber (Carol's daughter) and Amber's two children dropped in for supper, Helen made sure there was plenty of food to go around. When I returned home after dark I showered and settled in for the night in a relatively good frame of mind. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 18-19

Wednesday afternoon: convened at McCaskey for the bus ride to Lititz and that wonderful place known as Warwick HS. The LL League began in 1972, that first year JPM went unbeaten in league play and won the championship. The following season our first regular season loss was to Warwick in their gym and they acted like it was the World Series, the Stanley Cup and pro football's championship all rolled into one. Over the years Warwick has been a PITA program to play against, no matter how good or bad they are a game against them is never an easy time. Warwick played in the league title game in '18-19 and entered the new season as one of the favorites in their division, on this night in Lititz the JV squad continued its winning streak with a 59-46 verdict. The varsity came away with a W as well but it was (typically) a battle all the way. JPM broke out to a 10-0 lead, at the quarter the advantage was down to five. From that point forward the the game was exactly even, each team scored thirteen points in the second quarter, fourteen in the third and twenty-two in the fourth. In the final frame we were up by as much as thirteen and by as little as two, when the smoke cleared at the buzzer the Red Tornado prevailed 65-60. Elijah Terry rebounded from an off-night on Monday with twenty-two points, Isaiah Thomas had sixteen, Makai Ortiz-Gray added eleven and Carter Gingerich checked in with ten. Johnathan Byrd, Irving Gonzalez and Samir Gordon rounded out the scoring with two points each. The club's mark stand at 3-2 overall and 3-0 in the league, crossover play continues at home versus Elizabethtown on Friday the 20th. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 16-17

It was overcast on Monday morning with rain in the forecast, I had my car at the service center for some diagnostic work. As it turned out everything was covered under warranty, I had close to two hundred dollars worth of work done and it didn't cost me a cent (no complaints from this corner at all). In late afternoon I was at McCaskey for the first home game of basketball season, the boys hosted Conestoga Valley in an divisional crossover game. We play our four division mates twice each and each club from "Section Two" once each, it's the second year for this particular format (rumor has the league realigning in 2020-21 but that's another story). Both JV and varsity began league play with wins in Lebanon the previous Friday, on this night at JPM the JV squad improved to 2-1 with a thirty-nine point victory. The varsity game was similarly almost never in doubt as the Red Tornado rolled to an 82-58 win. It should be noted that CV was missing three of their better players and they were 1-3 coming in so quite frankly it was a game we should have won and the guys took care of business. We were up 44-11 at halftime, the second half was just about all "garbage-time" although you have to give CV credit in that the game never entered into the mercy rule (which kicks in when the margin reaches forty points). Nine players got into the scoring column for JPM: Isaiah Thomas led with 17, Makai Ortiz-Gray had 15, Irving Gonzalez added 13 and Samir Gordon scored 11. Elijah Terry and Carter Gingerich had seven each, Kevin Polite (from the 18-19 JV club) added six and newcomers Misael Gonzalez and Jonathan Byrd had three apiece. Misael played JV in '17-18 and is back from a year's absence, Byrd is a freshman and the brother of former JPM player Bryant Byrd (class of 2008). The team stands at 2-0 league-wise and 2-2 overall, they are back on the floor at Warwick (always a fun place to visit) on Wednesday the 19th. Had lunch with Jenny on a miserably rainy Tuesday, spent the rest of the day at home and was glad to be there. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 13-15

Friday morning lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the evening we were downtown at the Arena for the first time since November 30. The Royals went 0-3-1 on a very difficult road trip and entered this weekend in the throes of an overall 0-4-1 skid. The Brampton Beast were the opposition for the opener of a back-to-back, on this night the Royals took a 1-0 first-period lead thanks to team captain Garrett Mitchell. The visitors from Ontario scored twice early in the second to go up 2-1, later in the period the Royals struck twice within thirty seconds. Goals by Max Willman and newcomer Marly Quince (first-year man from Clarkson University) put the Good Guys ahead for good, in the third Trevor Gooch added an insurance marker and Willman's second of the night salted away the 5-2 win for Kirill Ustemenko. On Saturday it was the annual Teddy Bear Toss Night, Jenny and Helen were absent for their apartment complex holiday party. Jenny had a thirty-gallon plastic bag full of donations for the cause, I made sure they were deposited properly when I arrived at the Arena. It was also Mascot Mania Night, Royals mascot Slapshot was joined by the Flyers' Gritty along with many others. Those in attendance on this night saw a game that started poorly but ended as a classic. Brampton had a 2-0 lead before much of the crowd was in its seats, moments later Corey Mackin scored the "teddy bear" goal to make it 2-1. Late in the period the Royals' lightning struck again, goals by Mackin and Garret Cockerill separated by forty-one seconds gave the club a 3-2 lead at intermission. The Beast tied the game in the second period and went ahead 4-3 early in the third. midway through the period Steven Swavely lit the lamp to pull the Royals even. With six minutes left Garrett Mitchell took a shot that appeared to hit the top inside corner of the net, as the crowd reacted and the Royals celebrated the play continued for a few seconds before the referee blew the whistle. Video replay review determined that the puck had indeed entered and exited the net in split-second fashion, the score by Mitchell gave the Royals a 5-4 lead. Down the stretch Felix Sandstrom shut the door to earn the victory and a sweep of the two-game series. The club stands at 15-8-4 overall and 11-2-1 at home, another four-game road swing is in the offing before the next home game on New Years Eve. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 9-12

Monday morning at the mall for the usual constitutional which was about all that happened, on Tuesday Jenny was in town for a medical appointment. Helen rode with her on the access van, I took them home and we had lunch along the way. In the evening I was at McCaskey, the girls basketball team hosted Reading High. This was probably the one time all season I'll get to see the girls play, most of their games coincide with when the boys are playing. The program was in the district playoffs as recently as 2017 but times have been tough since then. The varsity squad started its season in a tournament over the weekend, a victory in the consolation game ended an unsightly thirty-game losing streak that dated back to January of '18. The good times did not continue on this night, both varsity and JV suffered one-sided losses. On Wednesday evening the RHS/JPM rivalry continued on the boys side, we traveled north on 222 for the second road game of the season. Reading High (much like Chester) is traditionally one of the best programs around, the rivalry between the city's high schools dates back better than one hundred years (which actually predates the institution of McCaskey in the 1930s). The JPM JV made its season debut in disappointing fashion with a twenty-point loss, the varsity game was of similar design as the Red Tornado lost 80-60. Elijah Terry had a huge night with thirty-two points, Samir Gordon was the only other man in double figures with fourteen. We were outscored by ten points from the floor and ten more from the line, as is per usual our opponent always seems to make more free throws than we even attempt (one does not expect equitable officiating on the road in non-league games, the problem is that we deal with it on a regular basis within our league as well). The team only has three returnees and there is a lot of inexperience at the varsity level as a result but one thing can be said with certainty: this is a scrappy group that has played hard in both games and hasn't quit at all, one can see goods things on the horizon as they come together. The boys play in Lebanon on Friday, the next game after that is at home (finally) on Monday the 16th. On Thursday afternoon I took the scorebooks over to practice, I'm out of the Lebanon trip since the Royals are at home on both Friday and Saturday. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 7-8

Saturday morning lunch with Jenny in Quarryville, in the afternoon we boarded the bus at McCaskey. When the late Steve "Bird" Powell became head coach in 1993 we began an annual tradition of playing his alma mater as part of our non-league schedule, he was a 1968 graduate of Chester High School and is enshrined in the CHS Athletic Hall-Of-Fame. Chester is traditionally one of the top programs in the state, over the years we have beaten them only a handful of times but the experience gained from playing a tough non-league opponent is always beneficial. In a scheduling quirk we did not play Chester in '18-19, on this night we traveled into the shadow of Philadelphia for the first time since December of 2016. This game was part of a six-game showcase event in Chester, the first game started at 1:00 and we were the main-event at 8:30. Many people probably viewed us as the sacrificial lamb since we were opposing the host school but the game was very competitive. JPM started strong and led by nine at the quarter, at the half the lead was ten. In the third quarter Chester made their move and cut the deficit to four, in the final period they outscored us by twelve and won the game 54-46. The officiating unsurprisingly played a role, we were called for thirty fouls and had three men disqualified while Chester was whistled for nineteen and never had anyone in trouble. On the floor we outscored them 38-34, at the line they outscored us 20-8 and that made the difference. All things considered it's not entirely disappointing, we have only three returnees on the roster but the guys acquitted themselves well. In past years we've gone into that gym and lost by thirty, many probably expected a similar result this time around but our kids showed a lot of heart and they never gave up. Freddy used ten players and six got into the scoring column: newcomer Elijah Terry led with 18, returnees Isaiah Thomas and Makai Ortiz-Gray were next with 11 and eight respectively. Samir Gordon (from the '18-19 JV squad) added six, newcomers Irving Gonzalez (two points) and Jayon Burnside (one-for-two at the line) rounded out the scoring. With it all we weren't back home until almost 12:45 on Sunday morning, I spent all of that day indoors with pro football and college hockey on TV. The boys play at Reading HS on Wednesday the 11th with the JV squad in action as well. Take care, thanks for reading.

December 1-6

The final month of 2019 began on a Sunday, there was rain in the area but it meant little to me since I spent the day in the quiet of home. The first few days of the week were uneventful, typical of that time between seasons since dek hockey is over and basketball at McCaskey is not yet in full swing. High school winter sports began practice on November 18, the JPM boys had a scrimmage on the road on the 23rd. On Tuesday the club traveled to Wilson HS in suburban Reading for its second scrimmage, I rode along on the bus just for the hell of it. Freddy Ramos is starting his second year as head coach with virtually an all-new support staff. Tim Glackin and Ray Lewis are both taking the year off due to work/family concerns, the only coaching holdover is Cedric Horne who did a lot of the advance scouting in '18-19 but he'll be present at our games more frequently going forward. Jason Yurchak has joined up as a varsity assistant, he and and Freddy have worked together previously. The new junior varsity head coach is Reggie Watson (a former JPM football player in the early 90s) and former 1000-point scorer Devonne Pinkard (JPM class of '13 who played at the University Of Delaware) has returned as JV assistant. The organizational roster lists twenty-four players, twelve each for varsity and JV. The varsity features three returnees, four additions from the '18-19 JV squad, one player from the '17-18 JV club returning from a season's absence and four others entirely new to the program. One of the new players is Lancaster Mennonite transfer Elijah Terry who scored 804 points over three seasons at LM, he comes to McCaskey for his senior year and has an excellent chance to become the twelfth 1000-point scorer in program history. The road begins for real with a varsity-only date in Chester on the 7th, the JV squad makes its season debut on the 11th. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 25-30

The Monday weather was dry and temperatures reached into the low 50s, in the evening dek hockey season ended at Reservoir Park. Nice Truth Solution (NTS) defeated the Killbots to claim the championship three games to one. As noted previously the season was virtually the same length as the Fall '18 session but starting a week earlier and having Thanksgiving a week later made a big difference. Had my annual checkup with the heart doctor on Tuesday morning, all appears to be in order and they don't need to see me for another year. I had that episode in September of 2014 and there has never been any hint of a recurrence, hopefully it continues that way for good. The middle part of the week was quiet except for my usual lunch visit with Jenny, Thursday was (as we used to call it in school) Turkey Day which for me was a day of normal diet and football on TV from 12:30 in the afternoon to almost 11:00 (holidays aren't a big deal to me anymore and they haven't been for years). On Friday we were back in Berks County, the Royals finished their six-game homestand with a two-game visit from the Toledo Walleye. Toledo (much like Wheeling) was at one time a more frequent opponent but these days they are in the ECHL's Western Conference, this was their first time at the arena since January of 2018. In the Friday opener the Royals took a 2-0 lead in the second period on markers by scorching-hot Ralph Cuddemi and Eric Knodel, in the third the Walleye got on the board before Frank DiChiara lit the lamp to make it 3-1. Toledo again pulled to within one but Brayden Low hit the empty net in the final minute to clinch the 4-2 win for Kirill Ustemenko. Saturday was Paw Patrol Night, the Royals wore special sweaters modeled on the popular children's television series. On-ice events on this night were very different from Friday which for the Royals was not a good thing. Toledo took a quick two-goal lead in the first, Frank DiChiara's goal late in the period made it 2-1 at the break. In the second the Walleye reestablished their two-goal advantage, Thomas Ebbing replied to bring the Royals within 3-2. Late in the period the game disintegrated as the Walleye scored four times in five minutes, at the intermission the Royals were down 7-2. Emotions boiled over in the third period as the teams combined for fifty-eight penalty minutes including six fighting majors and two game misconducts. The only scoring came from newcomer Luke Stork (two-year pro recently added from the SPHL), his first two goals as a Royal brought the final score to 7-4. Felix Sandstrom started in goal and suffered the loss. The Royals stand at 13-5-3 overall and 9-2-1 at home, in November the club played nine of its thirteen games at home but in December the script is reversed. Eight of the eleven December games are on the road, the next date at the Arena is on Friday the 13th. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 22-24

Friday night on Penn Street as the Royals' six-game homestand continued, the Newfoundland Growlers were in town for a three-in-three weekend. This is the only one of these on the Royals home schedule and nobody is especially anxious to have any more, they generally only occur between teams separated by extreme geographical distance (for the obvious reasons the Growlers' schedule features many of them). In the Friday opener the Royals prevailed 5-3, goal scorers included Trevor Yates, Corey Mackin, rookie Max Willman (Boston University product), Ralph Cuddemi and team captain Garrett Mitchell (nine-year pro with a ton of AHL experience). Saturday night was Hockey Fights Cancer night, the Royals wore sweaters of a lighter shade of purple in support of the cause (head coach Kirk MacDonald is a cancer survivor). Brayden Low scored twice and Ralph Cuddemi lit the lamp once but the Royals lost in overtime 4-3, Kirill Ustemenko started in net on both Friday and Saturday. It rained overnight into Sunday morning, around 10:00 or so it was snowing and the grassy areas were white. By the time I was on the road in the afternoon the precipitation was all over, the roads were dry and the grassy areas were almost bare as well. At the Arena the game was all Royals from the word go, Ralph Cuddemi continued his hot hand with two goals in the first period to give the Good Guys a 2-0 lead. Newfoundland got on the board in the second, late in the period the Royals scored three goals in just over a minute. Cuddemi completed his hat-trick to make it 3-1, thirty-four seconds later newcomer Thomas Ebbing (three-year pro from Troy, Michigan) found the net and thirty-two seconds after that rookie Trevor Gooch (from Colorado College) notched his first as a professional to put the Royals up 5-1. In the third period Cuddemi potted his fourth goal (and sixth of the weekend), Corey Mackin added a late marker to wrap up a resounding 7-2 victory. Felix Sandstrom started in goal (back in the lineup from an injury absence) and earned the win. Cuddemi becomes the fourth player in club history to score four times in a single game, he joins Shay Stephenson (2005), Chris Blight (2007) and Daniel Steiner (2010) with that distinction. The Royals stand at 12-4-3 (8-1-1 at home), they have off until the Toledo Walleye visit on Black Friday. Take care, thanks for reading..

November 18-21

Daytime activities during the early part of the week were the usual including Wednesday lunch with Jenny. Stopped by the rink on Monday afternoon and found it in reasonably good condition, there were leaves on the surface but nothing that couldn't wait until we opened up for the evening. The championship series began on Monday with the Killbots victorious in game #1, NTS replied with wins on Tuesday and Thursday to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of five series. Game #4 is on Monday the 25th, if it goes the distance the fifth game would be the next night. In 2018 we started the fall season on September 24 and ended seventy-one days later on December 3, this season started one week earlier on September 17. Should the 25th be the last game we would be done in seventy days, the same length save for one day but it feels different because of the Thanksgiving holiday. In 2018 it was on November 22nd (as early as it can be) while this time around it falls on the the 28th. It makes a big difference finishing three days before the holiday as opposed to eleven days after it, if that is what happens nobody will complain. The long-range forecast looks good so weather should not an issue except for the temperatures and that's something we can deal with. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 15-17

The Royals played three games on the road during the week and went 2-0-1, on Saturday night we were back at the Arena. The Wheeling Nailers were the opposition on Veterans Appreciation Night, the Royals wore special camouflage-themed sweaters. If you are a fan of tight-checking low-scoring defensive battles with top-notch goaltending this was the game for you. The Royals thought they had a score in the first period but it was disallowed due to incidental contact with the goaltender, the scoreless tie remained in place as the game moved into sudden-death overtime. The extra session lasted all of forty-eight seconds before Corey Mackin took a pass from Ralph Cuddemi, made a move to the net and potted the GWG to the delight of the Arena crowd and especially "Mackin's Maniacs" (Corey is from Philadelphia, his friends and family have been regular attendees since he joined the club in March). In 2018-19 the club was 4-10 in games decided beyond regulation, all four of the wins were in shootouts. This OT win is the Royals' first since January of 2018 and the first on home ice since October of '17. Mackin was named the game's #2 star for his effort, #1 star Kirill Ustemenko earned his first pro shutout in North America and the team's second. The record improves to 6-1 at the Arena and 10-4-2 overall, the boys are off until Newfoundland visits for a three-in-three on the weekend of the 22nd. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 11-14

The first day of the new week was a classic example of why I operate the way I do at this time of year. I stopped by the rink in the morning and found it typically messy since we hadn't played in six days, it was nowhere near as bad as the previous week but it was still in need of attention. After lunch I went back and cleaned it up, when I returned for the evening the rink (thanks to the prevailing southeast wind) looked almost as it had in the morning. Had I not done the earlier work it would have been much harder to handle but that's exactly why we do the afternoon prelim work if needed. Semifinals began on this night with NTS and the Killbots victorious, on Tuesday (after an afternoon cleanup that was marginal compared to Monday) the Killbots advanced to the Finals by eliminating Risky Business in two straight while the Misfits beat NTS to force a deciding game #3. Jenny and I had our usual lunch date on an otherwise quiet Wednesday, on Thursday night at the rink the other half of the Finals was booked with NTS winning over the Misfits. The NTS/Killbots best-of-five championship series starts on Monday the 18th. Take care, thanks for reading

November 8-10

Saturday night at the Arena in downtown Reading, the Wheeling Nailers were the opponent for the first of four regular-season visits. There are four cities in the ECHL that have played continuously since the Royals' first season in 2001-02, Wheeling and Reading are two of them. For many years the clubs were divisional rivals but that has changed due to realignment, these days the Nailers are part of the league's Western Conference. The Royals lost in Wheeling on Friday night, on this night at the Arena they atoned for that defeat with a spirited victory (an appropriate description since the theme for the night was wizardry and witchcraft based on the characters popularized by author J.K. Rowling). Ralph Cuddemi gave the Royals a 1-0 lead two minutes into the game but two late-period scores put Wheeling up 2-1 at the intermission. In the middle session the teams alternated goals, Matthew Gaudreau tied the game before the Nailers replied to go up 3-2. Three minutes later Gaudreau struck again to make it 3-3 but Wheeling again took the lead, in the late going Cory Mackin lit the lamp to tie it up at 4-4 at the horn. In the third the Royals finally seized control, seven minutes in Cuddemi netted his second of the night to give the Home Team its first lead. As the clock wound inside two minutes Brayden Low gave the club some insurance, his goal put it away as the Royals took the win 6-4. Rookie goaltender Trevor Gorsuch (who played collegiality at Western Michigan in the NCHC) made his season debut and earned the victory. The Royals improve to 7-4-1 overall, 5-1 at the Arena. The boys hit the road for three games before hosting Wheeling again on Saturday the 16th. Take care, thank for reading.

November 4-7

Went to the rink after breakfast on Monday morning and spent about an hour at work, I emptied the bag on the Billy-Goat three times. Had lunch and walked around the mall for a while, then returned to the rink and finished the job. When I opened for the evening at 5:00 there was around round of fallen leaves to clean up but that was nothing compared to what I had dealt with earlier. When the rink was built in 1979 there were a lot of mistakes made, the biggest was putting it in a public park with one corner of it directly under a row of trees. I've been dealing with it for about forty years and looking back I sometimes wonder how I've done it and why I still do. This night marked the close of regular season play, winners were the Killbots over the Misfits via shootout, Risky Business over Dutchmaid, NTS over the Hammerheads and the Trashers over the Owls. Playoffs began on Tuesday night with the quarterfinal elimination games, these were one-and-done matchups featuring the #6 seed versus #3 and #5 versus #4. When the season started it was decided to take the top six finishers into playoffs with the top two receiving byes into the semifinals. On this night the Killbots booked their semifinal spot with an overtime win over the Owls, the Misfits claimed the other spot with a regulation-time verdict over the Trashers. Had lunch with Jenny and her mother on Wednesday, it was a pleasant day that unfortunately had little else going on. We could have used that weather on Thursday but Mother Nature didn't cooperate, in the afternoon the rain moved in and wiped out the evening's schedule at the rink. The semifinal series (NTS vs the Misfits, Risky Business vs the Killbots) begin on Monday the 11th, game #2 of each best-of-three series is on Tuesday the 12th. Take care, thanks for reading.

November 1-3

Stopped by the rink on Friday morning and found it every bit the shipwreck I expected, had there been games scheduled on Thursday there's no way we would have played. On Saturday we were back at the Arena for the second game of the Royals' three-game homestand. The Norfolk Admirals were in town for the first of their three regular-season visits, the Ads are one of four non-divisional opponents on the Royals schedule. This night featured a visit from Gotham City superhero Batman and arch-criminal The Joker, after the pregame ceremonial puck drop the characters signed autographs and posed for photos on the concourse. The game was scoreless into the second period, Matthew Gaudreau gave the Royals a 1-0 lead before the Ads replied to even it up. Midway through the period Frank Diachiara put the Good Guys back ahead, early in the third defenseman David Drake (not known as a goal scorer) found the twine making it 3-1 Royals. Norfolk made it close with a late tally but Karill Ustimenko locked it up from there for the 3-2 win. On Sunday the Adirondack Thunder visited for the first time since preseason, they are scheduled for three appearances at the Arena during the regular season. As it was on Saturday the game was 0-0 at the first intermission, in the early going of the second period Ralph Cuddemi found the net to put the Royals on the board. That one goal would be the only goal, Felix Sandstrom got the start in net and made it stand up for a tough 1-0 victory. It is Sandstrom's first shutout as a professional in North America and the first whitewash for the Royals as a team in 2019-20. The three-game homestand sweep improves the club's mark to 6-3-1, 4-1 at home. Since losing the home opener on October 19 by two goals the club has recorded four one-goal wins on home ice, the next date at the Arena is Saturday the 9th with old rival Wheeling. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 30-31

Helen was in town on Wednesday morning at her eye doctor, on the way to her house we stopped in Willow Street and got our subs for lunch. Jenny had an appointment of her own in Quarryville, she arrived back at home about thirty seconds after her mother and I got there. The rest of the day was uneventful but Thursday was another story entirely. Rain moved into the area overnight, in the afternoon we made our way north for a rare Thursday night game at the Arena. The Newfoundland Growlers were the opponent for the first of their seven regular-season visits. Halloween was the (obvious) theme for the evening, fans who attended in costume took part in a between-periods judging contest. In the game itself the Royals broke on top 2-0 in the first on scores by Frank DiChiara and Matthew Gaudreau but the Growlers got one back before intermission. In the middle frame Gaudreau struck again to make it 3-1 but Newfoundland replied in kind, at the break the Royals led 3-2. In the third the clubs again traded scores, rookie Pascal Laberge (Quebec native on assignment from the Flyers) gave the Royals a 4-2 advantage but the Growlers just wouldn't go away, after they pulled back within one Steven Swavely found the net to make it 5-3. In the late going Newfoundland again pulled back to within one but down the stretch Felix Sandstrom and company shut it down for a big 5-4 victory. The Royals improve to 2-1 on home ice and 4-3-1 overall, the homestand continues with games against Norfolk on November 2nd and Adirondack on the 3rd. It had rained most of the way up in the afternoon, when we came out after the game it was misting lightly. We stopped on the way out of Reading at a convenience store for drinks and the skies opened, most of the drive home was in various degrees of downpour. By the time I had Jenny and her mother home and I was home myself I was more than glad to be there. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 28-29

Stopped by the rink on Monday morning and found it unsurprisingly in need of work, after lunch I went back and got the worst of it cleaned up. There was more to do when I returned at 5:00 but that was child's play by comparison. This night was scheduled from the start of the season, it was essentially a makeup for the fact that we weren't playing on Thursday because of Mischief Night AKA Halloween. Winners included Risky Business over the Trashers, the Killbots over the Hammerheads, NTS over Dutchmaid and the Misfits over the Owls. On Tuesday we were back as each team played its thirteenth game, the same teams that won on Monday did so again albeit against different opposition. The Killbots won over the Owls, Risky Business beat the Hammerheads, NTS downed the Trashers and the Misfits prevailed over Dutchmaid. The regular season concludes on November 4 with the games postponed from October 22, playoffs begin the next night with quarterfinal one-and-done matchups. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 21-27

Monday was a beautifully sunshiny day with little going on, the next day was rainy and windy. Jenny was in town for a medical appointment, we had lunch when she was finished. By late afternoon it was obvious the night's dek hockey schedule wasn't going to happen, the games were rescheduled for November 4. I showered and settled in for the night, around 9:30 or so the phone rang. Jenny had been brought into town by a friend for a visit, they were leaving to take her home when she fell down a small flight of steps in the apartment building. Jenny said her friend was taking her to the ER, I told her to call me when they arrived and I would come over to be with her. About forty-five minutes later Helen called from Quarryville, the ER had called her and she was beside herself with worry. I told her I was aware of what happened and I would keep her informed once I got to the hospital. They ran a battery of tests and determined that there were no injuries outside of bruising and soreness, they gave Jenny something to eat and had her walk around. When all appeared satisfactory they discharged her shortly before 2:00, I called Helen to let her know her daughter was coming home. By the time I got back to town it was almost a quarter-to-three (and there was no one in the place). I slept a bit later than usual on Wednesday (no surprise there), it was another lovely day with nothing special happening. On Thursday we finally got a night of dek hockey in at the rink, each team played its eleventh game. Winners were Risky Business over the Misfits, NTS over the Killbots, the Owls over the Hammerheads and the Trashers over Dutchmaid. Friday was another quiet day save for lunch with Jenny, she's still sore and a little black-and-blue but otherwise OK. On Saturday morning I made my way northeast into Berks County for the second of my two special-guest-starring appearances on the mic for football at Kutztown University, the Golden Bears hosted Shippensburg on Homecoming Weekend. I never attended a college or university (my formal education ended when I graduated from McCaskey in 1974), when I arrived at the stadium about two hours before kickoff the tailgating and general party atmosphere was already in full swing and I must admit it was fun to be around. The game itself kicked off at 2:00 and was just about all KU from start to finish, the Golden Bears won easily by the unusual score of 55-5. The SID said he'd be in touch if he needed me in 2020, if I'm available I'd be glad to do it. I guess you could say that while I'm an infrequent visitor to Kutztown I'm not a total stranger either. It began to rain late Saturday night into Sunday morning, by afternoon the skies cleared and the sun was out. For me it was the proverbial day of rest with football, hockey and postseason baseball on TV. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 19-20

Saturday night at the Arena on Penn Street in Reading, PA as the home portion of the nineteenth season of ECHL Royals hockey officially began. The club went 1-1-1 on a very tough season-opening road trip, on this night the Maine Mariners visited for the start of a two-game set. Maine scored in the first seven minutes but late in the opening period Frank DiChiara lit the lamp to tie it 1-1. In the second frame the Mariners struck twice to carry a 3-1 advantage into the third period. The Royals pulled to within one on a score by Matthew Gaudreau (three-year pro from Carneys Point, NJ and the brother of NHLer Johnny Gaudreau) but Maine replied with two quick goals to go up 5-2. Brayden Low's tally in the final minute made the final score 5-3, rookie goaltender Felix Sandstrom (from Galve, Sweden on assignment from the Flyers) took the loss. On Sunday the skies were rainy and gloomy but it was dry indoors as the clubs met again, on this day the Royals jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on goals by Trevor Yates and Ralph Cuddemi (Yates is a two-year man from Beaconsfield, Quebec whose father Ross led the AHL in scoring in 1983). In the second period Eric Knodel extended the lead to three but Maine roared back with a trio of their own, at the intermission it was 3-3. Early in the third Cuddemi struck again but the Mariners replied fifteen seconds later to knot it again at 4-4. Frank DiChiara put the Royals back on top with thirteen minutes left, from there Kirill Ustemenko and the defense corps held the Mariners off the board for the 5-4 victory. The club stands at 2-2-1 in the early going, the next home game is on Halloween night with the Newfoundland Growlers. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 17-18

The rainy conditions we had on Wednesday were gone on Thursday but the strong winds were not, I went to the rink in the afternoon to take a look around. There were leaves on the surface (no surprise) but the winds were mostly from the west-northwest which had them largely in pockets in the corners, after supper I was back to open up for the evening and the cleanup went reasonably without incident. Every team was playing its tenth game, on this night NTS defeated Risky Business, the Killbots beat the Trashers, the Owls won over Dutchmaid and the Misfits downed the Hammerheads. In the Fall 2018 season we were plagued by weather, at this point of the schedule we had a week's worth of outstanding makeup games. This time around we are right where we should be which will probably end up being The Kiss Of Death before it's all over. On Friday night I was at McCaskey for the final home game of football season, the Red Tornado hosted Manheim Township. Before kickoff we did the usual Senior Night recognition, twelve members of the cheerleading squad and seventeen members of the team were spotlighted. The game itself was about what anyone could have realistically expected, one team entered 8-0 with the league's top-ranked offense and defense and the other was 0-8 and has struggled on both sides of the ball. Township scored ten touchdowns, the final score was 71-0 (that is not a misprint) and it could have been much worse had they not missed two extra points and a field goal attempt. It should be pointed out that MT was in no way trying to run up the score, they had their fourth-liners in the game in the second half and still couldn't be stopped. On the other side the Red Tornado was held to nineteen yards of total offense and two first downs, both were in the first half and one of them was as a result of a Township penalty. It is not the worst loss in program history but it's not far away, in 1968 JPM lost a game 80-0 and the following year they lost to the same opponent 81-0. The 2019 squad was outscored in its six home games 309-53 (that's an average margin of 51-9), they finish the season with one last road game on the 25th. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 14-16

Monday night at Reservoir Park for a night of makeup games, this was the set originally postponed on October 3rd and again on the 7th. The schedule's first half officially ended with these games, winners included Risky Business over the Trashers, the Killbots over the Hammerheads, the Misfits over the Owls and NTS over Dutchmaid. On Tuesday night we got back into regular rotation with Risky Business over the Killbots, the Hammerheads over Dutchmaid, The Misfits over the Trashers and NTS over the Owls. Jenny and I had lunch on a rainy and windy Wednesday morning, the dreary weather stayed around for the rest of the day (which really didn't hurt much since there was little else going on). Take care, thanks for reading.

October 11-13

Friday night at the stadium at McCaskey but not for football, on this night it was the girls soccer team's turn for Senior Night activities. This was a varsity-only event that started at 6:30, the pregame recognition was unfortunately the high point of the night as JPM lost the game 2-0. On Saturday morning I was on the road early, the destination was northeastern Berks County into the Land Of The Golden Bear AKA Kutztown University. Kutztown is about fifteen miles or so northeast of Reading, the university was established in 1866 and many years ago their sports information director at that time worked with us in pro baseball in Reading as an official scorer. Every year there would be one football game the regular PA guy couldn't do and he would ask me to sub in. I hadn't worked at KU since 2009 (the SID moved on shortly thereafter), the current SID is a Berks County guy who knows me as well. He used to be in the athletic department at Elizabethtown College, in 2015 I worked a baseball doubleheader there at his request. Recently he contacted me about his need for an announcer on October 12 and 26, luckily I was available and glad to be able to help out. The Golden Bears play at the NCAA Division II level as members of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, on this day they defeated visiting East Stroudsburg 35-13 before an enthusiastic crowd at Andre Reed Stadium (named for the KU alum who played pro football for many years with the Buffalo Bills). The game kicked off at 12:05 and ended shortly after 2:30, I was back in Lancaster shortly after 4:00. On Sunday Jenny and I made up for missing lunch on Saturday. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 7-10

Monday morning at the bank and the lawyer, it was a matter involving the estate account which was satisfactorily resolved. We had planned on a night of makeup games at the rink but the weather once again was uncooperative. A front was approaching from the southwest in late afternoon, it was expected to arrive right around the time we would have started. Don and I agreed to postpone although the rain had not yet arrived, some of the captains kidded about it but there were no serious objections since just about everybody knew the forecast was bleak. It proved to be the right decision, it started to rain shortly before 6:00 and continued for most of the evening. The games were reset for Monday the 14th as they now become makeups of makeups. Tuesday was a much brighter day, I was at the rink in the afternoon for some much-needed prelim cleanup work. In the evening we played for the first time in a week, winners were the Killbots over the Owls, the Misfits over Dutchmaid, NTS over the Trashers and Risky Business over the Hammerheads via OT shootout. Jenny and I had midweek lunch together on Wednesday, later in the afternoon I was at McCaskey. The boys soccer team was playing its final home game which is annually played in the stadium to make use of the PA for Senior Night activities. The head coach is a guy I've known a long time time, his name is Adam Wood. Woody used to play in the dek hockey league and for the past few years he has also worked with the Royals as a video/analytics coach so I see him quite often at the Arena as well. The day began at 5:00 with the JV game (JPM lost 1-0), after that we did the Senior night recognition. The varsity game brought out the cheerleaders, the band and an enthusiastic crowd, in many ways it reminded me of the football program's better days. JPM won the varsity game 2-0, scoring both goals in the first half. On Thursday we reached the midpoint of dek hockey season with night #7 featuring the rematches from opening night in September. Victorious on this night were Risky Business over the Owls, the Killbots over Dutchmaid, NTS over the Misfits and the Trashers over the Hammerheads. Four weeks are in the books and we're only one night behind in terms of makeups, that's a far cry from the Fall '18 season when it seemed like it rained more often than we played. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 4-6

Friday morning with Jenny and her mother for lunch, in late afternoon we returned to the Arena for preseason hockey. The Royals are beginning their nineteenth season in the ECHL, Kirk MacDonald is back as head coach with recently-retired Nick Luukko serving as his assistant. Longtime fan favorite Olivier Labelle is back after a two-year absence, he is joined by returning forwards Trevor Gooch, Brayden Low, Steven Swavely, Frank DiChiara and Cory Mackin, defensemen David Drake, Garret Cockerill and Jimmy Mazza plus veteran goaltender Nick Niedert. The Royals lost 3-2 in overtime to the Adirondack Thunder but wins and losses mean little in preseason, the purpose is to evaluate talent and determine who can help the club. Both goals were scored by newcomers, in the first period defenseman Eric Knodel (six-year pro from West Chester, PA) lit the lamp to make it 1-0, the second goal came from forward Ralph Cuddemi (four-year man from Concord, Ontario). Goaltender Kirill Ustimenko (rookie from Gomel, Belarus on assignment from the Flyers) got the start in net. The teams combined for ninety-one minutes in penalties, the majority coming from a third-period melee involving just about everybody on the ice at that moment. It felt good to be back behind the mic in the Arena, there's something about ice hockey that gets into your blood. On Saturday I made my usual Friday run a day later, the rest of the weekend was quiet. The Royals played the back end of the home-and-home exhibition slate on Saturday night in Glens Falls and won 6-1, they start the season with three games on the road before the home opener on Saturday the 19th. Take care, thanks for reading.

October 1-3

The cooler weather we enjoyed on Monday was nowhere in evidence on Tuesday, temperatures reached into the 80s in the afternoon. After supper we were at Reservoir Park for night #5 of dek hockey, winners included NTS over the Killbots, Risky Business over the Misfits, the Trashers over Dutchmaid and the Owls over the Hammerheads. Wednesday's weather was even more uncomfortable, it felt more like July or August 2nd rather than October. Jenny and I had our midweek lunch visit, later in the afternoon we made the drive north into Berks County for the first time since April. The Royals opened training camp over the weekend, this night was the annual meet-and-greet at the Arena. The organization had it arranged differently than in past years, all the activity was at ice level. There were several inflatable carnival games set up for the youngsters, one end of the ice was uncovered for fans to shoot pucks at the goal and the players were seated at tables along the side boards for autographs and pictures. Jenny made the rounds and got photos with all the players, I walked along and handled the photographer duties. This event usually takes place on the eve of the regular season but travel logistics had a hand in it being different this time around. The boys play an exhibition game at the Arena hosting the Adirondack Thunder on Friday the 4th, the clubs rematch in Glens Falls the next night. The regular season starts in St. John's on Friday the 11th, the home opener with the Maine Mariners is on Saturday the 19th. Thursday dawned bleak and rainy with temperatures about thirty degrees cooler than Wednesday, a story in the newspaper said that Wednesday's high of 91 set an October 2 record for this area. The high on this day never reached the mid-60s, late in the afternoon it was still cool and misty with fog forecast for the evening hours. Don and I conferred and decided to postpone the night's schedule at the rink, our first makeups of the season were set for Monday the 7th. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 27-30

Atlantic League playoffs began earlier in the week, on Friday evening I was in York for game #3 of the Freedom Division Championship series (one last ballgame for me in 2019). The first two games of the best-of-five series were in Sugar Land, the Revolution won the opener with the Skeeters victorious in game #2. On this night in York the Revs took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Telvin Nash and Isaias Tejeda but that would be the only run the home team would score. The Skeeters tied it in the second and posted a five-spot in the third, two more in the fourth gave Sugar Land an 8-1 advantage. A cosmetic run in the eighth brought the final to 9-1 giving the Skeeters a 2-1 lead in the series, on Saturday night (in my absence) they sealed the deal with a 5-4 verdict. Sugar Land meets Long Island (a 3-0 winner over High Point in the Liberty Division series) for the league title. Jenny and I did our usual lunch date on Saturday, the rest of the weekend plus the last day of the month on Monday were relatively quiet. Made another stop at the lawyer on Monday morning, I dropped off some paperwork I had received in the mail. The weather was remarkably cool on Monday, I never used the air conditioner because it wasn't necessary (although temperatures are expected to be summer-like by midweek). Take care, thanks for reading.

September 23-26

Stopped by the lawyer's office on Monday morning, they had some papers I needed to sign and I had some correspondence they needed as well. On Tuesday morning I made a whirlwind tour of the county, Jenny had a medical appointment and I was her ride home. The access van took her to a facility just outside of Stevens, a small hamlet just off route 272 about eighteen miles north of Lancaster. I picked her up there and we headed south around the city to Willow Street, got lunch and went to her place. There are those who would say I go way out of my way for her and I wouldn't necessarily argue that point. When a man is lucky enough to have a good woman in his life he makes sure she's taken care of, that's what I do for Jenny because she means the world to me. On Tuesday evening we were at Reservoir Park for night #3 of dek hockey, winners included the Killbots over the Trashers, Risky Business over NTS, the Misfits over the Hammerheads and Dutchmaid over the Owls. On Wednesday morning I made the usual Tuesday rounds a day late, on Thursday evening we finished the week at the rink. There was some hard rain in mid-afternoon but it came straight down since there no wind, by 6:15 it was long gone and we proceeded without incident. On this night the victors were Risky Business over Dutchmaid, the Misfits over the Killbots, the Trashers over the Owls and NTS over the Hammerheads. Two weeks are in the books, sixteen games have been played with no postponements, every team has lost at least once and every team except one has recorded a win. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 20-22

Friday nights in the fall mean high school football, on this night the Red Tornado played its fourth home game in five weeks as Warwick visited. JPM's struggles are well-documented as the program tries to find its way under a new coaching staff, on a personal level I like what the staff is doing but the results are not going to come immediately. That was on display once again on this night as the visitors ran out to a 42-0 advantage at halftime, the second half was entirely under the mercy rule. Warwick scored one extra touchdown in the second half but their shutout bid went by the boards in the closing minutes. Da'Aviance Rodriguez scored for JPM on a two-yard carry, the two-point conversion attempt failed bringing the final score to 49-6. The club reaches the season's midpoint at 0-5 by an average game-score margin of 47-10 and it's interesting to note that every game has been against an opponent undefeated at that point. The boys play six home games in 2019, the next one is on October 4 and on that night something will happen that has not since 2001: I am absent because of ice hockey in Reading. The Royals host the annual exhibition game at home forcing me to miss the football game, this happens more so during basketball season but very rarely during football. When I found out about it in July I immediately let Jon Mitchell know so he could find a substitute, he tells me we are covered so I'm sure everything will work out (although I'm sure there will be a few turned heads that night just the same). Had my lunch visit with Jenny on Saturday, the rest of the weekend was quiet which wasn't a bad thing since daytime temperatures were in the high-80s. The Atlantic League's regular season ended on Sunday, the Barnstormers finished 51-89 with a .364 winning percentage the poorest in franchise history. Over in York the Revolution finished 75-65 and clinched a postseason date with the Sugar Land Skeeters, the first two games in the best-of-five series are in Texas with game #3 in York on Friday the 27th (a possibility for me if the weather is good). Take care, thanks for reading.

September 16-19

Monday morning at the mall, in the afternoon I stopped by the rink and did some prelim work for the start of the new season. On Tuesday night our 81st championship season opened with all eight teams in action. The first season on the rink at Reservoir Park started in December of 1979 (because nobody wanted to wait until spring) and ended in March, the second started a month later and we've retained that format ever since (for record-keeping purposes the first season is referred to as "Fall 1979"). Tuesday's results featured the Killbots over Dutchmaid, Risky Business over the Owls, the Trashers (formerly the Express) over the Hammerheads and Nice Truth Solution (the former Tradesmen and hereafter known in this blog as NTS) over the Misfits. It is merely a coincidence that the Killbots and Dutchmaid (the league's two new teams) met each other on the first night, the schedule is made up by assigning a number to each team and that particular matchup just happened to occur within the first block of games (which repeat when the schedule's second half starts on October 10). On any opening night the teams tend to be somewhat disorganized, we try to keep things together and all things considered it went about as well as could be expected. Jenny and I had our usual midweek lunch date on Wednesday, on Thursday evening we were back at the rink for night #2. On this night The Killbots beat Risky Business, the Hammerheads defeated Dutchmaid, NTS won over the Owls and the Misfits took out the Trashers (I admit that's a poor joke but what the hell....). Week One is in the books and we're already well ahead of the Fall 2018 season, that year we started one week later and the entire first week save for one game was wiped out by rain. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 14-15

Saturday afternoon: after lunch Jenny and her mother came into town for their final ballgame of the season. Helen's birthday is the 15th but since we were together on this day we had supper at the same restaurant we had visited on Jenny's birthday in August (a different location but the same franchise). At the ballpark the ALPB's War Of The Roses continued as the Revolution came east from York. The Barnstormers had won the opener on Friday, on this night the Revs squared the series with a 2-1 victory. Henry Castillo's two-run home run in the fifth gave the Revs the only runs they needed, the Stormers' lone marker came on a Josh Bell RBI single in the sixth. Mitch Atkins earned the win with Jameson McGrane picking up the save, Jonathan Albaladejo suffered the loss. The series ended on Sunday afternoon, the final home date for the Stormers in 2019. I'm well-known as a non-aficionado of day games but the last game is a special occasion (and the heat and humidity is not as oppressive in September as it would be in the peak of summer). Before the game the organization named its annual award winners, Devon Torrence received the club's community service award and Caleb Gindl was selected by fan vote as team MVP. The Revolution took a 1-0 lead in the first on Telvin Nash's solo home run. a two-run double by James Skelton in the second made it 3-0. The Stormers got on the board in the third on Melvin Mercedes' RBI double, K.C. Hobson's two-run homer onto the picnic deck in right field evened it at 3-3 in the fifth. In the seventh the Revs loaded the bases with nobody out, Pedro Echemendia was summoned from the bullpen and worked out of the jam to keep the game tied. In the bottom of the inning Gindl reached on a two-out single, Mercedes followed with a fly ball down the left-field line that stayed just fair onto the berm giving the Stormers a 5-3 lead. In the ninth the Revolution mounted another bases-loaded threat but Matt Marksberry was able to save the win for Echemendia, Robert Carson took the loss for the Revs in relief of starter Dan Minor. The Barnstormers finish with a home record of 26-45 (one extra game added thanks to a road rainout), they play the final week on the road looking to avoid the worst winning percentage in club history. The Revs return home for the last week looking to nail down a postseason berth. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 13

The 13th day of September fell on a Friday, the first of two on the 2019 calendar and the bane of those who suffer from triskaidekaphobia. For a second consecutive week the Friday weather was cool and breezy, it made for a perfect night for football at McCaskey. After three non-league losses JPM hosted Cedar Crest in the league opener and unfortunately the results were all too familiar. The first quarter was scoreless but in the second CC put four touchdowns on the board in quick order and took a 28-0 lead to the locker room. By the final quarter it was 49-0, the game was well into the mercy rule but the Red Tornado finally broke through. Quarterback Shalian Montalvo found Isaiah Thomas for a 51-yard catch-and-run, Donovan Trowery ran 46 yards for a score and on the last play of the game Jayon Burnside caught an 8-yard TD pass from Montalvo. Sam Hershey was 2-3 in the extra point department bringing the final score to 49-20. One could make the case that all the scoring came during running time against the opponent's second-string but anything that builds confidence in a rebuilding program can't be anything but a positive. The mark drops to 0-4 and the road doesn't get any easier, the club hosts Warwick on the 20th. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 9-12

The early part of the week had little to recommend it, there was no evening activity to speak of since there was no baseball anywhere and street hockey season hasn't started yet. On Tuesday night Don and I firmed up the league format, we get underway on Tuesday the 17th. We have eight teams as we did in the spring but the lineup is different, two existing clubs disbanded and two new teams have taken their place. Two other teams have new identities thanks to sponsorship changes so on the surface half of the league is new (although it's really just a reshuffling of the deck since many of the same players are undoubtedly involved). It's a fourteen-game schedule with all teams playing each other twice, four games are scheduled each Tuesday and Thursday with Mondays reserved for makeups. We have games scheduled for Monday October 28 since Mischief Night (AKA Halloween) falls on the Thursday of that week, the last night of the regular schedule is October 29. Sometimes it's hard to believe we've playing at Reservoir Park for almost forty years, the first game at the rink was in December of 1979 (and yes, I was supervising the league then as well). A few years ago one of the league's younger players asked me of I had been around the rink forever and I said "no, it just seems that way". Jenny and I did our usual lunch date on Wednesday, on Thursday I was at the lawyer's office to sign some checks for my mother's estate account. The law firm, the broker and the bank are all doing their jobs, I make sure they know about any related correspondence I receive and if they need anything they contact me so all in all things are going about as well as can be expected (and So Be It). Take care, thanks for reading.

September 6-8

The weather turned markedly cooler overnight into Friday, the day felt more like October than early September. In the evening I made a trip over the mighty Susquehanna, the York Revolution was hosting the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. York High's football stadium is in close proximity to the ballpark, they were playing a home game which made for some crazy traffic issues since a lot of the baseball crowd uses the football parking lot (I usually park in an auxiliary lot next to the ballpark thanks to my parking placard). On this night in York the offensive highlights were few and far between, the Revs scored in the opening inning on a Justin Trapp single and a Telvin Nash sac fly but that would be their lone run. The Crabs tied it in the second and took a 2-1 lead in the fifth, those tallies would stand up for a one-run SM win. Duke Von Schamann (one of the Great Names in the Atlantic League) started for the Revolution and took the loss. The game ended shortly after 9:00 (it started at 6:30) and the football game was still going so most of the baseball traffic got a head start on their drive home. The rest of the weekend was quiet save for my regular Saturday visit with Jenny, wall-to-wall college football on Saturday and the start of the pro season on Sunday. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 4-5

Went downtown to the brokers office on Wednesday morning, they had some papers I needed to sign for their part in settling my mother's estate. At the ballpark in the evening, the Barnstormers continued their series with Long Island. The Stormers came in on a four-game losing skid, on this night the downbeat reached five with a six-run loss. Anderson De La Rosa's two-run home run in the first gave the ballclub an early advantage but the visiting Ducks scored the next six to lead 6-2 in the fifth. Josh Bell picked up an RBI on a bases-loaded walk to bring the Stormers within three but LI matched it in the sixth to lead 7-3. Melvin Mercedes' RBI hit in the home half made it 7-4, in the eighth the Ducks put the game to bed with a four-run salvo. Caleb Gindl added a cosmetic run with a solo homer in the home half but it mattered little, Connor Overton started on the mound and took the 11-5 loss. The series and the homestand wrapped up on Thursday and for the Barnstormers the result was sadly familiar. Long Island went up 2-0 in the first, in the bottom half Michael Martinez's RBI groundout got the Stormers on the board. It was 3-1 Ducks in the fourth when "Mini-Mart" (as Martinez has been known since his days in the Major League) went yard to bring the Stormers within one. LI added an insurance run in the seventh and went on to win 4-2, Nate Reed got the start and took the decision. The ballclub has just three home dates remaining, our friends from west of the river visit from September 13-15. Take care, thanks for reading.

September 1-3

The final one-third of 2019 began quietly on Sunday, the next day was the annual Labor Day holiday AKA The Last Day Of Summer. At the ballpark the Barnstormers hosted the Long Island Ducks in the opener of a four-game series. The game began at 5:00, a special early start due to the holiday which ended up being a good thing. There were dark clouds approaching from the west, in the middle of the fourth inning the umpires ordered the field covered just ahead of a hard storm that delayed the game for almost ninety minutes. The game finally wound down after 9:30, almost four-and-a-half-hours after it had started. The Stormers lost 6-2, the runs coming on a Josh Bell solo home run in the third and a Joe Terdoslavich RBI single in the fifth. John Anderson started and took the loss, his outing cut short at four innings thanks to the rain delay. On Tuesday morning Jenny was in Willow Street for a medical appointment, we got lunch to go and ate at her place. In the early evening I was Reservoir Park, we had our captains meeting for the fall season. If all goes as planned we could start the week of the 16th. There was a fundraiser carnival set up in the field next to the rink, I took a walk around the midway before the meeting started. I always enjoyed that sort of thing as a youngster but nowadays some of the rides wouldn't be the best idea anymore. When the meeting broke up I went over to the ballpark for what was left of the ballgame, when I arrived they were in the third inning. The Stormers had gone up 1-0 in the first on an Andrew Aplin home run but Long Island scored twice in the second and once in the fifth to lead 3-1. Back-to-back home runs by Josh Bell and Parker Morin drew the Stormers even in the sixth but in the seventh the Ducks responded with a three-spot and won it 6-3, Jonathan Albaladejo worked into the fateful seventh and suffered the loss. The game ended almost exactly at the same time as Monday's, the difference was it started two hours later and proceeded without delay. I know a lot of people who would take that any night of the week. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 30-31

Friday night football at McCaskey, the Red Tornado hosted York in the high school version of The War Of The Roses. It's no secret that the program at JPM is in disrepair and it will take time to recover, on this night it was all York from the proverbial word GO. The visitors led 26-0 at halftime and added on in the second half, when the game mercifully ended it was 61-0. It reminded me of my first year back at JPM in 1988, we went into the last week of the season at 9-0 and finished it with a 61-0 win over an outmatched opponent that was every bit as one-sided as this game was. JPM on this night had less than 100 yards of total offense including just six yards rushing, by contrast York compiled over 400 yards on "O". The boys play week #3 on the road, they are home for back-to-back dates on September 13 and 20. On Saturday Jenny and Helen came into town after lunch for the ballgame, the Barnstormers hosted the New Britain Bees. The clubs played a makeup doubleheader on Friday with the Stormers winning both ends, on this night they never led in a 5-3 loss. The game was scoreless into the sixth where the Bees put four on the board, Caleb Gindl's solo home in the bottom half cut the deficit to 4-1. In the home seventh Melvin Mercedes (not known for the long ball) hit a two-run home run to make it 4-3 but a NB insurance run in the ninth ended the scoring, Nate Reed started for the Stormers and took the loss. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 26-29

Made the usual Monday errand run in the vicinity of the mall, the rest of the day was spent at home recharging the batteries. On Tuesday Jenny and Helen were at the foot doctor in Willow Street, we got our lunch to go and ate at their place. In the evening we were at the rink for summer hockey night #8, Gold met Orange and Blue met Green for the last of three times. Wednesday was a rainy day, I was at lawyer in the morning to sign some papers before lunch. In the afternoon a quick-moving system brought a decent amount of precipitation but it was moving west to east, according to radar the worst would be gone by 5:30 or so. The ballclub in York was at home, I left at 4:45 and drove through the rain just about all the way to the river. I got to the ballpark after 5:30, the tarp was off the field and it looked to be in good shape. The game started in good order at 6:35, the Sugar Land Skeeter (fresh from their visit in Lancaster) were the opponent for a good old-fashioned slugfest. The Revolution blew out to an 8-0 lead after five innings, the Skeeters rallied back to within two runs in the seventh but the Revs held on for a 9-7 win. I may make one more game in York before the regular season ends if all goes according to plan. Thursday marked the end of summer hockey at Reservoir Park, Orange vs Blue and Green vs Gold brought down the curtain. Forty-four players participated in the eighteen-game schedule. The meeting for the fall season is on Tuesday the 3rd. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 24-25

Saturday lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the evening I was at the ballpark. The Sugar Land Skeeters were in town for the weekend, the Stormers won the opener on Friday but on this night they never held a lead. The visitors from Texas went up 1-0 in the first before Caleb Gindl went yard in the bottom half to tie the score. In the fifth Sugar Land reclaimed the lead, Joey Terdoslavich's solo shot in the sixth pulled the Stormers even yet again. The Sleeters went up 3-2 in the eighth and added an insurance run in the ninth, in the bottom half Greg Golson's RBI hit scored Darian Sandford to make it 4-3 but the rally went no further. Jonathan Albaladejo started for the Stormers and suffered the loss. On Sunday the clubs met for a rare 5:00 start and it reminded me of a Sunday in August of 2018 when the same clubs met for a 5:00 game, that day turned into a weather-plagued debacle that left a bad taste in everybody's mouth. On this day there were no such issues, since it wasn't a 1:00 game Jenny and Helen elected to attend on this day as opposed to Saturday. The Barnstormers drew first blood in the third on Devon Torrence's RBI single, after the Skeeters evened it in the fourth Michael Martinez's solo home run in the bottom half restored the Stormers' one-run lead. Sugar Land responded quickly with a run in the fifth to even it 2-2, in the seventh inning the game fell apart. Five Skeeter runs put the game out of reach at 7-2, Connor Overton worked into the seventh inning and took the loss. The Stormers return home for a series with New Britain on Friday the 30th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 23

Friday dawned under bleak and dreary conditions, by afternoon the rain had moved on and the clouds broke allowing the sun to make a cameo appearance. In the evening I was at McCaskey for the opening week of high school football season. When I was in school the athletic seasons didn't start until school itself was back in session and that never happened until the week of Labor Day. The JPM  football program has not seen much success in recent years, since the last postseason appearance in 2010 the club has played to a .275 winning percentage (22-58). The operation has a new head coach in 2019, his name is Sam London and he comes to JPM from Lincoln University (in southern Chester County, about thirty miles southeast of Lancaster) where he was an assistant football coach and recruiting coordinator. It takes any new coach time to put in a new system and on this night that was in evidence, visiting Red Lion (from York County) scored early and often taking a 39-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. The entire second half was played under the running-clock mercy rule, Red Lion never scored again but there was little need. The Red Tornado got on the board in the fourth quarter on a 47-yard fumble recovery/return by Ben Desmarais, in the closing minutes Bassir Epps ran twenty-three yards for a score bringing the final to 39-14 (placekicker Sam Hershey was 2-2 in the PAT department). The club plays six home games in 2019 (making up for having only four at home in '18), they host York on the 30th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 21-22

Wednesday lunch with Jenny and her mother in Quarryville, in the evening I was back at the ballpark. After the come-from-ahead loss on Monday and a Tuesday night defeat the Stormers got back on the plus side with an 8-2 win. High Point scored single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, the Barnstormers scored singles in three different innings and blew it open with a five-spot in the fourth. Melvin Mercedes' RBI hit in the second gave the ballclub a 1-0 lead, in the big fourth Darian Sandford had a run-scoring single, Andrew Aplin picked up a ribbie on a bases-loaded walk and Destin Hood followed him with a three-run double to make it 6-0. The Stormers added on in the fifth when Anderson De La Rosa singled and touched home on an error, Devon Torrence's RBI hit in the seventh wrapped up the scoring. Nate Reed got the start and went five innings for the win, former St. Louis Cardinal property Pedro Echemendia and Logan Sawyer each worked two innings of relief. On Thursday evening we played night #7 of summer dek hockey amid an annoying light mist that starting falling about thirty minutes before 7:00 game time. The radar showed hit-and-miss rain all over the area, we were right on the northern tip of a system that was hitting the southern part of the county. I texted Jenny and she said it was very dark and thundering in Quarryville but at the rink we were lucky, the light mist was all we got and it was gone by 7:30. The games on this night were the last go-around for Blue vs Gold and Green vs Orange, the league concludes with games on the 27th and 29th. Saw on the Internet where the start of the Stormers game was delayed until almost 8:30, they must have been hit much harder there then we were at the rink even though the two facilities are only a mile-and-a-half apart. Goes to show how unpredictable the weather can be. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 19-20

Monday morning at the mall for lunch, in the evening we were on North Prince Street as the Barnstormers returned home for the first of four games with the High Point Rockers. The Stormers have struggled mightily in 2019, the ballclub started slowly and has never quite found the right combination. When the story of this season is written the game on this night may stand as the perfect illustration. Michael Martinez gave the Stormers a 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the second, after High Point tied it in the fifth Andrew Aplin's three-run shot in the bottom half made it 4-1 Barnstormers A two-run triple from Devon Torrence in the sixth upped the advantage to 6-1 but the Rockers rallied back back with three of their own in the seventh. The game fell apart in the top of the ninth, High Point scored four runs and won it 8-6. Jonathan Albaladejo started but wasn't around for the finish, Cody Eppley suffered the loss in relief. Tuesday evening was night #6 of summer dek hockey at Reservoir Park, the matchups were the second of three between Blue vs Orange and Gold vs Green. Those pairings finish the season on Thursday the 29th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 16-18

August 16 is always an important day on the calendar, it's Jenny's birthday. Every year I write in this blog about how much she means to me, I once told her that I could spend the rest of my life standing next to her and I would never EVER get tired of it because I would never ever get tired of HER. She has her problems (I knew that before we ever came together) but it doesn't change the fact that she is to me the most beautiful woman in the world. We had lunch together on Friday, in the afternoon we stopped for supper on the way to the ballgame in York. Every season I try to get Jenny and her mother to a game there preferably on a weekend when the Barnstormers are the opponent, it didn't happen in 2018 but this time around it worked out. We were sitting in section 11, in the second inning Helen looked around and spotted a family member two rows behind us. She has a brother who lives in York who she rarely sees, it made for a pleasant and unexpected family reunion. In the game itself the Barnstormers scored in the first on a K.C. Hobson RBI double, Anderson De La Rosa's home run over the Arch Nemesis and a Caleb Gindl sacrifice fly RBI made it 3-0 in the second. The Revolution got on the board in the third on a Wellington Dotel sac fly, in the visiting fourth a Joe Terdoslavich sac fly and a Revs error gave the Stormers a 5-1 lead. In the home fifth the Revs got back into it on a Isaias Tejeda RBI hit and a two-run single from Melky Mesa, in the sixth an RBI hit by Dotel and another run-scoring single by Tejeda gave the home team a 6-5 lead. From there the bullpens took over, there was no further scoring as the Revs held on for the comeback win. Robert Carson was the winner in relief with Jameson McGrane picking up the save, Alejandro Chacin took the loss for the Stormers. All things considered I believe this is a birthday Jenny will remember for some time. On Saturday I did my usual Friday run a day late, the rest of the weekend was spent indoors in the comfort of the air conditioning. It has been exceptionally warm lately and they are calling for more of the same in the week ahead. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 12-15

The early part of the new week was relatively quiet except for two nights of dek hockey at the rink. On Monday afternoon I was downtown at the courthouse, a representative of the law firm met me there. The estate has to go through probate and there were papers to be signed, they told me the process would be relatively simple since I am the lone beneficiary but it still needs to be done. On Wednesday Jenny and I had our usual lunch date, we were back on the regular day for the first time in three weeks. We had done lunch on Tuesday each of the previous two weeks because either she or her mother had an appointment somewhere. There was rain in the area on Tuesday afternoon, the radar indicated some light precipitation that would be gone by 6:00 or so. We had some spotty drip-drops right up to game time at 7:00 but it didn't stop us, night #4 of summer season went on as scheduled. This night was the second go-around for Orange vs Green and Blue vs Gold, they meet once more on the 22nd. Thursday featured no weather issues of any kind (except for the fact that it was hot), night #5 marked the midpoint of the schedule. Green met Blue and Orange met Gold for the second of three times, they pair off again on the 27th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 9-11

Went to the lawyer's office on Friday morning, they needed a copy of my mother's most recent tax return. They said when April 2020 rolls around they will prepare her return for 2019 and they can handle mine as well so that's one less thing to worry about. In the evening I was at the ballpark, the Stormers continued their homestand with a visit from the Long Island Ducks. This was my first look at the Ducks for the season, they had visited in May for a series I missed completely. On this night the Barnstormers fell behind 1-0 in the first, in the third Devon Torrence singled and scored on Caleb Gindl's two-run home run. The 2-1 advantage lasted into the eighth inning where the game fell apart, the Ducks scored once in the eighth and twice in the ninth to win 4-2. Cody Eppley took the loss in relief of starter Connor Overton (recently signed, late of the SF Giants organization). On Saturday we had our usual lunch date, in the afternoon Jenny and her mother came back into town for the ballgame. They had missed the last few Saturday games because of the heat but the weather has been more comfortable lately, this was also their first time at the house since the middle of June and they both commented on how strange it seemed without my mother there. There were quite a few stuffed animals in the upstairs back room that Jenny asked for to remember her by and I had no objections, there were also a few items I thought Helen might appreciate which she took home as well. At the ballpark in the evening the Stormers scored first on a two-run home run in the second by newcomer Gift Ngoepe (that spelling is correct, it's pronounced "en-GO-pay", he's a native of South Africa and a former big-leaguer with Pittsburgh and Toronto). In the third Destin Hood's RBI double made it 3-0, one inning late Anderson De La Rosa singled and scored on an error. That advantage was all Nate Reed needed, he carried a no-hit bid into the seventh inning and earned the 4-0 win with relief support from Matt Marksberry and Logan Sawyer. On Sunday the series ended with a Long Island win but I was not there, I was taking my usual personal day at home. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 7-8

Had an appointment with our law firm on Wednesday morning to set the wheels in motion for settling my mother's estate. This is uncharted waters for me and I'm not anywhere sure exactly what all it involves but I guess that's why law firms exist, they said they will do most of the work and keep me informed when they need anything specific from me. In the evening I was at the ballpark on North Prince Street, the Barnstormers hosted the New Britain Bees in the middle game of a three-game set. On this night the visitors from Connecticut scratched out a single run in the third inning and made it stand up for a 1-0 win, John Anderson started for the Stormers and took the tough-luck loss. On Thursday I made my usual morning errand run in an effort to keep up the regular routine, in the evening we played night #3 of summer dek hockey. I went to the rink at 5:45, shortly after 6:00 it began to rain. The radar had indicated a quick-moving front was on the way, I was on the rink with the Billy-Goat when it arrived. I brought the machine into the building and waited it out, within ten minutes the rain was over and the sun was shining. We started right on time at 7:00 with Green vs Gold and Orange vs Blue, those matchups happen again on the the 20th and the 29th. Take care, thanks for reading.

August 5-6

Out and about on Monday morning running errands and trying to keep my mind clear. There were other events taking place in Lititz but I was not there for one simple reason: I just couldn't be. I was present when my mother said goodbye, I said my goodbye at that time and I felt no need whatever to relive the moment especially for the benefit of an audience. Everybody deals with times like this in their own way, mine may not be the accepted standard but I make no apologies. In my younger years I was traumatized by similar events and I've never forgotten it. When I was thirteen years old my grandfather in Elmira passed away, my father's family held three nights of viewings at two hours each plus the funeral itself and I was FORCED to be present for EVERY LAST SECOND of it. Two years later my mother's grandfather passed and she wanted me to be a pallbearer. I resisted because it made me uncomfortable, I wanted nothing to do with it but she refused to take "no" for an answer. When I reached the age where I could make my own decisions one of them was that NOBODY would ever subject me to anything like that ever again. When a loved one passes away I can accept it but I will deal with it my own way, anybody who doesn't like it can keep their opinions to themselves because I don't care what they think. To anyone who would say "that's just terrible, why couldn't he be there for his mother?" I would say "where the hell do you think I was the last sixty-two years?". I was at the cemetery in the afternoon after everyone had gone and from an emotional standpoint I'm at peace with it because I know in my heart I did all I could do and at this point there isn't anything more I can do. In the evening I made my first trip west of the river to the ballpark in York. I hadn't been there yet because I didn't want to be thirty miles from home if an emergency arose but that is obviously no longer a concern. The Revolution jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a Telvin Nash two-run home run, Carlos Franco's two-run shot in the third made it 4-0. The visiting Somerset Patriots exploded for eight runs in the middle three innings, the Revs got one back in the fifth on a Melky Mesa RBI hit but it wasn't enough as the Pats took it 8-5. Julio Perez suffered the loss in relief of starter Duke von Schamann. On Tuesday Helen was in Willow Street for an appointment, we got lunch for ourselves and Jenny and ate at their house in Quarryville. We had some rain in the afternoon but it cleared off, night #2 of summer hockey went on as scheduled. The games were Gold vs Orange and Blue vs Green, they pair off again on the 15th and 27th. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 31-August 4

In Lititz on Wednesday morning to make arrangements for my mother, there is a firm there that her side of the family has utilized for generations. Many years ago she and I had discussed this eventuality and at that time I freely admitted that there was no way I could handle this by myself. She worked for many years with a woman named Norma and they were best friends, it was decided that she and/or her daughter Melinda would assist when the time came. Unfortunately Norma's health is not the greatest anymore, Melinda was present to lend her help and it was greatly appreciated. I had planned to go to the ballpark in the evening for the youth tournament semifinals but the schedule was changed thanks to weather. The second game on Tuesday was suspended by rain (it must have been an isolated storm, I never saw any rain anywhere I was), it was completed on Wednesday with that night's original schedule pushed back a day. Thursday night found us at Reservoir Park for the opening night of summer dek hockey. On this night Blue met Gold and Green played Orange, those matchups happen again on the 13th and 22nd. Saw on the Internet where the Jr. Tornado lost in their semifinal game on Thursday, the championship game on Friday featured Lititz vs Manheim Township. I was there even though I had no rooting interest, it was just an excuse to get out of the house on an otherwise uneventful weekend. The game turned out to be a barnburner, Lititz rallied from behind to win 9-7. With the Barnstormers (obviously) out of town and the ballclub in York on the road as well Saturday lunch with Jenny was about all else that happened. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 30

My good friends, I begin this post with news no man should ever have to report. My mother passed on the morning of July 30 in the ICU at Lancaster General Hospital, I was with her when it happened. I was awake around 6:00 to use the bathroom, I noticed the message light flashing on the telephone. When I saw it was the hospital I instantly knew something was wrong, they wouldn't have called before 5:00 if it was good news. I called them back and they told me her condition had nosedived overnight, it would be good for me to get in there ASAP. I arrived about 6:15 or so, they said they could continue the medications but realistically it would be useless. The infection she contracted had done its damage and given her physical state she was simply unable to fight it any longer. We were in her room having this conversation and I asked if she could hear us, when they said she probably could I told them what she would say: if it's my time so be it, let me go peacefully. I know she was aware I was there because she opened her eyes occasionally but she said little, once they disconnected everything it was just a matter of time. The official end came at 8:20 when two nurses came in, listened to her heart for close to a minute and said "I'm sorry". It goes without saying that it is painful but in a way I'm glad I was there because nobody should die alone. The hospital chaplain came in and we talked for a few minutes, he asked if he could say a prayer over her. I told him I'm not a religious man and it meant little to me but it was something she would have appreciated so I allowed it. Under the circumstances I was in no particular hurry to leave, I stayed for about an hour and got the word out to friends via social media. I'm a big believer in going about your regular routine as best you can during troubled times, I had previous plans for the day and I saw them through. Jenny was in town for a orthopedic appointment at 9:45, we were going to have lunch and we did. I went to her appointment from the hospital, she and her mother both took the news very hard. After lunch I went to the care center to tell them what happened and to pick up what few personal items she had there, they were all very sorry to hear the news. I donated her walker to them as a thank-you for what they tried to do and for what they may have been able to do had she been there longer (if you want to count minutes she was there for less than four full days). In the evening Don and I got together and firmed up the summer dek hockey season as planned. Don had heard the news, he said we didn't have to if I wasn't up to it but I told him how I feel about the "regular routine". I told his wife Brenda about how the last thing I said to my mother was "just rest and relax and don't worry about me, I'll be OK", she said maybe that was all my mother needed to hear. All I can say is she indeed went peacefully, it happened quietly and without any apparent pain. After all she went through over the last few months she deserved that much. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 28-29

First stop on Sunday morning was the hospital, my mother was in and out of it most of the time I was there. I guess it's not entirely surprising given all she's been through over the last little while. By noon I was with Jenny at her place, she and Helen were invited to a birthday party. One of Jenny's friends has two small daughters, the older recently turned five and the younger was two years old in June. In 2018 their mother ran a combined party for both of them, such was the case this time around. The party was outdoors in a small county park just south of the city, the same place as before although in a different area of the park. It was close to ninety degrees, even though we had shade from the tall trees it was still uncomfortable. They were talking about having the party indoors in the future simply because it's summertime and it was just too hot. When I got them home Helen thanked me for taking them, I didn't mind at all because given everything else going on it was good for me as well (that plus the fact that I've known both of the girls practically since birth). On Monday I was at the hospital in the morning, as I was coming in the ear/nose/throat doctor was leaving my mother's room. He said she was doing better, maybe a few more days in ICU and they'll see what happens from there. Had lunch at the mall, in the evening I was at the ballpark for the opening night of the annual youth baseball tournament. The local print media company has sponsored it since 1946, for the last several years the Midget Division has played its bracket at the ballpark. The Lancaster Jr. Tornado qualified for the eight-team tournament, on this night the won their quarterfinal matchup over Cocalico 4-3. They play in the semifinals on Wednesday with a possible championship game appearance on Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 26-27

When I visited with my mother on Thursday I noticed some swelling on the left side of her face, the staff said it hadn't been there earlier but they would examine it. On Friday I was there in the morning, the swelling was more pronounced and she had a cold washcloth on her forehead because she was running a fever. She spent most of my visit in and out of sleep but she knew I was there. Shortly after 5:00 I got a call from the care center, they were taking her into the ER at the hospital. Her fever was up, her pulse rate was sluggish and she was having trouble breathing (this despite the fact that she's been on oxygen since she went in originally on July 10). I had planned to going to the ballpark but needless to say that didn't happen, I left immediately for the hospital and actually arrived before she did. They eventually got her established in the Intensive Care Unit, once that was accomplished I came home because the one thing she needed at that point was REST. I woke up earlier than usual on Saturday morning, had some breakfast and decided to go over to the hospital since there was no really good reason to wait around. They told me she was in isolation but I was still able to enter, they said she had a glandular infection and it would be treated aggressively (I guess they call it ICU for a reason). Had lunch with Jenny and her mother, in the evening I was at the ballpark by myself since they elected again to stay home because of the heat. When this month is over I'm expecting to read a newspaper story about it being the hottest July on record, if it isn't it should be because most of it has been an oven. The Barnstormers had lost the series opener on Friday, on this night they won 5-4. Destin Hood hit a solo home run in the second inning, in the fourth Darian Sandford had a two-run single, K.C. Hobson had an RBI hit and Zach Shank picked up a ribbie on a groundout. Jared Lakind started and got the win, Cody Eppley earned the save. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 24-25

Noted recently that this blog had exceeded 20,000 page views, I don't know who reads the pablum I write here but whoever you are I thank you. Had lunch with Jenny on Wednesday and checked in at the care center on the way back into town, on Thursday my visit with my mother was the first thing on the calendar. When I visit her she never wants me to leave and I can certainly understand, if I were in her place I'd feel the same way. I can't begin to imagine what the last several months have been like for her even though I've basically lived it right along with her. On Wednesday night the Barnstormers continued the series with Somerset and made it two straight  with a 5-3 win. The Patriots took a 2-0 lead in the fourth, K.C. Hobson's solo home run in the fifth cut the lead in half. A four-run uprising in the sixth put the Stormers up for good, RBI hits by Joe Terdoslavich and Anderson De La Rosa were sandwiched around a two-run double by former Washington Nationals property Destin Hood (who spent the first half of the season on the DL). Somerset added a meaningless run in the ninth off closer Cody Eppley who saved the win for Jonathan Albaladejo. On Thursday the Stormers completed the sweep with a no-doubt-about-it 10-0 verdict. Andrew Aplin's two-run single in the first broke the ice, a two-run double by Greg Golson later in the inning made it 4-0. In the fourth Caleb Gindl picked up a ribbie on a fielders choice, Joey T followed with a three-run bomb to extend the lead to eight. Single runs in the seventh on a Golson base hit and in the eighth on a RBI double by Hood ended the scoring but the offensive fireworks were only half the story. Buddy Baumann started on the mound and went all the way on a four-hit shutout, he K'd five and walked only one. The Barnstormers had a subpar first half and started the second half poorly but a sweep over Somerset (traditionally one of the league's strongest franchises) could be a sign that things are turning around. The ballclub stays home over the weekend to host Southern Maryland. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 22-23

Went to the care center on Monday morning to get my mother officially enrolled and admitted, later in the afternoon I was informed that she would be discharged from the hospital to the center at 5:30. The center is on the west side of town, I went over a little after 6:00. They were getting her situated in bed as I arrived so she could have only been there a few minutes before I was. On Tuesday I met with our broker to sign off on the check for the first month, it's a costly proposition but it simply is necessary because there is no way she can be at home under the current circumstances. She needs to be where she can receive proper rehab, therapy and nutrition from trained professionals. Over the years she saved and invested wisely, she's not a millionaire but she isn't a pauper either. She's at a point now where the money is needed and it's for a good purpose. I guess you could make a case that we're spending my inheritance but I don't care about that right now, it's not my money until she's gone and the idea is to postpone that as long as we can. On Tuesday night I was at the ballpark, the Barnstormers hosted the Somerset Patriots. In a way it felt good to be there in a effort to get my mind on other things, it didn't really work but I had to try. The Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the first, K.C. Hobson's two-run home run in the bottom of the second put the the home team up 2-1. Somerset tied it in the fourth and went ahead 4-2 in the fifth, in the bottom of the ninth Andrew Aplin's two-run single pulled the Stormers even. In the tenth each team batted with a runner on second to start the inning (one of several new rules the league has been experimenting with), Somerset was unable to cash in but the Barnstormers did. Devon Torrence was the baserunner with nobody out, he advanced to third on a hit by Hobson. On the return throw to the infield the Patriots tried to catch Torrence off base, the throw sailed down the left field line as Torrence raced home with the wining run. Nate Reed (ex-Stormer recently resigned as a free agent) started on the hill, Scott Shuman (the last of six relievers used) was the winning pitcher. The series continues with single games on Wednesday and Thursday. Take care, thanks for reading.