July 8-9

According to the newspaper the Saturday high was 101 degrees, the evening thunderstorms helped to cool things down somewhat on Sunday (if you call the high 80s cooler). Jenny and Helen came into town for the ballgame on North Prince Street as the BSers finished their series with Long Island. Barnstormers mascot Cylo was celebrating his birthday, a number of his friends were in attendance as well. The game started at 6:05, the BSers won it 5-4 on a ninth-inning home run to complete a four-game sweep. Monday was a quiet day except for some big news from Reading as the Royals announced an exclusive affiliation agreement with the NHL Washington Capitals. The deal also includes the Caps' AHL club in Hershey which is something many in the Royals fanbase have wanted for a long time. It makes sense from a geographic standpoint as player movement between Hershey and Reading would involve a mere forty-mile drive on route 422 as opposed to a plane trip to Canada or New England. I'll admit I'm not a Washington fan but at the ECHL level that matters little since most of the club is under ECHL contract (in the past we've been associated with Los Angeles, Toronto and Boston). It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out when the new season starts in October. The R-Phils finished a road trip on Monday, the All-Star break is upon us but in Reading it's just beginning as we'll host the game for the first time since 1974. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 4-7

The hot, muggy weather continues in our area, the last few days have been horribly uncomfortable. On Wednesday the nation celebrated its birthday, I marked the occasion by staying inside in the AC. After supper I went over to the ballpark on North Prince Street as the Barnstormers hosted the Camden Riversharks. This was the first time I'd been there since that doubleheader/rain delay on June 3. The BSers recently clinched their first-half division title, they'll be in the Atlantic League playoffs in September. This was the last game of a three-game series, after two losses the Riversharks salvaged a 2-1 win. On Thursday Jenny and I had lunch together in Quarryville, in the evening Marty and I met up for the ballgame as the Long Island Ducks came to town for the weekend. Dick Myers was there as well, he arrived late because of a prior appointment. The BSers won 3-0 in a game that ended in less than two-and-a-half hours. On Friday the oven door was still open as the BSers beat the Ducks 13-1. One of the guys in the street hockey league was there, he told me his team had a suite upstairs for the evening and invited me to join them. As a fan I'm not necessarily the "luxury box" type of guy but I must admit that watching the game in the AC on a 95-degree night wasn't bad at all. On Saturday the prediction was for temperatures to hit triple digits, between the forecast and the fact that it was a fireworks night at the ballpark I decided that lunch with Jenny would be the high point of the day. There were some storms added to the forecast for the evening hours, as they rolled through around 8:30 or so I was just as glad I stayed home. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 2-3

As the calendar moved from Sunday to Monday the midpoint of the year came and went, in a non-leap year July 2 would be the hump day but not in 2012. Monday began as usual with lunch at the mall, in the afternoon I was back at the ballpark in Reading. As expected the roster moves made on Sunday were reversed as the guys loaned to Lehigh Valley were back in town and Kyle Simon was transferred to Clearwater. It was somewhat cooler at game time than it has been lately, a mere 84 degrees at 7:05. For the second consecutive night the R-Phils fell into a deep early hole and could not climb out as New Hampshire won it 6-3. Leandro Castro's three-run home run was the lone offensive highlight as Julio Rodriguez took the loss. Jenny was in town on Tuesday for business, we met and had lunch at the local sub shop. In the evening the homestand ended in ugly fashion as the wheels came off in a 14-2 defeat. The pattern continued as the Fisher Cats scored early and often, the only R-Phils runs scored on infield groundouts by Cesar Hernandez and Miguel Abreu. Jordan Whatcott made another spot start in place of the ailing Jonathan Pettibone and took the loss. The ballclub's mark stands at 46-37 (25-19 at home), they take to the road for six days leading into the All-Star break. Both Monday and Tuesday were fireworks nights, all the better for me to bid adieu. The ballclub in Lancaster is at home through Sunday, I haven't been there in a month. Take care, thanks for reading.

July 1

Headed south on Sunday morning and had lunch with Jenny and her mother. In the afternoon it was on to Baseballtown for game #2 with New Hampshire. This was our first Sunday night date at home, we got started at 6:35. In celebration of Canada Day (a nod to our neighbors to the north) we announced the game time temperature in Celsius, it was 33 degrees (that's 92 Fahrenheit). It was Mascot Mania night, in addition to the Phillie Phanatic (the evening's main attraction) Royals mascot Slapshot was among the many cavorting around in the pregame. This was a whirlwind day for the R-Phils roster as three pitchers (Jordan Whatcott, Ryan Duke and Frank Gailey) were promoted to AAA Lehigh Valley, LV had a day-night doubleheader scheduled and they needed the extra arms. In conjunction with those moves the Phillies organization assigned pitcher Kyle Simon to Reading. Simon had only joined the organization on Saturday via trade, he was ticketed for FSL Clearwater but on this night he was in uniform for the R-Phils. Such is life in the wonderful world of minor league sports. The ballclub fell behind early and lost 7-5 as Leandro Castro and Cesar Hernandez had RBI doubles, Brandon Tripp and Darin Ruf picked up ribbies on sac flys and Cody Asche had an RBI groudout. Mario Hollands pitched six innings and took the loss, Kyle Simon worked the final three in relief. There was no fireworks show after the game on this night but more pyrotechnics are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 30

The final day of the sixth month of 2012. This was an unusual Saturday in that I never left the house until it was time to go to work, since Jenny and her mom are going to the game on Sunday we'll do lunch then instead. It was another hot, uncomfortable day but heavy cloud cover kept the sun from beating down during the afternoon hours. At the ballpark in the evening as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats visited for the start of a four game series, game time temperature was a mere 89 degrees. For the second straight night the R-Phils rallied from three runs down to win 4-3. Sebastian Valle hit a two-run home run, Darin Ruf added a solo shot and infielder Cody Asche (another addition from Clearwater) picked up an RBI on a groundout. Trevor May struggled through five innings but earned the win, Jay Johnson (who has spent considerable time on the disabled list) and Lisaberto Bonilla pitched in relief. Before the game Justin Friend was promoted to the AAA club in Allentown, Bonilla could be in the running to become the club's new closer but time will tell. It was another fireworks night but it goes without saying that as soon as my work was done I was like a home run: gone, outta here, see ya. The series continues with a 6:35 start on Sunday, the popular Phillie Panatic will be in the house. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 28-29

It was much warmer on Thursday, the forecast was calling for ninety-degree days for most of the weekend. Jenny was in town for a morning appointment, I took her home from there and we did our usual lunch date. From there we went into Willow Street where she had an afternoon commitment, the access van took her home afterward. In the evening at the ballpark it was 89 degrees at 7:00 game time (compare that to 78 at noon on Wednesday). On this night the R-Phils lost to Richmond 5-2 as the Squirrels took an early 3-0 lead and were never headed. The only ribbie came on a Leandro Castro sacrifice fly, the other run scored on a Richmond error. Scheduled starting pitcher Jonathan Pettibone was a late scratch due to injury, Jordan Whatcott made the spot start and took the loss. On Friday the blast furnace was still open for business, it was 93 degrees at game time. The R-Phils got back on the winning side with a come-from-behind 4-3 win. Darin Ruf hit a two-run home run, Troy Hanzawa had a base hit and two RBI. Ryan Duke (newly promoted from Clearwater) won it in relief of Austin Hyatt, Colby Shreve worked two ininngs for the save. Both Thursday and Friday were fireworks nights, all the better for me to hit the road before the rush. As I made my way south on 222 on Friday night I saw lightning in the distance, shortly after I arrived home it opened up and poured. The homestand continues through Tuesday as the New Hampshire Fisher Cats visit. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 26-27

Tuesday got off to a rotten start, when I went to my car in the morning I discovered my left rear tire was flat. There is a small garage up the street from me, they found a puncture and patched it so I could drive to a local tire center. All four of my tires were wearing down and with the driving I do it made sense to start fresh so I had them all replaced, with it all it was after 2:00 before I finally got out of there. I went home and took the fastest shower in the history of mankind, from there I headed to Jenny's place. She and Helen were going to the ballgame, Jamie Burkholder joined us so I had a full car. After a 3-5 road trip the R-Phils got the homestand going on a bright note with a 10-2 win over Richmond. Leandro Castro had two doubles and four RBI, Troy Hanzawa hit a double and a triple and knocked in three runs, Brandon Tripp had an RBI hit and winning pitcher Mario Hollands helped himself with a run-scoring hit. Hollands joined the club from Clearwater during the road trip, this night was his first appearance in Baseballtown. The game ended shortly before 10:00, by the time everybody was home it was past 11:30. On Wednesday morning we were at it early, I was on the road by 8:30 for the 12:05 start at the ballpark. This was a special camp kids' game, we had 7600 in attendance and probably 6000 of them were youngsters. On this afternoon the ballclub made it two straight with a 7-4 verdict. Brandon Tripp hit a two-run homer, Leandro Castro had another two-RBI double and Darin Ruf had two ribbies on a sac fly and a bases-loaded walk. Julio Rodriguez pitched six innings for the win, Lisaberto Bonilla and Justin Friend worked in relief. This was our next-to-last afternoon date at home, from here on out they are all at night save for one Sunday in July. I was home by 4:00, the remainder of the day was spent in the quiet of home far from the din of the sports arena. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 22-25

Not much happening on Friday save for the morning run, later in the evening showers moved through the area. Had the usual Saturday morning lunch date with Jenny, in the afternoon Marty and I met up for the drive across the Susquehanna River as the York Revolution hosted the Lancaster Barnstormers in the second game of a weekend series. This was the 101st regular-season meeting between the clubs since the Revs started in '07, the BSers have been around since 2005. In 2011 the Revs won the Atlantic League title, they beat the BSers in the playoff semifinals. On this night in York the Revolution took a 52-49 lead in the all-time series with a 3-2 win, there was a fireworks show afterward but we were gone ASAP and PDQ. Sunday was a quiet day at home, I never left the house because there was no reason to. Monday was more of the same except for lunch at the mall, Jenny was in town on business so we got to see each other briefly over the noon hour. Sometimes it's good to take it easy and let the system regenerate especially when Tuesday marks the start of an eight-day homestand in Reading. It's our own version of "Wild Kingdom" as the Flying Squirrels from Richmond and the Fisher Cats from New Hampshire visit for four days each. Where's Marlin Perkins when you need him? Take care, thanks for reading.

June 19-21

I didn't sleep as well overnight Monday as I thought I might but Tuesday night made up for it. With the ballclub on the road until the 26th I spent three evenings at the rink as the spring league playoffs wrapped up. The West Division had ended on Monday, on Tuesday the East was completed and the Midwest wound down on Thursday. Temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday were in the 90s during the day, with just one game each night we elected to wait until 8:00 to play. By then the sun was behind the trees to the west and no factor in terms of visibility for the goaltenders. When our rink was built in 1979 it was positioned east-west and sometimes the sun angles can be brutal. The ballpark in Lancaster was similarly positioned when it opened in '05, the sun sets there in left field instead of behind first or third base. I always say if you sit on the first base side of that stadium you should bring sunglasses and stay alert. The BSers play in York on the weekend, I may get to one of those games since there is little else on the schedule. Take care, thanks for reading.

June 15-18

Friday evening: Jenny and Helen were along as the R-Phils opened a series with the Akron Aeros. The boys got the weekend started the right way with a 7-2 win. Sebastian Valle had a home run and two RBI, Leandro Castro hit a two-run double, Jiwan James hit a solo homer, Troy Hanzawa contributed an RBI single and Tim Kennelly picked up a ribbie on a sac fly. Trevor May won it with relief from Colby Shreve and Frank Gailey. The game was over shortly after 9:30, the ladies and I were gone ASAP as the other 9700 in the park stayed for fireworks. Saturday was a long (spell that L-O-N-G) day in Baseballtown, we started at 10:00 in the morning with the annual high-school All-Star game. For the first time in this game's history there was no winner, the score stood 7-7 after ten innings when curfew was reached (ten innings or 1:00, whichever came first). The Pioneer Athletic Conference and the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association will have to wait another year to resolve the issue. After some lunch and a brief rest we cranked it up once again as the Aeros and R-Phils hooked up for a doubleheader beginning at 5:30. In the opener Darin Ruf hit a solo shot in the second innings but Akron tied it in the fifth. In the seventh (the last regulation frame of a doubleheader game) Brandon Tripp hit a lead-off home run to give the ballclub a 2-1 walk-off win, Michael Cisco won it in relief of David Buchanan. The nightcap was your typical "wasn't the world just waiting for this" game as the boys lost 5-4 in nine innings. Jiwan James had a double and three RBI, Darin Ruf had a run-scoring groundout. Juan Morillo was the losing pitcher in relief of spot starter Jordan Whatcott. With it all we were done shortly after 11:00, thirteen hours after the high-school game had started. On Sunday the ladies were along again (Saturday would have been way too much for them) as the ballclub made it three-for-four with a 4-2 win. Miguel Abreu and new outfielder D'Arby Myers (up from FSL Clearwater) had RBI hits, Valle had a sacrifice fly, the fourth run scored when Abreu crossed the plate on the front end of a double steal. Julio Rodriguez struck out ten over seven innings for the win, Shreve and Gailey each worked an inning in relief. On Sunday evening the light was out by 10:00, in the morning I was on the road by 6:15 as we wrapped up the series with our annual 9:35 morning game. We've been doing this since 2002 and I maintain that only a sadist could enjoy it. The boys finished off the series with another walk-off victory as they took it 4-3. Darin Ruf had an RBI hit, infielder Jeremy Barnes had a sac fly RBI and another run scored on a error. In the tenth inning Troy Hanzawa doubled and scored the winner on Migual Abreu's hit as Justin Friend picked up the win in relief of Jonathan Pettibone. This game wrapped up the homestand but my day was only half-over, in the evening we had street hockey playoffs at the rink. One division's championship series ended, the other two continue on Tuesday but that's other story for another time. As for me I believe I'll sleep very well overnight. Take care, thanks for reading.