While walking around Arts Fest late Thursday afternoon I decided to attend a baseball game. The Spikes were playing the Batavia MuckDogs (St. Louis Cardinals affiliate). I biked to Medlar Field at Lubrano Park and bought a ticket.
Before the game I read the fine print on the back of the ticket. Some of the disclaimers and policies seem quite vague. For instance, the policy on transmission of descriptions or images of the game is disturbingly broad (see photo).
What happens in this ballpark stays in this ballpark.
Transmission can be defined as communication, or simply passing information along to someone else. If you follow this policy literally you cannot talk about the game or show any pictures you might have taken. Obviously this is not the intention, but that’s how it reads. I guess this blog post is illegal.
I enjoy watching the pregame activities at a ballpark. The grounds crew preparing the field, the managers exchanging line-ups, the players stretching, media personnel doing reports, fans finding their seats, everyone anticipating the start of the game.
Pregame preparation at the ballpark.
The starter for the Spikes was a righthander named Victor Black. He pitched very well. His fastball hit 96 on the gun, and it looked like a legitimate 96 MPH.
Victor Black warms up before an inning begins.
In the bottom of the first inning the Spikes plated two runs. The Batavia pitcher struggled with his command and needed a visit from the pitching coach. After the inning the pitcher, catcher, and coach talked for several minutes. My seat (one row off the field, beside the dugout) provided a direct look into the Batavia dugout, so I was able to observe this.
Talking pitching in the dugout.
Whatever they discussed worked, because the Spikes would not score any more runs in the remainder of the game. During the game I saw several tirades in the dugout after players had poor at bats. One Gatorade cooler was assaulted, and one trashcan was soundly kicked.
In the middle of the game there was a foul ball that came to rest on the field right in front of me. The thirdbase coach picked it up and flipped it directly toward me. I could have reached up and caught it with my left hand, but I would have had to fully extend to do this. And I knew he was tossing it toward some younger fans seated right behind me. So I stayed sitting and let a girl in a row behind me catch it. That took some willpower.
Baseball is a wonderful game. The king of all games, in fact. While some people find it slow and boring, to the true fan the game is full of action. Battles of strategy and skill are constantly being fought. If you fail to see any of this I’d be happy to teach you how to fully appreciate a baseball game, just ask me about it.
Most people fail to realize how much is going on here.
One on the beautiful things about minor league baseball is that even the uncultured baseball fan can find entertainment. In between innings there are various promotions and competitions. Take human hamsterball bowling for instance. Two people are placed in giant hamsterballs and told to race toward large pins. The winner gets a prize.
Human hamsterball bowling.
At the end of the night the Spikes picked up a 2-1 victory. It was the first Spikes game I attended in which they played well.
One closing note. Thirdbaseman Andy Vasquez (on the right is a thumbnail of a poster of Andy I designed last summer) had the song Ice, Ice, Baby played before his at bats. That’s awesome.
