Hey, all. Ordinarily, I hate coming back home after a ball game as I would prefer to keep the game in mind as much as possible. Today, being in my 95-degree office feels good because I drove through a ridiculously bad thunderstorm on my way home from Alliance Bank Stadium. Like a lot of other folks, we've had too little rain and too much heat this summer, and today was particularly hot--94 degrees at game time.
But today was special because Denny McLain was in Syracuse! As a lifelong Tiger fan, I have read a ton about the 1968 team and heard stories from my Dad. I know that McLain has had his...problems, but haven't we all? (Admittedly, far different ones.) I didn't happen to have enough McLain cards, so I checked with the card shop in Carousel Mall and they had a few. It hadn't occurred to me before today to actually ask to look through the shelves of boxes clearly labeled with cards from all kinds of different years.
It's a sad sign of the times, I suppose...the line was much longer last year for Jose Canseco than for the last pitcher to win 30 games in one season. McLain was set up on the concourse and there was a nice breeze coming through. I purchased his book (as a writer, I don't mind getting baseball biographies) and he also had photos and balls for sale. I am not sure of the relation between him the folks who were working his table(s), but they were very nice and have been travelling all over with Denny McLain. The man himself was very friendly and gregarious and I loved that a lot of kids were taking pictures with him. Perhaps best of all, he laid a strike over the plate when he threw the first pitch. Cool.
And can you believe it? There was plenty of time to get back to see if I could get some of the Norfolk Tides. I didn't have a lot of the cards of the folks on the roster at all. Honestly, I was excited for McLain and considered anyone else a bonus. (Although I was hoping to meet Pat Neshek.) I got Xavier Avery before the game; he was relatively polite in informing a confused autograph seeker in the line that you should know the name of the person whose autograph you're soliciting. McLouth, Lew Ford and a couple others signed before the game.
Well, the Tides had a great game. There were a few lightning bolts in the ominous clouds to the south and there was a lot of thunder in the Norfolk bats. They won handily 6-1 behind the great pitching of Steve Johnson, who went 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and one run. He had 7 K and 1 BB. Pat Neshek closed the game out in a non-save situation. The aforementioned Xavier Avery went 4-5 with a home run. Luis Exposito also hit a home run for the Tides. Carlos Rivero tagged Johnson's only real mistake for a solo jack in the fifth. The Chiefs/Nationals have a great offensive talent in Eury Perez. he only went 1-4, but he was threatening bunt and was dangerous on the basepaths. Unfortunately, I'm not sure about Perez as a center fielder, at least from tonight. On Avery's home run, Perez ended up getting his arm and leg stuck in the manual out-of-town scoreboard. In the fifth, Perez nearly made an against-the-wall catch...but he dropped the ball.
After the game was pleasant. It was TOO HOT, but the Tides were a pretty good team autograph-wise. I wish I had had more of the guys! Pat Neshek was as advertised...if I see him again, I want to bring him some of his rarer cards to keep. (And boy, do I love submarine pitchers!)
Here was the haul:
2011 Brian Matusz Topps Gypsy Queen Future Stars FS1 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Orioles 1 IP
2006 Nate McLouth Fleer Tradition 138 Pirates 1 IP
2011 Xavier Avery Bowman Topps 100 TP99 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Orioles 1 IP
1987 Denny Walling Topps 222 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Astros 1 IP
2011 Pat Neshek Topps Update US212 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Padres 1 IP
2009 Pat Neshek Topps 544 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2008 Pat Neshek Topps 618 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2007 Pat Neshek Topps 29 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2010 Pat Neshek Topps 273 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2006 Lew Ford (with Rondell White) Topps 647 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2011 Jake Arrieta Topps 393 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Orioles 1 IP
2010 Jake Arrieta Topps Update US-251 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Orioles 1 IP
2009 Bill Hall Upper Deck Goudey Mini Green Back IP Auto 7/23/2012 Brewers 1 IP
Again, I'm thankful to be back and in one piece. Driving home, there was a beautiful light show ahead of me to the north...then the sky opened and I couldn't see a thing for five minutes as I drove through two or three inches of water. I slowed to 35 in a 65 with my hazard lights on, because the hailrain was so oppressive. (If you feel the need to pass me in such a situation, be my guest. I'm not going to drive so fast that I can't see the road.)
But today was special because Denny McLain was in Syracuse! As a lifelong Tiger fan, I have read a ton about the 1968 team and heard stories from my Dad. I know that McLain has had his...problems, but haven't we all? (Admittedly, far different ones.) I didn't happen to have enough McLain cards, so I checked with the card shop in Carousel Mall and they had a few. It hadn't occurred to me before today to actually ask to look through the shelves of boxes clearly labeled with cards from all kinds of different years.
It's a sad sign of the times, I suppose...the line was much longer last year for Jose Canseco than for the last pitcher to win 30 games in one season. McLain was set up on the concourse and there was a nice breeze coming through. I purchased his book (as a writer, I don't mind getting baseball biographies) and he also had photos and balls for sale. I am not sure of the relation between him the folks who were working his table(s), but they were very nice and have been travelling all over with Denny McLain. The man himself was very friendly and gregarious and I loved that a lot of kids were taking pictures with him. Perhaps best of all, he laid a strike over the plate when he threw the first pitch. Cool.
And can you believe it? There was plenty of time to get back to see if I could get some of the Norfolk Tides. I didn't have a lot of the cards of the folks on the roster at all. Honestly, I was excited for McLain and considered anyone else a bonus. (Although I was hoping to meet Pat Neshek.) I got Xavier Avery before the game; he was relatively polite in informing a confused autograph seeker in the line that you should know the name of the person whose autograph you're soliciting. McLouth, Lew Ford and a couple others signed before the game.
Well, the Tides had a great game. There were a few lightning bolts in the ominous clouds to the south and there was a lot of thunder in the Norfolk bats. They won handily 6-1 behind the great pitching of Steve Johnson, who went 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and one run. He had 7 K and 1 BB. Pat Neshek closed the game out in a non-save situation. The aforementioned Xavier Avery went 4-5 with a home run. Luis Exposito also hit a home run for the Tides. Carlos Rivero tagged Johnson's only real mistake for a solo jack in the fifth. The Chiefs/Nationals have a great offensive talent in Eury Perez. he only went 1-4, but he was threatening bunt and was dangerous on the basepaths. Unfortunately, I'm not sure about Perez as a center fielder, at least from tonight. On Avery's home run, Perez ended up getting his arm and leg stuck in the manual out-of-town scoreboard. In the fifth, Perez nearly made an against-the-wall catch...but he dropped the ball.
After the game was pleasant. It was TOO HOT, but the Tides were a pretty good team autograph-wise. I wish I had had more of the guys! Pat Neshek was as advertised...if I see him again, I want to bring him some of his rarer cards to keep. (And boy, do I love submarine pitchers!)
Here was the haul:
2011 Brian Matusz Topps Gypsy Queen Future Stars FS1 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Orioles 1 IP
2006 Nate McLouth Fleer Tradition 138 Pirates 1 IP
2011 Xavier Avery Bowman Topps 100 TP99 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Orioles 1 IP
1987 Denny Walling Topps 222 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Astros 1 IP
2011 Pat Neshek Topps Update US212 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Padres 1 IP
2009 Pat Neshek Topps 544 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2008 Pat Neshek Topps 618 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2007 Pat Neshek Topps 29 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2010 Pat Neshek Topps 273 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2006 Lew Ford (with Rondell White) Topps 647 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Twins 1 IP
2011 Jake Arrieta Topps 393 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Orioles 1 IP
2010 Jake Arrieta Topps Update US-251 IP Auto 7/23/2012 Orioles 1 IP
2009 Bill Hall Upper Deck Goudey Mini Green Back IP Auto 7/23/2012 Brewers 1 IP
Again, I'm thankful to be back and in one piece. Driving home, there was a beautiful light show ahead of me to the north...then the sky opened and I couldn't see a thing for five minutes as I drove through two or three inches of water. I slowed to 35 in a 65 with my hazard lights on, because the hailrain was so oppressive. (If you feel the need to pass me in such a situation, be my guest. I'm not going to drive so fast that I can't see the road.)
