Cranky Old Man Takes a Day Off

Game 70: Bulls 3, Red Sox 5
Season: 38-32
Wrap, Box, Indy Week Story

You know, it was a really nice day for baseball. It was warm, but a pleasant breeze came out of the northwest and through the stands. Coming into the game I had a wonderful chat with the man at the gate about Negro League baseball. Turns out he’d played down in Sanford, North Carolina in the early 50’s. Sometimes on a Saturday night he’d made $5.00 to play a game. Enough money to fill a car with gas, if he’d had a car.

Charlie Montoyo did not heed my advice to move Jon Weber to the front of the lineup. In fact, he didn’t even start Weber. So much for my baseball wisdom. James Houser was starting, a pitcher about whom I’ve had my doubts in the past. But that was OK. I bought a beer and a bag of peanuts and settled in with my scorecard. I saw Weber down near the dugout signing autographs. I shouted, “Hey Jon, how about another bat!” He gave me a thumbs up. I set myself a personal goal of obtaining a signed Jon Weber bat by the end of the season.

The game began. Nine pitches. Eight balls. Two men on base. By the end of the game, we’d walked nine batters and hit two. Eleven freebies! (OK, that’s enough of that. Remember, leave the cranky old man persona behind.) The sun was shining. In fact, as Adam Sobsey pointed out, it was up there more than any other day of the year, a cool breeze blowing, the beer tasted wonderful. We chatted with our friends in the stands about anything but baseball.

Out in left field another player about whom I’ve been skeptical, Rashad Eldridge had a heck of a day. In the first three innings he made five catches.

Good day. Drive home. Don’t think about the game. Don’t think about the game. Don’t think about the game. Don’t think about the game.

Tonight Scott Kazmir comes to town. Way more media types than usual likely to show up in the press box and ruminate over every pitch of the 85 he’s going to be allowed to throw. Scott Bucholz, past and potential future star of the Red Sox throwing as well. Rehabbing right-handed Rays reliever Chad Bradford may come out of the pen. Rehabbing Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie likely to play. So a sort of, “Lets get together somewhere outside of Boston or Tampa Bay,” kind of game. Seats behind home plate may be full of guys with radar guns and scorecards. Marketing effort in full cry.

Just wish that someone, outside of a couple of us in the stands, and probably a couple of guys down there in Bulls uniforms, were interested in the Bulls breaking this awful streak of bad pitching, bad base running, and poor hitting. (Darn, there goes that cranky old man again.) But that comes with being a fan of minor league baseball.

Odds and Ends

• Doug Milhoan over at RaysProspects updates Pythagorean numbers.
• [Cranky old man alert!] Winston Abreu left the Bulls on June 13th. He’s appeared on one game for the Rays, on June 16th.
• If we complain about the Rays, the Biscuits are probably complaining about the Bulls. They’ve finished the the first half of the season near the bottom of their division. But right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is back from the disabled list (we saw him last year).
• The Bulls are in third place in the South Division of the International League, a half game behind Gwinnett. Had to wait to the end to slip that in. I tried, I really tried, not to be a cranky old man today.