Photo courtesy News and ObserverGame 32: Durham Bulls 2, Toledo Mud Hens 6
Season: 19-13
This Home Stand: 2-3
Streak: L3
Wrap, Box
“The memories will be so thick they’ll have to brush them away from their faces.”Ooops! Wrong Kevin Costner movie. But the sentiment remains.
Let’s talk about the game before getting to the nostalgia.
Just like he did up in Rochester on May 4th, Heath Phillips gave up five runs in the first inning then pitched pretty well. My seatmate provided this thought. On Heath’s day in the rotation why not take our best one inning pitcher and have him start the game (Winston Abreu comes to mind), then bring in Heath in the 2nd inning? Make sense? Does to me.
Unlike May 4th, Bulls bats stayed pretty quiet.
For the first time this year, the Bulls have a left-handed reliever on the roster, R.J. Swindle. He got in two innings last night and I’ve got to admit that he is going to be fun to watch. All sorts of odd-looking pitches looping in there.
That’s about it for the game. How about some nostalgia?
First my own take on the DAP. I’m one of those newcomers to the area. I only saw one game in the DAP, so not much nostalgia for me, just a look at what’s there today. The field is in really, really good condition. I liked being close to the game. I liked not being inside a jukebox with a sound system blowing my ears out. I could listen to real people cheer and boo. Fans were into the game, at least at first. The biplane flyover was cool. I liked the visuals, the sense of a park built to fit its surroundings. I didn’t like the feeling of being inside a cage. That pretty much spoiled it for me. To get a sense of the park I had to walk out behind the netting.
For much, much better looks at the history angle, take a look at these links.
The News and Observer brought in a former Durham Morning Herald reporter to cover the game. And posted some terrific photos on their website. Indy Week’s Adam Sobsey recounts some long-standing associations with the DAP. And Danny Wild covered the game for MiLB.com and they posted a bunch of photos.
By the way, I won’t have a starting pitcher chart today. Adam Sobsey is reporting that Jeff Bennett will start, Aneury Rodriguez has been moved to the bullpen, and Richard De Los Santos will stay in the rotation. We don’t have enough info on Bennett to do a chart.
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I really liked not being inside a jukebox with a sound system blowing my ears out.
ReplyDeleteI agree I wish they would turn that crap off
Call me old and crotchety, but the DAP was fine once, and I hope we never do it again. Game aside, I like a certain amount of comfort that the DBAP provides, not to mention professionalism. At least I know I won't have to wait too long on a concession line while someone just randomly walks off from it (I'm looking at you Chic'Fil'A folks) like last night.
ReplyDeleteBut maybe I'm just spoiled at actually having real seats instead of benches that drunk people decide it's fun to stand on while cradling beers and taking pictures.
Or maybe it's the fact that people left half drunk cans of that stupid Mountain Dew soda on my car in one of the pay lots setup across the street.
Either which way. I'm over the DAP.
I had fun last night (would have been more fun if the Bulls would have won), but I agree that once is enough. I think a lot of the appeal of the game would be lost doing a game there on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteIf nothing else, though, it was interesting to see the teams have to walk through the crowds before and after the game. I felt like I could have just stayed in line and boarded the Toledo bus on my way out I was surrounded by so many of their players.
Update was to overcome my apparent love affair with the word "really". Where's an editor when you need one?
ReplyDeleteAmusing sidelight to the Mud Hens late arrival. The bus that drove the Bulls to the park was supposed to go back an get the Mud Hens. Apparently the bus driver didn't know that and had to be found to do the rest of the job.