A Day in The Season- 4/8

I am going to try a new segment from time to time this year called "A Day In The Season," to try to give everyone an idea of a typical day in minor league baseball. A look behind the curtain, if you will. I will try to make most of these a moment -by-moment account of what happens on a gameday. For Opening Day, though, I am just going to give you a quick recap.

I think you have a certain mentality to work in Minor League Baseball. Or maybe you just need to be mental. The bad: the WORST tarp pull ever. No joke, we somehow had half the folks pulling the wrong side, which twisted the tarp into a pretzel. Not fun in any situation, but especially during a wind-blown monsoon. We eventually got it on the field, but not before it almost pulled a few of our front office right off the ground.

The good: the great feeling of Opening Day. It's hard to describe unless you have worked in baseball, but there is just something special about it. It's the culmination of 7 months of planning, preparing, selling, ordering. To see someone walk out of the Team Store with a shirt or hat that I designed, or buy a pack of cards that I spent 2 months putting together, is a great feeling. Seeing the old faces, people I have seen hundreds of times since 2007, is also fun. But the highlight of my night?

Yes, I finally got a foul ball. Now, I have gotten plenty of baseballs here over the last few years, batting practice, parking lot bound, etc. But never one that came directly to me. I was standing in the field of play waiting to pull tarp, when a Salem player hit a shot just 2 feet from me. An intern ducked, I "caught" the ball with my foot, and 36 years of frustration came to a close. I still want my Major League foul, though.

So that's it for today. We've got a doubleheader at 5:30, then the first weekend games. Should be another fun season!

Job Fair Flashback

We held our annual P-Nats Job Fair the last 2 nights, and it reminded me of my first moment with the Potomac franchise- the Cannons Job Fair of 2004. I saw the ad on the Cannons website, and after talking to my girlfriend of a month (some girl named Staci), decided that it would be a fun extra job. And who knows, maybe I'd find a full-time front office job (naive, in hindsight).

I was a nervous wreck as I drove on that early Saturday morning. I didn't have a clue what I would be applying for, didn't know what kind of hours I could work (I was making great money as a Chili's bartender), didn't even know where the stadium was. When I did arrive, it was an exciting feeling- I had long dreamed of working in baseball, and even a part-time job was a good start.

My interview went well, it was alot easier than I imagined. It felt great to walk into the stadium and then the locker room- a strange sense that this place would be important in my life (little did I know!). Soon after, I received a call- they would like to have me cook and pour beer. I was very excited and loved working games. It was easily the most fun you could have at $5.50 an hour. I was only able to work a few months before my job situation changed, and it would be a long 3 years before my return to baseball (in the same place). Amazing that within a few short weeks I began dating my soul mate and started the long and winding road to my baseball career.

Third Season In The Books

Yesterday ended my third full season in Minor League Baseball, 2nd with the Potomac Nationals. There is a definite melancholy associated with the finishing of a physically and mentally draining 5-month period, but also a sense of relief. Things to look forward to: catching up on much-needed sleep, hanging out with friends you haven't seen much since March, spending time with your wife, and knowing you do not have to worry about what the weather is for a long time. Though it has been a trying season at times (being sick twice, various knee and ankle injuries, dealing with the owner's crazy-ass wife), it also has been the most fun and rewarding. The people I got to work with this year have (mostly) been a pleasure, and good friendships were formed or strengthened. It was also alot of fun running the Team Store (except for the afore-mentioned crazy bitch). It solidified my thinking that merchandise is where I will be in the long run. So, here's to you, '09 P-Nats- and looking forward to to '10!

Second Homestand, Same As the First

Just when you thought it couldn't get rougher, this homestand that ended on Sunday was nearly as rough as the first, if not more so. We ended every night putting the tarp on, and most days were multiple pulls. The good news is that we got 5 of the 6 games in, the weekend was good attendance, and the store was busy. I finished most of my inventory report today, and our next 18 days we have only 3 games. So time to catch up on sleep and relaxing.

48 Brutal Hours

As smoothly as the first 3 days of the first '09 homestand went, Tuesday and Wednesday went in the completely opposite direction. The rain started Sunday night, and was so bad, that our Monday game was postponed by early afternoon, which hardly ever happens. Our start time for Tuesday was 5AM. We pulled tarp, and then proceeded to grill 4000 hot dogs for our Middle School Day, which was now a doubleheader. After cooking, I headed to the side merchandise store, where I set a record for amount spent at the stand. Then it started to rain again, so instead of leaving at 1:30, we were there until 6PM.

After a few hours of sleep, we were to be back for an 8AM tarp pull, which led to 2 more pulls and a false alarm. Then the cleaning crew quit, so our entire front office had to clean a stadium that had been overrun with 4000 kids, on top of our normal work.

A brutal 2 days, but it finally ended and we are all enjoying some R&R for a few days. I'm sure the monsoons will be back in time for Tuesday's game.

1st P-Nats Weekend

The 1st 3 games of the '09 season went rather well. Some highlights from my responsibilities:

- The revamped Team Store was a big hit with the owner, and great sales came through on Opening Night and Saturday.

- I got to meet and greet my first 2 groups of the season, and all went well with that as well.

- Money Room started slowly through no fault of our own, but we quickly found a groove.

- Paul and I reinstituted our '07 tradition of Dippin Buns (patent pending), and it was delicious (see above).

- P-Nats won 2 of 3.

We had a rainout tonight, doubleheader tomorrow. 5AM start, pull tarp, 4000 kids. Can't wait.

My 1st Career Day

I spent my entire morning at Weems Elementary School, where I spoke at their Career Day. I only found about this two days ago, and I cannot recall the last time I felt so nervous. I am fine with public speaking, when I have a speech in front of me. Flying mostly by the seat of my pants- not my forte. But it went well, and the 4th graders that I was talking to seemed mostly interested in what I had to say. But when I opened it up for them to ask questions, I got some very interesting ones:

- "Does Uncle Slam sweat alot when he dances?"
- "Do you get to eat alot of hot dogs at work?"
- "Who brings water to the players when they're thirsty?"
- "Do you play on the team?" (my favorite)

And when I handed out reading bookmarks, where if they read 4 books they get 2 free tickets:
- "Do comic books count?"
- "If I read 10 books, can I get 5 tickets?"
- "Can I read the same book 4 times?"

But, there were some good questions and while the overall knowledge of baseball was lacking, there were a couple of kids who really knew alot and reminded me of a ten year old Billy that would have loved meeting someone in baseball.

Mascot Madness...Just For Staci!

Screecha and Uncle Slam go head-to-head..and my hatred for the "new" Screech grows by the minute...

Back To My Two Loves

The 2 loves I speak of? Why, working in baseball and blogging. This week starts a new old era for me, as I started yesterday with the Potomac Nationals, my '07 team that got me started in baseball. And the most exciting part is being full-time (read: paid an actual salary) for the first time. And it is great to be back among old friends again as well.

And with pitchers and catchers just 2 days away, this is the perfect time to get back to my much-neglected blog. I hope all my faithful readers, all 3 of you, will enjoy what I have to say in the coming weeks and months.

The Sports Weekend That Was

The best thing about pessimism is that when things you thought would go wrong don't, you can experience a small amount of surprised happiness. My sports weekend was filled with that kind of happiness. If you read my previous post, you can see the things I thought would go wrong. For one, euphoria wins out. Here's the review:

Dodgers-D'Backs fight for the NL West

My prediction: Dodgers will get swept and our season will be over.

What happened: Dodgers swept the 3 games and took a 1 1/2 game lead in the NL West.

Blue Rocks-P-Nats Carolina League Playoffs

My prediction: Rocks win Friday night, forcing a game 4 during a hurricane Saturday. After a record 12 tarp pulls, we finish the game at 2AM Sunday morning, a 16-inning thriller that we lose 12-11.

What happened: A gut-wrenching 1-0 P-Nats win on Friday night as the rain beared down on us, dodging multiple bullets.

BK's Sunday Steppers Fantasy Baseball Team

My prediction: my entire team stops hitting, my pitching takes a nap, and I lose 13-12 on a walk in the final game of the weekend.

What happened: After a close weekend battle, my team pulls away on Sunday and I beat Lazardus 18-4, to move on to the 2nd round of playoffs.

Worries about PSU and the Cowboys were also unfounded, as they both crushed their opponents. And to throw a cherry on top of it all, Golden Boy Tom Brady of the Cheat-riots was hurt in the 1st quarter and appears to be done for the year. A good sports weeekend all around.

Playoff (And Stress) Overload

This weekend brings together three major playoff scenarios, all of which could leave me euphoric or miserable come Monday morning. First, the Dodgers play the Diamondbacks in a pivotal 3-game series. The Dodgers are 1 1/2 games back in the NL West and need to win 2 of 3 to make a serious shot at the division. My prediction: they will get swept and our season will be over.

The Blue Rocks play the P-Nats here tonight in game 3 of the 1st round of Carolina League playoffs. The Rocks have lost the 1st 2 games in extra innings. My prediction: they win tonight, forcing a game 4 during a hurricane tomorrow. After a record 12 tarp pulls, we finish the game at 2AM Sunday morning, a 16-inning thriller that we lose 12-11.

And my Yahoo fantasy baseball league playoffs continue- my Sunday Steppers take an 11-11 tie into the weekend. My prediction: my entire team stops hitting, my pitching takes a nap, and I lose 13-12 on a walk in the final game of the weekend.

And I haven't even mentioned the Cowboys' first game and Penn State's 1st real game, both happening this weekend as well. I could be a complete mess as Sunday turns into Monday. Stay tuned for updates on all.

Playoff Bound

It became official last night- despite losing to the P-Nats, because of a Frederick loss, the Blue Rocks are in the playoffs. It was a rare double celebration, as Potomac clinched the 2nd half division title, and Wilmington got the wild-card berth. I am happy to see my team make it, but not thrilled about a few more long nights working. Hopefully it leads to a ring.

So today, in honor of this accomplishment, I leave you with the Jim Mora "Playoff???" rant. The whole thing is funny, but around 40 seconds is the famous part.

Congrats to the P-Nats

My former club clinched the first-half in the Carolina League last night- it was nice to see that, if it couldn't be the Blue Rocks, since most of the staff from last year is still there. Hopefully Wilmington could put it together in the 2nd half and make for a great matchup come September 2nd!

Bittersweet Symphony

Last night was the first game here between my former and current teams- and it was strange. Unfortunately, none of the P-Nats front office were able to make it up, but I did run into pitching coach Randy Tomlin and pitcher Jack Spradlin, both of whom remembered me and exchanged pleasantries. It was the most of a game I had seen all year here, and I found myself not knowing who to root for- the P-Nats, who are well on their way to the first half title, or the Rocks, who are foundering in third and hoping for a regrouping in the 2nd half. I decided to stay neutral, and the P-Nats won 5-2 behind future pitching star Ross Detwiler. I'm sure it won't be as strange in the future, but if I work for a third Carolina League team next year, that's when it gets complicated.

P-Nats' Kenney Announces Free Agency

The Potomac Nationals' Bill Kenney announced today that he will be testing the free agent market, effective immediately. "It's a sad day for me," Kenney said in a press release. "But I have decided that I have to find a team that is closer to my family, although it pains me to leave my P-Nats family." Some stats from Kenney's only year with the Potomac franchise:

69 games
47 tarp pulls
105 hours sleep lost
21,345 hot dogs sold
1 mascot appearance
countless memories

Stay tuned to this blog for Kenney's next destination...

Final Pfitzner Game- 8/31/07

The beginning of a hectic but wonderful weekend, which would culminate in our wedding, began at Pfitzner Stadium on Friday night. 10 of our "group" that came down early got to see my fianl game here in Woodbridge. I even played a mascot for the first time in my life, as we dug out all the old suits from past incarnation of the Potomac team. I got to be "Prince Willie," a frightening looking thing, to be sure. I'm second from the left.


The highlight of the evening was the Famous Chicken. I am not a big mascot fan, as most people know, but the Chicken is definitely an exception. The skits he put on between innings were priceless. And we got a great photo of most of the front office and coaching staff afterwards. And the P-Nats won their 11th game in a row, a new Nationals franchise record. The only sad thing was being elimated from playoff contention this same evening. 69 games in the books for my first season in baseball, and what a season it was.

And On The 11th Day...

...he rested? Wow, two of the most emotional and brain-draining events in my recent history took place in the last 4 days, as mentioned in earlier posts. Within the next few days, I will be posting both wedding and final P-Nats game pictues and stories. But for today, just a quick word and thank you to all those who made Sunday's wedding such a memorable day. From beginning to end, Staci's and my wedding day was tremendous. We were surrounded by the best people in the world, from our wedding party to our family and friends, everything about the day was a blessing and success. And that's all we could have ever hoped for.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to sleepwalk through the next 7 hours of work, take a nap, and take my WIFE out for a nice dinner. Please stay tuned to this blog for the pictures and stories that are to follow...

Great Pitching Rules Weekend At The Pfitz

A pitching trifecta of the past, present and future aligned here at the Pfitz this weekend. First up was Friday night's Carolina League debut of Ross Detwiler. This has been eagerly anticipated since he was chosen 6th overall in the draft just 2 months ago. He is incredibly talented and looks like he could be the real deal.

Saturday was a complete surprise, as Justin Jones carried a perfect game into the 9th inning for the P-Nats(see scoreboard above). Buzz started to build as the game went into the 5th inning and still nothing on the board for the Warthogs. With one out in the ninth, he gave up a single and the chance for a perfecto was gone. Great effort by a guy who has shown flashes of brilliance.


I was excited as Sunday approached, as former All-Star Detroit Tiger and Washington Senator Denny McClain was here to sign autographs and promote his new book. McClain was the last pitcher to win 30 games in a season, which will most likely never happen again. I was able to speak with him for a few minutes, and for all his past post-baseball troubles(tax evasion, federal prison time, etc), he was a very friendly and charismatic person.

It's rare to see former greatness and potential all in the same place, especially in Woodbridge, VA. It definitely makes an extremely long day/week seems a little less so.

Let's Jump In The Way-Back Machine..

Please excuse me while I wallow in a moment of self-pity...

The day was July 20, 1993. SWV had the number-one song in the country with "Weak." A mediocre Dodgers team lost to the Phillies, 8-2, but had an emerging superstar named Mike Piazza went 1-for-4 on his way to one of the best rookie campaigns in MLB history.






And I was working on my 20th birthday at the Dunmore Pizza Hut. It was miserable, and I swore I would never work on my birthday again.

I've stayed true to my promise for 14 years, until now. I have no choice but to work, as the P-Nats start a homestand tonight and I have to be here. But at least I get to be at a ballpark, right? That's what I had convinced myself of until the very first thing we did this morning was..that's right, pulled the tarp. Here's an example of what that is like:



Oh, well, no worries. Tonight will still be fun, and maybe next year there won't be a home game, and I can be drunk by noon on the beach like I normally am.

John Patterson & Buffett Night at the Pfitz

I realized I hadn't written about my P-Nats in a while, and we have had an exciting first couple days of the homestand here at Pfitzner Stadium, so no time like the present!



John Patterson made a rehab start here on Thursday. He didn't look too sharp, but he will have another chance on Tuesday. Having the big-league guys here working on recovering from injuries has been one of the best parts of the job.



Last night was very festive at the Pfitz for Jimmy Buffett night. We broke out the Hawaiian shirts and parrot hats and enjoyed a beautiful Friday night. Island Gerry, a one-man Jimmy Buffett songster, was here doing live music. And I was roped into a cheeseburger-eating contest for a between-innings promotion. And, of course, I won(only by a bite or two). Can't wait to see what tonight brings!