All Things Bubba

Knology Park, spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays

Happy Canada Day!

I never did do a post about the last spring training game I attended. It was a night game, and I had to drive an hour to the hotel after it ended, then hit the road for home early the next day. It was at the Toronto Blue Jays' spring training facility, so in honor of Canada Day, here it is...

MARCH 26, 2008: This was my last day in Florida, and I decided to see two games: the Yankees at the Phillies in the afternoon, and the Reds at the Jays at night.

The Yankees game was not a lot of fun. It was very crowded, of course, and brutally hot. And the Yanks were blanked. Nevertheless, I was game for Game 2.

Knology Park is a mere swallow's flight away from Bright House Field. It's an easy five or ten-minute drive. I got there really early, since the Yankees game went quickly (funny how that happens when you don't hit). I drove around the neighborhood a little, just to see what it was like. Nice enough, but it was mostly homes and offices; there was really nothing to do. So I parked in the Lowe's parking lot across the street (they charged $10) and bought a ticket. (Unlike the other games I attended, there were plenty of good seats still available. There weren't many scalpers, and the ones there were weren't doing well.)

The Reds were warming up on the field when I got there. I wandered around stadium for awhile, then "borrowed" a box seat along on the third base line. It was the least crowded part of the park, and the view was not marred by netting. (I don't like watching through netting. It doesn't bother the camera, as long as you focus beyond the netting, but it bugs me.)

The infielders were taking turns fielding balls in front of me, including Andy Phillips:


I was pretty close to the players.


Andy kinda looked at me funny a couple of times. I was the only one in the entire section that early. Not sure if he was wondering if I was journalist, or if he thought I was a stalker or something. I could have told him, "Don't worry, I only stalk Bubba," but somehow, I don't think that would have been very reassuring.

My actual seat was in the upper bleachers on the first base side. The guy at the ticket booth tried to sell me tickets behind home plate, but I asked for a seat further out. Like I said, I don't like being behind the netting if I can avoid it. (As it turns out, one of the Jays threw a ball into the stands that almost landed on my head. I put my hand up to catch it - or at least deflect it. But the guy next to me, who was well over 6' feet tall, jumped up and caught it. He brought a glove. No, I wasn't upset he took the ball. I was glad it didn't hit my camera. And he got the ball for his kid.)

Andy Phillips and Scott Hatteberg were running intervals in the outfield when I took my seat.


This game was very different from the other ones I attended in Florida. It was more like a minor league game. People participated a lot more in the claps, cheers, etc. (and there were a lot more of them). They sang along to the national anthems to the point that the singer was pretty much drowned out. (At Ed Smith a couple days earlier, no one even knew the words to "O Canada.")

Also curious was that even though there were plenty of empty seats, no one moved from their assigned seat. My row was full, but the two rows in front of me were empty. Yet no one moved up, even when it was clear that whoever had those seats wasn't coming.

And nobody left early. Perhaps it was because there was a fireworks show after the game. Or because it was a beautiful night. I left my jacket in the car, because it was so wicked hot during the Yankees game. I later heard it was supposed to drop to 60F that night, and feared I'd be freezing in my shirt sleeves. But it was a gorgeous night for baseball. The best baseball weather of my entire trip.

The visitors' dugout was on the third base line, so I had a good view of it.


Starting for the Reds was Aaron Harang:


Going for the Jays was Jesse Litsch. The kid had a no-hitter going into the 7th.


(No, I didn't say, "Hey, wow, Litsch has a no-hitter!" - though I was tempted. ;-)

Litsch is a Florida boy, and a lot of the people in the stands, including those next to me, were friends of his family.

They were also talking about former Yankee phenom Tyler Clippard, now with the Nats. He's another Florida boy...and said to be quite the party animal. They were talking about his DWI. Apparently, he drove someone home from a party because the person who was supposed to drive them was too drunk. It was only one block...but he got busted.

I wonder if he's really a party animal, or if they just remember him like that because that's how he was in high school?

Andy Phillips started at third base:





David Eckstein was his pesky self, going 3 for 4 with a double.


Greg Zaun had struggled in spring training, but he was 1 for 3 with a double in this game.


Andy in pursuit of a foul ball. (It ended up going into the stands.)


Andy did make a great diving stop in the 5th. His throw was not in time, but it was pretty impressive that he made it at all, considering that he was flat on his face.


Also during the 5th inning, there was a loud double boom. The people around me said it was the space shuttle, on a rare night landing. They don't usually like to do landings at night, but weather delayed the planned daylight landing. The sound was the sonic boom as the shuttle entered the atmosphere. (Actually two booms, one for the nose and one for the tail. For most aircraft, they are so close together it sounds like one boom, but the shuttle is so large you actually hear the double boom.)

The no-hitter was finally broken up in the 7th inning. By Jeff Keppinger, who hit a seeing-eye single to center. (I think he's going to be David Eckstein when he grows up.)


The Jays fans were irate, yelling things like, "What a cheap little hit!" But Litsch had run out of gas. Scott Hatteberg singled, Joey Votto walked, Jolbert Cabrera grounded into a forceout but scored Keppinger, and Andy Phillips hit a sac fly to deep center. Litsch eventually got out of the inning, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk.

But in the bottom of the inning, Harang immediately gave back one run on a Frank Thomas homer. Bill Bray came in in relief.


Bray got the hook after giving up three hits, three runs, and a walk in only a third of an inning.

Last licks for the Reds came against RHP Brandon League. Votto went down swinging, then Jolbert Cabrera doubled to right.

Andy Phillips singled to center, scoring Cabrera.


Andy took 2B on a passed ball.


But Hairston went down swinging, and Rosales grounded out to end the inning and the game.

Andy didn't like the call, and let the umpire know it.


Final score: Toronto 6, Reds 3.

Labels: game photos, spring break

Bright House Field, spring training home of the Phillies
I had originally planned to return home on Wednesday, but then I realized that the Yankees played the Phillies Wednesday afternoon, while the Reds played the Jays Wednesday night. The Phillies and Jays stadiums are very close together (though an hour away from Sarasota), so I could go to both games. A "crosstown doubleheader" was irresistible, so I waited until I was sure it wouldn't be rained out, then made arrangements to stay another day.

I froze my butt off at games the previous two days, but Wednesday was brutally hot. It would have been a good day to sit in the Club Seats, but with the Yankees playing, I pretty much had to take what I could get. I ended up in a box seat, just on the first base side of home plate. I'd rather have been a little further up and a little further out. And it would have been nice to be in the shade. Still, it was a good seat. I paid $40 for it. The list price was $25. I heard from the people sitting next to me that they sold the ticket to the scalper for $20. They didn't know he was a scalper and were pretty angry at how much he charged me. (He actually asked me for $60, and I talked him down.)

On other side of me were some college-age guys who puzzled me at first, because they had thick southern drawls that didn't sound like the Philadelphia or NY accents of most of the people there. Turns out they were a community college baseball team that had played a couple of exhibition games against the Phillies. They won, and their coach had given them the day off as a reward. Which they spent at the ballpark.

Jeter was out of the lineup, causing much wailing and gnashing of teeth among female fans of all ages. A lady who came down from Queens and looked old enough to be a grandmother was heartbroken; she said her dream was to get Jeter's autograph.

Going for the Yankees was Chien-Ming Wang.



I hadn't been keeping track of the Yankees' rotation, so this was a pleasant surprise. Wang is probably my favorite Yankee, now that Bubba's no longer in the Bronx.


Unfortunately, he really struggled, giving up six hits, four runs, and two walks in five innings. Not sure what the problem was, but the sinker didn't seem to be sinking like it usually does. Or maybe he just didn't throw it. He said later that he was trying to work on his secondary pitches. (He didn't get a lot of help from the defense, either.)



They were playing without a DH, so Wang had to bat. He almost got on base via a bunt.


Starting for the Phillies was everyone's favorite wife-beater, Brett Myers.


He's been moved from the pen to the rotation, and pitched like an ace in this game. Ugh. He's one guy I have a hard time rooting for, no matter what laundry he's wearing.

Ross Ohlendorf came in to relieve Wang and did pretty well, pitching one inning and striking out two, giving up only one hit, and no runs or walks.



Posada and Ohlendorf confer on the mound:


Jason Lane, wearing Bubba's #19, was 0 for 2 with a walk in left field.


I got a lot of photos of Posada, since I was sitting near home plate. He was 1 for 2 at the plate.







Slugger Ryan Howard was 1 for 4.


Joba Chamberlain came in after Ohlendorf. He kind of struggled, too, getting the hook after only two outs.



Giambi played 1B. He was 0 for 3, but not too bad with the glove.



Morgan Ensberg was subbed in at 1B and was 0 for 1.


Brian Bruney pitched 2/3 of an inning, striking out one and giving up two hits.



Nick Green, wearing Andy Phillips' #12, pinch-hit for Bruney in the 9th inning. He came to the plate with the bases loaded, no outs.

I like the guy, but he may be the worst major league hitter I've ever seen. He just looks so awkward at the plate.



It was a pretty disappointing performance. He was in the catbird seat. Bases loaded, no outs. Wait for your pitch. Instead, he went down on three pitches. Three really bad pitches, that were waaaay outside the strike zone. Green swung and missed at all three. I couldn't believe it.


Green signed a minor league deal with the Yankees, but had a clause that allowed him to opt out if the Yankees didn't name him to the big league roster by the end of March. Apparently, he didn't exercise the option; he didn't make the team, but has reported to Scranton. I suppose he could always exercise it later.

Robinson Cano had a fine day at the plate, going 2 for 4.




Bobby Abreu was 0 for 2...with 2 walks.


Wilson Betemit started at SS and went 0 for 3.


Jose Molina took over for Posada in the late innings, and was 0 for 1.


A-Rod had a pretty bad day. He was 0 for 3, with a GIDP and an error.



The Phillies fans sitting around me spent a lot of time trying to take photos of A-Rod against the hot dog ad on the left field fence. "Which one's the bigger hot dog, har-har."


Johnny Damon was a late scratch; he had the flu. I guess they were just giving Melky the day off.

This ended up being the only Yankees game I saw on my Florida trip. You really have to buy early to get tickets for Yankees games, and I thought I was going to be watching the Mariners in Arizona. (Sigh.) Yes, I could have gotten tickets from scalpers, but it would have been wicked expensive. (My timing was also pretty poor. The week I was in Florida, the Yankees had a lot of home games. It's harder to get tickets at Legends Field. And the Reds had a lot of away games, meaning I spent a lot more time driving than I'd hoped.)

The final score: Phillies 4, Yankees 0. It wasn't a great game, with no Jeter and the Yankees blanked. The fans around me complained that the lineup is suspect this year, and the pitching is worse. I had a good time, though. Bright House Field is a very nice ballpark to watch a game in. Yes, the Yanks lost. But I'm glad I got to see them. And take photos.

I do wish I'd gotten a chance to take a picture of Jeter, though. My coworkers were teasing me the whole week before I left, asking me if I was going to marry Jeter while I was down there. I told them that if I didn't come back, they'd know what happened. ;-) Would have been nice to at least get a photo.

As soon as this game ended, I headed over the Knology Park to watch the Reds play the Jays. That was probably my favorite game of the trip. More on it later.

Labels: game photos, spring break