Month: March 2008

Good Friday saw us trek to Scottsdale to see the White Sox play the Giants. We tailgated on the library rooftop, grilling out, and drinking frothy drinks from plastic cups, not to mention downing guacamole & pink peeps (cuisine at its best). Found out our rooftop neighbors were jamming to Sublime. I told them thanks for the heads up on their tunes, I slinked away, when they replied, anytime sir, OUCH!

The Sox tied the game by playing small ball when Josh Fields advanced the runner to 3rd by grounding to first, and then Alexi Ramirez knocked the guy in from 3rd with a sac fly. But it wasn’t to be, as SF got a hit off Chicago’s firstbaseman Paul Phillips’ nose. Things continued to unravel as the next Giant batter hit one between Josh Fields and the thirdbase bag for a double. This game felt like last year, hopefully not this year.

Our last game together for fun in the sun would be a crosstown rivalry contest between the northside and southside of Chicago at Hohokam in Mesa.

Before heading in to see the game we picnicked on the grass outside the ball yard, I refuse to call it a stadium. Drank three beers, two waters, a couple of pops, and didn’t have to use the john once.

The Sox jumped out to a 4-0 lead, some fans were highfiving each other on the Palehose victory, till 5 inning Javy (Javier Vazquez) surrendered four runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie it up at four apiece. Juan Uribe turned a an error into two bases through lack of hustle, maybe he didn’t get the memo about being placed on waivers, but then hit a big late inning homer.

Both teams were losing balls in the sun and the game reminded me of a little league game where you don’t want the ball hit to your kid. DonS’ little brother asked a Harley Guy if anybody told him he looked like Yanni? Which was answered with a question, “And Lived?”

When I was leaving the game a vendor commented on how he knew a Chicago team would win this one, I pointed out they didn’t as it ended in an 8-8 tie, he replied sadly – yeah right. Sad to see the Sox play the Cubs and neither team could win this meaningless game.

Our last night together we went to the Library Lounge in downtown Mesa, where I met an old friend whom I’d never known before. He said he hadn’t seen me in awhile, that he’d just moved back, but not where he used to live. I asked if he still frequented our old place where we met three years earlier and told him to tell our friends that I said hi. Someone asked if I recovered the twenty I’d lent him, I thought that might be pushing it from a perfect stranger.

March 20th saw another day/night doubleheader with four out of five of us going to see the first Dodger Cactus League game ever, against the White Sox, while one of us, DonS, ventured back to Tempe Diablo to watch the Angels.

Erick Aybar homered for LA, Guerrero only doubled, and DonS was rolling out the barrels (as a text message would indicate). Three wins in three days by the Halos, would mean a happy Jack in the Box eating man from Davenport, IA.

I was in my same best spot to watch a game from in the entire world as the day before, but there was a different feel as Dodger Blue replaced Oakland Green. My team with Mark Buehrle toeing the rubber was matched up versus Dodger Ace Brad Penny. Rafael Furcal launched a long homer over the leftfield fence off Mark, always thought Furcal buffed up in the Marcus Giles sort o way, not bitter, just saying what I’m seeing.

The Sox revamped bullpen was pounded into submission for seven runs to blow the game wide open, Octavio Dotel surrendered five runs in 1/3 of an inning, wonder if Kenny saw him pitch before signing him? Matt Kemp caught one off the end of the bat, with his weight on the wrong foot, and still knocked it over the centerfield wall, looks like a young Jermaine Dye or Ellis Burks for the Dodgers. And Jerry Owens made a great running catch at the wall to show why he needs to be in centerfield for the Southsiders.

Chase Headley came off the SD bench with a two run shot off Mariner reliever Eric O’Flaherty to add one inning of free baseball to the day. Mike Morse showed why he might not make the M’s depite batting .525 on the spring, he badly misplayed two balls in right, before being mercifully shifted to firstbase. Ichiro might have locked up a roster spot, with three hits, raising his average to .174. Seattle lefty Jake Woods looked sharp in two innings of work.

Paid way too much for a last minute trip to watch some preseason baseball out west with DonS. But as luck would have it, I got bumped to a flight 1 1/2 hours later, so in effect received a free SWA flight to Phoenix. Also met a guy who was going to see the Halos play the Brew Crew at O’Hare and hitched a ride to the ballpark with him. Life is good!

The Lady Shriners were once again working my favorite beer stand at Tempe Diablo. So I tipped them heavily and enjoyed the nector of the gods in the sunshine that is Arizona. Note: Shriners performed many surgeries on me as a child, so anytime I can pay them back, I do.

Vladimir Guerrero & Torii Hunter went yard to center off Jeff Suppan, while Casey Kotchman took Derrick Turnbow over the rightfield fence as LA pasted Milwaukee 11-4.

After the game we caught up with my cousin at Don & Charlie’s in Scottsdale. The food is great, they have over 1,500 signed baseballs there, including one signed by Babe Ruth, and even Ronnie Woo Woo was in the house. A good time was had by all.

Day #2 featured a day/night doubleheader. The first game featured the Angels, once again, this time beating up on the A’s in Phoenix 6-1. Bad Vlad drove in four with another bomb that left the yard. DonS is an Angels fan, can you tell who purchased the tickets?

I found the perfect place to watch a ballgame from, under an umbrella, in back of the concourse (where all the California girls walked by), and leaning on a rail where I could order up brews without moving a muscle. Had Angelo’s frozen gelato before the game, nothing more refreshing on a hot day. There was a blonde cutie promoting the Zoo Brew, a benefit for the Phoenix Zoo, so I had to ask about a band that would be performing there, A Flock of Seagulls. She grabbed her hairbrush like a microphone and began singing the lyrics to I Ran. Too bad I’d be back in Chicago for the big event.

That night in Peoria we saw Seattle beat Arizona 7-4, with Jarrod Washburn picking up the win over Micah Owings, when in truth, neither pitcher was impressive. Justin Upton notched three hits in three at bats, but lost points when he lazily dropped a flyball he should have caught. There was some rumblings about Ichiro only batting .119 on the spring, if that was the only Mariners worry. Oh yeah, that Cuban SS Betancourt got three hits, dunno why he bats last. And O-Dog, Orlando Hudson dressed to impress in the field, turning three hits into outs, in one inning for the Snakes.