What a difference a week makes.

Well it’s been seven days since my last post and the feeling around “the Jack” is quite a bit different than last weekend.  Our boys have won 6 of their last seven games and are showing they can be contenders.

Great pitching and timely hits have been the key factors in the apparent transformation.  Although there are still a high number of base runners being stranded, the clutch hits that were previously non-existent are coming through.  The mood in the stands and I sure in the clubhouse are definitely improving. 

The thing that gives me the most hope is that the improvement is being shown by the entire team.  They are all digging in and working the entire game.  This was apparent in Sunday’s walk off hit by Wilson Contreras.  After hitting into an inning ending double play earlier in the game, Wilson was able to get the job done in high fashion.  This was the first walk off hit of the season, and the first series sweep.  It followed the first wining series this year.  So, it’s been a week of firsts, all good ones!

The boys are on the road for three days before returning for a long home stand.  I will be getting all my household chores completed so I don’t miss a minute of the action. 

I’ve talked about some of the perks of being a season ticket holder and of getting to know the team and fans.  One of those perks showed up yesterday at the ballpark. Daytona Cubs former hitting coach and proud member of the 1984 World Series Champion Detroit Tigers, Barbaro Garbey, stopped in to see some of his former colleagues and check out how the team was doing.  Barbaro is currently coaching in the Brave organization and will be handling batting instruction for the GCL Braves.  He spent a few minutes in “the Den” yesterday to say hello to some of us.  Too bad he didn’t stick around for the teams on-field celebration.  For me, it was the best game of the season to date and I look forward to may more just like it!

 

Barbaro and I at the Detroit Tigers Fantasy camp game featuring the 1984 World Series Team

Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

I guess the more accurate title would be Cubs lose, Cubs win, but who’s keeping track?  We had our first home win of the season on Saturday as part of the 2^nd game of a double header.  The first game was a bit depressing, so I am choosing to pass right over that and talk about the big win!  Before a large Saturday night crowd, the boys put together a great game.  The starting pitching was outstanding, with Felix Pina, going 6 innings (in a 7 inning game) that included 8 strikeouts, 3 hits and 1 run.  Michael Jennings finished the Yanks, giving up only 1 hit in the final inning.  The bats were alive, with a total of 9 hits and nearly everyone reaching base (Contreras reached on an error.  Zapata was the only one not to get on base, but he did manage to move a base runner into scoring position.)  In the end, the team put together 9 runs, giving up only 1.

Again, they showed a lot of heart and desire.  For me this was the biggest victory of the season to date.  Not only did they show the home town crowd they could do it, but they broke out of a 6 game losing streak against a very tough Yankee line-up.  This could be the start of something big! 

 

 

 

                                                       Friday's rain out

 

 

I would like to spend a few lines talking about some of the action in the stands.  I have mentioned before how much I like getting to know the families of our players and staff and I will talk about that a bit more in a moment.  One of the other treats we experience is the other visiting faces.  Being an autograph collector, I am blessed with getting an up close look at the stars of tomorrow.  We also get a chance to meet lots of former stars when they come to “the Jack”, either as minor league coaches, scouts, front office staff or merely to watch their kids play.  Dwight Smith was in attendance to watch his son Dwight Jr.  when we faced the Blue Jays.  I was able to meet him, get an autograph and thank him for the memories. Growing up a fan of the Atlanta Braves, and converting to a Cubs fans in later years, made this a very special meeting for me as I got the best of both worlds with Mr. Smith!

This homestand brought Dante Bichette to town to watch his son play for the Evil Empire.  He was gracious when I asked him to sign a couple of his baseball cards and he smiled when I told him I was looking forward to seeing another generation of Bichette’s in the big leagues.  We also had super scout Joe Bochy in attendance. You may know him as the brother of San Francisco Giants manager, Bruce Bochy.  Joe is a semi regular in Daytona and a very nice man.  I had a chance to talk with him during the rain delay (that ended in a called game) on Friday.  I love having the opportunity to see the game through different eyes.  Scouts, parents, front office people all have a different perspective of the game and the players.  I believe learning to see things from their point of view, helps to make my baseball experience a bit broader and certainly enhances my enjoyment of the game.

Another of the benefits of minor league baseball is the give-a-ways.  Although the Friday night game was postponed due to rain, we did get our replica championship rings on a stand. Not as nice as the real deal, but still something to look at with a feeling of pride for such an outstanding season.

Finally, the highlight of my game day, was getting a chance to spend some time with our manager’s wife, Dana Keller.  We met last year and I took an instant liking to her.  I love the story she tells about her and Dave.  They were friends in elementary school and high school sweethearts, before college and life saw them head in different directions.  They met up again at a high school reunion and found the spark was still there and now they are living their childhood dreams!  Who knew there were such great  love stories in baseball?  We, I did, of course, after hearing many of them!  Again, seeing the game through different eyes is always very enlightening. 

 

And with that, I will sign off for a while.  The team is heading out on the road for a 3 game stand in Clearwater followed by 2 games at Brevard.  Here’s hoping the immortal words of Lou Brown from Major League II ring true…  “ We won a game yesterday, if we win one today that's two in a row. If we win one tomorrow that's called a winning streak. It has happened before!”

Free Baseball!

Everyone likes getting something for free, well, most of the time…   Last night was our first extra innings game of the season.  It was a roller coaster night beginning with a downhill launch with the Yankees scoring a run in each of the first three innings.  Our boys scored one in the third, but gave up one in both the 5^th and 6^th.  Then the twists and turns came in.  The cubbies managed to load the bases and scored 3 single runs in the bottom of the 6^th, yet still managed to obtain their 3^rd out with the bases loaded.

They tied it up in the 8^th but gave up the winning run to the Yankees in the 10^th.  All in all they were 1 for 11 with runners in scoring positions, leaving 11 men on base for the evening.  That brings the LOB total to 99 men in 14 games….

Losing is always heartbreaking but an extra innings loss even more so.  They crowd was lively, being a Thirsty Thursday, and there was evidence of several fans, (myself included), trying to change things up to create some positive mojo for the team.

On a different note, it was a special evening for my section as we were joined by Gwen’s son, daughter-in-law and 3 of her great grand kids!  Her grandson Aidan, threw out the first pitch and it was a near perfect strike.  I think he may have gotten Ron Villone’s attention or at least caught the eye of one of the scouts in the stands.  Unfortunately, they will have to wait until he first finishes elementary school and moves on to high school before they sign him!

Overall, it was a night that left us with hope.  Again the guys scraped their way back which shows a lot of heart.  Hopefully, they will get tired of ending with an L and make whatever corrections are needed to come out on top when’s it all over. You can bet, my bell and I will be there when that happens!

Growing Pains

If you have been keeping up with my beloved Daytona Cubs, you know that they are off to a rather slow start.  Times like these separate the casual fans from the fanatics.  They also separate the men from the boys in regards to how the individual players handle adversity.  My husband is fond of saying “this is a teaching hospital!” and that is a true statement.  At this level the parent club is more concerned with the development of the players than the numbers of wins/losses on the score board.

The stats show that the team is playing rather “middle of the road” baseball.  The win/loss record shows something different entirely.

Is there a problem with the batting?

Is pitching the problem?

Obviously errors hurt.

The numbers would indicate that we should be in the middle of the pack, yet that is not the case.  Our current record is 2-10

Yes it's early in the season and baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. But for the fans and for the guys, it’s tough to deal with.  I chose to look at it in a different way.  Many times the players come to a new team thinking they already have what it takes to make it to the SHOW.  Seldom is that the case.  We have a great coaching staff in Daytona and they have a proven track record, but they cannot win games without the team playing like a team.

I know from personal experience, that sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before your willing to try something different.  I think the human condition makes it difficult for us listen to advise from others and sometimes to even realize we may be the problem in a given situation.  I like the story about a life guard trying to save a drowning victim.  The drowning person struggles against the rescuer, or clings to them in such a way that they are both in danger of going under.  Finally, the lifeguard must render them still more helpless, by knocking them out entirely.  By doing so, the lifesaver can do their job and bring them safely to shore.

You might ask what does that have to do with baseball and with a severe slump?  I would say everything!  When the team realizes that by themselves they can’t put together a winning team, they will be more likely to listen to the instruction of the coaches.  Eventually, rather than 25 individual guys trying to make it to the bigs, they will come together as a team.  When that happens, (and I have faith it will!), the numbers will results will begin to change.

Either way, I’m sticking around to find out.  I love my team, regardless of the record, but dang, it sure feels good to back a winner!

Road Trip #1…..

I love being able to follow my Cubbies when they go on the road.  Being a part of the Florida State League makes it rather easy to catch away games on the weekends.  Over the years, I have enjoyed getting to know the other stadiums, fans and town that are homes to our opponents.  We try to get away on travel weekends whenever possible.  We love the travel and the team seems to appreciate familiar faces (and sounds…) when they are the away team.

Our first road trip of this season took us to Steinbrenner Field, home of the Tampa Yankees and Spring Home of the Evil Empire.  Of all the stadiums we visit, I would have to say this is my least favorite.  The facility itself is quite nice, much like a mini version of the old Yankee Stadium.  My issue is with the “policies” they have in place.   They don’t allow you to bring bats into the stadium, nor do they allow “noise makers”.  That means we can bring our cowbells in.  They are sticklers about so many things such as “don’t put your feet, bag, drinks, etc. on the dugout, No noise makers, no yada.. yada.. yada….. ad nauseam.   It is the only ballpark in the FSL where I feel unwelcomed.  It is almost as if curmudgeonly old George himself is there barking out orders!  It’s no wonder they have such a small attendance for the minor league games!  There have been many instances where the Cubs fans, family and staff in attendance far outweigh the number of the hometown crowd.

 

On the other hand, I do love Tampa.  We typically stay pretty close to the ball park.  So the travel is easy.  Additionally, they have some great restaurants in the area, particularly Cuban cuisine.  Those who know me know I love to try new restaurants almost as much as I love baseball!  Another positive note is that for some reason, we seem to have a lot of players from the west coast of Florida, so we get to see lots of their families.  This weekend was no exception.  Both Rock Shoulders and Dan Vogelbach are from the west coast of FL and both had family in the crowd.  Albert Almora’s family was also there (although they are from the Miami area and travel a lot following the team!

 

Well back to our guys.  They ended up losing the series 2-1, but Saturday night’s victory was much like the win in Brevard earlier in the month.  The team seemed to be firing on all cylinders.  Offense and defense were outstanding.  And the larger than usual home town crowd had little to cheer about. (maybe that’s why there were only a couple of hundred people at the game on Sunday?).

 

 

We had a rally going (thanks in no small part to our rally caps!), but unfortunately, the spark just wasn't enough. 

The weather was quite cooperative but we did get a small taste of what the summer has in store for us during the 1:00 pm start on Sunday.  The temps were in the mid 80’s and the sun was brilliant.  I think it’s going to be a long, hot summer.  Hopefully, the team will be cooling off the competition and it won’t seem too bad!

The ride home always seems a bit longer when we are taking home a win, but the trip was well worth it and I look forward to the next one....

 

 

A comedy of errors

Baseball is a game of inches.  A misstep, a slight hesitation, just a moment when you let your mind wander.  Any of these can be the difference between a win and a loss.  Pile a few together and you’ve created a nearly insurmountable obstacle.  That’s the best way I can explain our loss in game 2 of last night’s double header.  Game one was a pitcher’s duel.  Another one run loss that could have gone either way.  Game two was a different story. One of the reasons that baseball is my favorite sport is because it is such a cerebral game. A thinker’s game.  Nearly every other popular sport is all about brawn.  Shear power.  Baseball is so much more.  But when mental lapses occur, the end result almost always shows on the scoreboard.

There were a couple of highlights tho’.  One was Dan Voglebach’s 3 RBI blast in the 6^th inning.  Last year Dan showed us why he was drafted in the 2^nd round.  He has a lot of power and is a pretty decent defender at first.  He was a big guy.  When he arrived in Daytona this year, he had slimmed down considerably.  I spoke to his dad who told me that Dan was working out 3 to 4 hours every day to bring his weight down.  He looked great, very fit, but there was some concern that his bat might be affected.  Last night put those fears to rest.  I have no doubt he’s going to put up some impressive numbers this season.  Another highlight was the way the team kept pressing.  They were down 6-1 when they came up in the 6^th, but they put together a series of hits that had us believing that the Cardiac Cubs were going to pull it out!  Alas, they fell short, but it sure made it easy to stick around for the 14^th inning of the night.  Tonight is the final game of the series before the guys head out for the major road trip of the season.  Here’s hoping they head out with a win in their pockets.

 

Partly cloudy with a chance of rain-out...

We had our first rain out of the season last night.  The night before there was a short rain delay to start the game.  Welcome to the Florida State League!  Hopefully, Mother Nature will be kinder to us than she was last season.  Not only is it tough on the team, but the staff has to endure seeming endless tarp pulls and prepping the field for play.  It affects the ticket sales, attendance numbers and concession sales as well.  Not to mention us fans!  For those who missed it last season, one of our media moguls, Michael West, created a great video called “Tarp, The Movie trailer”.  You can check it out on YouTube or by clicking here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pft7ufdKQ7U

The first series of the season didn’t go as well as I hoped for. We finished the Brevard games 1-3.  The bright side is the 3 losses were by 1 run each and our win was by a score of 13-2!  I believe this is a very strong team and once they get acclimated, we will see great things out of this club.

Due to yesterday’s rain-out, tonight is our first double header.  We will be going up against the Dunedin Blue Jays.  We faced them in the Division Championship last year and they had a tough team, despite losing most of their prospect during the year.  Most of the players on their team have had at least some experience in FSL play. In addition they have a strong coaching staff which includes Manager, Omar Malave and my favorite active pitching coach, FSL Hall of Famer Darold Knowles.  One of the things I love most about minor league baseball is that we get to know players, coaches and their families on a much different level then in the big leagues.  I count knowing Darold and his beautiful wife Lynne as members of my baseball family and a great blessing.  It is apparent that they love baseball, life and each other!

As a side note about Darold, the first time I actually met him was in 2007.  Growing up, I was a huge fan of the Oakland A's.  My dad taught me a love for baseball, but he was a pretty traditional guy.  Being the rebellious sort, I dubbed the A's as my team, primarily because of the colorful uniform and colorful players.  As I recall, they were one of the first teams to sport long hair and facial hair.  I loved them and it drove my dad crazy.  When I was 13, I had a collection of tropical fish, all named after A's players.  I had 2 blue fish, one named Odom and one named Vida.  A catfish named...Hunter, and a beautiful red tailed swordfish named Darold.  I told him the story about my fish and he looked at me a bit strangely (to say the least), but he signed a baseball for me and I went along my way.  That same year, Daytona hosted the FSL All Star game and Darold was the pitching coach.  I bid on and won his jersey at the auction held during the game.  I wasn't able to get it signed that night, but I took it with me the next time Daytona visited Dunedein. I went up to him before the game and asked him to sign my jersey.  He replied...Hey, your the fish lady! (I blushed and said I was) and he signed my jersey.  Since that day, I always made it a point to stop and say hello to him whenever Daytona played Dunedin.  Before long, I started seeing him at League events and I met his wife, Lynne a couple of years later and we have become friends.  They are some of the many wonderful friends I have met through baseball.

But tonight, after greeting Darold and welcoming him back to Daytona with a hug, I will cheer on my boys and root for our bats to rough up his pitchers and hope we end up with a W at the end.  I'll keep you posted!

Nice to get that out of the way...

Sorry I have been absent the last few days, but I have been busy enjoying some baseball.  If you follow my beloved Daytona Cubbies, you know they got off to a slow start.  Opening Night was an away game at our sister/rival Brevard County Manatees park.  There was a great turn out, the place was packed.  We always love going to Space Coast Stadium.  The staff does an amazing job and we really feel at home there.

The team played well, and made only a couple of missteps, but baseball is a game of inches.  The Cubs outhit the Manatees, but the bats just didn't seem to connect at the needed times.The Cubs lost by one run. 

Game two was the home opener.  I think that it's my favorite night of the year.  The Jack was at capacity.  A sold out crowd.  Before the game they had the presentation of the 2013 Championship trophy. The team owner, Andy Raburn,  was in town as he always is for opening day.

 I got to see many people I haven't seen since September and even saw our close friend Jerry Hale, former Florida State League official photographer.  It was great catching up with him and remembering many players, staff and fans that we have know through the years.

Again, the team played well, but fell by one run.  They seemed to be just a bit off sync, but again no major issues.  Still, it's tough starting the season out 0-2.

The 3rd game was back in Brevard.  A nice crowd, but not as full as the opener.  At this point I want to take a side journey and introduce you to some special friends.  In 2012, the couple who seat in our box section, Tammy and Joey (wonderful people!) gave me a Cubs garden Gnome for my birthday.  I knew we had to find the right name for him and after several worthy suggestions, another friend our ours, Lynne Knowles, came up with the perfect fit.  He was named GNomar.  Last season Gnomar became a regular at the ballpark and the team seemed to play better when he was there.  It wasn't long before he was joined by Gwen's traveling companion, Rufus, the monkey.  When the two of them were in attendance, the team was nearly unstoppable.  I believe they went 30 for 37 at one point in the second half.  Now back to game 3.

While Gnomar was at the home opener, when Rufus joined him for game 3, we knew the magic was back.  The starting pitcher was Tayler Scott, the first South African to be drafted into professional baseball.  He pitched an amazing game, taking a no hitter into the 7th inning.  The bats were definitely alive as well. They D'Cubs combined for 21 hits and 9 runs.  1st rounder Albert Almora went 5 for 6 and Pin-Chien Chen went 3 for 5 with 3 doubles and 3 runs 

We left the ballpark with the knowledge that this is a very special team with explosive talent.  Also with the commitment that Gnomar and Rufus will be at the ballpark as often as we can humanly get them there!

 .

Life begins on Opening Day!

It's finally here!  We made it thru a long cold winter (yes, by Florida standards, it was cold even here) and what seemed like a lifetime away from the ballpark.  But today, life begins anew.  Every team, in fact every fan, has the same clean slate and championship dreams.

But before I get to my opening day anticipations, let me tell you a little about how I got to be the fan I am today.  I have had many things and many people that have brought me to be a lover of baseball, but if I could point to one place in time where I turned from fan to fanatic, Buck and Babs Rogers be there.

My husband and I had our first date at a Orlando Cubs game, way back in 1995.  The O'Cubs were the AA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.  It began my love affair, not only with Ed, but with minor league baseball.  We discovered the single A Daytona Cubs that same season and started attending games.  We witnessed the Cubbies win the league championship that year and we were hooked.  We attend games on a regular basis for the next 5 years, but in 2001, everything changed. The team got a new AGM, Buck Rogers.  It was apparent from the very first time I met him, that he was a different kind of staffer.  It didn't take long to realize that this guy was , well, he was nuts!  The tern "think outside the box" started with him, I swear!

He seemed to be consumed with making sure that the fans had a great time and there were no boundaries!  I can remember a contest that involved having fans sit in a kiddie pool filled with ice and a little bit of water.  Trivia, dancing on the dugout, lets make a deal, something all the time.  He became a presence in the ballpark, equal to the team.  We would go some days, just to see what he was going to come up with next.

At the end of the season, he and another staff member came up with the idea of granting a life time season ticket to any fan that got a Daytona Cubs logo tattoo from a sponsor.  You know, I was the first one in line!

Buck over as GM the following season and we became good friends with him and his wife Babs as well as their daughters, Bree and Holly.  Their friendship continues to be one of my most treasured.  In fact, I must credit Buck with coining the phrase I adopted as my blog name...another day in single A~

Just google his name and baseball and you can see the story, much better than I could tell it!  Buck and Babs have since moved on, first to the Brevard County Manatees and then to the Huntsville Stars, where they are now.  We were able to meet them for dinner last night and it was as if no time had past since we last saw them.  They also surprised us by inviting another dear friend, Steve Melendez, who was a trainer in the Cubs organization for many years, including several in Daytona.    More about Stevie in a future post.

But tonight, we take the road trip to our sister stadium, Space Coast Stadium, home of the Brevard County Manatees.  We think of Brevard as our second home and have made friends there as well.  (in fact, our friend Jean came along with Buck and Babs for dinner last night!).  

The season is here, spring has sprung, and this begins a new year filled with possibilities.   My prediction?  The first every back to back championship for my beloved Daytona Cubs...but for now.....

Let's play ball!

Let’s get this party started!

Last night was the annual season ticket holders picnic/meet the team event.

We showed up at the ball park around 6:30 and the team was already on the field for practice.  Like last years’ practice, the Manager and coaches were giving the boys instruction.  I am fascinated with baseball instruction.  They were working on infield skills when we arrived.  It is almost like going to the ballet, but much more exciting.  They way they go through the various drills until, somehow, it becomes instinct.  They moved on to batting practice and the pitchers to pitching drills.  Although this was the first time I saw this team work together, I was impressed.  I quickly came to the conclusion that this may well be the first time in Daytona Cubs history to win back-to-back championships!

We met up with the other members of the “Jack family” and grabbed a burger and a dog.  One of the best things about minor league baseball is the relationships we build with other fans as well as the staff.  I spend a lot of time at the ballpark and have made so many friends there.  We really do become like family to each other.  Many of us stay in touch in the off-season with various activities.  It’s always nice to catch up with everyone. 

The guys practiced until after 8:30.  By then most of the ticket holders left, but a few of us diehards stuck around to greet the team.  As they players and coaches came out to the picnic area, we welcomed them and got hugs from the returning players and even from some of the new guys. They were all very nice people.  They seem to really appreciate the support they get from us fans. This group was no exception.  A really good group of guys.

I spent some time talking to Dave and Mariano.  Both of them have a bit of a sarcastic wit about them and it’s quite enjoyable to listen to the banter back and forth. We also got to meet and talk to our new pitching coach, Ron Villone.  I think he is going to fit in quite well.  Right off the bat, I told him about the legacy of our pitching coaches and told him we had a strong tradition of pitching coaches that were not only great coaches, but great men.  He responded that he was happy to take on the challenge and that he was up to the task of carrying on that tradition.  I liked him immediately! 

We stuck around until the coaches were heading out.  When we were heading out, Clint, the AGM for the Cubs, showed us some of the improvements at the Jack, including new and expanded restrooms and a new concession area.  These changes should make a big impact on wait time on big nights.

As we were leaving the ballpark, I had the feeling that this was going to be a very good year….

Tonight is our exhibition game against Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.  But before that, a few of us are having an early dinner with our good friends Buck and Babs Rogers.  Buck was our GM several years back.  He and Babs have since moved on and up to the Huntsville Stars, a Brewer’s affiliate.  I am looking forward to seeing them and catching up!  I’m sure there will be a story or two about them coming soon….Stay tuned!

The boys are back in town!

Last night Gwen and I made our annual pilgrimage to Jackie Robinson Ballpark to meet the new Daytona Cubs team bus when it arrived for the first time this season.  This has been a ritual for us for the past 10 years or so.  It’s always exciting to see the coaches, returning players and the new ones. 

There was a time when a small crowd would gather for the arrival of the boys of summer, but the last 3 years, it’s been just Gwen and I.  I guess that’s the difference between a fan and a fanatic, we being in the latter category.

My fondest memory of the initial greeting was when we staked out several yard flamingos for Tom Pratt.  Tommy was known for the Tommy Bahamas shirts he wore and he had one in particular that depicted pink flamingos.  Andie, Gwen and I choose the pink flamingo as our logo for the Tom Pratt fan club and it became an inside gag between Tom and us.  I really missed seeing our dear friend get of that bus the last couple of years, but I believe that his spirit was and always will be with our team.

Anyway, there were several familiar faces including Dave Keller, our manager, Mariano Duncan, hitting coach, Pete Fagan, trainer, and some returning players – Austin Kirk, Austin Reed, Dan Voglebach, Tim Saunders, and Bijan Radmacher.  I know I missed a few faces as they made their way into the clubhouse.

While we were waiting for them to come back out, Albert Amora’s mother and girlfriend walked up.  They had just driven up from Miami to bring Albert’s car to him. They were only at the ballpark for a few minutes and then headed out to drive back to Miami.  We were able to spend a couple minutes talking to them and as usual, I was amazed at the lengths the families of the players go to, to help them realize their dreams.  This is one of the reasons I love minor league baseball so much.  We get to know the guys from a different angle then most fans.  We can catch a glimpse of them thru the eyes of those who love them.  It’s a very special experience to be able to form friendships with the families.  I have many long treasured and lasting relationships with parents, grandparents and wives of players.

Well, I’m going to end here.  The next meeting will be at the season ticket holder picnic, where we will be able to see the guys on the field for the first time as they have their first workout at historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark.  If you haven’t guessed, I love my life!!!