A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

indians

World Series was memorable, not the “greatest” ever

The World Series that ended wasn’t a great World Series.

Yes, I know, people are talking about how it was one of the best of all time. It wasn’t.

Could it be the most memorable of all time? Now we might be on to something.

See, baseball is a great game. Readers of my blog know I am a massive fan. I won’t say this World Series was awful – it wasn’t. It has some amazing performances. There were great individual and team moments. The two teams with the longest World Series championship drought were battling. But greatest … ? No.

But this World Series isn’t going to be remembered for the play on the field, it’s going to be remembered for the moment that came at the end when the Cubs won the championship for the first time since 1908. That’s a moment. It was a special moment. There are generations of Cubs fans celebrating this championship. And it doesn’t matter to them if it was slick fielding, dominant pitching or something else — all they care about is the end result.

That’s a moment. Moments make for some dramatic times and some great memories. Moments don’t always equate into the best games.

Many might not remember this one – but Game 7 of the 1991 World Series was a great game. Jack Morris (who should be a Hall of Famer) vs. John Smoltz. Amazing. Morris went 10 (yes, 10) innings to win, 1-0.

How crazy is that?

Let’s put that into perspective. Only three times in the 2016 World Series did a starting pitcher reach six complete innings – Corey Kluber twice (games 1 and 4) and Jon Lester (game 5). To me, that means managers overmanaging or there was some awful pitching. For the record, it’s the first choice.

Don’t get me wrong, the World Series was exciting.

But there were as many bad decisions as there were good. There was a full lack in confidence in some players. And seriously … if the World Series comes down to Michael Martinez hitting with the tying run in the bottom of the 10th … and there are no other choices?

I’m a Phillies fan. I know all about Michael Martinez.

In the end, this was very memorable. The Cubs are no longer lovable losers. Both teams could be back again next year.

People will remember the biggest moment in Cubs history when they think of the 2016 World Series. But a great series? Not so much. Most memorable? There’s definitely an argument for that.

Now … how long until pitchers and catchers report?

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” A ‘lil HooHaa on Facebook! You can also follow me on Twitter @softball29!

Summer of Baseball: Cleveland rocks

I’d never been to Cleveland before.

Not for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Not to visit the Football Hall of Fame in nearby Canton. Not for baseball or anything else.

That changed with a trip to Progressive Field to see the Indians face off against the Chicago White Sox.

And though I can’t comment on the city – we basically stayed to the area near our hotel and the stadium – I will say I enjoyed myself and wouldn’t mind going back one day. Especially if a trip to Progressive Field to see the Indians again is involved.

What a great park.

Cleveland from up above.

Cleveland from up above.

Opened in 1994, the home of the Indians has aged well. It’s a great place to watch a game and the sight lines are tremendous. As has been the norm this season, seats were in the upper deck and behind home plate, which gives you a great overall view of the park and the backdrop of the city.

That’s always nice.

OK, so let’s take a look at Progressive.

The views were great. Though I definitely felt like I was upper deck, it wasn’t a bad overall seat. The sightlines were fine and with the massive scoreboard, it was easy enough to keep track of everything. However, the only time a vendor came up to this area was the eighth inning. The area was pretty full, so it would have been nice if one had come up.

Speaking of that side of thing, as I went down in a mid-inning to grab something to eat, the lines were massive. And I’m not saying like 10-12 people deep. But the wrap-around holder went well beyond the limit. I ended up walking down to the lowest concourse and grabbing a couple of hot dogs at one of the smaller, secondary food stands. It was definitely not the best I’ve seen in regard to moving people through, so it did lose some points in that part. When we first arrived, though, the crowd wasn’t big and I did get an ice cream, which was amazing.

The stadium is nice. You can, obviously, walk around the entire concourse, which gives you some nice views. The team store is pretty nice, albeit a bit tight. Prices were decent for major league standards. No lineup board, though. One thing that was cool was the top row of seats has been removed and there’s now a walk-around area at the top of the stadium. At least for part of the stadium, that is. I got out and took some photos, which was cool.

The game we went to was toward the beginning of their big winning streak, so the crowd was hopping. That made the ambiance quite nice. Mike Napoli hit a massive bomb of a home run, which may or may not have landed yet. The crowd was definitely into the game and their team. The Indians won in a rout on this day (the other two games they won by one run… we saw the blowout!), so it was an upbeat crowd for the entire game.

Most of the people I dealt with were nice and easy to ask questions to etc. I can’t speak on parking as we parked at our hotel and took the shuttle down, which was cool. We walked back and it wasn’t a bad trip.

All-in-all, this was a solid trip and stop at this MLB stadium. If you are going to be in the Cleveland area, it’s well worth going, especially if the Indians are playing well at that point. Tickets were reasonably priced and the area was definitely Indian happy.

Not only that, but Cleveland Rocks playing at the end of a win was awesome.

Park Notes:  

Progressive Field
Cleveland, Ohio
Home of the Cleveland Indians
Visited on: June 18, 2016
Opponent: Chicago White Sox

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 9/10
  • Concessions: 7/10
  • Parking: N/A
  • Ambiance: 9/10
  • Friendliness: 9/10

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Summer of Baseball: Mahoning Valley leaves a sour taste, despite a nice stadium

I’m torn on Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio.

There were a lot of good things about the stadium. But at the same time, there were some things that really ruffled my feathers, so to speak. And it’s just small things. But when you have enough of them, it adds up.

To be fair, it was opening night in the New York-Penn League. So I can chalk some of my issues up to that. But some of the others, well, I just think are silly and not necessary. Let me explain with this review what was good and what was bad.

You walk in, you pay.

You walk in, you pay.

First, the stadium. It’s extremely easy to get to and there’s ample parking. But this is where I have issue No. 1. It’s next to a mall, which means a ton of free possible parking. Except, well, if you park over there, you get charged to walk in.

No, I can’t make this up.

If you walk to the stadium, you get charged $3 per person. So I wonder if somebody lives a little ways away and just wants to walk… they have to pay $3, too? This, to me, is unacceptable. You are charging people an entrance fee no matter if they walk or park. How about this? Up your ticket prices a little and can the fee. It’s stupid and uncalled for. Or, work something out with the mall where you rope things off so people can’t park at the mall and walk in. Or work it with the mall where you can charge people to park there and give them a cut. There are so many ways around this. But to charge $3 for a person to walk into the area? Come on. It’s short-season Single-A baseball.

That made the night start off not-so-good. If a uniformed cop hadn’t been there, I can guarantee one of the two of us would have walked through without paying the fee (not me, I’m unfortunately too nice). Alas, that didn’t matter as there was one there and we paid.

See, here’s the other issue — I’m doing a review on the stadium and I’ve just spend that much time talking about a negative thing. Seriously. Oh, by the way — if we parked in the stadium area, it would have been $3 total in a gated area.

OK, onward.

It took us a few to get the tickets because the lines were huge. We saw no fewer than three people get visibly angry because they had been told they were in the wrong line, get to another spot and be told to go back to where they were. Thankfully, the will-call window I had to go to was a short line. In we went, and it was fine and all but … my lord it was a zoo. Again, I realize opening night, but it’s not like it’s the first time the team had been through this.

Glad I stamped in for this one as I'm not sure I'll get back.

Glad I stamped in for this one as I’m not sure I’ll get back.

Lines were immense throughout the whole game. Again, I get with opening night and a lot of people, things might be slower. But this was slow. Like, get in line and miss an inning or two long. I’m there to watch baseball, not sit in line for food. Thankfully, a vendor came around with hot dogs later in the game. I’ll chalk this up to opening night, but it shows me they weren’t prepared.

OK, the field. It’s excellent. I like the feel of the place. The ambiance was pretty solid. Fans seemed into the game, for the most part (though, people in seats next to ours had to move because they double-sold the seats — can’t make that stuff up), and it was a good place to catch a game. The sight lines are solid and you can see the field from pretty much all angles. You’re also pretty close to the action, which is always a nice thing when you are at a baseball game.

The concourse is like many other smaller stadiums in that it’s behind the main area, and not open. Therefore, if you go searching for food and are in line, you can’t see the game. Bathrooms are easy enough to get to and the team store, for a Single-A team, isn’t bad. You actually get to walk in, unlike a few others in the NY-Penn, so that’s a welcomed situation.

One final note, though. I came across many people who worked for the team and I was a little shocked that it felt like it would be a chore to smile or say hi. I said hi to several people and they just kind of looked at me. I asked a few questions and each person acted like they were doing me a favor to answer. Several walked by groups of people with their heads down and didn’t say a word or smile. This wasn’t everybody, but it was enough where I felt like it wasn’t the most friendly place in the world.

In the end, I’d go back to the stadium to see a game, but I’d do it on a slower day and I’d still not be happy about having to pay if I walked in. Like I said, a few of the items I chalk up to opening day (not that I think it’s right), but some of the things just left a sour taste in my mouth.

Park Notes:  

Eastwood Field
Niles, Ohio
Home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Single-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians)
Visited on: June 17, 2016
Opponent: West Virginia Black Bears (Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates)

Ratings (out of 10)

  • Stadium: 8/10
  • Concessions: 6.5/10
  • Parking: 5/10
  • Ambiance: 7.5/10
  • Friendliness: 6.5/10

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Thome is one of the good ones

Jim Thome (left) and his father (center) at the Baseball Hall when he donated his 500th home run ball.

Jim Thome made history Monday night when he hit his 599th and 600th career home runs in back-to-back at-bats for the Minnesota Twins. The game was in Detroit and the fans there cheered for Thome when he his his 600th.

It’s a well-deserved reaction, too.

Thome is regarded as one of the good guys in baseball. He’s generally liked, never been linked to steroids and always seems to be genuine.

When Thome toured the Hall of Fame in 2008 and donated his 500th home run ball, I had a chance to cover that event and chat with him. It was like he and I were long-lost friends. I’ve dealt with many professionals during my career and Thome is one of the best. He gave the time, chatted with me about baseball and the historic ball he donated to the Hall. He event joked around a bit. His father was there, too, and gave some time to me for a few comments.

When Thome signed with the Phillies as a free agent following the 2002 season, it was the signing that many thought would push the Phillies to the World Series title. His introductory news conference was filled with emotion and he cried when talking about his 12 years in Cleveland and how hard it was to leave there.

A couple of years later, he got injured and the Phillies needed to bring somebody up to play first while Thome was hurt. That guy was Ryan Howard, who eventually made the Phillies choose — and they went with Howard.

Thome went to the White Sox next, missing their World Series title by a year. He also played with the Dodgers in 2009, but his team fell to the Phillies in the National League Championship series. The past two years, he’s been in Minnesota.

He’s never won a World Series title, but is a five-time All-Star and has played in the postseason nine times.

Rumors have floated for weeks that the Phillies had been interested in trying to bring him back as a bat off the bench for the postseason run. He’d have to get through waivers at this point for the Phils to get him, but it would be nice to see him return to Philly for a final run in the postseason. Who knows what will happen there, but as a fan of baseball, I am extremely happy to see someone like Thome hit a major milestone and be the eighth person to reach 600 homers.

I always believed Thome was a Hall of Famer before he hit that milestone. But I believe this makes him a lock. And, if so, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com.