I’m so jealous. I could have been the Swedish chef.

the next LGT expedition should be a Lake County game in Cedar Rapids. because I could go.

Dammit, had I known like, an hour earlier, I’d be there.

I don’t care how, but get on TV, and make sure we recognize it.

What an exciting game I’m sure it was.

I wonder which one was Chuck.

Yeah I went to the game with an old – he’s almost my age – friend from college. He didn’t get there until the fourth inning. I got there in time for batting practice. On the way in I met a whole bunch of folks with Indians gear on and it turned out that one of them was Ashley something – Zack Jackson’s significant other. And let me get this outta the way quick. Yep, she was one smokin’ hot babe! The best looking woman I’ve seen in at least three months. She’s from Lima Ohio – I got the impressiion that she met Zack in HS but I see he’s from Latrobe PA so maybe I got that wrong. Anyway we chatted briefly and she said that Zack’s really excited about joining the Tribe and getting a shot at the show. She was astute enough to know – swoon, beauty plus baseball brains! – that having five left-hand starters was pretty strange. She also mentioned that Cliff Lee – the greatest Indians left-hander ever – was a real nice guy but, “he’s got a real dark side too”. Magic!

I sat eight rows behind the Indians dugout with a coupla oncologists, surrounded – if you can use the term surrounded when 50% of the seats are empty – by doctors and lawyers and the occasional fan that slipped by the maximum security ushers guarding the entrance to the baseball Nirvana that is the Camden Yards box seats. Very boring bunch. Any way you could just about reach out and smack Jamie Carroll from these seats if you were so inclined.

A coupla quick observations: Well we got one version of the infield of the future: Aubrey at first, Barfield at second, Asdrubal at SS and Marte at third. They played like the ‘72 Indians infield. No-hit and no-field. Aubrey dropped a liner that he shouldda had for an out, Asdrubal booted a routine grounder for an error and an unearned – I don’t give a damn, they still count – run. Barfield looked like he was over-matched at the plate. Marte looked like the Greg Nettles of this group as he got two hits – one a gift from the baseball gods – and a walk. But – but – then got pinch hit for in the what? – I’d lost interest by then – seventh maybe? by Shoppach. Given the bi-modal nature of a Shoppach at bat, we got the bad one this time – a K. Choo’s got a cannon out in right. He almost over threw a peg to third from about 280 feet away. One more: Hafner looked as tight as Dick’s hat band. He was squeezin’ the bat so hard I think I saw rosin comin’ outta the handle.

To add to the flash-back nature of the game – the Indians got their clock cleaned by the Orioles in a mostly empty ballpark. Camden Yards had the aura of a scaled down version of ol’ Cleveland Municipal. I couldda had my very own beer vendor that night. We had that fakokta Orioles mascot do the O-R-I-O-L-E chant on top of the dugout, but other than that there was few signs of life among the Baltimore faithful. If it wasn’t for my friends and Jay and Doc Brady it wouldda been a very boring evening.

Jay and I rode back to Philly together and in the two hour ride we solved the Mid-East crisis, perfected cold fusion, and design the perfect Pastrami sandwich. You’re welcome.

Despite 8 and a half innings of boring baseball I still had a great time! Hope to do it one more time before the season’s over!

I’ll catch up with all of youz in Goodyear, right?

Balls. I was at the game but didn’t see this until this morning. I impressed my friends (not Tribe fans) by predicting Marte getting pulled in the 9th.

“But he’s 2 for 2 with a walk!”
“Doesn’t matter. Just watch.”

Agreed on Choo’s arm looking impressive. I think he had a guy out at the plate until Vic lost the ball.

Are some errors from Asdrubal at SS to be expected initially? I was disappointed by the fielding but unsure how hard it is to shift over.