New Orleans Zephyrs 3 at Round Rock Express 5 (PCL) - May 6, 2016

Sometimes these sports road trips work out really well and sometimes they don't. This one couldn't have been much better in terms of weather and driving, but a few of the games weren't particularly interesting. That all changed when I arrived in Round Rock for the only AAA game on the journey. The Express are the affiliate of the Texas Rangers, and Yu Darvish is on the rehab circuit after undergoing Tommy John surgery last year. He pitched 2 innings on Sunday in AA Frisco the day after I was there, but with Frisco on the road now, his next start was to be this night in Round Rock. Surprisingly, I never saw Darvish in Japan, though I did seem him pitch in New York a couple of years ago in one of the worst games ever, but I was excited to see him in a much more relaxed setting.



Anyway, after driving 500 miles from Little Rock, I had little time to relax at my hotel before heading over to Dell Diamond. The stadium was opened in 2000 to house a Double-A team (also named the Express in honour of Nolan Ryan, who is an owner along with his son Reid) that moved to Corpus Christi when the Ryans bought the Edmonton Trappers in 2004. The ballpark is surrounded by a couple of residential areas with baseball-related street names, but they are too far to park, so you will have to pay $10 (the most in minor league baseball) to park in the team's expansive (and expensive) lot.



When I reached the ticket window next to the Right Field Gate, I heard that the game was sold out, but that statement only referred to the seats; lawn tickets were still available for the weird price of $8.66. I've seen this trend more and more where the ticket price is set to a round number and then tax is added on, which is annoying for those who pay cash. Other ticket prices ranged from $12 to $18 (save $2 by purchasing before game day and another $2 if the game takes place Sunday through Wednesday), so it is only the parking that is overpriced.



Rather than wait for someone with an extra, I pulled out the credit card and bought a lawn ticket, though there was already no room there as gates had opened a few minutes before. Prior to entering, I tried to find a spot from which to take a full picture of the exterior of the venue, but it was too far to walk in the heat, so all I took was the shot above.



One interesting aspect of the stadium is that there are two concourses. The inner concourse is quite narrow at spots, though it has views of the field, while the outer concourse is separated from the field and much more spacious. This is where you can walk around to avoid the crowds, as you can see below.



It is along this exterior concourse that you will find Guest Services, as well as the lineups, presented electronically, something I have not seen before.



The stadium is massive, even for AAA, with a Home Run Porch beyond left field that is completely shaded and would be ideal on a sunny afternoon.



The view of the outfield from the Home Run Porch...



... and the seating bowl. Obviously choose a seat along third base if you want to avoid the setting sun, though it was no longer an issue by the third inning.



There is a beer garden which is used as a group area. Due to the large crowd (final attendance was 13,194, the fourth largest in stadium history), concession stands were crowded and I did not buy any food, though the options were quite tempting, though prices were slightly higher than average for AAA. In the 6th inning, however, there was a Friday Night special announced in which all 24-oz. beers were $4 ($5 for 32 ounces), including the nicer ones (i.e. not just Bud or Bud Light). That sent people galloping to the beer stands, and I was right behind them. I'm not sure having this sort of deal near the end of the game is the best idea as many fans were loading up by buying two large beers (that's 64 ounces you need to drink in an hour) but I didn't see any obvious problems afterwards.



One design feature I liked here was the curved dugouts, as you can see below. This means that all the infield seats face the pitchers mound, something that should be implemented in all new parks. There are standing areas along the concourse which are great vantage points, though there is nothing on which to rest your drink or scorebook. After Darvish finished, I moved down as ushers were no longer checking tickets and a few fans started leaving.



Finally, the mandatory shot from behind home plate.



Overall, Dell Diamond is an excellent facility with one flaw: overpriced parking. This is AAA ball and parking for any minor league should never exceed $5. The stadium is beautiful, the fans (many of whom were Japanese on this night) were excellent, a lot of families out for fireworks night, food options were good, and I really appreciated the aesthetic design. I generally like to keep my outlay at a minor league game under $20 and that is tough here with parking taking up half of my budget right off the bat. Next time I visit Round Rock, I'll bring some friends.

The Game

Darvish (below before the game) was only scheduled to pitch three innings, which he did. He already has the velocity, reaching 97 on one pitch, but still appeared tentative on occasion. He gave up one run while walking one and striking out three. He finished with 50 pitches, 30 of which were strikes.



Round Rock had scored two in the first on three doubles off Chris Narveson, but Darvish's replacement, Jimmy Reyes, allowed the Zephyrs (Miami's affiliate) to take the lead in the 5th on three walks and two singles. The game moved quickly into the bottom of the 8th with Round Rock trailing 3-2. Andre Rienzo (a Brazilian) was in his second inning of work for New Orleans and walked Michael McKenry to lead things off before plunking Brett Nicholas. A sacrifice brought Patrick Kivlehan to the plate and he laced a double to center field to give the Express the lead. Pedro Ciriaco followed with a single for some insurance and Luke Jackson worked around a single and a walk to earn the save as Round Rock won 5-3.



Nicholas is the Player to Watch as he finished 3/3 with two doubles and was the catcher, showing no nerves at being Darvish's battery mate.

Notes

The name above the scoreboard needs to be fixed.



The Zephyrs are going to change their name next season. Given how much of minor league baseball is going to these weird and wonderful names, it will be interesting to see what they choose, but you can bet it will be some sort of anthropomorphic creature with a link to New Orleans waterways. Swamp Monsters anyone?

Best,

Sean

Tulsa Drillers 7 at Arkansas Travelers 1 (Texas League) - May 5, 2016

My Texas League trip continued on Thursday with a game in Little Rock, about 3 hours from Springdale. Once again Google Maps suggested the quickest and dullest route, I-49 South to I-40 East. A much more enjoyable drive is through the Ozark National Forest - I took US-412 east and then zigzagged along State Highways 23, 16, and 21 before hitting I-40 at Clarksville. The winding roads are very scenic and devoid of traffic, making them a fun way to test your driving skills a little bit.



After a short rest at my downtown hotel, I made my way across the Arkansas River to North Little Rock, where the stadium is actually located. There are two bridges that span the waterway, but the Broadway Bridge, which leaves you right at the ballpark entrance, had both sidewalks closed. This forced me to use the Main Street Bridge, which is nice enough, but at night rather dark and deserted for the return trip. The detour did bring me past the Old State House (above), which is the oldest standing state capitol building west of the Mississippi River and now a museum. (There is free parking right by the stadium, but I was close enough that it didn't make any sense to drive.)



The stadium was opened in 2007 to replace Ray Winder Field and is celebrating its 10th season. It is named for a pair of Arkansas brothers: Baseball Hall of Famer Bill Dickey and his brother George, who also caught in the majors, and businessmen Jackson T. and Warren R. Stephens, who donated the land. There are four plaques just to the left of the main entrance honouring these men (above).



The main entrances look more like railyards than a ballpark, but once inside, it much like any other AA stadium. As you can see below, there is a small walkway between six rows of lower seats ($13) and the upper reserved sections ($9). There is also a $7 beer garden area for those who want to socialize, as well as a GA ticket for the same price. Ushers don't check very aggressively, so as usual, buy the cheapie and sit where you want once fans have settled in.



The first thing to check out is the small Travelers Museum just behind home plate. It is free and has two large display cases with a lot of memorabilia, an old desk and some stadium chairs inside and alcove and photos of past Travs teams on one wall. The team has been around since 1963, and before that the Little Rock Travelers played in some form since 1902 (missing a few years here and there) so you will be surprised at the amount of interesting material inside.



With so much in the museum, there isn't a whole lot inside the stadium itself. Food options are pretty bland - the most unusual thing I saw was a Razorback Steak Snack, which is jerky, and a stand selling 8 strips of bacon for $6.



The view of downtown Little Rock behind right field is quite nice, but there are really no bad seats in this ballpark.



There are some tables along the third base concourse where you can stand and enjoy your meal; I spent the first three innings here before moving to a seat behind home plate.



Overall, Dickey-Stephens Park has a lot to offer, but it is concentrated in the museum. There isn't a large Road to the Show display on the concourse like in many other venues, and few other amenities. This is not a complaint as I prefer the simpler ballparks and Dickey-Stephens is just that. If you are in Little Rock during the summer, try and check out a Travelers tilt.



The Game

It was a AA battle of LA with Tulsa in town. Chase De Jong started for them; Blue Jays fans will remember that he was their 2nd round pick in 2012 before being sent to the Dodgers in return for some international bonus pool slots (he is now LA's 18th-ranked prospect). He faced Troy Scribner, an undrafted free agent working his way up the Angels chain. Andrew Toles (3rd round in 2012 by Tampa Bay), making his AA debut for Tulsa, homered in the first and that was all De Jong would need. He retired the first 13 he faced before giving up a single to Cal Towey (17th, 2013). The only other blemish was a lead off walk in the 6th as De Jong completed seven very strong innings to take my Player to Watch award. The Drillers offense added 3 runs in the 5th including a 2-run homer from Paul Hoenecke (24th, 2012, my PTW from the game in Tulsa) and singletons in the 6th, 7th, and 8th. An RBI double by Traveler Chad Hinshaw (15th, 2013, Angels #9 prospect) ended the shutout but Tulsa held on for the 7-1 win.

Coincidentally, Arkansas lost the game I saw in Springfield 7-1 as well, scoring their only run in the 9th inning then too.

Notes

It was Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that gets more exposure in the US than in Mexico. The Travelers did not have a promotion for it, but some fans dressed up in sombreros.



There were two other promotions however, with the first being "Strike Out Stroke Night" with a large walk-through brain outside, and Star Wars Night, with many fans dressed up in costumes from the film series, including a Tusken Raider below.



A sad note: the stadium is where Tulsa first-base coach Mike Coolbaugh was killed by a line drive in 2007. It was this unbelievable tragedy that led to all field coaches wearing helmets in baseball.

Best,

Sean

Springfield Cardinals 10 at Northwest Arkansas Naturals 6 (Texas League)- May 4, 2016

It was another school day at the ballpark, this time in Springdale, home of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. I had to leave Springfield quite early to make it for the 11:10 start. Google Maps recommends the fastest route using I-44 and I-49, but you can save 30 miles and only add five minutes by taking a straighter route along US-60 and MO-37, which I did. As an aside, Google Maps always suggests the fastest route regardless of miles driven and you should consider alternatives if you want something other than endless interstates. As it turned out, there was a bit of road work on US-60 that delayed me ten minutes, so when I arrived at the ballpark, I had no time to do a tour, particularly as the concourse was crowded with kids.



The stadium is southwest of the town of Springdale, which is itself a few miles north of Fayetteville, famous for the University of Arkansas. It was opened in 2008 to house the relocating Wichita Wranglers, and has a capacity of 7,305. From afar, it looks more like a soccer stadium with its undulating rooftops. Next to the entrance is a small rock garden that serves no particular purpose.



There is no street parking around, so you will have to fork over $3 to leave your vehicle, with the lot far enough away from the diamond to avoid any dings from foul balls The naming rights belong to a bank that operates in Arkansas and surrounding states, which also happens to be owned by Jim Walton of the Walmart Waltons.



There were no people with extra tickets, so I bought a reserved seat for $9, which happened to be surrounded by a group of kids and their teachers. Rather than infringe on their space, I moved to a slightly better location and was not disturbed for the duration.



With only about 15 minutes to first pitch and the concourse crowded with kids at the concession stands, I didn't even bother walking around until after the game, when most of these pictures were taken.



There is a Naturals Hall of Fame with one inductee per season. Incidentally, the first honoree was Clint Robinson, who is now with Washington.



The Naturals are affiliates of the Royals and there are a number of posters around showing current Royals stars along with their Naturals debut, Royals debut, and any accomplishments. Apparently the Royals won the World Series last year, an event which I do not recall.



There is a long rectangular scoreboard in right field (barely visible below) which had quite a bit of information, though player positions were not listed in the lineup, something I have never seen before. The PA guy also did not mention the player numbers when announcing the starting lineup. Minor quibbles, but they should be included. Overall, I thought this was a pretty nice, relaxed ballpark, but I wish I had more time to explore it.



The Game

Springfield was in town for a battle of Missouri MLB affiliates with Corey Baker (49th round in 2011) starting for the Cardinals, while Eric Skoglund (3rd, 2014, KC's #28 prospect) took the hill for NW Arkansas. The big news was the AA debut of Ryan O'Hearn (8th, 2014, KC's #13 prospect) who had just been promoted. The Naturals scored in the first when Hunter Dozier singled home Orlando Calixte, but both pitchers were on their game after that, at one point combining to retire 14 in a row.



In the top of the 5th, with one out and a man on first, Luis Cruz grounded to O'Hearn, who threw a bit wide to get the lead runner. For some reason, Naturals manager Vance Wilson decided to come out to have a discussion with the umpire. I couldn't believe it, not only because there was nothing to be discussed (there was no interference), but also because Wilson was disrupting Skoglund's rhythm. Obviously, I have never pitched professionally, but I did as a kid and I always felt better when in a steady rhythm. I expected Skoglund to suffer a bit with this slight delay, and sure enough he started Harrison Bader (3rd, 2015, #10 prospect for St. Louis) with a couple of balls. The next pitch was forced and Bader pounced, doubling home Cruz. The wheels came off after that as C.J. McElroy (3rd, 2011) doubled home Bader and Bruce Caldwell (15th, 2012) homered to make it 4-1. Skoglund got out of the inning without any more trouble, but his day was done and I blame Wilson for his pointless excursion. Considering he was a major league catcher, he should know better and only argue when his team is on offense.



Anyway, Estarlin Cordero pitched the next two innings for the Naturals and gave up 3 runs in each, ending any suspense. In the bottom of the ninth, NW Arkansas scored five runs, including a no-doubt homer from O'Hearn, but that only made the score less embarrassing as Springfield won 10-6. The scoreboard was turned off before I could snap a shot, something that always annoys me.

Notes

Bader, out of Florida, finished 4/5 with 2 RBI and is certain to be patrolling the outfield in St. Louis by next season at the latest. I saw his pro debut last year on Staten Island and he hit two very long homers in that game. Less than a year later and he has jumped all the way up to AA and shows no signs of slowing down, hitting .388 with five homers for Springfield. In general, AA is the best level to watch prospects against their peers, many AAA players are older and on their way down, so you don't quite get the proper comparison and it seems like Bader has all the tools to be a major league regular.

Best,

Sean

Arkansas Razorbacks 6 at Missouri State Bears 14 (NCAA Baseball) - May 3, 2016

I spent an extra day in Springfield to see a Missouri State Bears game at Hammons Field, which had hosted a Springfield Cardinals morning game the day before. It gave me a chance to relax after a very busy past two weeks. I also discovered Big Whiskey's, a bar near the stadium that has half-price drinks from 4-6, perfect for a game that starts at 6:35. After a couple of beers (total cost, including tip, was less than one pint in NYC), I waddled over to the stadium. There were lots of people with extra tickets, and one guy wanted a little bit less than what I would have paid at the window. While I was going to check the prices, another guy came up and just handed me one, so I never did find out how much tickets cost. I was happy to get some free baseball, but I would later regret that.



I did take the time to wander around the venue, taking pictures of areas that were not accessible the day before. Above is the view from the Redbird Nest, which has $28 seats for the Cardinals, while below is the view from the berm behind the left field fence. Note the building in the upper left corner, this is also named for John Q. Hammons, as is the street that passes by the ballpark.



This is a really nice park when it isn't teeming with children (the same could be said of many public places), and the crowd here was much older, though there were a good number of Missouri State students on hand as well.



The visitors were Arkansas (coincidentally Arkansas were the guests the day before) and these two teams had met in a Super Regional (baseball's equivalent of the Sweet Sixteen) last year, with Arkansas winning 2-1 to book a place in the College World Series in Omaha. Arkansas lost player-of-the-year Andrew Benintendi to graduation and have struggled this year in SEC play (7-14) while Missouri State are last in the MVC at 3-8 despite a 28-14 overall record. As this was a midweek contest, poor pitching was to be expected as most schools only carry two or three decent starters, while Missouri State has a prolific offense, averaging nearly 8 runs per game.



It started with a couple of quick shutout innings, but the Bears scored 3 in the third, added another in the fourth and then batted around and them some in the fifth, plating 8 more to make it 12-0.  Arkansas finally got to starter Austin Knight in the sixth with a five spot, but Missouri State singletons in the sixth and seventh removed what little doubt remained. The game dragged on and on but the players and managers kept playing like it was the 7th game of the World Series. In one situation, Arkansas left a reliever in to start an inning and he hit the first batter, only to then be taken out. It is really frustrating to have a pitcher start an inning with so little room for failure. In the bottom of the 7th, up 12-5, a Bear batter was up with the bases loaded and watched six straight pitches and was called out on strikes. He had the temerity to glare at the umpire. If you are up by 7 in the 7th, swing the freaking bat! Why are you trying to work a bases-loaded walk? Insurance? Jake Burger was the star for Missouri finishing a double shy of the cycle.



I took the photo above a bit too early as Arkansas scored one more in the 9th to make the final 14-6. An absolutely terrible game that lasted 3:28 and had 90% of fans leaving before it had ended. Midweek college ball is always a crapshoot; I saw a great game in New Mexico two weeks ago, but this one will go down as eminently forgettable. Such is the sports road trippers life, you hope for good games but sometimes you have to live with a stinker.

Best,

Sean

Arkansas Travelers 1 at Springfield Cardinals 7 (Texas League) - May 2, 2016

When you look at the entire minor league baseball schedule on any given weekday, you will usually notice a few games with start times of 10:30 or 11:00. These are designated "kids days" where local schools brings some of their classes out for a break from the grind. These are also great for road trippers as they open up the evening for other games or a relaxing night at a nearby bar. This Monday morning, it was the Springfield Cardinals who were welcoming youngsters for an 11:10 start. I had driven from Tulsa the day before so was able to finally enjoy a bit of rest myself before heading over to Hammons Field, which is located in the northern part of the city in an area with little parking. The best spot is on Walnut Street, a couple of blocks south, where parking is free at all times. If you are attending a night game, check out Big Whiskeys on Park Central which has half-price beers from 4-6.



Hammons Field was opened in 2004 and the Cardinals moved in the following year. The venue is named for local businessman John Q. Hammons, who funded the construction entirely by himself, even before he had bought the team. Once he acquired a franchise and moved it here, it was a no-brainer to use the Cardinals name as St. Louis is only about 2.5 hours away. In the team's first decade, 72 Springfield players have gone on to make their debut with St. Louis, no doubt boosting attendance in Springfield. Hammons passed away at the age of 94 in 2013, a year after his club won its first Texas League title.



The venue is quite typical, with the single seating bowl with Kelly green seats and suites above. There is some spacing between the press box area and the Redbird Roost above third base, as you can see below. There are 11 total seating options including suites and group areas. with the cheapest option being a lawn ticket at $7. I decided to splurge, buying a regular seat in the second row just next to the visiting dugout for the sum of $10.



There are a few  unusual aspects here, such as the buildings beyond right field, which house a practice facility and the team's administrative offices. There is also a basketball court above the berm in the left field corner.



There are two scoreboards here beyond left field: a manual one to the left that includes pennants for all the St. Louis World Series titles and an out of town scoreboard (below, taken the following day before a Missouri State game), and a large video board to the right, which has pennants for each Texas League team.



Of course, the best part about seeing sports in Missouri is toasted ravioli, a treat at anytime. Here it is $5.25 for six pieces, a bit much but not enough  to preclude me from buying it. Kids could buy it for $1, but I didn't think that teachers would appreciate me accosting one of their students to buy my food.



The weather wasn't that good, with temperatures in the low teens and clouds all day long. This did not affect the mood of the children, who were rambunctious and loud from start to finish. They also got hot dogs given to them on the concourse, which made it quite crowded and tough to get a clear picture, so I am using a shot from the Missouri State game, which had about 1/6 the attendance.



When I returned to my seat, it was occupied by one of a group of third graders from Bowerman Elementary, so I took the seat in front of it, in the first row.  Before the game started, a couple of boys moved to the first row, mainly to pester the Arkansas players for baseballs as they came off the field. After the first inning, one kid got a ball, so many of his classmates moved down in an attempt to get the next one. After every Springfield inning, the player who made the last out would toss the ball into the stands. One time, a young girl was unable to catch the ball, which bounced off her face, leading to some tears and a visit to the first aid tent for a bag of ice. When she returned with a shiner, she was all smiles as she was the center of attention and had received a signed ball as well.

It was quite fun to listen to the kids chatter with each other, and a few of them asked me questions about scoring the game or other baseball oddities. They are at that age where they are still completely open and not shy at all, but also unable to focus on the game in front of them. Still, they sure know a lot more about the world than I did back in 1976, surprising me with some of the things they said to each other. Overall, the experience was really enjoyable. These kids days do make it difficult to get a full appreciation of the stadium at times, but in this case their enjoyment of having a day off school rubs off on the most jaded fan. Too bad they didn't bother watching the game, which was a good one for Springfield.

The Game

Trey Nielsen (30th round in 2013, #23 prospect for St. Louis) started for Springfield and was superb, yielding only a single hit in six innings, thus earning him my Player to Watch award. His Arkansas (Angels) counterpart, Blackford (37th, 2013), was brutal, walking six batters in just three frames, with two of those coming around to score. Springfield added another run in the sixth off Austin Adams (8th, 2013), and then ended all doubt with a four-run eighth, including a 3-run homer from David Washington (15th, 2009). Arkansas scored a run in the ninth on a single from Chad Hinshaw (15th, 2013, now Anaheim's #9 prospect), who advanced to second on defensive indifference and scored on a single from Eric Aguilera (34th, 2013), but that was it as Springfield won easily 7-1.



Arkansas pitchers combined for 11 walks, while Springfield allowed only 5 runners to reach base (plus one on an error). A great win for the home team.

Notes

Missouri State also uses Hammons Field as their home ground, and I saw them play the following day, ironically also against Arkansas. More on that tomorrow.

Hammons is also the benefactor of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, located about seven miles southeast of the ballpark and worth a visit for any sports fan, with admission just $5. There has been a lot of sports history in this state, and many top announcers such as Joe Buck and Bob Costas come from the area. There are also several Canadian baseball connections, including Montreal manager Bill Virdon (who played for St. Louis), Tom Henke (a KC native),  and Joe Carter (who attended Wichita State of the Missouri Valley Conference.



They still have a lot of Rams displays, so if you want to see that, you better get there soon. Interesting trivia is that St. Louis University was the first team to use the forward pass and now they don't have a football team in either college or the pro ranks.

Best,

Sean

Northwest Arkansas Naturals 7 at Tulsa Drillers 5 (Texas League) - May 1, 2016

Day 2 of my Texas League trip began early as I had to make the four-hour drive to Tulsa for a 1:05 start. Highways were clear and the weather was good, and I arrived in downtown Tulsa just after noon, giving me plenty of time to check out ONEOK Field, the new home of the Drillers.



The ballpark was opened in 2010 to replace Drillers Stadium, which I visited in 2001. The new venue is located north of downtown, right next to I-244 that encircles much of the city. There are parking lots nearby, but I found a spot on the street just a couple of blocks away and wandered over. There wasn't much of a crowd, so rather than wait for a freebie, I forked over $5 for a lawn seat and made my way in.



The stadium is quite typical for this level, with a single seating bowl from foul pole to foul pole, and a suite level above. Party areas and berms are in the outfield, though some sections were closed off on this day. There are ushers at each section, but they generally weren't checking tickets as long as it is not behind home plate.



The concourse is quite wide, and the poles have pictures of past Drillers, such as Pudge Rodgriguez. The team store is located near the left field entrance and is one of the largest I have ever seen in the minor leagues. The smaller souvenir stand is called Drill Bits, a nice pun.



You can complete an entire circuit of the field, something that is quite common nowadays and allows you to capture the views from many different angles.



The best part of the stadium is the Tulsa Skyline beyond right field. For this reason, sitting along third base is somewhat better than first base. The picture below was taken while a weather phenomenon known as cloud iridescence was visible.



The netting here does not extend to the entire dugout, unlike the ballpark in Frisco. With the sun out and shining brightly, I chose to sit further back as the last two rows are shaded by the overhang.



Later on I moved to the seats behind home plate, where there were several scouts watching. Again, quite a nice view.



The mascot here is Hornsby, a blue buffalo with a great baseball name (Rogers Hornsby began his career in Hugo, Oklahoma, a town about 160 miles south of Tulsa). Hornsby is quite energetic, below challenging some of the visiting Northwest Arkansas Naturals to a boxing contest before the game.



If you are looking to grab some food, try Franx, a stand that sells five varieties of specialty hot dogs. The other thing to note is the mascot race, which is sponsored by a local hardware or appliance concern, and features a toilet with a mustache (I missed the name so please supply your own joke), a furnace (Bernie) and an air conditioner (Breezy). We need a list of all mascot races across minor league baseball because nearly every team has one these days and some of them are very creative.



Overall, I really enjoyed the afternoon here. This is a simpler stadium with a more sedate crowd than that in Frisco, but its downtown location and backdrop, plus very cheap tickets and friendly staff, make it a great place to watch a ballgame.

The Game

This was my third time seeing the Naturals in the past two weeks after I watched them in Midland a couple of times. The team is loaded with prospects, including Matt Strahm (21st round in 2012, now KC's #10 prospect, below) who started. He pitched five solid innings, striking out 8 and walking none while yielding a single run. His offense managed 4 runs off Tulsa (Dodgers affiliate) starter Brock Stewart (6th, 2014), with Raul Mondesi's 2-run double the key.



Bubba Starling added a homer in the 7th, but Tulsa replied when Erisbel Arruebarrena (a Cuban who spent a few games with the Dodgers in 2014) hit a 2-run shot in the bottom half. Starling doubled to lead off the ninth to start a small rally that resulted in two more Natural runs and a 7-3 lead, runs that were absolutely necessary when Paul Hoenecke (24th, 2012) hit a 2-run shot in the bottom half. Arruebarrena followed but fouled out to first to end the game as Tulsa dropped a 7-5 decision.



This was actually a very good game, with no walks issued by either side, a rarity in the minors. I like it when pitchers pitch and hitters hit, and the game moved at a great pace, finishing in 2:28, with a PPM (pitches per minute) of 1.78.

Player to Watch

Strahm is the obvious choice, but I try to avoid picking top prospects here, so will go with Hoenecke, who was 3/4 with the dinger and the only Driller to not strike out.

Notes

This was my 650th venue lifetime and 240th ballpark.

Arruebarrena was suspended for the rest of the season a couple of days later, so this might have been his last game. Not sure why, but it is the second time he has been so disciplined.

I didn't have time to explore Tulsa this time as I needed to drive to Springfield for a game Monday morning. More on that in the next post.

Best,

Sean