We just got back from a jolly outing to Raley Field in West Sac. We were wearing shorts and t-shirts and were beginning to get a wee bit cold, and the home team was up 7-0, so we split after 6 innings, because we're all old fogeys who just want to get to bed at a reasonable hour.
Either the A's AAA team is a hitting juggernaut or the pitchers for The Oklahoma City Redhawks suck.
Raley Field is a swell ballpark, modern and clean. It was my 3rd game there; #1 for Brother Jon.
The right fielder for O.C. made a spectacular catch early when the sun was still glaring into that field. He was running almost straight out and snagged a ball over his head right out of the sun.
In the afternoon of course we had watched the Giants romp in Houston. I haven't checked the box score yet but it seemed like everyone was hitting. Pablo's still hot, FSanchez also. Rowand's doing well, and how about that grand slam by Eli Whiteside?
And I say that a meaningless single late in a one-sided game counts as a CLUTCH hit when it keeps alive a 12 game hitting streak. Hooray for Eugenio Velez.
And the return of Joe Martinez guaranteed a big feel-good day. He's our 5th starter until someone else is.
3 comments:
Many thanks to Bro and Steve for taking me out to the ballpark. The Raley Field experience was quite nice; a little too wholesome for an old Candlestick Bleacher Bum like myself, but a slick venue with a quality product. As soon as I entered I was struck with a definite similarity to our gem at Mays Field, but as the night wore on it felt more like Chavez Latrine (but not in a bad way). Boring color scheme and completely characterless playing field. Good food; I had a tasty "Ball Tip" BBQ sandwich and draft Tecate. Our seats were 16 rows above the visitor on deck circle, behind the screen. Prices were a little more than I expected ($8 parking in Sactown is rare) but a bargain by big city standards. The level of play was quite good and featured a couple excellent plays by a speedy RF. The interesting prospect on the field, Smoak, gave me little to assess as he swung at 3 of the 4 pitches I saw him face. Made solid contact, I guess. A bunch of RiverCats smacked it around, including a Denofria(?) HR that got into the jetstream blowing out to left. All in all, a classic minor league experience, probably a lot more high end than most.
Jon Bob sez check it out.
BTW the final score was 7-1. The Okies got a run in the top of the 9th. Winning pitcher James Timmons recorded a season-high 11 strikeouts in 6 innings.
What kind of promotions/give aways/contests did they have? The minor leagues always has the best. I once saw a contest where they spun people around with a bag over their heads and if they could run without falling down they could win furniture.
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