The Baseball Trip 2019

Day 1, Saturday, July 13

This year it's back to the East Coast, and it is going to be Minor League heavy. We might not see any MLB games; we might see  maybe three. Can't tell til it all shakes out on the road. Seat of the pants, if you will. Right now we are heading to Dayton to see the Class A Dayton Dragons.

And of course by we, I mean myself and Randy, navigator extraordinaire and observer of the human condition. Also, we count things along the way. Our version of the license plate game, or something like that. I have never played the license plate game. Sounds boring. That's why we count things like women on riding mowers, Dollar General stores, Cash for Gold stores, military machinery memorials, kids actually playing outside, Walmarts, and other signs of the apocalypse. This trip we are counting shirtless drivers, Confederate flags, and carnivals/county fairs.

Random observation from Randy: Shirtless drivers? We are almost in Indiana. We'll have 20 by noon.

I have at times offered description of the surrounding terrain, the broad farms and rolling hillsides of Indiana and Ohio, but I only know so many adjectives. Here's the short version of today's Farm Report: Corn, soybeans, corn soybeans, dilapidated barn, tractors, combines.

Dayton is the class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, and tonight they are playing the Beloit Snappers (Oakland A's). The Snappers have not yet learned how to throw the ball to first base, and commit four errors in the first three innings. On the other hand, the Dragons could not find a timely hit to save their lives. With all the walks and errors given to them, they only lead 3-0 after three innings. That was the final score.

We must have good karma; someone was there for a ceremony for Shoes for the Shoeless night, but wasn't staying for the game. He gave us his tickets, free. No kidding.

Here are some pictures from Fifth Third Bank Field, home of the Dragons:

 Warming up before the game; hosing down the infield.

 Ceremonial first pitch with Heater, the mascot. More on him later.

 There is an apartment complex going up behind center field.

 Videoboard behind left field.

 Me, with Heater. I saw Heater and a female mascot named Gem a few years ago. I thought they were husband and wife because they danced together. It was that same dance Will and Carlton did on Fresh Prince...Apache, by the Sugar Hill Gang. It was creepy. Turns out, Gem is Heater's niece. Creepier.

 From center field.

They invited some dinosaur mascot to help shoot the T-shirt cannon. I don't know why.

Front gate. The Dragons put together 815 consecutive sellouts.

Favorite town names: Garden of Eden, IL
                                      Gas City, IN

Favorite signs: Liquor Land

Things we cannot stick around for: Riverfest Rib Cookoff, Winamac, IN

Shirtless drivers: 0, actually.
Carnival/Fairs: 1
Confederate flags: 0

Random observation from Randy: Fair parking, next left. I think we should hold out for better than just fair.

Next: Akron