New York Yankees

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On vacation in South Carolina, I got to see the Yankees Single A affiliate Charleston Riverdogs play the Mets’ Single A team the Columbia Fireflies.

In an effort of full disclosure, I initially was drawn to purchase tickets because Tim Tebow was playing LF for the Fireflies. I found us great seats because I bought them in May, Section 119, Row 1, seats 18 – 21. These four seats are immediately in front of the left fielder. Tim Tebow plays left field for the Fireflies, or, rather he used to. As luck would have it, he was promoted a couple of weeks back to St. Lucie High A and was nowhere to be found last Friday night in Charleston.

The absence of Tebow did not dampen our spirits though. A beautiful night for baseball as met with a 7-1 win, and the good fortune of getting a foul ball!!!

It is funny to me that in all my years of going to baseball games the only two foul balls I ever got were at The Joe, in S.C. Both tossed to me by players of the opposing team, I am now the proud owner of TWO Official South Atlantic League baseballs. In fact, once in found its way into my glove the other night my future father in law asked me if I was going to give it to a kid…I still laugh when I think of him asking.

Part of the fun were two boys from Jersey representing the Garden State in Charleston for our Yankees – Brandon Wagner and Ben Ruta.

Brandon Wagner, Princeton, NJ

Wagner, 21, was drafted in 2015 in the sixth round. After spending the remainder of the 2015 season in High A, he spent all of 2016 in Rookie ball before his promotion to Charleston this spring. He had a great night Friday, going 3 for 4 while hitting his 12th, 13th and 14th double of the season. In the process of doing so, he drove in three of the Riverdogs’ seven runs.

For the season (as of this writing) he is having his best year since becoming a professional baseball player. Batting .292 with 70 hits, 14 2B, 3HR, 34RBI and 30BB he still has some work to do before we see him in Trenton, I believe … he has struck out 80 times so far…but this is why he is in A Ball – for now. I will not be surprised if the Princeton, NJ native is playing closer to home next summer.

Ben Ruta, West Windsor, NJ

Ben Ruta, a 23-year-old native of West Windsor, NJ, is in his first season with the Riverdogs. Drafted in 2016’s 30th round, he split time last year with the Pulaski Yankees and the Staten Island Yankees. So far, he has put in a solid season, batting .290 in 155 at bats, drawing 13 walks and driving in 13 runs. On Friday, Ruta went 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Minor league baseball just does not get old for me. I love it and I love seeing baseball talent develop over the years. Sometimes we forget that big hitters like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper once were kids trying to learn how to hit Big League pitching.

Wagner and Ruta – although they may not be Trout or Harper – are taking on those same challenges now. I hope both fair very well. I hope to see both in Trenton next season, too. Their family and friends would love it!

Box Score

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For those who prefer to listen, than read, I offer this:

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CamdenPan

As a Catholic, it is a big no-no to have any other Gods before me. I get that and I should be clear that I don’t have any. I don’t have any before me, behind me, beside me or any others. So I would then respectfully request you not misinterpret what I am about to write as taking the Lord, His name or His church in vain.

Hell, I love me some Jesus just as much as the next Christian does. I pray and I talk to Him every day. Am I a good Catholic? Mmm. No. No. But, my faith is important to me and it is a big part of my life.

That being said, you can believe me when I tell you there are few places on earth where my spirit will rise to the heavens like it does when I am inside a cathedral that houses the church of baseball.

Someone, I don’t know who, once said “90 feet between bases is the closest man has come to perfection.”

They’re right.

Last Saturday, a church opened its doors to me; a cathedral I’ve longed to visit. Clad in vestments of orange and black, their opponents in gray and navy, there was a congregation of 38,000 strong readying themselves for a religious experience. I grant you there may not have been any laying of the hands, or kumbaya’s, but there was a warm sun and no there was no threat of rain.

The service begins as it usually does, with a hymn and a prayer. In our case the hymn was the Star Spangled Banner, the benediction was a cry from the pulpit behind home plate, letting the the boys know it was time to “Play Ball.”

For communion I had a soft pretzel, a hot dog, a bag of peanuts, four pints of Miller Lite … don’t judge me, I was at a game. And all of this was complimented by the Baltimore faithful singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame.

Me and Stacy

Three-plus hours later, and in spite of a 5-4 loss, my heart was singing Hallelujah and Praised be to Jesus … and at the risk of full-blown blasphemy, Praise be to Cal Ripken, Jr. and the house he built too.

For the first time since Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened 25 years ago, I stepped through its gates. Immediately I was impressed. Inside the stadium and out, its cleanliness was eye opening. The concession staff greeted patrons with smiles, even late in the game when they were tired. Lest I forget the kindness of Baltimore baseball fans. Holy cow. One thing was for sure, I was not in the South Bronx.

I mean, come on. Look at that face? How can you not love it?

As a kid, as I am now, I was and am a Yankee fan. But the Orioles have always my “second team.” Quietly, my second team. To explain this would deserve its own blog post at some point. Just not here and now. Nevertheless, it began when I was a kid. It may have been the colors, or it may have been their logo. I will tell you, to this day, The Oriole Bird is my all-time favorite logo in sports.

But win or lose, on this day it didn’t matter. It was spending an afternoon in the sun at Camden Yards, right next to my girl, and a handful of her friends from college, all making for a great day at the ballpark; a great day of baseball.

After I wrote that last line it reminded me of something a friend of mine once told me close to 30 years ago.