It’s nice to be able to re-charge the battery before school gets started.
Some people in my profession like to completely get away from sports. Not me. It’s not in my blood.
I’ve spent the last 10 days in New Mexico where I was fortunate enough to get a couple rounds of golf in and take in a few Triple-A games in Albuquerque.
If you ever get a chance to see a baseball game at Isotopes Stadium, or The Lab has the locals have dubbed it, go for it.
It’s a great ballpark, a lot bigger than Raley Field or Aces Ballpark. The bullpens are behind the outfield fences like they are in Reno and Sacramento, allowing fans down the lines unobstructed views of the plate. The kids’ area is better than Aces or Raley with a basketball hoop, a mini-golf area, playground apparatus and a couple of rides. Isotopes also has an upper deck that is something the other two places don’t.
No matter where you go, however, you are going to have annoying fans. Don’t get me wrong, I love fans who come to the game and are vocal when their favorite team does well. I just cringe when their lack of baseball knowledge shows in their remarks which come out loud enough for people two sections over to hear.
I had the misfortune to sit in front of a group of 8-10 “fans” this past week when Albuquerque played against the Angels’ affiliate out of Salt Lake. Albuquerque is just 2 1/2 games out of first place in their division, so the city is energized by the success.
The biggest news this week, however, was the arrival of former Giants closer Brian Wilson, who was released by the Giants and underwent Tommy John surgery. Wilson was recently signed by the Dodgers, and is slowly working his way back into shape.
I saw his first stint in Albuquerque on Aug. 9 against Tacoma, which lasted just seven pitches. It was a scoreless inning, but Wilson was rescued twice by nice defensive plays. The stint was so short that Wilson went back out to the bullpen the next inning to get some more throwing in.
Wilson threw another scoreless inning on Aug. 11 against Tacoma with one strikeout.
On Aug. 12, I decided to catch another game, this time against Salt Lake, and this is where the idiotic fans come in.
The Isotopes, after a slow start, built up a 10-0 lead thanks to three runs in the fourth and seven in the fifth. In the seventh, despite the fact the starting pitcher had allowed just four hits, the fans start chanting for Wilson.
Are you kidding me?
Be serious people, the guy is coming off surgery and the Dodgers aren’t going to rush him in there and start throwing him everyday. Not going to happen. The eighth inning starts, and Wilson is still watching from the pen.
Wilson knows he’s not going in, but the clowns behind me and around me just don’t get it. Putting Wilson in with that kind of lead is like putting Mariano Rivera in with that sort of lead. Anybody with half a brain knows this. Still the noise persists. Annoying is all I can say.
Each time there was a foul ball, the guy behind me would yell “foul ball” at the top of his lungs. At one point I turned around and asked him if he was sure.
It’s obvious to me that these people maybe go to one game a year. They may have been college students looking for something to do since classes at University of New Mexico start next week. I’m glad that people are supporting the game of baseball, but I just wish they wouldn’t show their ignorance so much.
Please people don’t show your stupidity for baseball quite so bluntly.