Friday, July 11, 2008

The broccoli creamed the corn

I went out this morning for a quick trip to the store, and dropped some stuff off at Goodwill. A bit of a gloomy start, with very overcast skies. The sun is out now, and the temperatures are heating up. A hot and humid day followed by a warm and humid night...a perfect night for a visit to the BALL PARK!

Ken's company is having some kind of a employee appreciation thing tonight (I think it's the company...could be the PAC) at Coveleski Stadium, home of our Single A minor league team, the South Bend Silverhawks. They're the farm team for the Arizona Diamondbacks. We don't go as often as we should, because it's a lovely park, and we always have such a good time! Minor league parks are so accessible, too. They open up the diamond after the game, and kids can go down and run the bases. Or even adults, if they're so inclined. Although, gee, I can't imagine what adult(s) would be so goofy as to run the bases, tear into home and STOMP on the home plate like they'd just won the World Series or something! I can't believe I did that someone would do that. We're looking forward to some hot dogs (although I believe they have Philly cheesesteaks there now...mmmm) and beer, and I'm wishin' upon a star that they'll do the produce race tonight.

I can't help it, it just cracks me up every time! I think they usually have a carrot, too. Look at the broccoli! Ha! Is it the Brewers that do the sausage race? There is not much funnier to me than people dressed up like wieners or vegetables and running a race. We may not be lucky enough tonight to see the produce race, but in the great tradition of minor league ball, they always have some kind of shenanigans going on.

Minor league mascots are always great, too. The Silverhawks have Swoop, a hawk (go figure!). Actually, the team is named after the Studebaker Hawk model--they had a Silver Hawk and a Gold Hawk. Some of you might know that South Bend is the home of Studebaker Corporation, defunct since 1963. But it would be kind of silly to have a car as a mascot, wouldn't it?

Anyhoo, I love the minor league mascots. (Tonight we're playing the Quad Cities River Bandits. They thumped us last night, so I hope we'll do better tonight. Not sure what their mascot looks like.) There's an Iowa team whose mascot is something like Mr. Kernel...? I can't remember the team or the mascot's name, but it's really goofy and fun!

Some of you are lucky enough to have major league teams in your cities. We're close to Chicago, so our main team is the Cubs, who are actually doing quite well so far this year. Do the rest of you have a minor league team in your town? What are their names and who are their mascots? Do you go to games often?

Hope you're all enjoying your day!

 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our home league mascott is a walking baseball head called screwball! LOL
Missie

Anonymous said...

Oh, I really hope they did the produce race, & more importantly, that you took pictures.  I would picture the broccoli running more swiftly, corn is so starchy. ~Mary

Anonymous said...

We have The NY Yankees (Ever hear of them ? LOL) and The NY Mets (equally famous) . But Long Island's Minor leave is the Long Island Ducks  !! Can you guess who our mascot is ? LOL You know I've never been to a Ducks game, but  you have inspired me to GO !
Hugs,
Ellen

Anonymous said...

Looking at the costumes, I would say Broccoli has a running change with it's legs free, Corn is a little bound up the moment. (Hugs)Indigo

Anonymous said...

Hope you had fun at the game xx  That vegetable race looks funny :)  

Jenny

http://journals.aol.co.uk/Jmoqueen/MyLife

Anonymous said...

about once every two years i go down to Cincinnati to a RED's game..it is always fun..they sell fried boloney sandwiches for $6.50!! My mom loves and lives near the AZ Diamondbacks. Seems every time i have gone to a game it is about 100 degrees outside and raining.
XO

Anonymous said...

... I would go to minor league games just for the atmosphere ... haven't tried to go to CoPa yet ... but it feels so rightthere at the minor leagues that you can't help but enjoy the games ...

Anonymous said...

We have the Louisville Bats right across the river who play at Louisville Slugger Field, and they are affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds, which I guess is still the closest major league team.
Lori

Anonymous said...

We have the Rome Braves.  Rome is about 25 miles from here, and they have a nice stadium.  They've done really well attendance-wise since moving from Macon with a number of sell-outs each year.  This, of course, is the Atlanta Braves' farm team.  Atlanta is about 50 miles south of here.  There mascots are Romey & Roxie.  Don't know exactly what they're supposed to be, but they look like something off of Sesame Street.  Their website is http://www.romebraves.com/.  We haven't been to either one, but maybe we can get to go sometime.  I love baseball having grown up watching the NBC Game of the Week with commentators Dizzy Dean and PeeWee Reese.  Boy, just dated myself there!  Just keep in mind I was only about six or seven years old when my dad and I would watch and eat popcorn!

Dirk
http://journals.aol.com/tsalagiman1/the-first-amendment-not-politi/