Carter's Mascot Report - 6/28

The mascot for the Rangers is called Rangers Captain.  It is a horse that wears a uniform.  Its number is 72.  72 stands for 1972 because that is when the Rangers came into Arlington, Texas.   It likes to ride on the back of trucks (that was one of the few things I saw him do.)  He is very shy.  He only came out three times during the game, but he likes messing around on the field.  He is very nice and likes kids.  I have one question, though.  How does he keep that hat on his head?



On Carter's Mascot Rating Scale I would rate Rangers Captain a 7 out of 10.  I think he's cute!

Robert's Sport Report 6/28

Welcome to Robert's sport report. Today's game was the Texas Rangers against our local Oakland Athletics. Sadly, the home team took the win and beat the A's 7 to 6. However, it was an extremely close game throughout the whole 4 hours of the game. The starting pitcher for the Rangers was Feldmen who pitched 5 innings, allowing 4 runs on 3 singles, no doubles or triples, but 3 home runs. He threw only 3 strikeouts and gave up 1 walk. Shepards came in in the 6th inning for the Rangers and gave up 2 runs on 3 singles, gave up 1 walk, and did not get any strikeouts. After him, Ross came in and pitched the 8th inning, walking one person and getting 2 strikeouts. And in the top of the 9th the feared closer Nathan came in and almost blew the save, giving up a walk and a single, but managed to scrape by with the save. For the Oakland Athletics the starting pitcher was Tyson Ross who pitched 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 singles and 1 double. He threw 3 strike outs and gave up no walks. In the 5th inning the A's had to use two different pitchers, Miller and Humberto, who combined gave up 4 runs on 3 singles. They threw 2 strikeouts and gave up 4 walks! In the 6th Scriptner came in and gave up one run on 2 walks. Doolittle pitched the next two innings and gave up 4 singles and 1 double. He threw 1 strikeout and did not give up any walks. It was a very good game throughout, but sadly the Oakland Athletics were not able to scrap together the runs necessary.

Rangers - 6/28

Welcome to Rangers Park in Arlington, TX.  This is a beautiful park outside, as well as the view around the field. The seats are slightly angled toward home plate, making viewing easier, but they couldn't seem to do anything about the HEAT!  Fortunately, by game time our seats were in the shade.

Rangers fans pride themselves on being the loudest fans in baseball.  The Belove family isn't sure we would take it THAT far, but they are enthusiastic and enjoy expressing their opinion- both positive and negative.  They happily cheered on their teams successes, but also loudly expressed their disapproval of marginal calls and strongly showed their appreciation when their own struggling pitcher was removed from the game.  The Rangers have a GREAT sound system, and they use it to punctuate great plays, favorite players, and just to add to that beloved noise they seem to enjoy. 

One thing we can say, Rangers players really know how to make an entrance!

In contrast to last night's game...
Here was the extent of their guest services in Arlington.  They were thrilled to be able to give us a "First Timer's" certificate!  Guess the big-market teams already have all the fans they need.

But service was available with personality at our seat from this VERY friendly concessionaire who delighted in teasing, flirting with, talking to, and entertaining the crowd.  She made sure the entire section was aware of each anniversary, birthday, or other notable event. 

 Rangers security is serious about fan behavior!  Someone sitting a row behind us was ejected for continually kicking the seat of the person in front of him, and then giving him grief for asking him to stop.  The guy in the kicked seat would also have been ejected if we had reported any use of "profanity" (a new word for Carter.)

I can't believe I ate the WHOLE THING! 

(-not)

As big as Texas itself, this two-foot-long hotdog is the pride of Rangers Stadium. 

But the Beloves did the math and realized that four 6-inch hotdogs would only cost us $17.00!  So we had a serving of frugal with relish for dinner.  (We also were unwilling to pay the $10.00 entrance fee to the Kids' Zone.)  Concessions are all in hallways with no view of the playing field.  There is a decent variety of choices (a giant bbq beef sandwich was tempting!) and several full-service restaurants are available for the  air conditioning-minded. All concessions are located in a corridor that is separated from the field.  Many have monitors, but there is no way to watch the live game while standing in line to get your hot dog.  Definitely points deducted for that oversight!

In between innings the Rangers prefer to remind their fans of just how great they are, showing highlights of yesterday, last season, and 40 years of retrospective.  But they did include a couple of activities we haven't seen:  the Flex Cam (show your muscles, everyone!), a Minnie the Moocher sing-along, and a Know Your Rangers trivia game (do YOU know which crayola color Josh Hamilton would rather color with? Your choices are magenta, burnt sienna, and apricot!)  Of course -in classic Texas style- they also included a Texas Legends race, Cotton Eye Joe, and a rousing version of Deep in the Heart of Texas!

Patience pays-off!
(And the green and gold garb doesn't hurt either!) The boys each got TWO balls at this game.  Carter, standing above the bullpen, was tossed balls from A's players.  Robert, a lone A's fan down the 3rd base line, was tossed one ball and caught one during A's batting practice.  Only three games so far, and we are going to need our own caddy.

Overall we give this park merely average ratings.  The best part for us was seeing our own OAKLAND A's play. This is the first time we have been able to cheer for our own boys on the road.  Even if they didn't win, we were thrilled to watch our own home team do what they do best.  See Robert's Sport Report for details.

Fanfest in 1 week!

Carter's Mascot Report - 6/27

This is Junction Jack.  He is a jack-rabbit dressed in railroad conductor clothes.  A junction is a place where there is a crossover on railway tracks.  The Astros' stadium used to be a train station.   

He is not as friendly as Stomper because Stomper usually comes out and visits the crowd.  But Jack, on the other hand, is very shy.  I didn't see him the whole time that I was there.  My father took this picture while me and my mom were walking around the stadium.  

I hope I see the other mascots!


On Carter's Mascot Rating Scale I would rate Junction Jack a 3 out of 10.

Robert's Sportscast - 6/27

Welcome to Robert's sport report. Today 15,416 fans watched the Houston Astros and the San Diego Padres. The starting pitcher for the Padres was Richard who gave up only 2 hits, one of them a single and the other was the big game changer -a home run from Matt Downs, which ended up to be the only run in the game. Richard threw 5 strikeouts 1 of them looking and gave up no walks. Richard pitched until the 8th inning when he had to be replaced by Thayer who got 1 strike out in 1 inning pitched. For the Astros pitching was the name of the game! Harrell, who threw his first major league shut out, made an impressive start. He pitched the whole game, only allowing 5 hits -all of which was singles. He threw 7 strikeouts, 3 of them looking. He gave up 4 walks, 2 of which helped load the bases with 2 outs in the top of the 9th.  But he finished out his shut-out with a swinging strikeout. Harrell also got some help from his defense when, with runners on 1st and 2nd -1 out, a ball was hit through the third base hole and into left field. The left fielder then got and through a bullet to the plate to get the guy out coming from second. That run would have tied the game and sent us into extra innings. Overall it was a very quick game -only 1 hour 59 minutes. Only one pitch was the difference in this ball game.

Astros - 6/27

Minute Maid Park was built on the site of  Houston's old Union Station, and the park retains much of the character of its original architecture.  From the train high along the left field side, to the tasteful (and not over-done) train-themed concessions and attractions, the park pays homage to the building's history. 

If you look closely at the train picture, you will notice that the cargo is not coal but oranges!  This was done to tie it to the field's Minute Maid sponsorship.  The train, which travels down the track after each Astros homerun, is actually run by a human conductor. 

Though we generally prefer an open, airy stadium, the abundant windows kept this domed stadium from feeling dark or claustrophobic.  And with the VERY hot weather, the Belove family sure welcomed the air-conditioning inside the closed stadium.

Minute Maid Field has the strangest center field configuration in all of baseball.  As you can see, the flagpole sits ON the field, and is in fair territory.  It is 436 feet to dead center, which is BEHIND the flagpole.  If that isn't crazy enough, get a load of this hill the center fielder has to climb to get there!  PHEW!  At least he doesn't have to do it in the heat!

While at Minute Maid we visited with an old friend...

and made a new one... 

Meet John
Everyone we met at Minute Maid Stadium was amazingly friendly.  From the ticket-taker at the door who wished us a fun time, to the worker who offered to take our picture, to everyone who stopped us to talk, ask us about where we are from, or wish us a good evening, the Astros must get the prize for the friendliest staff.  But in our travels we have not met anyone like John Wright.  John works at Guest Services, and takes his job very seriously. He was warm and attentive, and actually made us feel like guests.  He was sincerely interested in our adventure, asking questions about our experiences at other stadiums.  He suggested things to see and do, and then later met us at our seats with FOUR filled schwag-bags, personalized for each of us;  Ann's had the Astros breast-cancer tote bag, Carter's bag sported an Astros Hotwheel, an Enron opening day ball was in Jim's, and Robert was surprised by a grow-your-own-grass kit!  We all got shirts, hats, bobbleheads, 50th anniversary pins, and picture frames.  We think John raided every cupboard in the Guest Services booth just for us!!  Thank you, John!

Everyone was so kind, even the visiting players!  Houston Street -pitcher for the Padres (formerly of the A's)-  took the time to sign the ball Jim tossed down to him.

There was a good variety of choices, where food is concerned.  In addition to the standard ballpark fare, you can get a fresh green salad, real Mexican food, sliders, or BBQ sandwiches (the whole building smelled of brisket!)  Carter and Ann shared Monster Chicken Nachos, complete with beans and fresh salsa -plenty for two people!  What we found very interesting about the concessions here is the well-thought-out way of doing things.  Many of the concessions sit with their backs to the field, so patrons can continue to watch the game.  The concessions on the other side of the hallway use a two-line system.  First, you go to the window and order your food.  Then you take your food to the cashier to pay.  This speeds up lines, allows patrons to see the field some of the time, and ensures that food handlers are not also touching that dirty money!  Pretty clever, huh?

GOT ENTERTAINMENT?
Do you know the feeling when you are watching the Super Bowl, and you don't want to get up to get a snack during the game because you might miss the game... but you also don't want to get up during the commercials?  That is exactly how we felt here at Minute Maid Park.  There was some sort of game, contest, activity, sing-along, or event during every half-inning!

• Goya find the ball (the old follow the ball under the "hats"), but under refried beans cans.
• "Stros vs. Joes"  (a fan has 30 seconds to name more items in a category than an Astros player -- How many bodies of water can YOU name?)
• Walk off a hero (tribute to veteran in stands)
• Hair Guitar Cam (show off your air-guitar skills, folks!)
• Steal 3rd Base (a kid must beat the clock running to third base, and returning -base in hand!)
• Top 5 plays of the day (local sports)
• "Astrocise"  (an audience-participation exercise session)
• Movie Trivia (Do YOU know who won an academy award for the sound track for Social Network?)
• Kiss Cam
• Topps Baseball Card Match Game (old-fashioned Concentration)
• Zoo Roo Trivia (Do YOU know how many degrees an owl can turn their neck?)

etc... etc... etc...

How DOES he do it???
Robert had literally been inside the stadium for 10 SECONDS when he got this batting practice ball!

Carter's fielding is legendary!

 

No one gave us the boot at this game.  


Once again the Beloves are drawn to the small-market teams.  They just know how to show their fans a good time.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with the Astros.

Tomorrow night, Rangers.

NEW! Carter's Mascot Report - 6/22

This is the Tucson Padre.  He is one of the ugliest mascots I have ever seen.  (Don't look at the picture too long.)  But he is VERY friendly.  He was out walking around for the whole game putting smiles on people's faces.  He did a lot of events.  He got up from the field into the stands and he sat down next to a little girl.  He was very nice to her.



On Carter's Mascot Rating Scale I would rate Padre a 6 out of 10.

Robert's Sportscast - 6/22

Welcome to Robert's Sport Report. We went to see a game on June 22nd against the Tucson Padres and the Las Vegas 51's. The Tucson Padres are the AAA team for the San Diego Padres, and the 51's are the AAA team for the Toronto Blue Jays. The final score was 11 to 6 in the 51's favor. It was a very close game tied 6 to 6 until the 51's scored 5 runs in the top of the 7th- thanks to a 3 RBI home run by Adam Lind. Adam Lind and his team mate Travis Snider used to play for the Toronto Blue Jays until the were brought down for some reason. The 51's starting pitcher was Bill Murphy until Clint Everts came in to relieve. Combined they threw 6 strikeouts, two of them looking, and only 2 walks. Together they only gave up 6 runs on 9 singles, 3 doubles, and no triples or home runs. The starting pitcher for the Tucson Padres was Matt Palmer. In the game 2 other pitchers had to be brought in- Josh Spuntz and Eddie Kunz. Between them they gave up 11 runs on 7 singles, 4 doubles, 1 triple and 2 HR. Combined they threw 7 strikeouts, 2 of them looking, and gave up 7 walks. Overall it was an exciting game until the 7th when the 51's  blew it wide open.

AAA Tucson Padres

What do the Beloves do with a free night in Tucson?  Find a baseball game, of course! 
We located Kino Veterans Memorial Field, home of the Tucson Padres.  How lucky for us that they just happened to be playing the Las Vegas 51s!  For $10.00 each, we scored great seats- one row behind the Padres dugout. And it was Tucson Padres T-shirt give-away night! 

The crowd was lively, if not plentiful. Players, coaches and concessionaires greeted and chatted with the regular fans, giving it a very intimate feeling. 

There was no Diamond-Vision, but fan-participation events abound!

There were Pizza Ponies

The Frozen T-Shirt Contest

Baseball Trivia

 (Do YOU know which baseball player holds the record for stealing home?)

a Dizzy Bat Race

Line-Dancing

And, who could forget...

Human Bowling

Can you take the heat? 
When we arrived at the stadium, trusty squirt-bottle in hand, the thermometer in our car registered 105 degrees.  (Down about 10 degrees from the high point!)  When we left it was STILL 97 degrees at 10:00 PM.  Just look what all that heat did to our gummy bears... poor things never had a chance!  But if you know Carter, you will not be surprised that he ate them, anyway!

Yes, it was a "dry heat,"  but still pretty uncomfortable for this Bay-Area family.

The boys, of course, each were thrown a ball, picking up our adventure right where we left off!

Well, Major-League Baseball it wasn't, but it beat hanging around the hotel room.

Next game:  Houston Astros!