Kane County vs Clinton, 05/29/2010

Since my kinda-sorta protest is almost over, maybe I should get this up it’s out of date.

Went to Cougars vs LumberKings game last night, the first game officially on my truncated ticket package this year. There are 3 more games in the next two weeks, very annoyingly designed. Game was zooming around for the first 7 innings. No one knew the game wasn’t half over by then.

I’ve switched from pencil and paper to using the iScore baseball app. This was the fourth game I’ve tried; it took me the first three to figure out what I was doing. I’m still probably only something like 98% accurate, but that’s about usual the other way. You can compare to the official scoring here.

That last chart is the pitching data. You can actually chart pitch location and type, but I’m thinking most people aren’t sitting directly behind home plate (and have strong pitching identification skills) and wish this had an alternate display. Maybe it’s there and I still need to find it.

Notes & assorted weirdness

  • this iteration of the Cougars is not very good. They’re well out of the playoff position for the 1st half, and will be out of it again in the 2nd half unless there’s some hitting reinforcements.
  • Blackhawks vs Flyers started after this game, finished before the end of this game, and featured more scoring. Game drew just over 7,000 despite going head to head with a Stanley Cup game, though maybe it was more like 5,000 in the building.
  • Cougars were down to their last out when they got two runs to tie it up. This seemed like a good idea at the time.
  • Joshua Lansford pitches so slow.
  • Daniel Carroll’s plate appearance in the 12th was the most minor league moment of the game. With Baron on second and no one else on, Carrol grounded the ball back to the pitcher, who fielded it cleanly and spotted Baron running for third. The pitcher ran at the runner, forcing him to run back towards second. Pitcher threw to the shortstop, covering second, who chased Baron towards third. Shortstop threw to third baseman, who ran the runner back towards second. This time, the third baseman seemed to wait too long to make the throw, only getting it to the man covering second (the second baseman now) as Baron was touching second.Smart play, because Carroll had over-agressively ran past first all the way to second, believing Baron would get tagged out. Instead, Baron got to second right before Carroll did. Second baseman tags the hitter Carroll after he steps on the base, then Baron as he steps off the base too late (!!!) for a strange double play.
  • The last pitcher for the Cougars, Juan Nunez, is actually the back up catcher. He was throwing 85-88 (no breaking ball!) and got two strike counts and a swinging strike, but could not get out of the jam.
  • I tried to flip my cap for a rally hat in the bottom of the 15th, but it wouldn’t sit right on my head. I take the blame for the loss.
  • This was a fireworks night, but they needed too late for fireworks, so everyone who stuck around gets to exchange it for a ticket. Hooray free baseball.