Game 7: White Caps 4 – Cougars 3

Series tied at 1. Game 3 on Thursday @ West Michigan. The last thing I remember about the 2005 Cougars season was sadly strolling out of the stadium after the season ending loss, and hearing the PA system play “Wake Me When September Ends.” Wednesday was the last time for Cougars baseball in Kane County … Continue reading “Game 7: White Caps 4 – Cougars 3”

Series tied at 1. Game 3 on Thursday @ West Michigan.

The last thing I remember about the 2005 Cougars season was sadly strolling out of the stadium after the season ending loss, and hearing the PA system play “Wake Me When September Ends.” Wednesday was the last time for Cougars baseball in Kane County in 2006, and I walked out after a loss while hearing “Wake Me When September Ends.” I think I’m noticing a pattern!

Continue reading “Game 7: White Caps 4 – Cougars 3”

Game 5: Cougars 15 – Snappers 3

Cougars sweep the series, 2-0, and face the West Michigan Whitecaps in the Midwest League Championship, a five game series to begin on Tuesday. overhead public address announcement: “I’ve got an announcement to make tonight. [Boy] has a message for [Girl]: ‘Will you go with me to homecoming?’ [pause] I assume he means, will you … Continue reading “Game 5: Cougars 15 – Snappers 3”

Cougars sweep the series, 2-0, and face the West Michigan Whitecaps in the Midwest League Championship, a five game series to begin on Tuesday.

overhead public address announcement:

“I’ve got an announcement to make tonight. [Boy] has a message for [Girl]: ‘Will you go with me to homecoming?’ [pause] I assume he means, will you go with [Boy]. I’m a bit too old to go.”

Continue reading “Game 5: Cougars 15 – Snappers 3”

Game 4: (Kane County) Cougars 8 – (Beloit) Snappers 3

Cougars led Midwest League Western Divison Finals 1 – 0, best of 3 I traveled to Beloit, Wisconsin, on a Saturday night, to watch minor league baseball. Does this mean I’m crazy? (Probably.)

Cougars led Midwest League Western Divison Finals 1 – 0, best of 3

I traveled to Beloit, Wisconsin, on a Saturday night, to watch minor league baseball. Does this mean I’m crazy? (Probably.)

Continue reading “Game 4: (Kane County) Cougars 8 – (Beloit) Snappers 3”

Game 3: Cougars 10 – Swing 5

Cougars win series 2-1, move on to face the Beloit (Wisconsin) Snappers starting tomorrow I did not sit in front of a player’s significant other, so this game had so much less good gossip. Alas.

Cougars win series 2-1, move on to face the Beloit (Wisconsin) Snappers starting tomorrow

I did not sit in front of a player’s significant other, so this game had so much less good gossip. Alas.

Continue reading “Game 3: Cougars 10 – Swing 5”

Game 2 (playoffs): Swing of the Quad City 11 – Kane County Cougars 6

Best Out Of Three Series tied at 1 to 1 Best argument ever: is it spelled DAH or DUH? (I thought I knew the answer, and then I heard some accents and thought some more.) As I’ve mentioned before (but really haven’t wrote about much this year), I’ve got partial season tickets for the local … Continue reading “Game 2 (playoffs): Swing of the Quad City 11 – Kane County Cougars 6”

Best Out Of Three Series tied at 1 to 1

Best argument ever: is it spelled DAH or DUH? (I thought I knew the answer, and then I heard some accents and thought some more.)

As I’ve mentioned before (but really haven’t wrote about much this year), I’ve got partial season tickets for the local single A Oakland A affiliate. This was their first home playoff game, part of the quarterfinals in the Midwest League.

Continue reading “Game 2 (playoffs): Swing of the Quad City 11 – Kane County Cougars 6”

Game 23: Cougars 5 – Lumberjacks 2, Game 24: Cougars 2 – Lumberjacks 0

box 23 POTG #23: SS Frank Martinez (2 H, 2 R, RBI, SB) Runner up #23: C Raul Padron (2 H, 2 RBI, SB), RF Jose Pineda (2 H, R, RBI, SB), RP Brad Kilby (1 IP, 2 K) box 24 POTG #24: SP Jared Lansford (5+ IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5K – no … Continue reading “Game 23: Cougars 5 – Lumberjacks 2, Game 24: Cougars 2 – Lumberjacks 0”

box 23
POTG #23: SS Frank Martinez (2 H, 2 R, RBI, SB)
Runner up #23: C Raul Padron (2 H, 2 RBI, SB), RF Jose Pineda (2 H, R, RBI, SB), RP Brad Kilby (1 IP, 2 K)

box 24
POTG #24: SP Jared Lansford (5+ IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 5K – no hitter thru 5, W)
Runner up #24: RP Roland Madej (2/3 IP, K), RP Dan Fyvie (1 1/3 IP)

Today’s possibly going to be the first day without rain around here in about a week. There’s been some significant downpours the last few days. It’s finally warm enough where it doesn’t cause ice or worse, but it’s been consistent enough that it rained out this weekend’s Kane County Cougar action. Losing a whole weekend is horrible for them, business wise, but games have to be played for seasons to be complete and there’s not a lot of free time to do it. To make up the two weekend games in a four game series, they decided to run back to back double headers – one on Monday, and one on Tuesday. (Minor league double headers are shortened to seven inning games, so this isn’t completely as tough on the teams as it sounds, though I imagine it’s not too fun.)

I didn’t really have any plans for Monday, and I knew I could get to the park in time to only miss a half inning of the opener, and $10 for second row seats at a doubleheader is a great deal, so I spent the evening there.

Park was completely empty when I got there. The original start time was 6 pm, and most people probably can’t get to a baseball stadium at 4pm on a weekday, so there were maybe 80 paying customers when I got to my seat. (First base side, just past the dugout.) It was quiet enough that, I’m sure if you tried, you probably could listen to any meeting on the mound. Almost as if they held a little league game in a minor league park, and only the parents showed up; in fact, I know many of the people besides myself were there to see their kids, but that’s another story.

An empty park has it’s advantages; there were nine people standing around at the grill area, all waiting and ready to make me one barbecue chicken sandwich. (There was only one person to pour me a Mountain Dew.) As it got closer to 6pm, the park did fill up, to an announced attendance around 4500.

WHAT I ATE/DRANK
– 1 large mountain dew
– 1 barbecue chicken
– 1 funnel cake
– 1 large hot chocolate (costs too much because they give you a mug, and I can’t take any more plastic mugs)
– 1 bag of roasted almonds ($5, wanted to try it, bad investment)

I don’t think that’s what a doctor would recommend.

It was a long night, and I don’t have great memories of either game because of it. In the first game, Clinton just gave up too many hits and by the third, the Cougars were opening it up on Lumberjacks. (Which is a dumb name.)

The second game was Jared Lansford (son of Carney Lansford) made his first start of the season for the Cougars in game 2; he was in extended spring training with some shoulder issues.) He promptly threw five innings of no-hit ball till one blooped in the sixth. He might be pretty good.

As I was expected, it rained. It rained a bit during the first game, and I was okay if busy because I was using an umbrella and keeping a scorecard at the same time. It cleared up for a good while, but came back late in game 2. It was raining by the 5th, and became virtually unplayable at the end of the sixth and start of the seventh, but the umpires weren’t going to stop or call the game unless a lightning bolt struck home plate. They wanted to get done and get home, and as people rushed out of the stadium after the last out, so did everyone else.

The second doubleheader is today, like I said, at noon. Kinda too busy to actually go, and I feel like crap. It didn’t seem so bad last night, but I think the cold and the rain caught up with me overnight.

Horrible looking scorecards – I need to bring a pencil and something to cover them in the rain. It would also help to know who the players are, I guess.

game 1: clinton, kane country
game 2: clinton, kane country

Game 4: Quad Cities 8 – Kane County 4

Just going to squeeze this in before tonight’s game is done, I think. POTG: C Anthony Recker (HR, 1 R, 3RBI) As mentioned before, the one big name prospect the Cougars have this season is Craig Italiano, and every scouting report has been pretty much the same. High school pitcher with great fastball. Probably destined … Continue reading “Game 4: Quad Cities 8 – Kane County 4”

Just going to squeeze this in before tonight’s game is done, I think.

POTG: C Anthony Recker (HR, 1 R, 3RBI)

As mentioned before, the one big name prospect the Cougars have this season is Craig Italiano, and every scouting report has been pretty much the same.

High school pitcher with great fastball. Probably destined for a relief role

I’d like to tell you I found some insight everyone else missed, but, nope, that’s exactly it. Italiano has one great fastball (up to 96 MPH – either he’s added 2 MPH or the stadium gun is fast) that killed in the first inning and faded after that. He got hit early because as fast as the fastball is, it’s quite straight, and lost 2 MPH off that fastball by the second inning. He got rattled when his CF dropped a ball he should’ve had, he got rattled (and pitched slow) when people got on, and he ran out of gas and got murdered in the long 5th inning. Good thing I picked that inning to stroll around. Cougars kept the game from getting out of hand after, with the 3 run HR, but it wasn’t in much doubt.

After two games, I’ve realized that even though I paid for a seat, I appear to being assigned to a bench. It hasn’t mattered yet – there are always plenty of open seats available for April baseball – but it’s obviously this year’s season ticket goof up and will be annoying if I don’t take care of it soon. I need to track down my receipt and figure this out.

I wouldn’t have sat in my assigned seat regardless. There were about 100 kids of various ages and 5 adults as part of a church group in the section, and the kids were completely winning the battle. I wanted no part of that and ended up sitting near the Quad City bullpen for a change. (Didn’t help the team! 1st base side next time!)

Game 1: Kane County 6, Quad City 3

Box POTG: CF/NASCAR reporter Mike Massaro (2/5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB) runner-ups: 1B Steve Kleen (0/2, 2BB, 1 run, some nice defense at first), ballpark hot chocolate, live baseball, CL Steven Sharpe (1 IP, 2 K, Save) Yea, I’m not doing this every game for them. Got there in the top of … Continue reading “Game 1: Kane County 6, Quad City 3”

Box

POTG: CF/NASCAR reporter Mike Massaro (2/5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB)

runner-ups: 1B Steve Kleen (0/2, 2BB, 1 run, some nice defense at first), ballpark hot chocolate, live baseball, CL Steven Sharpe (1 IP, 2 K, Save)

Yea, I’m not doing this every game for them.

Got there in the top of the second, which was pretty good time. Game moved quick – any 2:20 which was nice because it’s still a little bit too cold to be sitting outside for two hours and not doing much. Attendance was exactly what you’d expect for a Thursday 4pm start time in April (though, let’s note it’s more than the biggest ROH show).

Kane just jumped on the Swing early – both starters seeming a bit uncomfortable with the cold – and it kinda felt like cruise control from the 5th on.

The electronic name board in left center had the player’s last names as usual, but just a blank gap where stats should be, because of course there aren’t stats yet. It warped my mind for a bit. They’ve long had a “Beckett and Willis played here” promo in right center, but they’ve added a “Podsednik and Street” one to left field.

According to the KC podcast, they might be going with an 8 man piggy back rotation, though the pitching coach doesn’t like it.

Andy Van Slyke’s son, AJ, is on Quad City. I feel OLD.

Got tickets next on Sunday.