Meanwhile, I had a chance to sit down with AirHogs closer, Big John Hunton. Check out this interview.
And then I caught up with him after he got his uniform on.
He’s a good guy, and we AirHogs fans should be glad he’s here. Just a great guy.
Now, would you like to know who gets my vote for the best AirHogs fan?
Nathan is a great kid, he just passed the first grade. He loves coming to QuikTrip Park to get autographs. It doesn’t have to be just AirHog autographs either. He just loves being able to get any and all autographs of his big league heroes, no matter what team they play for. I’ve been watching Nathan do this for a year now, and it warms my heart that kids still see big league ball players as heroes. I still believe there is something honest and pure in that notion. Hats off to Lil Nathan! Check out his pictures after the jump.
Well you can’t win every game right? You can’t win every series either. For the first time this season, the Grand Prairie Airhogs lost a series with an opponent.
The Grand Prairie AirHogs had runners on base in eight of nine innings on Saturday night, including runners in scoring position in seven frames. However, 13 men were left stranded on the bases and the AirHogs were only 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position, as the St. Paul Saints held on for a 5-4 win in front of 2,495 at QuikTrip Park, clinching the AirHogs’ first series loss of the 2011 season.
I had the chance to catch up with Coach Ricky VanAsselberg after the game and these were his comments:
The AirHogs have just had their 9 game winning streak snapped when this series started with the Saints, and now the AirHogs have lost 2 to these same Saints. Looking forward to a little payback tonight at QuikTrip Park for the last game in this series.
Of course the game was the main attraction this evening, but I think the 2500 fans still had a great time at the park. It always make me smile when I see the young kiddos enjoying themselves at a ballgame. I was able to get some photos of them.
Field of Dreams Little League team for 6-4-2011 at QuikTrip Park
I would imagine these little guys had a blast at the park. It was a big deal for them.
And let’s not forget the Grounds Crew and Sgt. Buddy keeping the field looking so good!
As always, it was a good game, and I had a blast at the old ball park.
After the game there was a fireworks show, and then I sort of captured the mood after it was all over and fans were leaving the park. We fans need to be out at QuikTrip Park every night, to witness things like this: See you there!
The good news is that the Grand Prairie AirHogs are in first place in their division. They had just come back from a road trip and a 9 game winning streak. That’s the baseball side of things. The entertainment side of the game is equally as important.
Watching great baseball is fun. But let’s face it, we fans like to eat at ball games right? We also want to have fun at ball games as well. I’m just saying, for the money, I don’t know how to beat a fun night at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie.
AirHog player Greg Porter's wife Morgan, and their baby Dash, along with Ace Bacon and me
What lots of folks don’t realize is this is a business, like everything else. There are players out there that are real people, with real families, along with real dreams and desires, just like you and me. I get the feeling sometimes that because baseball is a game, that we fans don’t stop to consider that this isn’t a serious proposition for these players. If they (the players) don’t produce, they could be sent elsewhere. That’s not a knock on the AirHogs, that’s sports in general. I go to many ballgames in a season, and I see how much the players give of themselves.
And you know who else gives a lot of themselves at ball games? The staff and contractors at ball games. Watch this.
You see this young lady here in the video?
She’s an intern for the AirHogs. That means she doesn’t get paid directly from the organization. She is working on her Master’s degree from a local college, and gets educational credit for her volunteer work.
There are so many people involved to put this grand show on night after night. You might think this would take lots of money to go see a game right? Look at this.
Sooooooo much for sooooo little.
So let’s recap here.
1. A quality baseball team that is in first place in their division.
2. A beautiful ball park that is in the shade when game time rolls around. Did I mention there is a swimming pool in center field? (It’s called Porter’s Pool because Greg Porter was the first player to hit a home run in the pool).
3. Just about any kind of food and drink you need. Yes, a beer and a dog is standard here. Peanuts and cotton candy too.
The Grand Prairie AirHogs kept rolling Saturday night, beating the Shreveport-Bossier Captains 5-3 for their fourth straight win and a clinch of their fourth straight series win in front of 2,380 fans at QuikTrip Park.
The AirHogs (10-5) began the attack in the first, with David Thomas , Cesar Nicolas and Greg Porter singling with one out in the first to load the bases. Captains starter Aaron Cunningham (1-2) then threw eight of the next nine pitches out of the strike zone to John Alonso and Tyler Henley, giving Grand Prairie the lead. The red-hot Jake Taylor then hit a sac fly to make it 3-0 before Cunningham was able to get out of the inning.
The state of Texas is right on the verge of a seasonal change. I can feel it in the air, and there are several indications as to why I know summer is about to end.
The Cowboys are in the pre-season, the Rangers are in the last 1/3 of their season (and still in first place I might add), Wal-Mart is advertising back-to-school and tax-free weekends. Yeah, it’s all shaping up to be a great seasonal change. I took the garbage out earlier and it didn’t feel like I was walking into an oven when I stepped outside. The Grand Prairie AirHogs’ season has a week left on it. So long to all of my friends at QuickTrip Park, and I mean that.
This upcoming week, my old Army unit will be congregating in San Antonio for an Army Reunion. The First Infantry Division will be gathering by the river to welcome back troops that served in that glorious unit. I’m looking forward to it.
Then, in early September, I will be going to my home town to my high school reunion. Hooo Boy. Supposed to be the “greatest reunion in the history of Sweetwater Texas!” Hoooochie momma!!!!
I have to get ready for fall classes. Hope I can afford the books.
There’s one other sign that the seasons are changing here in Texas. High school football starts this week. Looking forward to reuniting with everything that brings fall weather again.
Have you ever heard of a Major League Baseball team being auctioned off? I haven’t either. The sale of the Texas Rangers becomes more bizarre as the days wear on in the Texas heat. Like my friend Willie Martin and I were discussing yesterday, baseball is a large game with many smaller games inside that game. So is the sale of the Texas Rangers.
The judge in this case could decide tomorrow on whether the team’s auction will be held as scheduled on Aug. 4 despite objections from major lenders and the ballclub’s court-appointed chief restructuring officer.
J.P. Morgan Chase, the lead bank for the top lenders, filed a separate lawsuit Friday saying it holds the right to block the transfer of the $2 million a year lease on Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. That move has a chance to stall any sale of the team.
If that weren’t complicated enough, then there’s Mark Cuban throwing his hat in the ring as a possible investor. Why would he do that? Which side is he on? The Greenberg-Ryan side, or is he really wanting to be the owner of the baseball team himself? Interesting.
Major League Baseball wants Greenberg-Ryan as the owners, and the lenders want the chance for other potential investors to be allowed time to raise the ante so their losses won’t be as great. It’s all very confusing. Stay tuned.
The Grand Prairie AirHogs losing streak reaches 13 games – As some of you may know or not know, I have been spending most of the summer going to AirHogs game in Grand Prairie. I’ve been amazed how after it’s all said and done, it’s all a business. Forget trying to know who’s on first because they will probably be gone the next day. It’s just business. And you think it’s easy on the players?
To me, it seems very difficult to know how to cope with a 13 game losing streak, and then I take a step back and watch and listen.
Kids. They don’t care what the record is….Kids can come to Quick Trip park and get autographs! Kids can have fun no matter what the record is.
So there ya have it. From the 1st place Texas Rangers, to the last place Grand Prairie AirHogs, baseball always stands the test of time. We may get older, but baseball stays the same.
When I was a kid in Sweetwater Texas, I could fly like the wind. Center field was my home. It’s where opposing fly balls went to die.
I think back about center field every time I attend a game now. Baseball is the same. It’s me that has changed.
Friday night game rained out. Double-header tomorrow beginning at 4:00 PM at Quick Trip Park in Grand Prairie.
This has been a busy week for me anyways. I finished my semester at school and now I’m looking for some down-time.
As we begin the 4th of July holiday weekend, it finally gives me a chance to sit down and update you on some eventful news that happened with the Grand Prairie AirHogs this week. A few personnel changes occurred.
Signed OF Nook Logan. He used to play with the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals.
Released OF Chad Gabriel, which was a shocker to me.
The thing I want to stress here is, like it or not, players come and go in the baseball business. And that’s just it. Above all the fan loyalty, and above all the player loyalty…it’s still a business. I wish players like Chad Gabriel much success. I’ll still be a Chad Gabriel fan wherever he lands. It just didn’t work out here ultimately.
Frankly, I’m kind of amazed at the minor league mentality. I know players have a love for the game, I get that. But how does a player go from the Detroit Tigers to the Grand Prairie AirHogs and handle the mental adjustment? I mean no disrespect to the AirHogs, but there is a difference between the minors and the big show right? Well, as I continue to rub elbows with the baseball players and front office folks in Grand Prairie, maybe one day I’ll find the answer to that.
Speaking of which, it’s great to see a positive attitude emerging on the team. (Not that there was a negative attitude) It looks like it’s going to be a fun 2nd half of the season.
I have to mention a funny story here. As I mentioned, the game Friday night was rained out. But before the game was called, I was standing around the field to try and find out if the game was going to be played. I was walking towards the locker room area and I noticed AirHos coach Pete Incaviglia and legendary 1st base coach Wayne Terwilliger talking to a man and woman at the top of the steps.
I sort of bent my ear towards them to see what they were talking about. Inky was introducing Terilliger with a lot of pride saying “Wayne was my first coach in the big leagues.”
As the conversation ended and everyone sort of went their own way, Coach Terwilliger hung out by the fence looking out over the field and watching the rain. I walked up to him and said, “I never knew you were Inky’s first coach,” and as quick as a Fort Worth Cat could strike out Coach Terwilliger said to me “there’s probably a lot you don’t know.” I really cracked up over that one. That was funny, and a measure of revenge for someone wearing an AirHogs shirt could take. Coach Terwilliger is pretty cool though. After doing a little research the guy has been around a ton, and he is the kind of man that just deserves and demands respect. By the way, did you know “Twig” has his own website and has even written a book?
I don’t think I have to tell you how historic Twig is..just Google him and you will find he had a locker beside Kirby Puckett for nine years. That should tell you something about him.
Aaaahhh, baseball. You can get lost in the luxury of the game. The details, the stats. It’s not only a skillful game played by great athletes, it’s a thinking man’s game as well. That’s what I like about the game. You have to be able to think on your feet. And you have to be able to give back, especially to kids.
So the bottom line is this. While there are many problems around, I am thankful to be able to survive a heart attack, I am able to work and make a living, and I am still able to go out to the ball park and watch baseball. Life is very good.
If you Google the word “scattershooting” you will find lots of Texas results or results that are Texas related. I wonder why that is?
It’s Sunday evening and I have tons of things in my head, but nothing specific. Just thinking about a lot of things at once. Attention Deficit Disorder? I dunno. Here’s what I do know though, in order for a blog post to be interesting, it has to be interesting. Well duh, what does that mean? It means I shouldn’t write about myself but write about what’s interesting for the readers. Hello? No one really cares what I think, and I really don’t blame them for that.
The Rangers are in first place and the last game of the series with the Astros is tonight. Looks like the Rangers win the Silver Boot …again. Will Roy Oswalt become a Ranger? Will the Rangers ever get sold to Nolan Ryan et al? It’s somewhere in the future at this point.
Well boys and girls, it’s almost the national party that is the 4th of July! Hard to imagine time goes so fast that it’s almost the middle of summer already. I’m always amazed at how fast time goes from July 4th, until school starts. Seems like only minutes.
This week begins my last week at school. Yay. I had some good classes this semester.
I’ve also been watching lots of baseball this summer. The Grand Prairie AirHogs rock!
So I’ve been working, going to school, and blogging the AirHogs and I’ve been having a blast. I’ve been going to church, and trying to also do some volunteer work at work. I’ve been very blessed. I’m thankful for many things.
Oh, and here is a great picture of my team from work. We had an outing at the bowling alley. I had fun in spite of my 97.
Don’t look now, but it’s almost time for Cowboys training camp…the cycle continues.
Well I guess that’s about it. In honor of the Eagles who were in town this weekend, I’ll leave you with this…
I made the trip to Fort Worth’s LaGrave Field today to watch the Grand Prairie Airhogs play the Fort Worth Cats. I was interested in going because not only did I want to see some good baseball, but I wanted to see the grand old field that has been such a big part of history, not only for Fort Worth, but for Major League Baseball.
As usual, I get to the game a couple of hours ahead of time so I can get a feel for the place and see what stories I can comment on. I got into the gates ok, but wasn’t allowed to go on to the field which was sort of a bummer since I pretty much have free reign at the QT Park in Grand Prairie, but hey, I got in ok so that was ok.
As I was standing by the Airhog’s dugout, Mr. Dick Smith the General Manager of the Cats came down to have a chat with me. It was really nice of him to do that.
I know the Cat’s have had some financial issues and I didn’t really want to bring that up at this point, but I am hopeful everything is ok with this team financially since it’s been such a big part of the local history.
Today was more about baseball, apple pie, and the American way rather than discussion negative aspects of a poor economy. It was about time to play baseball, and I was soaking it all in. After all, it’s Memorial Day weekend. It’s time for a break to pause and reflect how great this country is. It was great to hear Mr. Smith say he enjoys life, he gets to “come to the ballpark everyday.”
It was so hot, so summer already. That’s just part of baseball. The wind dies down to nothing, the sun beats down unmercifully, and there is no rain for miles. The dust jumps up from any slight disturbance and you know it’s just the beginning of summer. Shade is a premium now, and there isn’t that much shade at 1:00 at LaGrave Field.
The game is about to start, and I am thankful for so many things. The chance to spend some off time at a ball field during a long weekend celebrating. I shot this video and it pretty much sums up how I was feeling, and I’m so thankful for this great country and baseball.
There is a minor league team here in the Dallas area call the Grand Prairie Airhogs. A good team leading their division and it’s always fun for me to be able to go out and spend the evening taking in some baseball. I always take my iPod Nano in case I can catch some thought-provoking video. I wasn’t disappointed.
Wow, I never expected that but hey, don’t shoot the messenger. I truly am grateful I was given press credentials to the Airhogs team! What better way to spend a summer’s evening than watching baseball. I love the mascots too.
All in all, I always have a blast at these games because I never know what’s going to happen next.
Oh, and one more thing. I like right before the game starts, they have a tradition of the air siren from this show:
