WOUND TOO TIGHT

[Blarg]

At the 66ers game up here in Lancaster and sitting in front of me is a coach for Lancaster and a pitcher keeping stats. The Star Spangled Banner is being sung by a choir and the coach had them on a stopwatch.

I joked he didn't need to time the delivery and he comes back with "The music is one minute in length and they went 1:22, completly unacceptable."

He was unlocking his phone to prove to me that the sheet music length was one minute. I don't think we will be having any conversations the rest of the night.

[Jay]

Sounds kinda nutty

[Vegas Halo Fan]

What kind of douchebag times the national anthem?

[ukyah]

that's gold.

[Tyler]

Pretty funny to me.

[Bobster7587]

So he was serious about the national anthem being 22 seconds too long? Wow. 

[Blarg]

Oh the comedy goes further and further. Turns out he is not with the team, he just sits next to the player from the Jethawks doing the radar gun and bugs him all night while scribbling crap on a notepad and posing as a scout. In the 3rd inning he went up to customer service to inform them the Star Spangle banner was 1:20 seconds, then complains that the previous game it went 1:40 and the game start was delayed.

 

We continued to ignore him but the woman sitting on the end of our row kept asking him about how he is associated with the team (she is a season ticket holder) and he kept changing his story saying he was helping the coaches, he was scout but no not really a scout with the team, but a scout but not with another team, then he just quit answering her questions.

 

The game was fun, the bench coach for the 66ers was ejected in the 3rd inning by the home plate umpire for questioning his occaisionaly 36" wide strike zone. In the 4th the manager was ejected for a blown call on a tag at third base where the through and tag beat the runner easily and yet the umpire called the runner safe. Maybe a little home field advantage but I think it was more the umpire was clearly way out of position, standing on the SS side of the play and about 10 feet away. The rest of the game was managed by McAnulty and he served as 1st base coach.  

 

We also had the luck if sitting next to Mark Sappington and Eswarlian Jimenez as they did the radar gun and stats for the 66ers. Nice guys the both of them, Sappington will be pitching at home on Turesday so I may role on out to see him He sends his thanks to David for respecting his last start on Wednesday and not pulling him aside for an interview,

 

66ers tied up the game and took the lead in the 9th inning but in the bottom of the ninth surrendered a game tying home run. Around came the booster with the home run hat and I declined saying I was a 66er fan and she laughed and let me off the hook... for the moment.

 

In the top of the 10 Borenstein whacks a two run home run and I dig into my wallet and hand a twenty over to Sappington to pass along. He had a shocked look on his face and thanked me saying he would make sure he got it. Then a couple batters later Jones hits a two run home run to put the 66ers up by 4 runs and again I dig out a $20 and hand it over to Sappington this time told him I was glad I went to the bank before coming to the game but tell the coach we had enough runs already.

 

.We had a great time and I have now checked off all of the local SoCal minor league parks. Ranking them I would say Lake Elsinore has the best setup for fans that want to hang out in a restaurant and eat with the Diamond Club down the left field line. I think Rancho and San Berdo are tied, the 66ers offering freshly grilled dogs and that monster lousiana hot link and the mascot is a laugh. Rancho is newer and closer and that in itself uos the value but more iportant before and after the game there a re plenty of restaurant and bar options, San Berdo rolls up the sidewalks after 5pm. Lancaster is ok in terms of seating, their mascot somewaht lifeless but their food service is substandard concession stands and my hot dog was cold, meaning it was prepared and refrigerated. The bottom of the heap is Adelanto, old, dusty and worn out venue that is in the middle of nothing in nowhere. 

[nate]

Sounds like it was Lifetime.

[Tyler]

No longer funny. What a creeper.