I’m at the Barnstormers’ game, and there’s a local physician’s group that threw out ceremonial first pitches (yes, plural) and was also allowed to take a hand mike and, over the stadium PA, essentially do an advertisement for their practice that lasted like 3-4 minutes. What the… People are actually applauding at all the appropriate moments and more than just politely. Not a bad thing, I guess, unless it starts happening every night with like appliance salesmen, but am I the only one who finds this strange?….
More fun stuff at the ballyard…. York has Shea Hillenbrand, a two-time major league all-star who had 267 ABs in the bigs a year ago. He’s hitting .340, but with exactly one home run and eight errors (even though he DHs at times, including tonight) in 24 games….
York also has Jose Cruz, son of the longtime major-leaguer, Jose Cruz, and brother of another big-leaguer, Jose Cruz, Jr. That’s correct: all three of them are named Jose. I understand Dad is now test-marketing an indoor grill…
One of the doctors who threw out a first pitch is now doing color commentary on the radio. I’m fully expecting him to pinch-hit later, and Boots Day to assist on some surgery next week….
Just had an informal chat with Jon Danos, president of Keystone Baseball, which owns both these teams. He acknowledged that he’s talked with Marc Schoenfelt, who’s opening a state-of-the-art indoor baseball facility in Manheim, about basing Atlantic League spring training at the facility. They’re just talking, nothing close to finalized. Local outdoor fields, certainly including the Clip Joint, would also have to be utilized. Might be much cheaper than going to Florida for a week. Danos said he’s informally polled the players and was surprised to find they seem to like the idea…
Danos said he’s also talked to officials at F&M about using the school’s dormitories to house Barnstormers during the season. This would be in addition to, not in place of, placing players with local families. F&M seemed amenable, Danos said, but, again, nothing’s close to finalized…
More from the It’s-A-Small-World Dept.: Tim Foli’s son Dave, a pitcher, just came on in relief for York…
