Well, yesterday was my big day. The day every boy dreams of…walking to the plate of a big ballpark, bat in hand and taking in the roar of the crowd as he approaches the batters box to face an ace hurler….
WAKE UP!!!!
OK, so it wasn’t Fenway Park—but it was the beautiful Hadlock Field, home of the Portland Sea Dogs, the Red Sox AA Team. And maybe the crowd wasn’t exactly ROARING-as they were just starting to arrive for a 6pm game. Spotty at best for the expected 5:20pm start. And maybe I wasn’t facing an ace pitcher. It was a pitching machine, but let’s not let reality get in the way of my fantasy, allright?
The event was what is billed as the First Annual Media Home Run Derby, pitting area radio and TV people against each other for bragging rights-plus the use of a skybox for an upcoming Sea Dogs game. I can assure you that NONE of us were disappointed that this display of athletic prowess was scheduled before the stands were full of people.
First of all, to call it a “Home Run Derby” was in itself a laugher. Not one of us got close to putting one over the wall. The point system was as follows:
Hit in the infield: 1point
Hit that makes the outfield: 2 points
Hit that flys to the outfield: 5 points
Hit that rolls to the wall: 10 points
Hit that strikes the wall in the air: 20 points
Home Run: 40 points
Each batter received 2 practice hits, then 3 swings that would count.
As I walked to the plate, wearing my Varitek Red Sox shirt, I was hoping that I wouldn’t mimic his hitting in 2008. All I wanted was contact. It wasn’t lost on me that I was standing in the very spot where players like Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz and Jacoby Ellsbury stood (among countless other big league stars)
First practice pitch—WHIFF!!!!!
OK…concentrate Tim….the eyes of my colleagues are upon me! Luckily, I connected on the next practice pitch and went three for three on the ones that counted. Two were hard shots into left field and one was a fly ball into left (I’m a natural pull hitter) That was good for a total of 9 points. Not enough to make the top three, but luckily nowhere near the bottom of the scoring either. I don’t remember who was where in the final totals, but everyone had a terrific time!
For me, it truly was great fun-and I was given a Sea Dogs cap as a souvenir—I was so pumped I wanted to get into the game! Sea Dogs were a winner over the Rock Cats! Thanks to the Seadogs for a terrific event—and just look out for ol’ Mr. T next year!
Check out the video of the Sea Dogs Experience below to get a feel for how great it is to see a game at Hadlock!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BieU-GGM2wA
If you’d like my blog in your box, just let me know: tim.moore@citcomm.com
GO SEA DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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