8.9.06 Pawtucket Red Sox @ Rochester Red Wings (MINN) - we will beat then all to dust

Rochester WINS! 6-3

This game was a prime example of what I hate about AAA.

Charlie Zink started this one. The Rochester fans did not realize he was a knuckleballer and were apopleptic over his Ks, since he was "throwing batting practice". I'm not a huge CZ fan, but I'm coming around.

Keith Foulke gave up the winning run in the seventh and got the loss. Now, here's where I get annoyed. Normally, the game's tied, you wanna bring in Breslow or something. Breslow's been probably their best reliever. Possibly Hertzler or Deschenes. But NOOOOO... Foulke needs his rehab! So even though Foulke's pitching is not up to par yet and he's probably not your best bet to get outs not runs... ugh. How does Ron Johnson do it? Here's a guy, managing a ballclub, probably wants the team to win, but his hands are tied.

Hustlin' Willie Harris hit a home run. I need to see an updated roster for Pawtucket, as I noticed a lot of new guys.

And the team keeps losing and losing and losing.

On the plus side, the game started at 11:00 a.m. so I was able to leave the MOTEL 6 ON BEULL DRIVE IN ROCHESTER at an early hour. You know your hotel sucks when it's located in the "Airport Redevelopment Zone". And all the maps were ripped out of the Yellow Pages. I had breakfast by the train tracks at a place called "Ezzie's". It was exactly what I wanted.

The game was glorious. It was a rich, sweet day and I felt like I was at spring training. I bought local domestic from a Conehead (Genny) and drove home sunburnt and beery and with a small cheese pizza riding shotgun. Made it home in 5 hours, humming at a near-constant 75. YEAH, BASEBALL!!

Separately:
1. You know Chris Smith, the pitcher who got called up from Portland? Dude, pop his collar and slap a pair of Oakleys on him and there you have Owen Wilson. Uncanny!
2. "Conehead guaranTEE... you get a warm beer from ME... you drink it for FREE!"
3. There's a statue of a horse at the park that's made out of baseball mitts.
4. The game was sponsored by some elderly health facility, so there were a lot of mallwalkers in the house. They did allow fans to walk around the warning track. I was reluctant to join the fannypackers ambling about, but I couldn't pass up the chance to get a look at the PawSox stretching and running up close. Plus I have a thing for warning tracks. But if I were a player, I wouldn't be happy about a bunch of civilians on my turf.
5. The stretch of NY from Rochester to Albany is pretty... but also deadly.
6. I'm happy that Corky Miller went to Boston, but I miss him in Pawtucket.
7. I really need to write a letter to my homeboy, J-Kap. I think he might even write me back.

See you guys!