Just came back from Fenway. Exhausted and not feeling so great. Amidst a 22-hour day so far, as I have a headcold and awoke at 2 a.m. on the 14th and haven't slept since. But there's lots to go over, so I'll return to this post later today (April 15th) after I've slept and returned from work...
Unbelievable game. Sox beat Strasburg and the Nationals 8-7, and should've lost. Nobody can play defense against the Sox yet this year, for some reason. The Sox have seen the worst defense since Opening Day that I have ever seen them face to begin a season--and I've been watching since the mid-1980s.
Anyway, more soon...
Defense improved this past weekend against Baltimore...although this latest series is not over yet (as I type this).
ReplyDeleteThe Pawsox are playing very well. They swept the Redwings during their first series at home! It's unfortunate the team may be moving to Providence in the coming years. The new stadium will lack the same vibe it has now, much like the new Yankee stadium appears too cold and polished. Then again I haven't been to the new stadium since I couldn't afford even a single seat.
Here's to hoping both the Red Sox and Pawsox continue to play well. They can't win every game, but let's hope they win every series!
You bet, Diane! Hey, Boston hasn't lost a series yet (They split with Baltimore) and they've won every first-game so far, including today's 1-0 win over the Rays.
DeleteAnd I'll believe the Pawsox will become the ProSox when I see the team bus leave and head south on 95--and take the Downtown Providence exit at the Mall. Until then, I wouldn't hold your breath.
Having said that, you know that the country's first World Series winning team was the 1884 Providence Greys, right? And Babe Ruth played for the Greys for a short time when they were a minor league team. He played with Lena Blackburne, who after his playing days bottled and sold Baltimore mud that MLB is still using to rub on all of its baseballs.
Chances are, if it's useless info about baseball, I'll know it...
I read an article recently in the Providence Journal about a survey taken right before the Providence Place Mall was built in the late 1990s. About 70% of Rhode Islanders were against it. Turned out the mall was a big hit. They were also against the Convention Center being built in 1994. And yet when Comic Con arrived last year it was sold out with overcrowding. So maybe it won't be so bad having a brand new stadium there. But the big question remains...where will the cars park? And will fans be willing to pay for higher ticket prices once the novelty of a new stadium wears off?
DeleteThat's an interesting fact about the Providence Greys. I suppose that makes the city legendary in baseball history.
We shall see the fate of McCoy in the coming years.. In the mean time I hope they keep drawing in crowds and continue to play well in Pawtucket.
I like McCoy stadium the way it is.
It's true that people resist change. I think a ballpark could go well in Providence, but not right smack downtown like the current plan has it. Not only is there nowhere to park--but there's nowhere for the ballpark. The outskirts of Providence seems like a better bet to me. Out near Route 10, near Cranston, there's still plenty of room.
ReplyDeleteIf a park does go to Providence, they'd better keep the prices as they are, and not charge for parking, as McCoy also currently has it. One of the problems with McCoy is actually more of a fault with Pawtucket: Nobody does anything in Pawtucket before or after the game. I've been going there forever and have seen hundreds of games there, and I've done something else in Pawtucket exactly zero times. I went to a Ground Round once, but that was after Hot Stove at McCoy, not a game, and I think the restaurant may have been just over the line in Providence, anyway. Having a stadium in Providence will certainly add more dollars to the restaurants and bars nearby. That doesn't happen at McCoy.
That is very true. Most people exit Pawtucket as soon as the game ends. There weren't many eateries near the former Yankee Stadium either. There were plenty of bars, though! Most Yankee fans would get a drink before/after the game, but I can't recall eating in the area during any of my game going days. I agree Providence restaurants and businesses would boom with the new stadium, not to mention trips to the mall.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I went to Ground Round once in New Jersey many years ago. Most awful food ever! It reminded me of dog food. Never again. Sorry to get off topic...
Hey, at least those bars in The Bronx made some money off the fan traffic. I guarantee that no bars in Pawtucket at all make money off the fans. True, there are more kids and families going to Triple-A games, but still...
DeleteYeah, the old Ground Round was terrible. My parents took me to one often when I was much younger. The one I went to recently had food that tasted like food does at any sports bar and restaurant in the world.