Opening night at the Vic has become a valued tradition for the Boss and I. It’s the first real sign, for me anyway, that winter is finally over and spring is really here. So it was last Thursday night we found ourselves with the Tribe’s home crowd, sitting along the first base line and thoroughly enjoying the vantage point. We were able to see all the action and also do a lot of people-watching which is yet another pleasurable activity at Victory Field. I consumed my first foot long hotdog of the 2016 season. This too, is a personal tradition. The stand was directly behind us, so we could smell the dogs, brats, and polish sausages as they cooked. When I purchased and prepared my 12 inch dog, I added some mustard and sweet onions to the top two and a half inches for the Boss. This lead to our long standing “discussion” about the culinary nature of a classic hot dog. She strongly feels that a hot dog is a vehicle for mustard, onions relish, ketchup, and anything else you want to throw on it. I like some coney sauce and shredded cheese on mine but I usually eat it plain because the toppings usually wind up on my shirt.
As to the game Alen Hanson started scoring in the bottom of the third by pulling off a sacrifice bunt which allowed Gift Ngoepe to score from second base and make it 1-0. Wilfredo Boscan pitched six innings and gave up one run. In all the Tribe put 5 runs on the board and the final score was 5 to 1. It was a wonderful night for baseball and a great way to start the season.
Saturday night we were back at Victory Field for another great night of baseball. This time, however, he had a bird’s eye view of the game, the crowd and the magnificent Indianapolis skyline, as we were watching from one of the top level seats. It was again a beautiful night. And this time I was able to share it with friends and family. Our suite had an outdoor patio so in addition to the indoor comfort, we could still enjoy the outdoor view of the game. Food? Well, hots, burgers, and barbecue, mac ‘n cheese, pasta salad, fruit, and lots of liquid refreshment. In short, a real feast, baseball style. My Mom, Ms. Betty was with us, looking like a movie star. My granddaughter, the Ladybug was on hand and taking no prisoners as she downed three hot dogs. Rowdie, the Red Bear came by to pose for pictures and sign autographs. It was a fun evening for everybody and a marvelous way to watch the game.
Danny Ortiz hit a homer in the bottom of the second for the Tribe, but it wasn’t enough as the Tribe fell to the Clippers 2-1. Pirates pitching prospect Tyler Glasnow had a big night and showed a strong arm as he struck out nine batters and gave up no walks. My granddaughter bawled when they lost – she doesn’t take losing very well.
snicewanger@yahoo.com
Long Beach Grand Prix
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach ran on April 17 and once again the Chevys dominated. Helio Castroneves started from the pole and Penske teammate Simon Pagenard next to him. As usual, Penske driver Will Power was fastest in practice but had some handling problems during qualifying which dropped him to the sixth starting spot. Marc Andretti was beset by car troubles all weekend and wound up starting 21st and last. The Hondas were not a factor in the race.
The race itself was a battle between Pagenaud and the ultra-competitive Scott Dickson, driving the Ganassi Target Dallara Chevy and Pagenaud just might have been in violation of the rules by reentering the course a meter ahead of the pit exit. Dixon feels he really won the race but going against team Penske is always a tough nut. The French driver won by less than half a second over the New Zealander. Castroneves finished third. The top Honda finish was a fifth by Takuma Sato driving for Foyt Enterprises. Pagenaud leads the series with 134 points. He has two second place finishes.
