LET IT RAIN; THE WRITERS DON'T GET WET
Rain delays are always interesting times in the New Britain Rock Cats press box.
The air is thick with tales of baseball past, political dissertations and nostalgic recollections among media members.
Take Larry Michaels, the venerable scoreboard operator, for example. Michaels is a veritable encyclopedia of Eastern League baseball in New Britain with rich tales about the famous, like Roger Clemens, to the obscure, like Dana Kiecker.
Rock Cats owner/president Bill Dowling always attracts a gathering with stories about his tempestuous times working for George Steinbrenner. On this particular night, scouts from the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds were on hand to regales anyone who would listen about their craft.
Over in the corner, veteran Connecticut radio personalities Scott Gray and Dan Lovallo air their thoughts of TV sports anchors past and present. Suddenly, the talk turns to classic rock and roll -- Dylan and Hendrix are the subjects of choice -- and Gray is as much an expert on music as he is on sports.
And is there a better place in New Britain to watch a thunderstorm roll through with all its fury?
Rain pounds down onto the tarpaulin that a dedicated crew of Rock Cats employees and interns rolled out twice during the course of the evening. When they roll up the rain-soaked, mud-encrusted tarp for the third time, you tend to think about how well those kids will sleep tonight.
Jeff Dooley has been through his share of delays in 10 years at the mic but it doesn't get any easier for him or Binghamton voice Robert Ford. After all, nobody quite knows if or when the game will start again so he can be seen whirring back and forth, contacting the producers along the Rock Cats Radio Network line to keep them abreast of the situation.
Yet Dooley finds the time to spin some yarns of his own about his days with the Pawtucket Red Sox prior to his arrival on the New Britain scene.
For former New Britain High wrestling coach and retired teacher Ed Smith, it's all a new experience. Smith is in his first year as the team's official scorer, and as an avid baseball fan, he's happily absorbing it all.
The fate of the game is now in the umpires' hands. The rain has stopped and the tireless tarp-pullers are out there again. They have become experts in just one evening. In a few moments, it's back on its roller and tucked away along the first base grandstands
The umps slog through short left field. The tarp performed well. The infield is in perfect shape. The grounds crew does a little raking and you wouldn't even know it rained.
A handful of fans weather the storm. Many have taken advantage of the Rock Cats' beer specials. The idea of starting a ballgame at 9:30 seems to appeal to their adventurous nature.
The Rock Cats are gathering on the top step of their dugout. The Binghamton Mets seem ready to go, too.
Son of a gun, I think they're going to play ball.
The air is thick with tales of baseball past, political dissertations and nostalgic recollections among media members.
Take Larry Michaels, the venerable scoreboard operator, for example. Michaels is a veritable encyclopedia of Eastern League baseball in New Britain with rich tales about the famous, like Roger Clemens, to the obscure, like Dana Kiecker.
Rock Cats owner/president Bill Dowling always attracts a gathering with stories about his tempestuous times working for George Steinbrenner. On this particular night, scouts from the Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds were on hand to regales anyone who would listen about their craft.
Over in the corner, veteran Connecticut radio personalities Scott Gray and Dan Lovallo air their thoughts of TV sports anchors past and present. Suddenly, the talk turns to classic rock and roll -- Dylan and Hendrix are the subjects of choice -- and Gray is as much an expert on music as he is on sports.
And is there a better place in New Britain to watch a thunderstorm roll through with all its fury?
Rain pounds down onto the tarpaulin that a dedicated crew of Rock Cats employees and interns rolled out twice during the course of the evening. When they roll up the rain-soaked, mud-encrusted tarp for the third time, you tend to think about how well those kids will sleep tonight.
Jeff Dooley has been through his share of delays in 10 years at the mic but it doesn't get any easier for him or Binghamton voice Robert Ford. After all, nobody quite knows if or when the game will start again so he can be seen whirring back and forth, contacting the producers along the Rock Cats Radio Network line to keep them abreast of the situation.
Yet Dooley finds the time to spin some yarns of his own about his days with the Pawtucket Red Sox prior to his arrival on the New Britain scene.
For former New Britain High wrestling coach and retired teacher Ed Smith, it's all a new experience. Smith is in his first year as the team's official scorer, and as an avid baseball fan, he's happily absorbing it all.
The fate of the game is now in the umpires' hands. The rain has stopped and the tireless tarp-pullers are out there again. They have become experts in just one evening. In a few moments, it's back on its roller and tucked away along the first base grandstands
The umps slog through short left field. The tarp performed well. The infield is in perfect shape. The grounds crew does a little raking and you wouldn't even know it rained.
A handful of fans weather the storm. Many have taken advantage of the Rock Cats' beer specials. The idea of starting a ballgame at 9:30 seems to appeal to their adventurous nature.
The Rock Cats are gathering on the top step of their dugout. The Binghamton Mets seem ready to go, too.
Son of a gun, I think they're going to play ball.
posted by Ken Lipshez at
8:41 PM
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