The difference between major league baseball and A ball?
The signs on the outfield walls. In Greensboro you get grease disposal tips from the city water department (in case you’re wondering, you should take care to clean out your pans before washing them out in the sink).
During today’s 6-1 Greensboro Grasshoppers win over the Greenville Drive I also noticed a sign for "Our Congressman Howard Coble" and one for "Our Other Congressman Brad Miller". We have three congressional districts in Guilford County. I guess the third congressman (Mel Watt) didn’t want to put up a sign billing himself as "Our Other, Other Congressman".
Minor league baseball doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is a good thing. But it’s still baseball played with a high level of skill. And today at least, it was day baseball. In a better world all baseball would be day baseball, and Al Gore would be trapped in his home by massive snow drifts.
You can’t have everything.
Started the day sitting behind four corporate types (two male, two female) half listening to their conversations. One of the men felt compelled to explain the game to the women (I don’t know, but I’m guessing you get tired of us doing that). Most of what he explained was wrong (I suspect you know that), but he meant well (which we count on you knowing).
They left after two innings when one of the women deduced that front row seats just down the line from third base might be prime line drive foul ball territory. Little did she know that with me sitting behind them there was little chance of a foul ball coming anywhere near them. I am foul ball proof.
The game itself was a contest of minor Marlins and Class A RedSox. Lots of high draft picks in Greensboro, a number of undrafted free agents for Greenville.
Part of the fun in a minor league game is picking out guys who’ll make it to the big leagues. There are a few more, but here’s some who caught my attention:
Matt Dominguez. A 2007 first draft pick who put the ball completely out of NewBridge Bank Park. It’s not as impressive as it sounds, because like many newly minted ballparks the power alleys are too close. But Dominguez is the real thing. As he matures he’ll gain even more power and he has a strong arm at third base. (Message to Jorge Cantu of the Florida Marlins-rent, don’t buy.)
Jose Ceballos. The Grasshoppers 18 year old catcher already he has good power. Better still, he’s got a good arm and instincts. I was very surprised to find out his age, because he handles his catching duties like a much more experienced receiver. One more plus, he appears to enjoy the game.
Mike Rozier. A left handed reliever for Greenville. You don’t normally get excited by middle relievers, but here’s one who can get ahead early in the count with an off speed pitch and then go twenty miles per hour up the speed gun on the next pitch. If the RedSox put some time into his development he could be an asset in a major league bullpen. You wonder why he’s still in low A ball at 23.
Some guys don’t impress you. The Greensboro shortstop who didn’t run through the base on ground ball outs, for one. Give up on plays in low A ball and soon organizations give up on you.
Greenville had a guy who was the exact opposite. Oscar Tejeda, a shortstop, hit a grounder with two men on and went down the line hard on a routine play. As he crossed the bag he was chewing himself out in Spanish. He’s Rafael Soriano big for a middle infielder, and shows good bat speed. But it’s that hustle and attitude that might make the difference.
Some guys you pull for just because. Matt Cooney, the Greenville catcher, came up to bat with the scoreboard showing .156-0-0. Oh for four today with two strikeouts doesn’t help. Called a good game, though. He’s from Massachusetts. Hope he makes it to Fenway.
Fun to watch the two man crew working the game. The home plate guy was smooth and managed to go an entire game without anyone, even the fans, commenting on a single ball/strike call. The first base umpire hustled, but missed a phantom double play at second that was as bad as any I’ve ever seen.
Then you have the managers and coaches. Every time they visited the mound today, something bad happened. The Greenville started walked a batter and went to 3-1, which brought the resident expert to the mound no doubt to say something along the lines of "Just put it over the plate". He did, and Ceballos put it out of the park for a 2-0 lead.
In the minors you also get the toilet seat lid horse shoe toss, the summo wrestling contest, and the mascot racing some little kid around the bases (just once I want to see the mascot make some grade schooler eat dust).
In Greensboro all the in game entertainment is presided over by a young guy wearing a jester’s hat, wearing a jersey with "Spaz" on the back. The best you can say for the name is that it’s bad manners. The best you can say for the act is that it’s old.
The game ended 6-1 Greensboro. Four thousand nine hundred and two fans (announced), at least a thousand disguised as empty seats, headed home.
A good time was had by all.
