It always could be worse
Warning: This is not a post about the Frontier League or the Wild Things, though you might think differently about each after reading the following:
Minor-league baseball is filled with thousands of interesting stories, with most prompting the same question: Why do people do this for a living? It doesn't matter if the story is about a player, coach, umpire, owner ... you often wonder if the time and effort is worth the reward.
With that in mind, the following are links to two stories that I came across while searching for information about two players, former California University standout outfielder Sam DiMatteo and ex-Wild Things utility player Joel Hartman. Neither story is about DiMatteo or Hartman, who are currently playing in the Pecos League, an independent circuit with teams in New Mexico and west Texas. This is the bottom of the ladder in independent baseball.
The first link is a story about the Pecos League having a traveling team that played three "home games" in Carlsbad (N.M.). The second link is to press release that actually appeared on the league's website. You'll be be shaking your head in disbelief after each story. I know I was.
Read the Carlsbad story here.
Read the website story here.
Minor-league baseball is filled with thousands of interesting stories, with most prompting the same question: Why do people do this for a living? It doesn't matter if the story is about a player, coach, umpire, owner ... you often wonder if the time and effort is worth the reward.
With that in mind, the following are links to two stories that I came across while searching for information about two players, former California University standout outfielder Sam DiMatteo and ex-Wild Things utility player Joel Hartman. Neither story is about DiMatteo or Hartman, who are currently playing in the Pecos League, an independent circuit with teams in New Mexico and west Texas. This is the bottom of the ladder in independent baseball.
The first link is a story about the Pecos League having a traveling team that played three "home games" in Carlsbad (N.M.). The second link is to press release that actually appeared on the league's website. You'll be be shaking your head in disbelief after each story. I know I was.
Read the Carlsbad story here.
Read the website story here.
Labels: Joel Hartman, Pecos League, Sam DiMatteo
posted by Chris Dugan at
11:36 AM
16 Comments:
CARLSBAD – “Only 23 fans showed up for the first professional baseball game played in Carlsbad in 50 years. The poor turnout nearly cancelled Monday's game and threatens to keep the Bats from playing in Carlsbad in 2012.”
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This very well could be the way the Wild Things are heading if they keep screwing with their fan base. The fans just love things so much the way they are now at CEP that they can hardly wait to stay home!
Now, can somebody explain to me why Ernie Banks is still on this team? According to “Swiss whatever” Banks
is a dominant hitter, oh really? 105 AB, 6 RBI’s, 21 K’s, ) HR’s. How is that dominant? Just as last season with Jacob Dempsey, Everson continues to play people that have shown that they can’t produce.
From the ownership, the front office polices, to the team itself, the Washington Wild Things dis- organization, (there is no longer any doubt that it has NO organization) no longer deserves our support. The only commitment this group has is to themselves. You will hear from them the manure that they “love” their season ticket holders, and on, and on. If you make a bargain with them, you are dealing with the Devil. You will be required to live up to your commitment, they will too - IF they feel like it! Otherwise, you can just go to hell so far as they care.
The good news is; people (especially the “loved”, and screwed, season ticket holders) are staying away in droves. Watching the vastly under-performing Ernie Banks is just another good reason to stay away. It’s really depressing.
The Beach Bums pulled their best imitation of the Wild Things in the bottom of the fifth inning last night,
probably the best laugh I’ve had at CEP so far this season. Anybody out there want FREE tickets for Monday’s day game? Since the Wild Things new policy is NO refunds for games you cannot attend, I hate to see my twenty bucks go to waste. Of course, they didn’t tell us about that new policy until after the season had started and our tickets were paid for.
Ima Fraid
That film clip almost makes the Frontier League look legit.
Can’t you just see Bill Lee running out onto the field swinging a metal chair?
What happens if they schedule all games to start at say, 11 PM. Or even 7:30 AM? Does that mean that you can’t get your money back? You are kidding, right? That sounds almost as if it might be illegal.
There is not a baseball team in the world that offers refunds for tickets to games that aren't postponed or cancelled. Everybody knows that. I guess Ima Fraid thinks he/she is an exception to the rule. I have tickets to the Pitt-WVU football game this year but can't go because it was moved to Friday from Saturday. Think I can get a refund? Fat chance.
“. I have tickets to the Pitt-WVU football game this year but can't go because it was moved to Friday from Saturday. Think I can get a refund? Fat chance.”
No, WE the season ticket holders, not just Ima Fraid, do think we are special. Why do we think that? Because the Wild Things front office has told us many, many times that we are. We have been told that lie by the Wild Things so many times that we actually were dumb enough to come to believe it! We should have known it was a lie all along because the truth just isn’t part of their schtick! In all pervious seasons to this the Wild Things did buy back your tickets if you presented them well in advance of the game. So, the precedence (being attorneys they should understand that word) was set by them, not us. Also, we were given the opportunity to “opt out” of the game tickets we knew we could attend because of the game time. You are correct about no other team doing this and we also knew that. That’s why we feel we are exception – because they told us we are! So much for their sincerity. Are we all is an idiot sitting in Section 105, Row X, Seat XX. Also clinically dumb enough to believe the malarkey the Wild Things hand out.
Rightly, or wrongly, southwasted (no that’s not a typo) PA people object to this sort of treatment. If they wanted to change their ticket policy they should have told us BEFORE we ponied up our money, not after. Changing the rules without notice is simply a stupid move by stupid people. A “one size fits all” isn’t a great marketing strategy in this area.
So, anonymous, before commenting about something you obviously know very little, or nothing about, why don’t you check the real story in it’s entirety. If nothing else, be informed. When you bought Pitt-WVU tickets you probably knew the facts. When we bought our season tickets, we didn’t know the facts because the Wild Things deliberately withheld those facts from us. You can very easily sell your football tickets to somebody. Ever try selling a Wild Things ticket? Crap, you can’t even give them away. I know because I’ve tried. We season ticket holders have a right to be plenty pissed off and, WE ARE!! When it comes to the Wild Things, the proof is in the puddin’, The empty seats, and all the bailing out season ticket holders says all that’s necessary. This dis-organization isn’t worth the energy used to even try to communicate with them. I know I won’t be bothering myself to do it. The Wild Things died, at least in my eyes, last Thursday night. It’s the end of a long nightmare for me.
Ima Nota Fraid
Trying to talk to a Wild Things representative is like speaking an inanimate object. It hears nothing, sees nothing, feels nothing, and most of all – does nothing. If you should kick it all that would happen is that you would only hurt your foot. If it could somehow talk, it would tell you a lie.
Did the team win tonight?
Ummmm....Imawhatever? For the record, I did indeed call Ernie Banks a dominant hitter WHEN he was reaquired just before this season started. He swatted 19 homers with 54 RBIs in just 55 games 2 seasons ago with the Wild Things. THAT is indeed worthy of the title "dominant hitter". Have you seen me praise him lately? Ummm...no....I clearly recall stating in a very recent post that the only players having good seasons were Lawson and Sidick. Banks has been a huge disappointment this season. I'd love to see him return to his old form, but after 34 games with no homers and just 6 RBIs, it doesn't appear as if it's going to happen. Banda's numbers were even worse, and he's gone. Banks wasn't even in the lineup tonight, and his replacement pounded a homer over the rightfield scoreboard. I say keep Stephens in there, let's see what he can do.
Casey Barnes was phenomenal tonight, striking out J.T. Hall 3 times. He leads the league in ERA and is the best kept secret on the team so far. Chris Sidick made 2 excellent catches in the 4th inning as well. Like I say, they don't show up in the box score.
I have to agree with the complaints on tomorrow's day game. I am not a season ticket holder, so it does not affect me. But seriously, what is the crowd for tomorrow's game really going to look like? Weekday daylight baseball makes zero sense. The Pirates do it as well occasionally and they always draw poorly.
Tonight's crowd was shocking. You couldn't ask for a more pleasant evening, and I would be stunned if there were more than 1000 fans inside the park.
Swisscheda, I can never remember how you spell that so I call you Swiss whatever. I'll write it down.
About Banks - I just can't understand how the Wild Things can justify his holding a spot on the roster.
As for the three day games this season? I don't care what the WT do. What bothers we season tickets holders feel cheated because this was not announced until AFTER we had given the bastards our money. Then, and only then, do they also announce the 'new' ticket policy. I suppose that in their convoluted thought processes this was a good public relations move. All they really did was to lose even more season ticket holders - brillient!
The Wild Things could not run a flea circus if three quarters of the fleas were dead.
Ima Fraid
Chris, why do you continue to post Ima Fraid's (aka Ron Wilson)comments? The foul language and constant name calling is really getting redundant! For someone that repeatedly belittled those that used the anonymous tag to now use a pseudonym is really ironic wouldn't you say? He can hide behind a new name but that condescending writing style can be none other than RW!
anon at 5:20....not Ron Wilson. Of that, I'm sure. Quit trying to create something out of nothing...
Post on, Ima. Don't agree with much of what you write, but still read it.
Ernie wasn't in the lineup again today, according to the box score. Just a thought....is it possible the guy has a hidden injury like Jacob Dempsey did a couple seasons ago (which he obviously didn't fully recover from)? Any whispers about this, Chris? Or maybe he has it in his head that any pitch within a 5 mile radius of the plate is going to get a strike call, like 2 seasons ago (which still didn't matter, he consistently crushed the ball then). I personally think he has no patience at the plate this year. He constantly swings at anything on the first pitch, including a low flying airplane.
Frontier League rosters generally don't have room for a backup player who only plays one position, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Ernie in the transactions section soon. Still hoping he turns it around though...
And I have to agree with another complaint raised on this blog....the fact that they don't employ a hitting coach is absurd.
As for the constant complainers on the blog, I still have to wonder why you continue to bother going to the games? I've seen complaints on here about parking, the playing surface, concessions, the PA announcer, the peanut vendor from a few seasons ago, ushers, the radio announcer, the emcee, the between innings entertainment, etc etc. I've been attending games since 2006, and I've probably brought at least 10 different guests with me over the years. We've never failed to have a good time at a Wild Things game. No, it's not perfect, nothing in life is. It's low level, minor league ball, but it's fun. I remember sitting right at first base in the box seats, and observing one patron who was never happy about ANYTHING. I'm a pretty positive person by nature, so I just don't get it. I have heard some pretty shocking stories from business associates about how greedy the franchise is, I don't doubt them at all. I just go to watch baseball, and I'm happy to have watched Chris Sidick, Aaron Ledbetter, Brett Grandstrand, Ernie Banks (in his prime), and Jacob Dempsey play. These guys play for peanuts in pursuit of their dream. It's so much more pleasurable than watching the Pirates (overall, I mean. Obviously they're pretty decent this year).
But the small crowds are really alarming the past few years. The place was rocking in years past. Now? Nothing. No atmosphere at all. A winning team would help, but I'm not even sure that would fill the seats. And I still say that Kevin the original mascot WAS the star of the team. He never took an at-bat but he was the star nonetheless.
Jason, the mascot, just remembered that was his name. I stand corrected.
Rather than attack the poster why not try point out which issue Ima Fraid, or the others, is wrong about?
It seems to me that most of the problems are somehow related to season ticket holders rather than to people that don’t attend every game.
Jason was so good as the Wild Things mascot that it was almost impossible for them to find a replacement that could even come close.
Ima Fraid
Who is Ima Fraid?
Is it Ron Wilson? – Could be.
Is it Steve Zavacky? – That’s entirely possible
Is it Bugs Bunny? – Probably not
Is it Elmer Fudd? – Doubt it.
How about Barack Obama? - Never
The point is; what does it matter?
The issues are what matters. Just what issues brought up are false? Respond with something other than ridicule. Tell us exactly what you know for sure about those issues. Complaining about what is posted is just fruitless. Tell us what is correct and what is incorrect. If it doesn’t effect you, why post anything at all?
If you don’t like the message, just don’t read it. It’s really just that simple. Just move on. Nobody’s forcing you to do anything.
it's worse...19 straight outs to end the game...2 runs last night, 1 run tonight....are you kidding? sandy koufax and bob gibson pitching for river city?
about 1,000 people showed up tonight. 900 came for the dollar beer. 25 came because they were the designated driver for one of the 900. 25 came because they were either married to, or would like to be to one of the players. that leaves about 50 coach spouses, socialites, and a couple baseball fans.
at least the last group got to see one team tonight. too bad the washington pitchers go to the mound knowing they have to be just about perfect to even have a chance to win. it is worse.
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