Careeringcrawdads Blog | An Account of my Adventures
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keywords: description:An Account of my Adventures An Account of my Adventures Careeringcrawdads Blog HomeAbout Hoosier Next AdventurePosted by careeringcrawdad in baseball, Uncategorized on September 4, 2021
After a long, COVID-related delay, I finally took an extended vacation out-of-state. I went to see my family, whom I had not seen in 20 months. But first, I spent a little time in Indianapolis, allowing me to do a few Indiana-related activities towards My 50 State Project.
Thursday around noon I flew into Indianapolis. I ate lunch (All-American Burger and fries) at the Metro Diner in nearby Plainfield, before heading into downtown Indianapolis. I visited the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site before checking into my hotel, located where the Hoosier Dome once stood.
Thursday night and Friday night I watched Indianapolis Indians baseball games. The Indians play at Victory Field, a gem that has served as model for many newer stadiums. There is a double-decker grandstand and a wrap-around concourse. You can see the dome of the State Capitol from your grandstand seats. (However, the seating bowl is not steep enough, so you might have your view blocked by a tall fellow in front of you.) In the grandstand hang banners celebrating some of the more famous players who once played in the city, regardless of the Indians major league affiliation. The main entrance is in center field and there is a carnival game in the outfield. There are plenty of group spaces and party decks outside the grandstand. There are team stores at first and third bases, but neither has a particularly extensive selection of merchandise. The teams mascot is Rowdie, a bear (who appears to me to have an anteaters head). He helps throw shirts into the stands. In fact, due to COVID precautions, between-inning activities are limited to shirt tosses and things that can be shown on the videoboard. Indianapolis lost Thursday night to the visiting Louisville Bats 5-1, doomed by one big inning. On Friday night, the Indians won 3-2, in extra innings, in front of a bigger crowd (it was a Fireworks Night).
Friday morning I visited the Indiana State Capitol. There are a few statues outside George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and two of the US Vice Presidents from Indiana Levi P. Morton and Thomas Hendricks. There are a number of statues inside, including a bust of President Benjamin Harrison, thus far the only President from Indiana. I visited the Rotunda and walked past the various offices. I visited the galleries of the House and Senate chambers, most intrigued by the orientation of the seating in the Senate chamber. It seemed to be facing a corner of the room rather than have the rostrum centered in the room.
Friday I stopped for a haircut at Reds Classic Barber Shop in Indianapolis, my second Indiana haircut (the first was in New Castle in 2003). I visited the Indiana State Museum and the NCAA Hall of Champions. Saturday morning I drove home to spend a few days with my family.
Scorecard for My 50 State Project (number of States in which I have done each):
State Capitol (45)Baseball (42): Indianapolis IndiansMissing Movie from the set of Official Indiana activitiesLeave a comment
Appalachian League 2021Posted by careeringcrawdad in baseball on August 1, 2021
With Major League Baseballs takeover of Minor League Baseball during the 2020 offseason, a number of teams lost their affiliations. These teams were left with the decision to seek a different relationship (join an MLB Partner League, play summer league baseball, or fold altogether.
The first alternative announced was for the Appalachian League. MLB announced that the Appalachian League would continue as a summer league for collegiate players, particularly freshmen and sophomores. The League would be run under the guidance of MLBs national offices. The franchises would remain in their current cities, but all would be sold to local owners and would be adopting new identities officially to celebrate local identities, but in reality to prevent them from using MLB trademarked names (which the teams used when they were owned by major league teams).
During the Appalachian Leagues first season, I managed to attend games for three of the teams the Burlington Sock Puppets (last known as the Royals), the Bluefield Ridge Runners (last known as the Blue Jays), and the Princeton Whistlepigs (last known as the Rays). Burlington, NC was once home to major textile manufacturers (including hosiery mills). The city of Bluefield WV/VA named their team after a famous train route in the area (and the name of a train that operates in the city park behind Bowen Field). I have no idea why Princeton, WV named their team after groundhogs (whistlepigs).
I attended Opening Night of the Burlington Sock Puppets. It was a festive occasion, with a sellout crowd. The team is owned by a former Royals General Manager, who is in his mid-30s. (He purchased a controlling share in Burlington Baseball, which also owns the team in Danville, VA.) The experience was built as Sockingly Different. Fans were given a sock puppet, and asked to participate in a world record attempt for fans using sock puppets. Most unique was a Sock Puppet Station for kids to make their own puppet. Since the city had upgraded the stadium prior to the 2019 season, it appeared that only a few signs needed to be changed. If the fans keep up their enthusiasm, the Sock Puppets will have a successful run.
I attended a Bluefield Ridge Runners game on July 3. I had last visited Bluefield in 2008, their last year affiliated with the Baltimore Orioles. On my visit this season, I noticed that all traces of the Orioles (and the Blue Jays afterwards) had been replaced with fresh paint and a new entryway built to celebrate the train theme. Inside, a few signs were changed, but otherwise seemed the same as before. The promotion team wore train conductor uniforms, and introduced a new mascot Casey (a train engineer). It was a fireworks night, so the crowd may have been bigger for that reason. (My other goal for the night was to figure out what state I was in. Im as confused as before the state line is on the edge of the parking lot, so the stadium is definitely in Virginia. But there is a plaque inside that describes the Baltimore Orioles presenting Bowen Field to the City of Bluefield, WV, when the current grandstand was completed in the 1970s.)
On July 4, the Princeton Whistlepigs played a noon game at Hunnicutt Field. The stadium is owned and operated by the school district, with the parking lot behind the outfield wall shared with the football stadium. Hunnicutt Field has one of the more unique seating Ive seen not the metal bleachers, but for the knotholes under the bleachers where fans can watch the game at field level. When I last visited in 2011, the team had just opened a hitting facility across the parking lot from the stadium. On my visit this season I noticed the new Whistlepigs logo in place of the old Rays logo. The crowd was smaller, but had a number of players families present. (This may be due to the Appalachian League schedule including a three-day break July 5-7.) I am proud to report that the new Whistlepigs mascot, Bucky, retains the gift of speech practiced by Roscoe the Rooster. Bucky serves as the on-field host and walks around and greets all the fans. (Princeton has the only talking mascot I have encountered.)
The games in the Appalachian League in 2021 are much the same as they were in 2019. The players are roughly the same age (19-20), albeit slightly less experienced. Offense dominates pitching, just as it does in most leagues below Class AA.
But the Appalachian League fan experience is not about income-generation. It is not about building brand loyalty to a major league team, nor is it even about player development. The Appalachian League is foremost about the small communities that support baseball, regardless of the teams record. As a fan, I am concerned that Major League Baseballs oversight may someday destroy the Appalachian League experience. Watching a baseball team in a community-owned, bare-bones stadium is one of the purest baseball experiences left in America. So what if I dont have a wrap-around concourse, large team store, or more than one concession stand? Its baseball I came to see.
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Fans in the Stands Baseball in the Age ofCOVIDPosted by careeringcrawdad in baseball on March 2, 2021
Having not seen a live baseball game since last June, I eagerly awaited the increasing of crowd sizes at outdoor sports facilities. With North Carolina recently permitting up to 30% capacity at outdoor events (provided other guidelines were followed), I found myself driving to Truist Point, a stadium in downtown High Point. The stadium, home of the Atlantic Leagues High Point Rockers, hosted a three-game series between UNC Greensboro and High Point University. (It was a neutral-site game, as High Point has its own on-campus stadium.)
The tickets were sold only online, and the box office was not open. There appeared to be at least two entrances open, both on the first base side. There were a number of public health COVID-mitigation signs posted throughout the park, including on the scoreboard before the game. Sections of seats were blocked off, reserved for the teams. Other seats were covered, as were the drinking fountains and alternating sinks and toilets in the bathroom. All tickets were General Admission, and it was left for fans to determine how best to socially distance from others. There was one concession stand open, which is not unusual for early season games.
But the baseball played on the field followed the same rules as always. It felt good to watch live baseball again. I stayed for the full nine innings of the first game of the day a back-and-forth game won by UNC Greensboro 6-5 after High Point left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.
Im not sure how many games I will be able to see this year, particularly college baseball. Some of the bigger schools can fill 30% of their capacity strictly from their season ticket base. Other schools have limited attendance to players family and guests and university employees and students. Members of the general public are limited to those games in large facilities or neutral site games. After eight months without live baseball, Ill attend games as often as I can. Ill wear a mask and follow all public health guidelines. Put me in coach!
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I Have Eaten a Meal in all 50StatesPosted by careeringcrawdad in AllFiftyStates on October 3, 2020
While traveling to all 50 states, I have kept a record of where I did each of my Official State Activities. When it came to eating a meal, I realized I kept track of the towns where I ate, but not necessarily the name of the restaurant. I often picked towns where I visited that I wanted to remember. Inclusion on my list does not necessarily mean that I recommend eating there. My stops were often dictated by other concerns, including my hunger and my overnight stops.
Here is my list:
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Barber Shop Experiences in the Age ofCOVID19Posted by careeringcrawdad in barber on May 30, 2020
After three months since my last one, I stopped in for my first haircut since the coronavirus lockdown began. North Carolina moved to Phase 2 of their re-opening on Friday, May 22, which allowed some close contact businesses (like barber shops) to re-open. Many shops had chosen to stay closed for the long Memorial Day weekend, so this was their first weekend of business.
Author note: Some of you know my project (chronicled on Flickr under bjcnrd) to get my hair cut in all 50 states and in as many old-fashioned ways as possible. Since 2003, I have been trying to experience as many little barber shops as I can find. A number of them have closed since I visited them. I try to do walk-ins and enjoy the atmosphere and conversations. Given this
For my first post-lockdown haircut, I picked a place that took online appointments and that I knew would have younger barbers. (Most of my previous barbers have been older than 65 and with pre-existing conditions.) I booked an appointment online and was sent expectations for the visit, both for me and for the staff. I was asked to come alone, and to wear a mask while in the shop.
I waited outside until my barber retrieved me. No customers were allowed to wait inside. (This negates the conversational aspects I enjoy.) My barber wore gloves and a mask. I wore my mask while sitting in the chair. When it came time for my sideburns, I untied one side of the mask, let the barber cut it, and then retied it. Repeat for the other side. I noticed also that my barber was making more liberal use of the hair dryer to blow off loose hair and blow it into the center of the shop. I still got some loose hair inside the mask, which made my face itch.
Much of the barber shop experience was otherwise the same. The chairs were the required six feet apart and the conversations were muted by the greater distance and the masks. I paid by credit card, which is not my usual preference.
I enjoy the old man style of barber shops come in and sit down, keeping track of where you are in line. Read a magazine, look at the barbers hobbies and collections on the wall, or listen to the conversations around you. The current environment post-COVID lockdown does not permit any of that. I hope eventually we can return to what it once was.
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College Baseball The Great 2020 Season that AlmostWasPosted by careeringcrawdad in baseball on May 25, 2020
In any other year Memorial Day would bring Division I college baseball tournaments, the final weekend of the regular season. This year college baseball, like every other sport, and most everything else in life, shut down on March 12. The coronavirus and the potential of contracting COVID-19 ended the college baseball season just before the second weekend of conference play for many Division I schools. It was too early for us fans to identify what the season could have been, and we were left with weeks at home to imagine. With every warm day that passed I found myself wishing I could be at a baseball game. Wait until next year!
I had started my 2020 baseball season in early February, as North Carolina was experiencing warm weather. I started at Mount Olive, caught four games at the USA Baseball National Training Complex, saw two games of the Campbell Invitational, and nearly got hit by a foul ball at UNC Greensboro. My final weekend started at Elon, where I have caught a number of games. Nine games altogether. Due to the postponement and then cancellation of the season, I missed attending an NC State game for the first time in 16 seasons. And I was just days away from seeing East Carolina play a doubleheader.
College baseball will return. There might be fewer teams and fewer games, but Ill be there. Theres nothing like watching live baseball on a warm spring Saturday afternoon.
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Opening Day 2020 MountOlivePosted by careeringcrawdad in baseball on February 12, 2020
Mount Olive pitches to Lenoir Rhyne in the top of the first inning, at Scarborough Field in Mount Olive, NC. February 9, 2020.
After two months without watching live baseball, I began my 2020 baseball season by attending a Sunday matinee game at the University of Mount Olive. Mount Olive is a solid NCAA Division II team that has dominated their conference, Conference Carolinas. They serve as hosts to the Division II national championships, a title they won in 2008 and came in third in 2011.
On Sunday they hosted Lenoir Rhyne. The visiting Bears pitchers struggled mightily, as Mount Olive jumped out to a 13-3 lead after seven innings against a succession of relievers. Lenoir Rhyne scored four runs in the last two innings, to make the final score 13-7.
Mount Olives Scarborough Field is a good facility, but is fairly basic. My biggest complaint is that the two dugouts have steeped pitched roofs, which obscure views from most of the seats. There is a building being constructed down the left field line, which should upgrade the fan amenities as well as the teams training facilities.
The history of the Mount Olive program is celebrated on the back of the press box at Scarborough Field.
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UConn and Hockey inHartfordPosted by careeringcrawdad in Uncategorized on November 14, 2019
Stuffed Animals litter the ice after the Hartford Wolf Packs first goal on Teddy Bear Toss night, November 9, 2019. Note the sloth and dog being hoisted over the glass in the corner.
I took a long weekend trip over Veterans Day 2019. This year I traveled to Hartford, Connecticut. I picked the destination when I realized I could get a direct flight to Hartford. I was last in Connecticut in summer 2008, and I still had some activities I wished to do.
Thursday night I flew up to Hartford. The airport itself is in Windsor Locks, about 15 miles from downtown Hartford. After collecting the rental car Friday morning, I ate breakfast, a western omelette from Skooter’s diner and then headed into downtown Hartford.
I walked around parts of downtown Hartford Friday morning, despite the below-freezing temperatures. I visited several buildings on the UConn-Hartford campus, including a classroom building, the library (shared with the City of Hartford), and the campus bookstore across the street. I also ate lunch at Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ. I ate a “Bear Attack” – cornbread topped with macaroni and cheese and topped with pulled pork. Three very different tastes that did not mesh particularly well for me.
Friday afternoon I watched the movie Midway at the Spotlight Cinemas 4 on Front Street. In addition to my ticket stub, I was presented with a collectible pin memorializing the World War II battle on which the film was based. In all the years I’ve gone to movies, this is the first time I have received a promotional item. There were only four of us for the matinee show, and all of us were relieved when the movie finally started, 15 minutes late.
Friday and Saturday evenings I attended minor league hockey games at the XL Center. The Hartford Wolf Pack are the American Hockey League affiliate of the New York Rangers, and I believe they are named for the Seawolf nuclear submarines launched from New London, Connecticut. The mascot is an adorable wolf named Sonar, who figured out how to throw T-shirts to the top of the lower deck. The XL Center was once known as the Hartford Civic Center and although it has been renovated since they left, one can still see the Hartford Whalers banners hanging in the rafters.
Friday night’s game saw the Hartford Wolf Pack defeat the visiting Hershey Bears, 2-1. Saturday night’s game against the visiting Belleville Senators featured a “Teddy Bear Toss.” Fans were encouraged to bring teddy bears or other stuffed animals to throw onto the ice. Some fans brought large (4-5’ tall) stuffed animals, while others opted for more portable options. When Hartford scored their first goal of the game, on a power play in the sixth minute, fans threw their stuffed animals onto the ice. (It took four or five fans to get the biggest ones over the glass.) The toys were collected and donated to the US Marines’ Toys for Tots campaign. Saturday’s game ended up close at the end, with Belleville scoring a game-tying goal late in the third period before winning in a shootout, 4-3.
Saturday afternoon I watched another game at the XL Center. The University of Connecticut’s men’s hockey team plays its home games at the off-campus arena. UConn is not among the powers in the Hockey East, and they hosted nationally-ranked Boston College. The outcome was never in doubt, as Boston College won the game 5-1, one of their players scoring a hat trick. The atmosphere did not really feel like a campus crowd, although the presence of a pep band and some school-specific cheers did stir up the fans.
Sunday I traveled east to Storrs, home of the main UConn campus. I attended church services at Storrs Congregational Church UCC, located across the street from the campus’ Great Lawn. Afterwards I ate at the UConn Dairy Bar, which sells ice cream produced from the school’s own dairy herd. (UConn is a land grant institution with an agriculture school.) I walked across campus and visited the Bookstore. It was crowded, given the women’s basketball home opener in the arena next door.
Sunday afternoon I had a late lunch at the Vernon Diner in Vernon, my second diner of the trip. This diner was bigger and more elegant, with its own bakery and small bar areas. I have eaten at local diners across the country, although I have never made it an official goal of mine to do so in all 50 states.
Early Monday morning I flew back, ending a good long-weekend trip.
Official State Scorecard (and number of states where I have done each):
Movie (44): “Midway,” Hartford Spotlight Cinemas 4
Church (46): Storrs Congregational Church UCC
(I am missing the Baseball Game from list of Official State Activities)
The farm at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. The original land donated by Mr. Storrs for construction of the school.
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Haircut in a Tourist Attraction Floyds City Barber Shop, MountAiryPosted by careeringcrawdad in barber on October 6, 2019
The interior of Floyds City Barber Shop. Bill Hiatt (in the sweater vest and holding a broom) tells stories to visitors.
Twice in my life the first time in June 2006 and the second time in October 2019 I have patronized Floyds City Barber Shop in Mount Airy, North Carolina. I considered this my Official Haircut in a Tourist Attraction.
From my 2006 write-up:
Floyd’s is arguably the most famous small-town barber shop in America, having been a part of the Andy Griffith Show. Russell Hiatt, the owner, still cuts hair, even though he is in his mid-80s. Fans of the show come into the shop to get a picture with Russ and to sit in the chair. Although I never watched much Andy Griffith (it was most popular in the 1960s), I stopped in for a haircut.
The interior of the barber shop is covered with thousands of photographs of tourists who have posed in Floyd’s chair. The barber shop had all the expected furnishings: gumball machine, black-and-white linoleum, two barber chairs, six for waiting customers. I had my hair cut by Keith, Russ’s “younger” partner (he was in his 50s). We talked about the disappearance of small-town barber shops; all the tourists who have come through; the most unusual haircut he gave in 33 years was a Mohawk and then carved the “WF” for Wake Forest in the back; what I did for a living (and I later saw him next door in Opie’s Candy Store); and how Floyd’s was recently voted best small-town barber shop in America by Reader’s Digest. Only one tourist came in while I was in the chair, although others were lined up outside to get into Snappy Lunch next door. Since Keith stopped to take a picture of the lady with Russell, I had her take a picture of me in the chair with Keith. I did buy some souvenirs related to Floyd’s – a postcard made from the show and a magnet that locates the barber shop in Mount Airy (most say “Mayberry”). The experience was good, but it seemed a bit surreal with all the tourists around. I could have imposed on Russ for either the haircut or a picture, but deferred to those who are big fans of the show. The haircut cost me $7, plus $1 for a tip.
In October 2019 I returned. Russell Hiatt passed in 2016, and his son Bill Hiatt has inherited the shop. Bill greets visitors who come in. He explains the numerous photographs on the wall, his dads career and connections to Andy Griffith, and takes pictures of the customers. He takes before and after pictures while you are getting a haircut. And he insists that he take a picture of everyone sitting in Dads chair. The shop sells more Floyds Barber Shop memorabilia, including some postcards with Russell Hiatts picture. The price has increased slightly, to $10 a cut. But it is well worth it.
The exterior of the shop, in October 2019. Next door on each side is Snappy Lunch, which wraps around the shop.
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The End of Baseball Season2019Posted by careeringcrawdad in baseball on September 2, 2019
The playing surface at Les Murakami Stadium at the University of Hawaii, from the upper deck
With Labor Day, my 2019 baseball season came to an end. I started in very early March with three games of the USA Baseball Army Classic. And ended it with a Labor Day matinee at the Durham Bulls. All told, I watched 44* games this season. In addition to eight games each for the Durham Bulls and the Carolina Mudcats, I saw a number of old favorites, and watched UNC-Chapel Hill play for the first time in several seasons. I watched the opener of the NCAA Division II national baseball championship, and four games of the NCBA Division I Club Baseball national championship at Ting Stadium in Holly Springs.
New teams this year one game at the University of Hawaii and Hawaii Pacific University during my trip in April. And one game each at two teams in their first season of existence the Fayetteville Woodpeckers and the High Point Rockers.
I might catch a few fall exhibition games, but Im already looking forward to next season.
(*I have added a 45th game, a second with the High Point Rockers. The independent Atlantic Leagues season runs through the end of September.)
The playing surface at BBT Point Stadium, home of the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League
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