TCB- Taking Care of Business...

In Augusta, I had the chance to catch up with an old friend.  Jeff Meehan was the Director of Food and Beverage at Appalachian Power Park for my first three years with the team before he and his then-girlfriend-now-wife moved to Augusta to run a restaurant.  Jeff and I had the chance on my very first day in Augusta to hit the golf course.

He plays fairly consistently and I do not.  But I held my own and stuck with him for most of the round.  I shot a 91 playing a new course and I'm good with that.

Jeff Meehan- Augusta's big hitter

By not playing golf as much as I would like due to the baseball schedule, my swing can fall apart pretty easily.  At times, it feels like folding broken lawn chair looks... not fluid at all.  In fact, I shanked this shot (maybe because I knew the camera was there).

Me- the Jim Furyk of short amateur golfers

After golf, Jeff picked a place called the Whiskey Bar because of its creative and unique hamburgers.  He went classic with cheddar while I was adventurous.  I got the "TCB": an Angus burger with apple wood smoked bacon, peanut butter and banana slices on a croissant bun.  An Elvis-inspired adventure perhaps...

It. Was. Amazing.

As for Lake Olmstead Stadium, home of the Augusta GreenJackets...  Well that is a different story.

This park was built in the mid-1990's and seems to collect all features from of all of the lower-echelon parks in the league.  The seating bowl is what would happen if Municipal Stadium (Hagerstown) and Grayson Stadium (Savannah) had a ballpark baby.  In addition, they do not have a video board (Kannapolis) though they do have a very nondescript outfield wall (Delmarva).  They do not have any suites either (Asheville, Hagerstown and Savannah).  The 'Jackets are under new ownership and management (albeit now owned in part by the former management).  They are working on building a new park in downtown Augusta that has been met with criticism and lawsuits.  Nothing is ever easy, especially when millions of dollars are on the line.  The GreenJackets do, however, put on a high-energy show despite their stadium limitations that was entertaining.

One other thing that the GreenJackets do have?  A sense of humor.  On the first day of the series, I, a veteran Media Relations manager, received this front page of game notes as "written" by the Media Relations department of the Jackets.

Notice the very black section titled "Last outing:"

I posted this on Facebook and tagged some broadcaster friends... one of which who tagged an GreenJackets employee... who passed along my joke to the rest of the staff. And the whirlwind ensued.  I walked in on Thursday to the comment, "Oh look.  It's Mr. Twitter."  I replied with "It was Facebook and I have no idea what you are talking about."

My high maintenance ways caught up with me on the last day. My copy of Augusta game notes included a fully completed front page, a word search, a crossword puzzle, two coloring book pages and an invoice for "services rendered."

Well played, Augusta.  Well played.

The joke is on the 'Jackets though.  Since my middle initial is not "D,"  I'm not paying this fake bill.

I'll never have another bad day.